Top of the World

Do you know what / where the Top of the World Highway is?  No?  Don’t blame you, I didn’t know about it either before starting our trip but am definitely glad that it made it onto our “To do” list. This seasonal highway goes from Dawson City to Chicken and then connects to the Alaska Highway near Tok, AK. Most highways follow the river valleys, but not this one. It goes along the mountain tops. Hence the name. 

What it really should be called is the OMG Holy #$%& Highway! Since it travels the tops of the mountains, all the views are down. And down and down. The tops of the mountains are relatively flat, so you get these amazing vistas. But sometimes, when you’re cutting across the edge of the mountain, with no guard rails, it’s a bit scary. We took plenty of pictures, but they really can’t do it justice. 

From Dawson to Chicken is 174 km. It took us about 4.5 hours. I drove, because my control freak, stress case tendencies would have had me completely frazzled if Bob had drove (yes, he is a good driver – on pavement; gravel is different). The road is mostly packed gravel, which is in pretty good condition on the Canadian side.

Crossing the border (yes, there is an official border crossing near the highest point of the highway), the Alaskan side is in noticeably poorer condition for the first 20 miles. To be fair, they were doing construction to improve the road, but a packed earth road, light rain and a 13000 lb. trailer are not my favorite driving conditions. I’m not sure if the large rock chunk road they like to use on the uphills are better (or worse) though.

The first thing we noticed after crossing the border were the people. On the Canadian side, there were only a few vehicles of tourists (like us), and some service vehicles. On the Alaska side, we were constantly meeting pick-up trucks and trailers. I guess this area is a big hunting area and it’s obviously hunting season. We even saw a set of hunters dragging a caribou behind their quad. 

We pulled into Chicken, a small mining town along the highway (called the Taylor Highway in Alaska) and found a spot for lunch. Chicken is an interesting place, and not one many people will see in their lifetimes (and I didn’t get ANY pictures to prove we were there. Bah!). Its population is 15 in the winter and 30-50 in the summer. There are only 3 businesses in town, but they have gas/diesel, cafes, campgrounds, and even wifi. This is a true fringe town, though, and solar panels & generators are strongly in evidence. There is no outside sourced electricity, no running water, no flush toilets. We ate at the Downtown Chicken café (very good food), and I got a sticker to put on the trailer at the gift shop. I wonder how a town of 15-50 manages to keep up with the tourist/ hunter traffic and demand for services.  (A Holland America tour bus, on its way over the Top stopped into the café just as we finished up lunch.)

Perhaps the gold that is still being mined in the area helps balance out the lopsided tourist season.  

Border Crossing

I wanted to stop, just plunk my butt down & relax for the rest of the day (and maybe gold pan a bit, or check out the Pedro dredge that is there), but Bob wanted to keep going on to Tok, 2 hours (only 124 km) further. He drove through the rain, but at least the road was now paved. The rain wasn't such a bad thing though as it washed off a fair bit of the road dust from the truck & trailer. Boy did we get grubby! We pulled into Tok, a small community on the Alaska Highway, around 5:30, visited the Info Centre (these things are gems when you’re travelling!), and learned about Mukluk’s - a bit of an entertainment/ activity spot that sounded just right for the kids. We played skee ball, and mini golf, and the kids got cotton candy.  It was getting late (even with the time change) so we checked into the Tundra Lodge RV Park and settled in for the night.  

Alaska side construction

Dawson City part 2

Lily -note gravel streets, wooden sidewalks

The playground

We spent Tuesday exploring the town of Dawson, starting out by touring the SS. Keno, the smallest of the sternwheelers that plied the Klondike rivers.  It is considerably smaller than the SS Klondike (in Whitehorse), and, while it could carry passengers, it was obviously built for work and cargo rather than transporting people. We used our Canada Parks pass to get in free, which made me rather happy. I hadn't realized our pass would be good for Interpretive programs and Historic sites as well as entry into the National Parks. (I used it for the walking tour too). We went for lunch at Sourdough Joe's (yummy chowder), and checked out some of the shops. Lily was fascinated watching the goldsmith creating a ring in one of the many gold/ jewelry stores in Dawson. The kids returned to the same playground they were at the day before (sadly the swimming pool was closed due to boiler issues – it will take 3 weeks to get the parts!) and we got some groceries. Food is noticeably more expensive here, although not as bad as we thought it might be. It’s a long way from anything here, so I'm sure shipping costs are considerable. It makes the area rather interesting in its own right, though. The residents are quite proud of their tenacity and the town’s history but I can imagine that the cost of living here is quite high. There certainly is something magical about it though (maybe it’s that spell of the Yukon that Robert Service writes about that’s creeping in).

