July 2019 – Living the Dream

Whitehorse, YT

July 27, 2019August 6, 2019bearcruzer

07/10 – 07/12/19 We headed to Whitehorse in the Yukon. J&J and Bob stayed at a park a few miles outside of Whitehorse. Mike and I opted for a park just outside the city limits so we could ride our bikes around town. We spent the first day taking care of business, washing our clothes etc. We visited with a couple who had sailed around the Northwest sounds and up the Northwest passage. Mike and I then took our bikes for a ride around Whitehorse to see the sites and check out the town. They have wonderful bike and hiking trails. Our town ride took us along the River and over to the Visitor Center. We also found a great used book store called Well Read Books. They had some local talent playing live music and great prices. We picked out a few books to add to our library and continued our ride. We stopped at the local fish hatchery and saw the longest fish ladder in North America. And rode past an old paddlewheel steamer. We talked with Bob and J&J and planned to meet up the next day. Mike and Jim opted for a Bike Ride while Jackie and I took Slim and Sierra to explore the Miles Canyon Trail & Bob took his truck to town for a oil change. Jackie and I planned on meeting up with the boys either along the way or after our hike. We never saw them as we stayed along the narrow rim trail and they took the bike trail. After our 9.8 mile trek we drove into town while the dogs slept and met the boys at the Yukon brewery. They were really happy we showed up as they were not looking forward to riding up the long hill back to our RV Park. As it was getting to be dinnertime we headed over to have some Pizza and share the sites of our day. We all agreed Whitehorse is a very cool town.

Watson & Morley Lake

July 27, 2019August 6, 2019bearcruzer

07/09 – 07/10/19 We passed through the town of Watson Lake and walked through the Signpost Forest which was begun by a homesick GI in 1942 and has been steadily added to over the years and now boasts more than 80,000 signs of every shape and size. Jackie had a little metal sign that she modified and added our initials and the year of our visit. We placed ours along with so many others to commemorate our stop here. We spent the night at Morley Lake campground on the border of BC and the Yukon. This was a free campground as it straddles the border between the two territories. We drove down a narrow road that led down to the lake where there were a number of camping spots right along the lake. It was a bit of a tight squeeze for Jimmy’s 5th Wheel but he was able to maneuver it out of danger and parked along side of the narrow road. Not the most level spot but J&J the professional RV’rs that they are, made it level. It is still raining off and on and the mosquitos are present but not overwhelming. We took a short walk and found a monument to an engineer that died during the building of the Alaska Hwy. Later we enjoyed an evening around the campfire to plan the next leg of our trip and so we will be heading to Whitehorse, YT to spend a couple of days doing laundry, bicycling, and hiking around the area.

On to Liard Hot Springs

July 24, 2019August 6, 2019bearcruzer

07/07 – 07/08/19 Continuing along the Alaskan Hwy. We arrived at Liard Hot Springs. Our goal for most of this trip has been the 222 rule. Cover 200 miles, or arrive by 2:00pm, or Stay 2 days. We made it up to Liard a bit later than we wanted but saw many black bears along the way. Most of them just nibbling on plants next to the road. Upon arrival we pulled in and asked the ranger if there was any room in the Campground. Again the camping fairies were with us and we got the last 3 spaces. Upon setting up Camp we grabbed our swim suits and headed for the Springs. Walking out of the Campground along an elevated boardwalk over swampy ground, we arrived at the 2 large crystal clear steaming pools. The pools are entered from a deck overlooking the pools and easy steps lead down into the them. There are 2 large changing rooms for men and women and bathrooms a short walk further up the boardwalk toward the hanging garden area of the park. The water in the upper pool is of course hotter where it bubbles up from the spring and is surrounded by little trickles of cooler water dribbling into the pool around the sides that are wonderful to sit under if you get too warm. The lower pool is still plenty warm and offers a fun little green grotto where you can swim up to a cool little waterfall coming into the pool. A sweet Cow Moose spent a while just off of the boardwalk feeding on the plants of the marsh. We finally were able to get a little Wifi at the lodge across the road from the campground and so reconnected with family after not being able to speak to them for a few days. Cell service is spotty at best throughout Canada. We were also treated to a large bull Bison who meandered along the highway, just outside the campground. Standing in the woods next to the Hwy, I was able to get a couple of good shots before I stepped on a stick and spooked him to run and causing a scare for a large group of onlookers across the road at the lodge. Oops! LOL.

Boondocking at it’s best!

