Skagway and Juneau AK

Thursday, July 2 we traveled to Skagway, AK.  This was our first town in Alaska to visit.  Skagway is located southwest of Whitehorse YT by only 102 miles and is the northern most town in the inside passage in Alaska.  As we traveled the Klondike Highway to Skagway, we stopped for a picture at Emerald Lake.  Hopefully, you can see, in the picture below, the green and lavender shades in the water.

Skagway has a population of 968.  There's only one school, K-12, which has 17 classrooms, with an average enrollment of 65 students.  Ten teachers and one superintendent serve the students.  The town has five churches, one library, and one bank.

A portion of the Skagway downtown area has been designated as the Skagway Unit of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park where over one million people visit each summer.  Skagway is the starting point for the famous Chilkoot and White Pass Trails where thousands of gold seekers scrambled in search of gold in the late 1800’s during the years of the Gold Rush. 

 

We traveled on the White Pass and Yukon Route Scenic Railway for a wonderful scenic and historical experience.  The railroad was completed in 1900.  As we traveled, the White Pass Trail was pointed out to us.  The prospectors trudged through mountains, gorges, ice and snow, on this trail in search of their fortunes.  Once they arrived, some abandoned their search for gold and helped build the railroad.

What a ride!

We also took a three-hour cruise on a chartered catamaran from Skagway harbor to Juneau, AK.  The beauty of the mountain peaks covered with snow or glaciers combined with the majesty of the waterfalls provided the perfect setting for a great boat ride.

                                         

One of many beautiful waterfalls

The bald eagles, our national bird, love to build their nests in the top of fur trees surrounding the Chilkoot Inlet. Even without binoculars one could see the white heads of the  eagles perched in the tree tops guarding their nests and family.  In addition, we enjoyed watching the sea lions sunning on the rocks on the banks and playing on the buoy in the middle of the inlet. They were so funny to watch.  Two were enjoying their time on the buoy while another one was trying to get on it.  Every time he tried, he fell back into the water.  He screamed and cried just like a child.  The others ignored him completely.  

Juneau was a fun place to visit.  It is the capital of Alaska and is only assessible by water or air.  We were picked up at the inlet harbor by a chartered bus in which we took a tour of the city and countryside. We visited the Red Dog Saloon and enjoyed the one-man show by the piano player.  We sat at the harbor in Juneau and watched the huge cruise ships come into port.

 
We ate fish and chips, the most popular menu selection, but the most impressive attraction was the Mendenhall Glacier. 

Glaciers form when the amount of snowfall exceeds the summer snowmelt at higher elevations.  Year after year snow accumulates, compacting underlying snow layers from previous years into glacial ice. Average annual snowfall on the Juneau Icefield exceeds 100 feet, so this location is perfect for the formation of glaciers.  Glaciers are important because of the vast amounts of freshwater they provide to the land and sea environments.  They grind mountains into fine particles and provide essential nutrients that form the basis of the food web:  nitrogen, phosphorus, and unique ancient organic carbon. 

Because of global warming, glaciers are receding; this happens when the annual rate of melt exceeds the annual total snow accumulation.  This receding began as early as the 1700’s when before that age, the Mendenhall Glacier was at its point of maximum advance.  Because of the importance of maintaining glaciers, the global warming climate change proposes a huge threat.

On our return trip we saw several humpback whales including two mamas with their babies.  

Skagway celebrated the 4^th of July with a great parade.  Our SMART (Special Military Active Recreational Travel Club) caravan was invited to march in the parade.  We decorated two trucks and my scooter.  Buck sat in the back of a truck holding  the Army Reserve flag.  Others displayed the flag from their branch of service. Caravaners waved smaller flags as they walked in the parade.  I carried an “Uncle Sam” doll in the front basket of my scooter and threw candy to the kids.  We were announced as we passed by the master of ceremonies. It was a great patriotic experience and seemed to bond our SMART caravaners together.  Beautiful day in Skagway, AK.

Yukon Territory

As you know, we’ve been in Canada now for 15 days, moving slowly northwest with each leg of the trip.  When we crossed the border into Canada we were in the province of Alberta.  Then we stayed in several small towns in the province of British Columbia.  Our last two stops were in Yukon Territory. That started me wondering about the difference between a province and a territory.  I asked several people in our caravan, but they didn’t know.  Then I asked a young man who was working in the Old Log Church Museum in Whitehorse.  He explained the difference to me. 