Ferry ride on the George Black

At the Dawson YGC

View across the river from the campground

The day flew by and after mailing a letter at the local post-office (the real one, not the historical one) we got in the truck and did one last thing. We went on the ferry across the river to the Yukon Gov’t campground. Now, I’m pretty sure this was, by far, the kid’s favorite activity of the day – the 5 minute ferry ride on the George Black across the Yukon River. They've been on one other, much larger, ferry when we went to the Olympic Peninsula last summer, but were just as spell-bound by this trip. The ferry is large enough to hold two lines of vehicles, but we’re big, and after two pick-ups, we barely fit on.  The trailer tires were right at the edge of the ramp. It was all good, and we completed our crossing, drove less than a minute up the hill to the campground. We checked out all the sites, practiced our yelling, hair-pulling & backing up skills and settled into a nice pull-through for the night. We made supper over the fire and planned our next day. Top of the World baby!  (look it up)

Dawson City part 1

On the walk at Discovery Claim

Dredge #4 -look at stairs for size perspective

After visiting the Visitor Info Center on Sun afternoon, we planned our Monday activities; a drive up Bonanza Creek Road to see Dredge #4, check out Discovery Claim (the place where the Gold Rush began), and to try our hand at gold panning at KVA Free Claim #6. (I actually found a bit!) The kids had picked up Xplorer booklets from Parks Canada which encouraged them to pay attention by completing activities in the booklet. That worked - kind of. Their attention span is pretty short, and so we bypassed the hour long tour of the dredge.We did check out all the information outside though.  Funny thing, a couple hours later Morgan's interest in the dredge returned. By that point though everyone else was tired and hungry and we settled for heading back to the trailer for an early supper.
After supper we cleaned up and I got everyone interested in taking drive up to the Midnight Dome. This road takes you to the top of a mountain that overlooks the town and gives spectacular views in every direction. Wow.  There's a bench at the highest spot & Morgan sat down and started telling the people there about Bonanza Creek Road and what's up there (well, I guess he did pay attention!). Part way through he got distracted by the etching on the bench itself and asked the people, oh so politely "Excuse me. Could you get up please?" They obliged happily and even helped him decipher the writing.  (now why can't he be this polite to his parents??!!)
We enjoyed the views and scrambling around the rocks and then headed into town so the kids could

Okay, I might be just a little obsessed

collect their prizes for doing the activities in the Explorer booklets (special dog tags). They were both pretty excited and told the Parks Canada attendant all about their activities. (Yeesh! From the way they acted like wild hooligans I would have thought they retained nothing! They certainly proved me wrong and their enthusiasm in the telling showed me that they actually enjoyed the trip.) Bob took the kids to the park and I joined a walking tour describing the lives of some of the more colorful characters and events in the town's history. Quite interesting. Thanks Bob!

View from Midnight Dome (towards Dawson)

Looking north, away from Dawson

Once the tour was done, we headed home, put the kids in bed and did a bit of laundry at the campground. I got a bit of a surprise as I was folding the clothes when a fox trotted in front of the open door. I looked at him, he looked at me. I front think either of us knew quite what to do. It was a very cool encounter though.  The day done, the plan was to hitch up the next morning and go explore the town before crossing the river & staying the night at the Yukon Gov't campground. (sometimes a fully serviced site is nice and sometimes a more wooded setting and the option to make a fire is nice; it's good to mix it up a bit)

My foxy friend (he was a lot closer)

Weekend in review

We were without cell service again, so I am doing the whole weekend in review.

I returned to Whitehorse via Air North on Friday (totally recommend them, if you have any need to fly to Whitehorse) where the family picked me up. Bob wanted to see the SS. Klondike before we left Whitehorse, so we did. We only had 15 minutes before it closed. Yikes! Not quite enough time to see it all, but enough to get a good idea of it. The self-guided tour sheet helped make the most of the short time we had available. 

In the dining room

With evening coming on,  and the kids hungry & tired we decided to park ourselves in the Wal-Mart parking lot, along with a whole bunch of other trailers – some of which I’m pretty sure had been there the whole 8 days we’d been in the city. Now that’s taking it to extremes. As black top boondocking goes though, this was pretty sweet. Free WiFi from Macdonald’s, Starbucks, Coles and a bunch of other stores within walking distance, and it was actually pretty quiet. Well, except for the ravens who decided at 5 in the morning to go tapping on the roof of the trailer and then try to call me outside. Not sure what they were looking for, but when I peeked out the window they were all staring at me. Kinda creepy actually (the birds! the birds!).

The next morning we headed out of Whitehorse on the Alaska Highway and a short ways up the Klondike Highway to Takhini Hot Springs. The pools are obviously a well-known local attraction, since there were many locals, and even a kid’s birthday party going on. It probably helps that there is also a big climbing wall and zip-line there. They looked fun, but were fully booked. The pools were nice & warm, with the main one being warm bathish and the hotter one being pleasantly warm. We spent quite a bit of time there before finally getting out for a late lunch. It was now after 3 and we finally started our drive (what is it with us and these late afternoon starts!). Next stop… um, I don’t know. But we did pick a direction – north, towards Dawson City. 

