the deputy
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Alaska, finally.
- Thread starter the deputy
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the deputy
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Okay, that's all folks...time to go get an oil change.
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the deputy
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Thank you!
the deputy
Well-known member
Day 10 - headed to Canadian Tire for my scheduled appointment. Arrived early and as l'm sitting with the door open l hear someone calling my name. I'm a bit surprised, to say the least...but it was Abdul. I'd met him a couple days earlier, when l was in town making the appointment. He'd wanted to check out the Defender, seeing that they were common in his country of origin. He was living in Canada now, but was originally from Somalia. We'd had a nice conversation the other day, talking about his new life in Canada. Funny how his greatest joy was being able to work and provide for his family and do it in a safe community. Well, we wish each other a good day and off he goes.
Not going to lie, but l'm a bit nervous about someone else working on Victoria. Land Rovers can be a little difficult to maintain and handing over the keys to someone possibly less experienced...was daunting. Luckily, it was a mechanic about my age and he'd been around the block once or twice. He looked her over good and spotted a slight fuel leak at pump, which he snugged up line. Fluids were all checked, greased driveline and oil changed in about an hour. Price was reasonable, too. Could tell right away that Victoria liked the new oil.
Okay, back to camp for dinner and right to bed. I'm leaving early to get some miles in before the heat of the day makes traveling difficult. It has been in the 90's for the last three days and truth be told...l'm getting somewhat anxious to get moving again. So, going against my better judgement, traveling at night, we leave camp at 2am. Yes, images of a moose, bear or deer stumbling across the road kept me on red alert.
Shortly after daybreak, we had our first moose on the road. Saw two bulls and a few cows previously, but they were a ways off the road.
Then, about 5 miles from Fort Nelson...traffic comes to a stand still. Traffic accident ahead, fatality, so we were stopped for several hours with no way around closure.
^See what l mean about Canadian drivers staying back, this trucker stayed back at least seven car lengths.^ Now, maybe he figured my rover wasn't going to start and wanted to leave plenty of room to get around?😂
Ended up having a nice visit with a lady, Natalie, parked in front of me. She told me about several places l should check out. She'd traveled extensively and had driven the Alcan several times solo, even back in the day...when it was mostly gravel/dirt, and hiked solo along several western coast trails.
Then l had a gentlemen come up and ask about the Defender, he was from Germany and he and his wife were traveling in a Defender 110 also. They'd had it shipped to North Carolina, USA and logged 15,000 miles since entering US and then Canada. They were finishing up their North American travels on Vancover Island.
After about four hours, we were allowed through accident scene.
Not going to lie, but l'm a bit nervous about someone else working on Victoria. Land Rovers can be a little difficult to maintain and handing over the keys to someone possibly less experienced...was daunting. Luckily, it was a mechanic about my age and he'd been around the block once or twice. He looked her over good and spotted a slight fuel leak at pump, which he snugged up line. Fluids were all checked, greased driveline and oil changed in about an hour. Price was reasonable, too. Could tell right away that Victoria liked the new oil.
Okay, back to camp for dinner and right to bed. I'm leaving early to get some miles in before the heat of the day makes traveling difficult. It has been in the 90's for the last three days and truth be told...l'm getting somewhat anxious to get moving again. So, going against my better judgement, traveling at night, we leave camp at 2am. Yes, images of a moose, bear or deer stumbling across the road kept me on red alert.
Shortly after daybreak, we had our first moose on the road. Saw two bulls and a few cows previously, but they were a ways off the road.
Then, about 5 miles from Fort Nelson...traffic comes to a stand still. Traffic accident ahead, fatality, so we were stopped for several hours with no way around closure.
^See what l mean about Canadian drivers staying back, this trucker stayed back at least seven car lengths.^ Now, maybe he figured my rover wasn't going to start and wanted to leave plenty of room to get around?😂
Ended up having a nice visit with a lady, Natalie, parked in front of me. She told me about several places l should check out. She'd traveled extensively and had driven the Alcan several times solo, even back in the day...when it was mostly gravel/dirt, and hiked solo along several western coast trails.
Then l had a gentlemen come up and ask about the Defender, he was from Germany and he and his wife were traveling in a Defender 110 also. They'd had it shipped to North Carolina, USA and logged 15,000 miles since entering US and then Canada. They were finishing up their North American travels on Vancover Island.
After about four hours, we were allowed through accident scene.
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the deputy
Well-known member
Day 11 - after a quick coleman coffee brew, we left Triple G's Campground in Fort Nelson.
There was a little museum nextdoor and local history items from the building of the Alaskan Hwy...that I'd checked out the evening before.
Scenery starts to pick up, once you make your way west out of Fort Nelson.
Caribou (like l said, l'm no photographer)
Wildlife starts to become more abundant as we move west.
There was a little museum nextdoor and local history items from the building of the Alaskan Hwy...that I'd checked out the evening before.
Scenery starts to pick up, once you make your way west out of Fort Nelson.
Caribou (like l said, l'm no photographer)
Wildlife starts to become more abundant as we move west.
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the deputy
Well-known member
Funny, first few times l stopped to take pictures, put my fourway flashers on. And normally, the first vehicle that comes along would circle back around to see if l was broken down. I'm like...thank you...but, no l'm just taking pictures. But, yeah it made since...land rover on the side of the road...normally, this means it's broken down...lol.
Eventually, just quit turning on flasher. Plus, the dash indicator lights don't flash when four way flashers are on...and l'd end up forgetting to shut them off anyway.