The Old Log Church was established in 1900.

The major difference between a Canadian province and a territory is that provinces receive their power and authority from the Constitution Act of 1867. Territories have powers delegated to them by the federal government.  A province has a higher population of residents than a territory.  Residents in a province have a right to vote in governmental elections and pay taxes to the federal government.   A territory consists of a massive amount of land – wilderness, really, that is sparsely populated. Residents in a territory do not vote in federal governmental elections and do not pay federal taxes.  They are mostly governed within their towns.  

Canada is made up of 10 provinces and 3 territories. The ten provinces are Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador.  The three territories are Northwest Territory, Nunavat Territory, and Yukon Territory.

One of the towns in the Yukon Territory that we visited was Watson Lake, the home of the Sign Post Forest. There, signs from almost everywhere on earth have been posted by visitors traveling through.  The signs usually reveal the person’s name, town and state, and date of the visit.  This all began when, years ago, a lonesome soldier stationed nearby posted his hometown and the number of miles he was from it. He hung his sign on a post pointing in the direction to his home. See pictures below of a few of the signs that are on display. 

The other town that we visited in Yukon Territory is Whitehorse, which serves as the capital of the Yukon Territory.  There are three beliefs of how Whitehorse got its name.  One is that the town was named after a whiskey that the miners bought in bars during the gold rush.  Another is that the waves coming off the river dam looked like the mane of white horses, and the other is that the town was named for an Indian chief.  Who knows, but the town is a nice place. Whitehorse was also the home of Jack London, author of The Call of the Wild. Travis, do you remember this author?

We celebrated “Canada Day” with the Whitehorse residents and tourists on July 1.  We went to the parade and enjoyed seeing the sights.  I don’t know where all those people came from, but they all came out for the parade.  I was amazed at the number of young families.
We enjoyed a bus tour of the city of Whitehorse, ate dinner at Klondyke Rib and Salmon Restaurant with friends, (I ordered Halibut, but Jason, it wasn’t even close to yours) and did our laundry.
If I had to live in any of the towns we’ve visited since we entered Canada, Whitehorse would be the one.   

Friends from Texas and Montana

Our next stop will be Skagway, Alaska.  Finally, Alaska, here we come! We will celebrate the 4^th of July there!

British Columbia

Dawson Creek was our first stop in the province of British Columbia.  We traveled 260 miles to get to the Mile 0 RV Park. Mile 0 refers to the starting point of the Alaska Highway. The gateway arch shown above made a perfect first photo for this British Columbia Blog.

Buck and Janet at Mile 0.

The Dawson Creek Visitor’s Center manager spoke with our group about the history of the Alaska Highway.  The manager’s father was one of the army engineers ordered to construct the road.  President Herbert Hoover considered building a road from the lower 48 states to Alaska as early as 1930.   But the threat from Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 created an urgency for the connecting road.  Construction began March 9, 1942 and was completed 8 months and 12 days later.

Built by 11,000 American troops, including 7 regiments of engineers, 16,000 civilian workmen from Canada and the United States, and 7,000 pieces of equipment, the construction was an unbelievable task of penetrating the 1500 miles of mountains, lakes, rivers, and gorges.

The highway served its purpose for the use of the military to defend off Japan’s military attacks from the northwest sections of Alaska. The highway was open to the public in 1948 and since then has been improved upon many times.

Curved bridge made of wood built in 1942
on the Alaska Highway.

At Dawson Creek we stayed four nights which gave us time to unwind, do laundry, and enjoy our caravan members while sightseeing and eating out.  Also, time to wash our tow!

From Dawson Creek we journeyed to Ft. Nelson, BC, a distance of 282 miles. In route we passed a sign, “Suicide Hill.”  It commemorates one of the most treacherous hills on the original highway, noted for its ominous greeting:  “Prepare to meet thy maker.”  

The next day we left Ft. Nelson, BC for Liard River, BC, only 189 miles away. The Liard Hot Springs location was a great attraction as our caravan members soaked their sore bodies in the hot springs.   The second night a buffalo graced our campground with his presence.  He grazed the green grass without blinking an eye as we all shot pictures of him.  As we left the campground the next morning, the buffalo had attracted an audience with several members of his herd, I suppose.

Big Boy!