Big cinnamon bun

Five Finger Rapids (the closest channel was the safe one)

We stopped at Braeburn Lodge to get treats and a gigantic cinnamon bun (very tasty). We stopped at Five Finger Rapids to read the panels about how the Klondikers had trouble negotiating this section of river and the sternwheers had to which themselves upstream. We stopped to fuel up, since we need to do that a lot (24.7L/100km baby!).  We drove until the kids were whining they were hungry and tired and so when the sign for the Tatchun Creek Yukon Gov’t campground appeared, we pulled in. I’m really starting to like these gov’t campgrounds. They’re inexpensive with well-maintained, treed sites and free firewood. They feel more like what campground camping should be, and at this time of year, are pretty quiet.  This one has… a creek (could you guess from the name?) running beside it, which Bob & the kids checked out this morning.

Tatchun Creek

Throwing rocks in the Yukon River

Tintina Trench

Today we drove the highway the rest of the way to Dawson. This stretch has a whole lot of empty highway, punctuated by some interesting stops and information boards, and amazing views. Pelly Crossing has a beautiful lookout from the hill just north of the village. One turnout had information about the continent of Beringia and how the area was tundra plains a long long time ago (and I got to hear more about what the kids learnt about at the Beringia Centre in Whitehorse). Another turnout was beside the Yukon River where the kids took time out from their busy schedule to throw rocks in the river. Our last drive-time stop for the day gave us an excellent view of the Tintina Trench, a fault line that runs through the Yukon. This was interesting to me, as I didn't realize we actually had fault lines running through Canada. We arrived in Dawson late afternoon, picked a campground (which took a ridiculous amount of time), backed in (which also took a ridiculous amount of time), and then fought with the hitch, which refused to open until we babied it just so (first time we've had to fight with it since we were in Blackfalds). By that time it was getting late, the kids were wild and we still needed to make supper.  Oh well, there went my intentions of checking out the town today. I did some laundry instead, because, you know, kids get clothes really messy, without trying very hard - especially when there are creeks & rivers to check out. At least that’s pretty much caught up. Until tomorrow…

Surreality

Here I sit in Airdrie, while the rest of the family is in Whitehorse. And let me tell you, it feels very weird. Very surreal. I was fine on the plane until we began our descent into Calgary and then, looking out at the green fields, bright sunny sky, and signs of civilization everywhere I was struck with this feeling of wrongness. Like: “I’m not supposed to be here. I’m supposed to be in Whitehorse!” Until that moment I hadn't realized how much my thinking had changed in the weeks we've been travelling, and how much I had made the trailer my home. 

For the rest of the day I felt lost/ out of step/ off balance, like my whole self couldn't quite figure out what I was doing here. I apologize to my Mom, who came down to see me and I just couldn't wrap my head around the abrupt change in location enough to really appreciate her visit (sorry mom).  

I am enjoying the change in many ways (seeing people, being in a totally familiar environment, and such). But it’s a bit like I splintered into two when I hopped on that airplane. The greater part of me is here in Airdrie, working through my list of errands and appointments. A part of me is still in Whitehorse, though, with Bob & the kids. Internet/phone/texts only accentuate that. While I was here (and on my way here) they went to the Beringia Centre (I need a report when I get back!) and later were out for supper at Klondike Rib & Salmon (no fair!), and visiting the Fishway again for their appreciation night (double no fair!!  (I think I have a soft spot for migrating salmon now)).

At the Fishway Wed pm -way more Salmon there this time

Today is better as I found my groove, and had Things to do. Things that kept me firmly grounded here. (Who else does better with set times and deadlines?) I now have Morgan’s school work for the year. Looks like I have some homework to do before I can assign any to Morgan! Morgan & Lily sounded in high spirits when I talked briefly to them today when they were at Long Lake. (I’m pretty sure any day at the beach is a good day to my two.)

Tomorrow I head back to Whitehorse, and we head out of Whitehorse. We’re still not sure where we’re going, but that’s okay. It’s just one of those perks (?) in the new life we’re still easing into.

This side trip has reaffirmed though that it’s definitely where I want to be. It’s easy to lose track of the bigger picture when you’re still working to find your happy place in it. So, besides getting a myriad of tasks completed, I get to go back to my family refreshed and reminded of just how cool what we’re doing is. (Or as the clerk at the one store said to me “how are you so freakin’ awesome!” Lol)

(P.S. A great big, Huge! Thank you to my friend Michelle who opened her house to me & loaned me her car to drive all over the place with. Thank you J )

Gold!

After a very lazy morning (can we say jammies at 11:30!) we finally got our butts in gear and headed into downtown Whitehorse. First stop – Raven Recycling, the local bottle and recycling depot, a busy little hub of activity. It’s really nice be able to recycle while on the road. It was pretty important to us when in our house, and we recycled and composted as much as we could. Bob and I were both unhappy with the thought of having to throw everything in the trash, but we've had reasonably good success finding places to recycle.