July 23, 2019August 6, 2019bearcruzer

07/07/2019 – Occasionally, we stumble across one of the places we have seen watching YouTube travel videos. One of those was the Testa River Lodge. So, since we needed fuel anyway, we stopped to enjoy one of their famous Cinnamon Rolls. We split one between us as the portions are not lacking. Further up the road, we found a great boondocking (free) camping spot at the former Prophet River Provincial Park. It was located just off of the Hwy across a still used bush pilot landing strip. A small plane came in and picked up people, at least 3 times while we were there. The old camp spaces were overgrown but level and the area was easy to drive in and out of. We walked around the area and found a spring flowing from a pipe coming out of the side of a hill. The majority of our crew opted to relax and take a nap, so Sierra and I grabbed the can of bear spray and found an old hiking trail down to the peace river. The water was cold but we both decided to brave it and enjoyed a swim. Once back at camp, Sierra decided a roll in something nasty was in order so we took her over to the spring and gave her a good bath. Brrrrr, the spring water was even colder than the river. Toward the evening the biting flies began to swarm and so we broke out our repellents and managed to keep them at bay while we enjoyed a happy hour.

Mile 0

July 23, 2019August 6, 2019bearcruzer

07/04/19- 07/06/19 Well to be expected the 4^th of July in Canada in a non-event. We drove up Route 40 through Grand Prairie up to Swan Lake Provincial Park just outside of Dawson Creek. It had good reviews and as we pulled in we found a lovely park like setting along the lake. Jackie made our camp festive with a Red, White, and blue table decoration and so we settled in and stayed a couple of days taking walks between rain showers and enjoying the serenity of this pretty area. We went into Dawson Creek one day and toured the visitors center and museum where we saw a great documentary on the building of the Alcan Hwy, got the oil changed on the RV, picked up some dewormer for the dog, found the town free dump station, and had some lunch at Stuie’s Diner. Not necessarily in that order. We stopped again on our way out of town to make sure we all got our picture taken at the Mile 0 marker of the Alaskan Hwy which was built as a joint effort with Canada to link Alaska to the lower 48 during WWII. Thus begins our long trek on the famous Alaska Hwy.

Canada’s Rocky Mountains

July 23, 2019August 6, 2019bearcruzer

07/02/19 – 07/03/19 After an uneventful crossing into Canada. We made our way up Kootenay National Park. We had hoped to stay at the Radium Hot Springs but the campground there was full. We did get to see an group of male big horn sheep as we drove the road to the campground. We ended up at Mcleod Meadows Campground about another 28km into the park. The weather continued to be a bit damp but it did clear up enough for us to enjoy a hike out to Dog Lake. The next day we hoped to make our way up to Banff National Park and Lake Louise but as we got closer the traffic was horrendous and the crowd were insane. We drove into the town and found some fuel and drove right back out. We never did get to see the lake as there was no parking and the masses were being shuttled by large buses everywhere. We will try and come back during the off season next time. We left the Disneyland atmosphere behind and headed into the park where the scenery was outstanding. It was still a bit stormy but made for some amazing vistas as we drove the long road through both Banff and Jasper National Parks. The Canadian Rockies and Columbia Ice fields are a sight to behold. We camped just outside of the park in the town of Hinton in the Parking lot of Freson Bros. Market. They allow campers to stay for free. Sierra and I found a nice field about a block away where we could play fetch. We stocked up on a few groceries. Prices here seem high but then the Canadian dollar is 1.26 to our US dollar.

Eureka!

July 23, 2019August 6, 2019bearcruzer

06/30/19 – 07/02/19 Eureka! City Park is were we stayed for the next couple of days as 07/01 is Canada day and so the border crossing was expected to be very busy due to the long weekend. It is situated on the Tobacco River and has a wonderful trail open to biking and hiking. It also has a nice little museum across a footbridge to the Tobacco valley Historical Village. We got some laundry done and used the free shower at the visitors center. We also did a nice long bike ride up to the Kootenai Lake along the tobacco River Trail approx 15 miles. Mike was able to break out his tire patch kit and help Jim fix a slow leak in one of his trailer tires. Sierra and Slim our two canine companions agreed that one of the best things about camping in town is the Ice Cream Truck that came by selling Frosty Paws just for dogs along with fudgecicles for the hoomans.

