Dawson City -Yukon Trip Part 5

We drove about 500 kms farther north to Dawson City - a destination my father has had in mind for years. He's read lots of books on the gold rush and the thousands of people who endured unbelievable hardships to strike it rich at the turn of the last century. On day we followed a road up into the mountains behind Dawson to "The Dome," from where we were treated to a 360 degree view of the mountains, valleys and the townsite far below. (Pic 1).

Dad was thrilled to find the place where the original claim was staked on Bonanza Creek, just a few kilometers outside of Dawson. (Pics 2,3).

When the gold rush of individual miners played out, the gold was then dredged with huge machines on an industrial scale until the 1960's. We had a very informative tour of Dredge #4, now an historical site, located just a few kilometers upstream from that first claim on Bonanza Creek. (Pic 4)

On our last day, we spent a few hours in the Dawson City Museum. (Pic 5). Then, we set off back to Whitehorse. We stopped for a snack along the way and to watch the sun set on on another satisfying day on the road. (Pic 6)

Whitehorse - Yukon Trip Part 4

Whitehorse was surprisingly warm. Lindsey, my sister, had flowers planted and the lawn was so green and thick, I wondered if it was real! One day she connected a kid's water swisher to the garden hose and we had lots of fun with Ty, watching him run through the spray and trying to get all of us wet.

We went on a walking tour downtown with a guide who showed us around many historic buildings and talked about the gold rush days over a hundred years ago. The most interesting of the historical sites was the "Klondike," a paddle-wheeler which, for many years, steamed up and down the Klodike river, carrying supplies and people between Whitehorse and Dawson city.

The road to Dawson City was the next part of our trip...

Into Whitehorse - Yukon Trip Part 3

1. Dad walking in the woods

2. Small waterfall off the Alaska Highway.

3. Vista across a lake around Iskut.


We like putting in a few kilometers before rewarding ourselves with breakfast. Or, I should say, brunch. Being in no great hurry, we left Bell II around 10 in the morning - our typical departure time every day. We had our sights set on Tatogga Lake Resort but when we got to the funky chalet there, festooned with antlers, about an hour later, breakfast had already finished for the day. Anyway, with three screaming kids crashing their big plastic trucks into each other, we were happy to fill up our travel mugs with expensive java, grab the last two muffins, and get out of there.

The muffins were too sweet and the coffee was swill. Bad investment. In fact, is was the only place on the whole trip we really disappointed with the fare. While filling up in Dease Lake, now in early afternoon, my growling stomach and I spotted a restaurant down the road. Dad wasn't impressed with the look of it so, off we went in search of something more... what? Palatable?

When we got to Iskut we didn't find much in the way of civilization, just a dusty general store with a pay phone outside. We hadn't yet checked in with my sister, Lindsey, in Whitehorse. We were warned at Bell II that calling out on the radio phone would cost $4 ~5.00 a minute so we put it off until we found a less exotic means of communication. But here, standing in front of this pay phone, with my index finger wondering what to poke, I found out we were now in NorthWest Tel country - we couldn't use the Telus calling card as I've always done farther south in BC. Call collect! I dialed the operator and, whose recorded voice do you think I heard - Lindsey's!! She's been working for NWT for years and here she was telling me that "this call could be monitored in order to ensure customer satisfaction," or something like that. No one home - and with no one to accept the charges, I couldn't even leave a message on the machine. We were off again.

We drove and drove with only beautiful scenery to fill our senses. Along the way, I gave up on dad who, whenever asked, never admitted hunger, and opened a can of salmon. At the Junction with the Alaska Highway we debated turning right the few miles into Watson Lake and stopping for the night. But Whitehorse was left and that's the way we went - looking for dinner and comfy lodging.

The sun was still high in the sky - it would be getting dusky by then back in Kamloops - we were really noticing the light differences of the latitude. There was a roadside stop with a very nice 15 minute trail leading to a couple of waterfalls. It was good to get out and stretch our legs. Down the road we turned into Dawson Peaks Resort - our mouths salivating when we saw the very presentable chalet-style restaurant. What we imagined were very satisfied patrons, were coming out the door and down the stairs. Dad got talking to one who had towed a giant camping trailer from Arkansas and who sounded just like Bill Clinton. I wasn't feeling as sociable. I had my mind on more gastronomic pursuits. I walked in only to be greeted my a sign on a chair blocking the way: Restaurant closed at 8:00. It was exactly 8:00.

We stopped in Teslin, just 10 kms more down the road and finally had a so-so dinner which dad professed to be about the most delicious meal he'd ever had. He never gets hungry, but he sure does appreciate food when it finally passes his lips. We weren't all that far from Whitehorse. We called Lindsey and were convinced to just beat it to her place - it wouldn't be too late. We rolled in around 11:30 after only two nights spent on the road. After hugs and a chat it was sack time.

Photo Disaster! - Yukon Trip Part 2

Poking around with the controls on my Sony DigiCam, bought in Japan, hence all in Japanese, I must have inadvertently switched it to movie mode. As a result, all the way to Whitehorse - and Dawson City beyond, the pictures are all multi-framed! Oh well, bear with me...