Then we headed over to the MacBride Museum to check out all things Klondike. As luck would have it they had just started their interactive gold panning demonstration/ workshop. We paid $5 each to join in and got us some tiny little gold flakes to hunt for in a pan full of Yukon River gravel.  Let me tell you, knowing that there’s real gold in the pan is powerful incentive to Find It!  At first I didn't realize we actually got to keep the gold we were hunting for, so extra bonus score. J Panning is both easy and difficult. The gold is heavier than the rocks and will stay on the bottom of the pan while the water swirls and carries away the rocks and sand. But you have to get the movement of the pan & water just so to be really effective. Those little flakes are really tiny, though, so you don’t want to be too aggressive. My arms were getting tired before I managed to spot them (and that was only one pan! Think of the prospectors doing it all day.) The kids got bored with it pretty quickly, but were more than happy to steal away the little vials of shine from their hard laboring parents!  (typical)

Bob panned these little flakes of placer gold

Inside the museum, there are lots of displays providing information about the gold rush and the characters from it (Klondike Kate, Sam McGee, and many others). One section was devoted to the different methods people used to extract gold from the area, another detailed the life of Sam McGee, of Yukon fame, immortalized in the well-known Robert Service poem The Cremation of Sam McGee (which I admit I have never read in full and actually only uses the fellow’s name – he was a friend of Mr. Service, and actually died in Bieseker, AB). The exhibit that proved most interesting to the kids was the display of local animals. Caribou, muskox, moose, ermine, eagles, bison, wolves, bears and more were in the small room. To keep the kids attention, which was flagging a bit, I asked them each to pick three animals they found interesting and tell me something about them. Morgan chose a caribou, an ermine, and the beaver (where he decided that the little one looked like a beaver-hedgehog; not sure where that came from!). Lily also picked a caribou, plus a muskox, and I think she liked the lynx for her third.  At least she liked stroking the soft pelt of the one in the interactive session that followed, where a variety of animal pelts could be touched and examined. My verdict- beaver pelts really are soft, I can see why the fur trade set them as their currency; the arctic fox is the softest of all; Dall sheep fur is actually quite rough and nothing like any sheep (or goat) I have felt. We left the museum after this, grabbed a snack and then walked by the old log church and log skyscrapers that were leftover from the Klondike days. 

Home for a quiet evening and then packing for me. I’m off to Calgary in the morning for appointments on Thursday while the rest of the family stays here. How surreal. I've just spent the last month and a half steadily further away from Airdrie only to hop a 2.5 hour flight and go back.   

Whee's and zzzz's

This morning we booked ourselves seats on the 4 pm jet boat tour with Wild Wonders River Safaris on the Yukon River. After a relatively lazy day we packed ourselves into the truck & headed to the hotel meeting point where we joined with the rest of the participants. Our boat mates were on a tour from New Jersey and seemed to be absolutely thrilled to be going on a jet boat ride. I had to laugh a bit because we almost seemed the opposite (not saying we weren't excited, but definitely not to the same degree). Well, except Morgan who was craving speed. A short bus ride later we boarded the boat along the shore of the river – exactly where we had seen it on Thursday. We were at the front of the boat, which was probably a good thing for the kids, since we were protected from the wind & spray. 

The tour took us downriver from Whitehorse (upriver being blocked by the dam!) and in a short time we were in the wilderness. The boat driver provided some thrills & waves for everyone by laying on the horsepower and some quick turns. Woohoo! (as said by Morgan)  It wasn’t all speed though. A short time later we paused at a clay/silt cliff upon which sat a multitude of juvenile bald eagles, along with several in the air being pestered by ravens. Our tour guide provided a variety of interesting information about the eagles (did you know it takes 5 years before they develop their distinctive white head/dark body coloring?), and passed around an eagle flight feather (did you also know that it’s illegal for someone in the U.S. to possess eagle feathers unless they are First Nations members?  This isn’t a law in Canada.).  

We zipped downstream to Whistle bend, a fast, narrow, and winding spot in the river, where the sternwheelers of the Klondike had to pause and whistle to ensure that vessels heading upstream & downstream did not collide. With the engine off, we floated downriver for a while and asked any questions that came to mind before blasting our way through the choppy river to check out a beaver condo. Most beaver lodges are a single mound, but this family wasn't having any of that. They had a front section, currently all underwater (although when the river is low, several feet  of this is above water), and a back section built into the riverbank – no beavers were seen, but the size of their accommodations was impressive. Our tour nearly completed, we then cruised our way back towards Whitehorse with a couple quick stops along the way to see the last remnant of telegraph wire from the Klondike days, an eagle’s nest and a river view of the SS. Klondike. Lily missed this last bit because the hum & motion of the jet boat put her soundly to sleep.  (and that's the zzz's of the title)  After she woke up (outside the boat & back at the truck!) she informed me that her favorite part of the tour was her nap.  Really, kid!? It's grand to know our excursion of the day provided her some quality sleep time.
 