Glacier National Park

July 22, 2019August 6, 2019bearcruzer

06/26/19 – 06/29/19 Our Caravan, now complete, hit the road and traveled to Deer Lodge, Montana where we stayed a night at the fairgrounds. Cost $5. Two more couples, friends of Jim and Jackie from Parker AZ also met us there. They were driving a Class A and brand new large Class C Motorhome with all the bells and whistles. They too were going to AK to visit family but only have 6 weeks to complete their journey and so they will be putting on many more miles per day than our group. J & J also have another couple who are doing the trip ahead of us and are reporting on road and weather conditions on our route. The weather through Canada has been wet and there are some fires causing smoky conditions in AK. It is nice to have other run a bit of interference for us to help us with our decisions on which routes to take and interesting things to see along the way. We headed up to Glacier National Park passing many bright yellow Canola fields and spent the next few days camping just outside of the National Park at Emery Bay Campground on the shores of Hungry Horse Reservoir. We were able to split a double campsite with Bob and J & J were able to snag the last non-reserved site. Many of the sites at this campground were empty but had reserved signs on them. The people that reserved them just never show up. Many campers were turned away when space was available. We spent the next couple of days touring Glacier National Park, we drove the very narrow, “going to the Sun Road”, up to the summit and back. We also walked the lovely “trail of the Cedars” recommended by Larry, our camp host. The park was very busy this time of year and we had difficulty finding parking everywhere we went. I spent a lot of time shooting pictures from Jim’s truck. There were so many beautiful waterfalls and rivers and creeks with bright blue snow melt. I was able to capture a good picture of a big horn sheep at the summit. The scenery along this road was stunning. We passed a bicyclist near the summit and when he stopped at the top we found out he was 81 years old. Good for him! We also took the next day and inflated our kayaks and paddled out on the lake. Sierra, our new sweet little retriever was not too sure about the boat initially and jumped out on our first trek but after hauling her back into the boat, soon relaxed and enjoyed the ride. Jackie and I have begun our Cribbage tournament and we also involved the guys in a round of Mexican Train Dominoes and Ladders. Let the games begin!

Our Caravan is complete!

July 22, 2019August 6, 2019bearcruzer

06/25/19 Jim, Jackie, & their dog Slim arrived on schedule and we were able to snag Campsite #4 right next to ours for them to move into. I sent them a map of our location, however google maps, in its infinite wisdom, decided it would direct them via that long loop that we had taken with Bob the day before. They called us when they reached the top of mountain and had nearly given up after 6 miles of very rough road. We explained they were on a loop and had come in at the far end. They were only about another ½ mile from the site and we encouraged them to press on as they were almost there. They arrived exhausted but intact and were rewarded for their efforts by Slim who jumped out of the truck and immediately found some human excrement left by inconsiderate former campers to roll in. After a bath for Slim, we toasted their arrival and the beginning of our adventures together. The next day we were able to meet up with Kirstin and Steve again and were treated to a beautiful 9 mile hike along the String lake trail. They even provided us with delicious sack lunches for our trek. The mosquitoes were voracious if we stood still for too long, so we took pictures and kept moving on up to our lunch site at Trapper lake. As we strode along the lakeside trail we got to see deer, Moose, and a very friendly and curious Marmot who was kind enough to pose for pictures. After our hike Kirstin and Steve took us up to Jackson Lake and the Coulter Bay Visitor Center where Steve introduced Mike one of the managers who had also previously worked on St Thomas and who now runs the boat tours out of the Marina there. If there is a Marina Mike will find it. Perhaps you’ll meet Captain Mike on a future trip to the Tetons……who knows?

Meeting friends in the Tetons

July 22, 2019August 6, 2019bearcruzer

Grand Tetons

06/20/19 – 06/26/19

Happy 10 year anniversary Michael and thank you for this wonderful trip. I can’t think of a better anniversary gift. We carried on north to the Grand Tetons. We will wait for Jim, Jackie, and Slim Goodenberger to complete our little caravan. We had seen an intriguing review of Shadow Mountain, a free campsite in the Bridger-Teton National Forest that looked out at the Teton Range. The road was advertised as rough but we decided to give it a go anyway. Mike and I took the lead and Bob waited at the bottom of the Forest Service Rd for our report. It was definitely more for 4WD vehicles but we took our chances and were rewarded with beautiful views. It only cost us the loss of a couple of our favorite ceramic mugs that flew out of the cupboard and a container of blueberries that had to be cleaned out from behind the couch when our fruit hammock collapsed on the drive up. We initially had found a spot with great views on top of a ridge but the winds had started blowing pretty good and rain and lightening were in the forecast. I just hoped it wouldn’t be too much as I’m not sure we could make it out with the road muddy or more washed out. Fortunately the weather was not as bad as predicted. We spent the next few days exploring the town of Jackson Hole and had lunch with our Neighbors from Beaver Circle Michael, Addie, Juniper, and Tuba who have been living and working here. (They too are renting out their house in Pagosa). Tuba was our dog Dede’s best friend in the neighborhood and would often come down to our house to play with her. Bob was again our taxi and tour guide and took us on a drive along the Teton Park Road. We stopped at the visitor center and Jenny Lake. Mike who recently confirmed with the USCG that his captains license had been renewed, inquired as to if they were ever in need of boat captains for the tourist boat across Jenny Lake. (Keeping our options open…?) On the way back, we took the long way around the 8 mile forest service loop rd that led back to our camp…the entire road is pretty bumpy. We were also able to connect with our dear friends from St. Thomas, Kirstin and Steve Biery, they are working for a contractor that handles the concessions for the Park Service. They are provided lodging while they are working here this summer and then will return to Edwards, CO to work in Beaver Creek over the winter months. It is wonderful getting to reconnect with dear friends.