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[Ron]

Week 33: Week ending June 29, 2003

Monday:
The first 285 miles along the Alaska Highway, from Dawson Creek to Fort Nelson, are decent paved roads with minimal construction. Although significantly bumpier after Fort Nelson, it is still not bad. We shall reserve judgment until later in the day.

Just as we see a warning sign for moose on the right side of the highway, we see a moose staring at the sign from the left side! Best times to sight moose are supposedly at early morning or dusk because they are most active at night. We thought we had a great photo opportunity when we spied a moose on the right side of the road from quite a distance. But as we drove closer and readied the camera, the large moose got frightened by the motorhome and galloped up a hill and into the woods.

Summit Lake pullout and Provincial Park Campground at MP 373 provides some great photo opps. This is one of the first Provincial Parks where we could actually fit, but it is too soon to call it a day. Later in the day, we pull into a turnout for a late lunch. As soon as we are parked, it starts raining and then pouring for two hours straight. Then the skies clear, the sun comes out and we hit the road again.

Beautiful jade green Muncho Lake is our home for the night at a pretty facility called Northern Rockies Lodge. We grab the last site, lakefront property, the lake is literally just feet away. We are surrounded by pine trees in back and view the Canadian Rockies and Muncho Lake in front. It is truly an idyllic setting.

Click here to see Summit Lake and Muncho Lake

We strike up conversations with our neighbors, also heading to Alaska, with a great black Lab mix named Bubba. After dinner, (a disappointing affair at the Lodge), we sit around the communal fire pit and campers and lodge guests come and go, proffering advice about Alaska. For instance, we now know that Skagway is THE place for Alaska souvenirs, much cheaper then Anchorage. An especially interesting couple is from Switzerland, George and Brigitte, who rented a 25’ motorhome in Vancouver, drove to Alaska and is heading back. They were especially enamored with the town of Valdez and recommend a harborside campground there and the cruise through the glaciers. We finally say goodnight around 11:45 pm and it is still light out. We have driven 299 miles today and we are still not sleepy.

Tuesday:
Stone sheep and wild horses greet us within the first hour on the road. We encounter our first serious road construction and frost heaves on the Alaska Highway. MP570 marks our first stop in the Yukon Territory. We stop for diesel at Contact Creek, where we find a super nice owner at Contact Creek, good prices on diesel and gas, a fax machine and fresh coffee. What more could a traveler ask for? (Internet access, which she only has in the evening.)

Just nine miles north of Teslin, YT, we pull into Mukluk Annie’s, a restaurant offering free RV parking and water for dining on their Salmon Bake. We decide to spring for electric hookup ($18 Can.) and pull in alongside an Allegro Bay from Texas. Its owners, Dick and Nina, heartily recommend the Salmon Bake, as did the owner at Contact Creek. We are hungry and order the Combo: two medium-sized portions of smoked beef ribs, a grilled salmon steak and a salmon fillet. Beverage, all-you-can-eat salad bar, baked beans and rolls plus dessert ensure that we don’t leave hungry!

We spend the rest of the evening conversing with our Texas neighbors and playing with their miniature Schnauzer, Fritz. We retire around 12:30 am and the sky is still light.

Wednesday:
We awaken at 4:30 am to the sounds of someone washing their RV. The sky is brightly lit. We are not sure when and if the sun ever set!

Ron drove 342 miles yesterday, so we are taking it easy and only driving 112 miles to Whitehorse, YT. Our neighbors at Mukluk Annie’s recommend Trails of 98 RV Park. It’s closest to downtown than the other parks, and not subject to airport or Highway traffic noise. We take their last pull-thru site for the next two nights and hook-up.

We actually have cell-phone service (hurrah!) but no Internet access (boo!). We have been without both for two or three days, but it seems like an eternity. We call family to let them know we are still alive and then head out for the Wired Cabin, a local high-speed Internet access café.