Bears and caribou were also spotted on the Alaska Highway as we headed to the Yukon Territory.  We even stopped so that a bear cub could cross the highway to get to his mom.  Amazing!

Crossing the Border

With great anticipation and fear we approached the border crossing into Canada on Wednesday, June 17.  We had heard horror stories of the border patrol officers climbing into motor homes and searching through everything inside. (And of course, if this happens, the officers do not place things back in neat order like they found them.)   Sometimes they will conduct a search if they suspect that you are not telling the truth while answering the questions they ask.  Other times they will  select a victim just at random.  Maybe they have a quota to meet or maybe they do it just for show - to serve as a warning to other drivers who watch the search happen as they approach the border patrol.  Anyway and for whatever reason, all our caravan members were more than a little anxious as we approached the border.

We were about 5th in line at the only patrol booth that was open. As we moved forward we knew that one more of our group had passed through, hopefully without a hitch. Suddenly an officer came from in front of the vehicles ahead of us and motioned for us to get in the lane for a booth that just opened.  We didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing, but we had to do it anyway.  So here we are at the booth ready to be questioned.  The first thing the officer said to us was, "Don't set your air brakes."  I thought, this might be good - we won't be here long. And basically, that was true.  We were questioned for only a few minutes.  The only credentials he asked for were drivers' licenses and passports.  We had those ready to show him along with insurance cards for motor home and truck and our medication lists.  Then he started with the questions.  "Do you have a weapon on board, sir?" Buck answered that he did not.  "Don't you have a weapon to protect yourself back home?"  Buck answered that he did.  "Why did you not bring it with you?"  Buck answered, "because it's against the law in Canada."   The officer replied, "Good day sir, enjoy your stay in Canada."  

All our caravan members made it across the border without a problem.  We're told that while the first experience may not be so bad, the next one very well could be.  It all depends on the officer sitting in the booth at the border crossing and how much harassment he wants to dish out.  We will cross the border three additional times before ending up in Washington state in September.  So while we're happy we passed this time, we know there's more stress ahead. 

Once we crossed the border we were in Alberta, Canada.  Alberta is a large province containing many counties, cities, and small towns.  A province in Canada is like a state in the US.  During our time in Alberta we have stayed in three Alberta towns:  Ft. MacLeod, Rocky Mountain House, and Whitecourt.  These were one-night stays.  Traveling to Ft. MacLeod from Great Fall,s Montana, we drove 220 miles; from Ft. MacLeod to Rocky Mountain House, we drove 250 miles; and from there to Whitecourt we drove only 150 miles.  Each day's leg has taken us north and west as we travel towards Alaska.

In Whitecourt we were greeted by the mayor at the interpretative center/visitors center. We were also treated to a pizza supper by the caravan.

The province we're in today is British Columbia.  We're at Dawson Creek at a campground called "Mile 0 RV Park."  This campground sits off the Alaskan Highway.  We will travel on this highway to enter Alaska in a few days.  We're at Dawson Creek for four nights.  This gives us time to rest, to do laundry, and to visit the area.  Today at 1:30 we're celebrating Father's Day with cake and fellowship.  After that we'll have a group picture made with our caravan members. We must wear our new Northern Exposure Caravan green jackets.  After the picture-taking,we will have free time until the 7:00 travel meeting on our last night here - June 23.

At Ft. MacLeod, we found some Canadian buffalo grazing in a pasture. They're not as privileged as those in Yellowstone. 

Gathering of the Northern Exposure Caravan

In the last blog, we posted some pictures from Yellowstone National Park.  A mule deer was camoflodged in a growth of trees.  I remember asking if you could find it.  Did you?  Here he is.

He watched Buck take the picture!

We traveled from Cody, Wyoming to Great Falls, Montana on Friday, June 12.  A rugged adventure even in the travel with road constructoin.  Not the type we know in North Carolina.  Up here, they tear up the entire road - both lanes - for a couple or more miles.  While they are working, you must drive through one of the rough dirt lanes with the help of a guide car.  No need to wash your RV or your car - since you're sure to run into this road construction on every trip!

When we arrived to Great Falls that Friday, we met a few of our caravan members who had already arrived.  The wagon masters and tail gunners were, of course, there already.  Remember we had met the tail gunners in Branson. MO.  They had come to visit us there from NW Arkansas.  The wagon masters are also from Arkansas.
As more caravan members arrived, we met them and instantly made friends with people from Texas, New York, California, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Arizona, Tennessee, Virginia, and Montana. Yep, we're the only rig from North Carolina.