The awe and excitement of our fellow passengers helped confirm a sneaking suspicion I have had for a while. We (as a family) have been spoiled, especially where nature is concerned. Alberta has an abundance of nature and living near the mountains has meant that we have bears, moose, deer, eagles and a variety of other animals within a reasonable driving distance of our former home. We have grand vistas, beautiful auroras, and lots of open spaces. Don’t get me wrong. I am enjoying seeing new places and  learning things I might otherwise never have learned (and sharing them on the blog), and certainly appreciate that we have the opportunity to experience all these things and more (and really hope that my children are getting something positive from what we have seen & done so far!). But, for me at least, the most exciting things on our trip so far have been those that are different from home, or that I never experienced before. The bison walking alongside the road, salmon swimming up the fishway, and the First Nations stories & histories are what stick in my mind so far. I wonder what sights we will see next and what will make a grand impression?

A little bit tourist, a little bit local

We've settled into Whitehorse, and have gone about our own particular blending of tourist exploration and local living. After checking out the Visitor info centre (a really nice one!) on Thursday we took the kids to the Whitehorse playground and Splash park, a short walk away. The kids, of course, got soaked in the splash park. We then took in the Farmer’s market where we picked up some fresh veggies and a whole Arctic Char to have for supper, and went grocery shopping. Friday Bob did some basic maintenance on the truck and we spent the day just relaxing.  After so many days on the go it was nice to just sit.  (Perhaps not the best thing, considering we have arrived just before Yukon’s Discovery Day long weekend, and a considerable amount of businesses are closed for it.)  Looking on the internet for kid friendly things to do, we discovered that the local pool was having its “Last Splash” celebration that evening, before closing for maintenance for the next three weeks. So, we joined the locals and had a great fun time. There was a big inflatable obstacle course in the pool, lots of toys, several pool side activities for the kids, and ice. The ice cubes made me scratch my head for a moment, but then realized it was for “freezing” their friends and family. Morgan thought that was grand. Brr!  Lily wanted to go on the inflatable, but in order to she had to first do the swim test. For the swim test she had to swim the length of the pool and back (50 meters total!!!) and then do a somersault into the pool.  She passed with flying colors. So proud of my miss!  

 Sat we munched treats at the Chocolate Claim (yummy!), got Morgan a haircut, shopped the downtown, including the bookstores (yummy books J) and Bob & the kids went to the fair.  Today we went for a walk at Miles Canyon and crossed the wooden suspension bridge there. The walls of the canyon are volcanic basalt and have that particular hexagonal shape which always makes me think of pictures of the Giant’s Causeway. Back in the days of the goldrush this canyon was the most dangerous part of the trek, as there were some major rapids & undertows through the canyon. The dam just downstream has tamed the worst of it, and raised the water level 10 m, but I certainly wouldn't want to be in that water. Undertow and whirlpools are quite visible. It can’t be as bad as it looks though since the beavers & otter thrive in the area.  The canyon is only a few kilometers out of downtown and there are trails all over. Many people (locals and visitors alike) were biking, running and walking on them.  It was kind of odd to be out in the quiet, natural setting and then have to step aside for the fellow mountain biking down to the bridge or the lady out for a run with her dog. Maybe they just get the best of both worlds; a beautiful setting practically in their back yard.  After stopping at McDonald’s for a quick lunch we went to the Whitehorse Fishway, a wooden fish ladder which allows the spawning salmon access over the Whitehorse Rapids dam. We were in luck as we’re right in the middle of the salmon migration. There are three viewing panels where you can see the salmon in the holding tank before they are allowed to continue their journey. In this section, all the salmon are counted and categorized and a portion taken out to become broodstock at the Whitehorse hatchery. We only saw one king salmon in the holding tank (which caused Morgan, Lily & Bob to scream in surprise when it zipped past the one window – and the rest of us to laugh), but could see many swimming around at the base of the ladder on the fishcam. Outside several information panels provided us information about the dam, fishway, and the fish themselves. A separate tent detailed how the First Nations tribes fished the river and how the dam changed life for both the fish and the people who relied on them for nourishment. Morgan got bored rather quickly, but Lily and I found it all very interesting and spent quite some time reading all the panels and looking for more fish. I realized afterward that I had completely forgotten to take any pictures while there, which is too bad since it’s definitely worth a visit if you happen to be in Whitehorse.

We’ll try to take in more touristy things tomorrow (maybe that jet boat ride with Wild Wonders Morgan’s been begging to go on). But it’s actually been more difficult to do so than we thought. Besides the long weekend altering business schedules, several tourist sites are actually closed this year. Johnson’s Crossing, a long time stopping point on the Alaska Highway between Teslin and Whitehorse was closed, and for sale in the local paper. The MV Schwatka, a river cruise up Schwatka Lake and through Miles Canyon is not operating this year, and the Mt. Sima adventure park never really even got off the ground before shutting down completely. Unfortunate, really, since these were all activities & places we would have liked to check out.