The Frantic Follies is a costumed vaudeville show about the Gold Rush which Ron’s parents enjoyed when they were in Alaska in the late 70s. All the RV Alaska Caravans include it on their itinerary so we are game. We buy tickets at the box office from the manager, a young woman named Jillian, who recognizes Ron’s Boston accent. Jillian lived there as a young child and has fond memories of Boston and wishes to return as a teacher. We enjoy chatting and exchange email addresses.

Jillian recommends the Klondike Rib & Salmon Bakehouse for dinner, as does “Let’s Go” tour guide. As with many of the businesses in the Yukon, it is only open from May to September. The place is packed. We enjoy hearty meals and walk over to the show. The Follies are a bit corny but enjoyable. All the participants are multi-talented: we enjoy music, dancing, magic, poetry and slapstick comedy, all with the Yukon touch.

The 9:15 show ends just before 11 pm. We walk out into the street in broad daylight but nothing seems open. We drive around to Main Street and find Mac’s Fireweed Books open until 11 pm. Serious shopping will have to wait until regular hours tomorrow.

Thursday:
Whitehorse offers some interesting specialty stores for browsing and buying. We even got to meet Blanche, an albino moose, inside Hougen Centre. Unfortunately, Blanche is surrounded by Yukon merchandise, so Ron is not able to offer her a kiss on the snout. We will have to find another willing moose!

We have seen Boston Pizza.ads and stores throughout the Pacific Northwest during our journey. We decide to check them out in Whitehorse and are well-rewarded. Boston Pizza offers a variety of sandwiches, entrees, of course, pizza, all nicely presented and reasonably priced. We wish there was a Boston Pizza closer to Boston, MA!

Friday:
Ron heads to the Wired Cabin to further update www.HappieCamper.com while Joan does laundry and housekeeping. We book seats on the 7:15pm sailing of the M.V. Schwatka, a Yukon River cruise through Miles Canyon. We join 30 other guests on the top deck for sun, fun and breezes. A complimentary light supper is served below deck where some guests remain as the temperatures cool down. The cruise lasts for almost two hours. We have a mixed review, having been led to expect a more informative cruise in more active waters. Still, it is a neat experience.

Saturday:
Although we had planned to leave Whitehorse today, Joan is feeling under the weather. We pull into the local WalMart down the road for Joan to rest and Ron to work on the Happie Camper website.

Sunday:
Farewell to Whitehorse at 7:30 am, at least for now; we might see you again on the way back. 60 miles north of Whitehorse, the Alaska Highway becomes narrow and the speed limit is reduced to 90kmh. The beautiful Kluane Mountain Range soon comes into view and seems to follow us as we leave Haines Junction. Much of it is snow-capped and enveloped by misty clouds. We will have to spend some time here on our return trip south. 150 miles north of Whitehorse, we hit lengthy road construction for about 10km. (The Highway is being widened considerably.)

Kulane Lake is absolutely beautiful: its turquoise water rivals the color of the Caribbean and perhaps even Hawaii.

152 miles north of Whitehorse, we spot our first grizzly bear in the wild! He runs across the road just car-lengths ahead of us, frightened by the vehicle ahead of us.

Mother Nature alternates rain and sun throughout the day. We welcome the rain on the increasingly long stretches of construction and just poor pavement, as the rain reduces the dust. Unfortunately, it does nothing for frost heaves. It’s all part of The Adventure.

Throughout the Yukon, the Alaska Highway is brightened by bright patches of Fuchsia-colored fireweed. As we drive further north and west, the flower is less evident, the color changes to a pale yellow, with an occasional splash of fuchsia. It is a strange and wonderful landscape.

At MP 1135, we pull into White River Crossing Tradepost and RV Park. Two college students, Brian and Raina, operate the park owned by Brian’s father. White River offers free RV parking free with the purchase of dinner, similar to Mukluk Annie’s. We enjoy a great halibut and pork rib BBQ, cooked outdoors under a small tent. A sudden downpour and thunderstorm does not dampen our spirits and the sun soon reappears. Other campers stoke up a bonfire enclosed within a huge firepit where we relax and chat until midnight. It is still daylight!

[Ron]

Added the following link to the story:
http://www.happiecamper.com/html/bc_lakes.html