The next few days were busy with a dinner for everyone on Monday night, buying groceries, doing laundry, getting a bank to convert our US dollars to Canadian money, and of course, locating a camping store that sold the RIGHT WINDSHIELD WIPERS to fit our motor home.   Carole, remember the story of the snake that keeps rearing its head when you think you've already killed him a million times?   But, hey, this time was the winner.  Those new windshield wiper blades slipped right on the windshield wipers arms.  Thank you, Lord.

As our departure date neared, we attended meetings to help us learn the procedures.  Incidentally, the organization hosting the caravan is SMART - Special Military Active Recreational Travel Club. At one of the meetings, we introduced ourselves. We are amazed at the service theses SMART members contributed to the support and safety of our United States citizens. Believe me, you'd better be on time for the meetings!

We learned about the border crossing and the credentials we needed to cross the border.  ID or Driver's License and passport are two requirements.  Also, just in  case, you may need to provide insurance verification for both motor home and tow vehicle.  You may also need medication lists.  They will ask you if you have a weapon or explosives on board, alcohol, and if so, how much, animals and if so, what species, and any other questions of their choice.  We were told not to take raw chicken - either fresh or frozen. So we grilled chicken the night before we left.  Find out how the border crossing went in our next blog!

There are 21 "rigs" in the caravan. Twenty-two were signed up, but a lady from Arkansas (not the wagon masters) fell in Walmart in Great Falls and broke her arm in three places.  She had surgery the day we left for Canada.  So 21 rigs, 42 people pulled out of Dick's Campground on Wednesday, June 17 headed to Ft. MacCleod in Alberta, Canada.

We had an order of departure.  The wagon masters and two other rigs left at 8:00 AM so they could arrive at the destination first and get all details ironed out and be ready to help with parking of all the other rigs.  At 8:30 a group of 5 would leave. We were in the 8:45 group along with 4 other rigs. This method was used to avoid congestion on the highways.  We didn't have to stay together after we departed.  We could stop for sightseeing, fuel, food, rest area, etc. as we chose.  But we were not to arrive before the wagon masters. We all had numbers assigned to our rigs.  We were number 10.  The signs were placed on the ladder on the back of the motor homes and in the windshield on the front of the motor homes.

Probably the prettiest motor home 
in the caravan.
The owner tows a burgandy truck.

Here are pictures of some rigs that are in our caravan.

Wagon Master displays our
Northern Exposure Caaravan Logo.

Fifth Wheel pulled by a truck.

Over and out!
                                                                                                                                                                           

Old Faithful

Thursday, June 11, when we were still in Cody, Wyoming, we made our third trip back into Yellowstone National Park, specifically, to see Old Faithful, the fantastic and historic geyser that "faithfully" erupts for millions of people each year.  It's made a habit of erupting once per hour, but lately, for whatever reason, Old Faithful has not been quite as faithful to stay on schedule.

But we were determined to see her do her thing!  So we, along with hundreds of people, watched and waited for a little over an hour. And she spilled forth just as she was expected to do.  Attached is a video that we hope you can play. It's our first time to insert a video in a blog.

Old Faithful

Yellowstone National Park - Wyoming

Monday, June 8 we traveled through the Yellowstone National Park to Cody, Wyoming without a problem, not even rain.  Back in Idado we had tried to call the KOA local repair guy to help with the windshield wiper problem.  Once we made contact, we learned he would not return until Monday late. We knew we were scheduled to arrive in Cody on Monday, so we checked the weather and found that rain was not a prediction.  Once we arrived in Cody we located an RV repair company.  We took our Motor home to that company and the owner, a Marine vet, fixed our problem.  Thank you Lord.

We're staying four nights in Cody and will leave tomorrow, June 12 for Montana.  For the past few days we have returned to Yellowstone National Park. We saw Old Faithful erupt today!  Will share that video later.  We hope you enjoy the pictures.

Reflections of the Tetons in the
Yellowstone Lake.            

                   

             This big dude is walking along
           the road.  Must have been defeated
                            by his male counterparts for the love of his life.

A herd of buffalo headed for a cool drink.

Pretty wildflowers growing along the road.

Fire damage from 1988

Can you find the mule deer in this picture?