Report from the kids

Now that we’ve been living in the trailer for a while I thought it might be a good idea to get the kids’ perspectives on this journey of ours.

From Morgan:

What do you think about moving out of the house and into the trailer?

M. Neat. But a little crazy. 

Crazy?  How?

M. I mean like (sigh), crazy as never before. {life has been a bit crazy, I’ll agree with that!}

Is there anything you miss?

M.  Oh, well no. Just, my old home. And I just want to play on the wii a lot. {he’s unimpressed when we’re away from power for days}. And living in it more.  And alone – no friends and no one at school.  {this is something I worry about for him too}

Is there anything you like better/ are more excited about?

M. Not much. It’s just a little crazy.

What would make living in the trailer feel less crazy?

M. When you pay for more days to stay here.  {Obviously our recent stint of short stays and constant moves are making us all feel ready to stay put for a bit}

What has your favorite place been so far?

M.  I do like fairs! {he refers to Red Deer, and there’s a fair here in Whitehorse at the moment that he really wants to go to – for a candy apple, lol}

L. me too!

Is there anything else you’d like tell me?

M. I went to a river. {okay then!}

From Lily:

What do you think about moving out of the house and into the trailer?

L. (pout) I don’t know. I don’t really like it. 

Why not?

L. The trailer is smaller than our old house and I liked running around in our old house. {That’s what outside is for!}

Is there anything you miss?

L.  I miss my old bed –it’s bigger. And I miss my quiet time at bed.  Morgan just goes yap yap yap!  There’s just not as much space. 

Is there anything you like better or are excited about?

L. I do like the flowers I saw at the store yesterday {pretty pink roses}

What could we do trailer to make it feel better or more like home?

L.  Get Morgan in another bedroom. Cause he keeps me up! I’d like my own curtains on my side of the bed. And some colors and some glow in the dark stars on the roof of my bed. {we can do that!}

What has been your favorite place so far?

L. The fair. {lol.  Really!?}

Is there anything else you’d like to tell me?

L.  Some things are really different about this.  I miss my other school friends. In our trailer I’m not going to have any new friends… Unless I invite them over for a play date.

Remember, you’ve found kids to play with in lots of places. 

Well, yeah….How many days until we’re in school?

It’s obvious that we still need to work on our travel schedule and finding a balance. The initial excitement has worn off and the kids are feeling a bit homesick for everything familiar. I can totally relate! Next week I fly to Calgary and will bring back all the kids’ school supplies. They have both been looking forward to school since the school year finished (crazy kids!). Perhaps the addition of school may be enough to push us onto a firmer schedule and let everyone settle in.    

Off the Grid

Since leaving Fort Nelson on Sunday we have been, for the most part, completely off the grid. I mean literally. No cell service, no internet, no AC power. Not even land-line phones. I've had much to blog about, but no access.  And now that we’re back in the land of connectivity, all the interesting things we've seen and done over the past several days would fill up a small book (and I've noticed my posts already tend to be long winded). So I will try to summarize.

Sunday we drove the steepest section of the highway so far, up over the summit of the Alaska highway and on to Strawberry Flats campground on the south shore of Muncho Lake. The vistas on this section of highway were impressive. The small campground was a bit challenging to manoeuvre in (aka required much yelling and hair pulling to get in), but the lake was enticing us in. Bob blew up the little inflatable boat and he & the kids had lots of fun playing in the cool water.  Muncho Lake is a beautiful jewel colored lake, in an absolutely breathtaking setting. The campground has only 15 sites, and is well treed & relatively private; a perfect switch from the tighter packed private campground in Fort Nelson.

View from Steamboat mtn

Muncho Lake

Hot water fish @ Liard

Monday we did a short jaunt to Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park. We pulled in around noon, got our pick of the campsites (yay for easy back-ins!), had lunch and then walked up to the springs.  The upper spring was way too hot for us, but the lower pool was perfect with a cool stream running under the layer of hot water. A fallen log across the pool made a fun jumping spot for the kids. We returned to the trailer for supper and then another trip to the springs. The pools were cooler in the evening (although still hot). Morgan & Lily revisited the jumping log and I found “MORGAN” carved into the front - along with many other names. I also found “B+J”, but no “Lily”. We all would have liked to walk further up the trail to see the hanging gardens where unique plants grow in the warm climate created by the springs but the trail was closed due to a bear in the area. Welcome to the wild!

Wood bison along highway

Signpost Forest

Tuesday we traveled on to Watson Lake, passing by black bear and bison on the side of the road. We checked out the Signpost Forest, where travellers from all around the world have been adding their own signs. At present there are over 75,000 signs there. I found Calgary, and many other Albertan destinations (no Airdrie, though). The kids went swimming at the local pool and then we headed to the Watson Lake Yukon Gov’t campground where we were off the grid again. The campground was quiet, wooded and quite serene (once Bob & I got over the frustration of backing into the site off the narrow road (forty feet doesn’t turn so quick!). We also discovered we were only steps away from the lake through the trees. 