Pic 1: Canyon Falls just west of Smithers

Pic 2: Berry-nibbling bear next to the road

Pic 3: Arriving at Bell II

Pic 4: Ahhhhh luxury, Nite nite.... ZZzzzzzz

Leaving Vanderhoof the next, foggy morning, we drove west on Highway 16, stopping for lunch in sunny Burns Lake. This was the first hint of restaurant food to come. If there were choices other than hamburgers on the menus, it all came with French fries anyway.

A little farther down the road in Smithers, we stopped for a Tim Horton's coffee to go - a daily ritual in the making. That fueled us to the junction of Highway 37 where we headed north leaving civilization behind.

I had looked at the map in the morning and determined that, if we didn't make a reservation somewhere, there was a good chance we'd end up in the emergency tent that I'd brought along, just in case. Consulting our trusty "BC Accommodation Guide, I determined that the only place anywhere near where we might start to get sleepy was a place with the strange name of "Bell II." I did a little reading on the way and found out it got it's name from the nearby bridge which allows the road to cross the Bell-Irving River the second time.

It turned out to to be a bit of luxury in the middle of a mountainous wilderness. Their main business is winter heliskiing, so it was relatively quiet in the off season summer. On a mission, we had driven, barely stopping to take a picture (movie) of a berry-nibbling bear - we were determined to get to the Bell II lodge before the dining room closed for the night, as they warned, at 8:00. We made it.

We filed in behind another couple who said they'd been waiting for a table in the curiously uncrowded dining room for 20 minutes. We had our eyes on the big roast of beef, juicy pieces of which the chef would carve off whenever a hungry patron would hold out his plate. Finally, our waiting companions were led to their table. We watched, mouths watering, as they picked up their plates and were rewarded with sumptuous pink slices, before filling out their platters with a vegetarian balance at the salad bar.

Finally, our turn. The server lead us to a table for 10 and gave us menus. "Oh, that's alright," we declared, smacking our lips, "we're having the roast beef!" "Sorry," she informed us, "there is just enough left for the crew - they're coming later." With our mouths hanging open, she stuffed the menus in our hands and was off. She needn't have bothered - the only choice was - you guessed it - hamburgers! Oh well, they were good, really good actually, not least because we had saved our appetites for several hundred kilometers.

Our cabin was quite luxurious. It was a little chilly so we fed a few sticks into the wood stove and watched the flames through its blackened, heavy glass door. The hot tub was right out front and deserted. Dad and I were the only ones to use it the whole night. After a good hot soak, we sunk under the duvets on our big queen size beds. ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.........................

TBC

Back in the 'Loops - Yukon Trip - Part 1

After 6,000 kms I'm finally back in Kamloops in front of my father's computer. I've downloaded the pictures I took along the way and I'm going to try blogging with them.

Here goes...

Our first stop after leaving Kamloops was at this view point overlooking Kamloops Lake. That's Dad shading his eyes, looking back down the valley at Kamloops in the distance.

We turned right at Cache Creek, passed through Williams Lake and went left at Prince George. As I was quite familiar with this road, driving it many times back in my old coal mining days at Tumbler Ridge, it didn't occur to me to take any pictures. We stopped for the night in Vanderhoof.

TBC (To be continued...)

The Yukon

Hi there from Whitehorse, Yukon!

My father and I have been on the road for over a week now. First, we took a few days to drive up to Whitehorse, Yukon to visit my sister, Lindsey, and her family. (She has a two and a half year-old boy, "Ty").

My hometown, "Kamloops," is very dry and hot in the summer - but not like Japan. 30 degrees is very comfortable. But since we've been gone, the weather has gotten cooler and cooler. In fact, today is the first time I've worn shorts on the trip. The scenery has been incredible and the vistas are so huge. It really is a massive country. We saw lots of animals near the hiway too. The black bears usually run away when they see us but one bear was happy to stay on the roadside eating berries. We drove right up to him and took a couple of pictures.

After looking around Whitehorse for a couple of days, the three of us - my father, sisiter and I, decided to drive another 550 kms north to Dawson City, famous for the 1898 gold rush.
Dawson City was really interesting. Lots of historic information on plaques, old buildings and museums all over the place. People went nuts to get there in 1898 when news of the gold discovery got out to the rest of the world. I took a few pics - great scenery too.

It was impossible to get the use of a computer while we were on the Dawson trip. Motels advertise "Wireless Internet" but you have to have your own laptop to connect. There was a computer where we were staying but it was almost always being used in the morning when we there. When we got back from our day-long excursions, the office was already closed.

We took Lindsey's Jeep. It ran well but it seems to be a few electrical mysteries. Today I had to take the battery out in order to change a headlight bulb.
We were going to go to Skagway, Alaska today but seems Lindsey's didn't want to leave Ty with her partner, "AJ." Ty is an absolute monster. Cute but wants to destroy everything he touches. We went to a Mexican restaurant last night but it was hopeless. AJ had to take Ty home so that the rest of us could order something. So, today, Lindsey didn't want to take him on the two-hour drive over to Alaska.

Lindsey is going to take a couple of days off work. Hopefully we'll all get through the US border crossing to visit Skagway Alaska.

Now that I've started a Blog I can download a few pictures. Guess I'll figure out how to do it when I get back to Kamloops.

- JR