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the deputy
Well-known member
Black bear.
Whitetail deer...okay, bison...just seeing if anyone was paying attention.
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the deputy
Well-known member
Stopped for a mid-day lunch. Before arriving at Watson Lake.
Didn't have anything to leave at the mile post. Although, leaving the rover and renting a comfortable car to finish the trip...crossed my mind, twice.
Stayed north of town at Watson Lake Provincial Campground. Clean facilities, though basic, and nice sites, not stacked like cord wood.
Nice quiet campground. 4 - Stars
Didn't have anything to leave at the mile post. Although, leaving the rover and renting a comfortable car to finish the trip...crossed my mind, twice.
Stayed north of town at Watson Lake Provincial Campground. Clean facilities, though basic, and nice sites, not stacked like cord wood.
Nice quiet campground. 4 - Stars
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the deputy
Well-known member
Day 12 - left Watson Lake at dawn, stopped for breakfast at Toad Lake, nice little restaurant, fuel and souvnier shop. Continued on to Whitehorse. Drove along a couple beautiful lakes, but never snapped any pictures. Maybe because...being from Michigan and we're surrounded by lakes...it just didn't seem worthwhile?
Or...in my defense...this "smart" phone was acquired a week before l left. Just had an old style flip phone, for work mainly...and it's something l have to force myself to remember, taking pictures?
Since l failed to take any pictures at all during this portion of trip...I'm going to insert some build photos.
This slide out doubles as q table and then for sleeping platform.
Storage.
Extra battery, for running fridge.
It's getting there.
Some dimmer switches, to control light in ceiling, two seperate banks of lights.
This power distrubution kit was absolutely necessary with the old Defender. It had hardly any extra power location in fuse box, for running additional equipment. Plus, this unit had a touch screen, so you could control things from the cab.
This unit controlled exterior lighting (front and back), interior lighting (dome and rear comparent), fridge and two USB charging stations.
It has the capabilities of conrolling 12 circuits.
Or...in my defense...this "smart" phone was acquired a week before l left. Just had an old style flip phone, for work mainly...and it's something l have to force myself to remember, taking pictures?
Since l failed to take any pictures at all during this portion of trip...I'm going to insert some build photos.
This slide out doubles as q table and then for sleeping platform.
Storage.
Extra battery, for running fridge.
It's getting there.
Some dimmer switches, to control light in ceiling, two seperate banks of lights.
This power distrubution kit was absolutely necessary with the old Defender. It had hardly any extra power location in fuse box, for running additional equipment. Plus, this unit had a touch screen, so you could control things from the cab.
This unit controlled exterior lighting (front and back), interior lighting (dome and rear comparent), fridge and two USB charging stations.
It has the capabilities of conrolling 12 circuits.
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the deputy
Well-known member
About finished...or as finished as it was going to get.
Control central...
Control central...
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the deputy
Well-known member
Day 13 - poured rain the whole afternoon in Whitehorse, so didn't do any sightseeing (which is fine, been playing tourist too much as it was). Next stop...US border...Alaska!
Okay, maybe not the "next" stop.
Not broke down.
Haines Junction, Yukon Territory.
Okay, maybe not the "next" stop.
Not broke down.
Haines Junction, Yukon Territory.
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the deputy
Well-known member
Well, right here is where things got messed up on my phone. Somehow, the setting got changed and pictures won't load on websites...because wrong format.
Found a site that converts them from HEIC to JPG...but it is painfully slow and time consuming. Plus, it jumbles up the order in which the photos took place.
I'm going to do my best to kept them in order...
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the deputy
Well-known member
Well, since l have some work to do, photo converting wise...l'm going to get this whole part of the story out of the way. As you know, I've only been gone a little over two weeks. Well, about this time l get intel that my wife has a new man in her life. Granted, replacing me is realitively easy and quite understandable, but still...
She even had the audacity to send me pictures of them snuggling...talk about rubbing my face in it.
Okay, will admit...he's a bit...eeerrr...much better looking than me. So, l can't fault her for straying.
And, like l say...l've been gone two weeks, couldn't ask her to hang around waiting for me to much longer...lol.
But, all joking aside...he is my retirement gift...Dalton's his name and mass destruction is his game. Originally, it was going to be Dawson, because this all kind of started about the time l was in Dawsons Creek...but after driving the Dalton hwy to the arctic circle and that being the highlight of the entire trip...name change was in order.
Okay, enough about him...l have work to do...but it feels good getting this whole sorted affair off my chest...
She even had the audacity to send me pictures of them snuggling...talk about rubbing my face in it.
Okay, will admit...he's a bit...eeerrr...much better looking than me. So, l can't fault her for straying.
And, like l say...l've been gone two weeks, couldn't ask her to hang around waiting for me to much longer...lol.
But, all joking aside...he is my retirement gift...Dalton's his name and mass destruction is his game. Originally, it was going to be Dawson, because this all kind of started about the time l was in Dawsons Creek...but after driving the Dalton hwy to the arctic circle and that being the highlight of the entire trip...name change was in order.
Okay, enough about him...l have work to do...but it feels good getting this whole sorted affair off my chest...
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Tudor Tanase
Active member
you can change the phone camera settings to take photos as .jpg rather than heic. Heic is the phone's default and yes it's a pain... Keep up the good work, your photos look amazing and I'm sure a lot of people enjoy doing this trip "by proxy"