By the campsite at Watson Lake

The next morning (Wed) we hitched up, visited the Watson Lake library where the kids read books, had fun playing with their large Lego collection and Morgan went on ABCya.com, an educational website on the library computer. We then spent an hour or so at Lucky Lake, a small lake just south of town.  This day use area is a local favorite and it’s easy to see why. The small lake is warm with a nice sand beach, trees for shade and it even has a waterslide that is open on Saturdays. I would have happily spent many hours there.  The day was hot, the water inviting and the locals were all quite friendly. 

Lucky Lake

Actually, overall I found all of Watson Lake quite inviting. But we had places to go and things to do. Off to the Northern Lights Centre, the northernmost planetarium in Canada. There we saw two short movies about space and the northern lights. Tipped back in the planetarium chairs with the whole dome lit up above us was pretty cool. It was mind boggling to think about seeing the light from stars that likely aren't even there anymore. The second film was all about the northern lights had some interesting facts about the aurora (like the polar auroras are mirror images of each other), but I didn't find the images all that moving. I imagine that for people who have never seen the Aurora borealis, this would be quite impressive, but I've been spoiled in where I live and the northern lights are like old friends. I like the real thing way better. Lily asked plenty of questions about space and the aurora afterward, so I know both films made an impression on her. By this point it was after 4, and we still had to get gas & groceries before finally starting the travel portion of our day. That done, we drove and drove and drove (or at least it felt that way – in fact it was only about 3.5 hours) until we reached Teslin, a small community on the shores of Teslin Lake. We arrived just in time to see a lovely double rainbow as the sun set; a welcome sight at the end of a long day.

Before we left Teslin we checked out the Wildlife museum beside the Teslin Motel & Campground (did you know there are Muskox in the Yukon?) The area has a rich cultural history, and I wanted to see the Teslin Tlingit Heritage museum, which has cultural artifacts and information about the Tlingit people who are native to the area. We stopped in and saw many beautifully carved masks, artwork and dugout canoes (impressive process). I would have loved to talk to the locals who were working there and get a deeper understanding of their history, but the kids were hungry for lunch and not co-operating well. Sometimes it’s just not worth the fight…  Plus, I’ll get a chance to stop in when we pass by again, next time heading south (next month sometime). 

We found ourselves a spot in Whitehorse at the Hi Country RVpark until next Friday. There are plenty of activities to do and places to check out in and around the city. Morgan wants to ride in a jet boat, and go to the fair (it’s in town!). Bob wants to go on the jet boat too (I’m not sure which one is more excited).  I want to walk downtown and see some of the heritage sights (and the fish ladder – not sure why this one intrigues me so). Lily, well, I’m not sure. But she seems pretty happy checking out everything lately. 

Laundry Bliss

After a quiet morning where we visited the small Fort Nelson farmers market & picked up some yummy fresh peas, carrots, beans and fresh baked buns, I gathered up the laundry and drove to one of the local Laundromats. The rest of the family had lunch and then went swimming at the local pool.

Sure, I could have left the laundry there for the attendant, and joined Bob & the kids, but those two family-free hours are so blissful. It’s not just the time away (although that is a huge part of it). There is something calming about sorting and folding the laundry; the repetitive motion where your brain can just drift away while the body does the work. It’s something familiar, regardless of where I am, and it’s about the only time when I feel calm and centred lately in a life that still seems more chaotic than blissful. Hey, I’ll take it wherever I can find it!

(and as an added note, I’m pretty sure I should turn off my phone or leave it behind in order to actually achieve family-free time. )

P.S. If anyone has a better method of carting laundry to and from the Laundromat than garbage bags, please share!

That Damn tour!

Well, actually, it should read “dam” tour, but sounds a lot more interesting title than “Hey look, we saw stuff”. 

Lily trying her hand at sculpting

We did decide to stay longer in Taylor. We woke up Wed morning to wet grey skies and decided it would be a good morning to huddle in the trailer. Dressed in my rain jacket & rain pants I went to pay the camp host for another day. They weren't there, but I did get a closer look at the sand sculptures I had barely noticed on the way in. I went back, got the rest of the family and we all took a closer look. Taylor hosts an International invitational Sand Sculpture demonstration/ competition at the end of June (along with a gold panning competition that we just missed on the long weekend). Although the weather hadn't been ideal for preserving the large sand sculptures, they were still impressive. It’s rather amazing how much detail can be rendered in packed sand.

Although the artists were no longer present, their bios were available, and they really did come from all over the world. 

The skies cleared a bit after lunch and we decided to head to Fort St. John, 20 km or so up the road. But first we stopped at the Taylor Info Centre. Bob spent a fair bit of time with the chatty, friendly host, who told him about things to do in the area. One of the main highlights of the region is the WAC Bennett Dam, near Hudson’s Hope, a community a bit over an hour south of Fort St. John. This earth filled dam provides hydroelectric power to much of British Columbia. The dam has underground tours every hour on the half hour. Checking our watches we realized we would be hard pressed to make it to the last tour of the day, so planned for the following day.  Instead we took in a bit of the local history. The Alaska Highway was built in 8 short months, through terrible conditions, and there are many stories of what the soldiers and workers endured.  Charlie Lake is a lovely lake just north of the city. It is also the site where 12 soldiers who were working on the highway lost their lives when their boat overturned in choppy waters.  A local trapper was able to rescue 5 soldiers, but the rest drowned in the icy water. The US and Canadian governments erected a memorial on the north edge of the lake to pay tribute to the men and the heroism of the fellow who aided those in need.

Memorial

The next day dawned a fair bit nicer, and we prepared to leave the campground and head to the dam.  I am very happy to say that hitching and unhitching are both going so much smoother.  Although this day’s travel started off with a bit of a hiccup. We hitched up, headed out of the campground, over the bridge and up the hill to Taylor to the sani-dump. All was well until I took the turn to the sani-dump, and the entire truck & trailer stopped dead. What the!?  Somehow I had managed to pull the break-away cable from the hitch, going down the small decline, although it really wasn't obvious how. Luckily it only took a moment to figure that out.  Plugging it back in, we were able to move forward again and dump (it still is a pe-ew job, but Bob has taken it over and I am fine with that). We were both a bit paranoid after pulling the cable and were extra careful in its placement. I definitely would not want that to happen while going highway speeds. 

We decided to stop into Wal-Mart to get a few groceries before heading to the dam and noticed several unhitched trailers there. Hmm. Bob asked permission to drop the trailer, and they were fine with it. We both figured it would be a more enjoyable drive to the dam (and less expensive on fuel) without the trailer, and we happily left it in the parking lot (with the hitch lock on).  And boy, were we right.  Highway 29 south to Hudson’s Hope is a beautiful, winding drive that mostly follows the Peace River valley. It also has many twisty 10% grade hills. We stopped briefly in Hudson’s Hope for lunch and then headed the rest of the way to the dam, just in time for the tour. There are many interesting and interactive displays in the Interpretive centre, but the really neat stuff is underground.

WAC Bennett Dam from the Centre

Powerhouse

We boarded a school bus and went 500 feet underground to the powerhouse of the dam where 10 turbines pump out enough electricity to power 1/3 of BC. The powerhouse, if turned upright would be taller than the Calgary Tower and would reach to the observation deck of the Eiffel Tower.  Big! The turbines spin at around 300 km/hr and, amazingly, the fish make it through just fine. We walked from the powerhouse to the manifold room, where the water is slowed down for re-entry into a river. (Morgan was most impressed by this dark, cavern-like room.) The fish slow down too, but evidently are quite dizzy and once outside are easy pickings for the many bald and golden eagles which hang out around where the river reforms below the dam. Smart birds!  The kids enjoyed checking out all the displays after the tour and Morgan even tried his hand at creating some electricity pedal power style. He didn't do so well, but Bob succeeded in lighting a few light bulbs for a moment. It’s a good thing I don’t need to rely on pedal power! 

There are many other activities & sights to see in and around Hudson’s Hope, but I wasn't feeling 100% and wanted to get going. Back in Fort St. John, we picked up the trailer and then headed further north on the Alaska Highway. Our overnight stop was at Sikanni Chief River Bridge Campground, which is right beside the Sikanni River and the famous Sikanni Chief River bridge, the original of which was built in only 84 hours. It’s at the bottom of the Sikanni Chief hill, a long steep grade down. My dad had cautioned me about its steepness and I was prepared for a serious, possibly hair raising descent. Pfft. The truck’s exhaust brake handled the road just fine, and I barely needed the truck’s brakes. I think I've said it before, but I’ll say it again. I am very thankful we chose the truck we did and weren't lulled into choosing something that “could” have handled our trailer. We chose a vehicle (and hitch) that we KNOW can handle the trailer. And it does.    

We enjoyed the quiet relaxed atmosphere of the campground (and it's excellent showers) and then headed on to Fort Nelson.The drive was easy and only two hours long. It was really nice to arrive at our next campground, with most of the afternoon to relax and enjoy the afternoon. I personally, am not a fan of starting my traveling day in the late afternoon. I worry about animals on the road, the possibility of a breakdown and not being able to get help, and just driving tired with nearly 13000lbs behind us. The kids rode their bikes and ran around, terrorizing (or entertaining & charming) the campground host and long term stays. I think they both did more charming, since everyone seemed rather bemused by their stories. It’s a good thing our full-time travel is not a secret because Morgan loves to share the details with everyone who is willing to listen. Lily does too. It is positive to hear them still speak of our travel plans with excitement. There have been a few days in this past month (wow, we've been traveling a month already!) where I have thought for sure we are insane. What the Heck was I thinking!!! But that’s just the pessimist in me coming out.We're still finding our groove and I sure hope we find it soon! Tomorrow we’re off to take in the charms of this small town.