jeep monkey
New member
Hey Jerry no worries. Don't forget to travel to new ayainsh north of terrace and a much spot is the salmon glacier and the Gran duc mine just north of stewart.
My Journey
- Thread starter YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
- Start date
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Thanks guys.......I actually visited Hyder in 2008 so I chose to bypass it this year......
So today I'm posting from a Tim Horton's in Whitehorse, Yukon. Everything continues to go quite well but damn all this driving is getting to me. This morning I almost detoured to Skagway, Alaska to hang out but at the last minute I decided that I needed to stay focused and continue north. But I guess I'm getting ahead of myself.
I started out my day in Smithers, B.C. at the Chevrolet dealership. I'd been debating with myself if I should get the truck serviced in Canada or wait until I got to Fairbanks. I decided it was best to get into the shop in Smithers and so it was done.......
So..........there's something wrong with the internet here. I had a ton of pictures to upload but I guess it'll have to wait........ugh.
So today I'm posting from a Tim Horton's in Whitehorse, Yukon. Everything continues to go quite well but damn all this driving is getting to me. This morning I almost detoured to Skagway, Alaska to hang out but at the last minute I decided that I needed to stay focused and continue north. But I guess I'm getting ahead of myself.
I started out my day in Smithers, B.C. at the Chevrolet dealership. I'd been debating with myself if I should get the truck serviced in Canada or wait until I got to Fairbanks. I decided it was best to get into the shop in Smithers and so it was done.......
So..........there's something wrong with the internet here. I had a ton of pictures to upload but I guess it'll have to wait........ugh.
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YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
So here I am unexpectedly still in Whitehorse, Yukon. The dogs and I have been walking around and it's really a neat town so I think we will stay for the night.......
As I was saying......we arrived at the beginning of the Cassiar Highway.......
As I mentioned I had driven this route in 2008 so I was looking forward to my return. It was raining again.....the fourth straight day. But it never rains continually. As a matter of fact the radio keeps talking about the drought and the fires, and there's a burning ban in effect. The rains haven't really affected the trip and I guess my dislike for driving in rain is diminished. So we began our drive up Highway 37 and it was spectacular. We saw beautiful mountains and forest and flowers and rivers and waterfalls and lakes, and plenty of wildlife throughout the day......
As I was saying......we arrived at the beginning of the Cassiar Highway.......
As I mentioned I had driven this route in 2008 so I was looking forward to my return. It was raining again.....the fourth straight day. But it never rains continually. As a matter of fact the radio keeps talking about the drought and the fires, and there's a burning ban in effect. The rains haven't really affected the trip and I guess my dislike for driving in rain is diminished. So we began our drive up Highway 37 and it was spectacular. We saw beautiful mountains and forest and flowers and rivers and waterfalls and lakes, and plenty of wildlife throughout the day......
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YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Of all the wildlife I see on my trips, the bears, by far, are always my favorite. We were fortunate to see some the past few days. It's difficult to get pictures because the dogs have this need to bark insanely and bounce off the windows. I do my best......
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
We drove quite a ways our first day and finally I pulled over and we camped along this beautiful lake. It gets dark really late here......I'm not sure what hour that is but well past ten, maybe eleven ? I'm never able to stay up much past ten or so......
We slept great that night but I had it in my mind to wake early and be the first on the road. That's when you have the best chance of seeing wildlife. I was rewarded with an awesome sunrise over the lake but man it was cold that morning. The truck's temperature gauge said 32 degrees......
I made myself a quick cup of coffee, started to load the dogs and get ready to hit the road. It was 5:15 a.m. Just as we were getting into the truck I could hear the loudest semi ever coming down the road. Bad luck.......he blew by us with the throttle down. Oh well.......the scenery would be good and we just took our time going down the highway.....
It didn't take too long before we saw more bear and several sightings of moose. This mother and her calf were particularly funny because they ran up the highway rather than dart into the forest like most animals do......
I saw this bull moose in the distance. He was very majestic in my mind.....
We slept great that night but I had it in my mind to wake early and be the first on the road. That's when you have the best chance of seeing wildlife. I was rewarded with an awesome sunrise over the lake but man it was cold that morning. The truck's temperature gauge said 32 degrees......
I made myself a quick cup of coffee, started to load the dogs and get ready to hit the road. It was 5:15 a.m. Just as we were getting into the truck I could hear the loudest semi ever coming down the road. Bad luck.......he blew by us with the throttle down. Oh well.......the scenery would be good and we just took our time going down the highway.....
It didn't take too long before we saw more bear and several sightings of moose. This mother and her calf were particularly funny because they ran up the highway rather than dart into the forest like most animals do......
I saw this bull moose in the distance. He was very majestic in my mind.....
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YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
In the afternoon we stopped for a (2) hour lunch break along another beautiful lake. The water was crystal clear and ice cold but not too cold for us to go for a swim.....although my swim was rather short......afterwards we went for a hike and discovered another lake on the opposite of the road. Both lakes had loons and it was so wonderful to just sit back and have a listen. The first picture is the lake we swam in and the second and third are of the lake across the highway......
As we continued north we drove through a large burnout that lasted for miles and miles. Fire Weed had filled the forest floor and made for a spectacular scene. Honestly these pictures don't do it justice as they just radiated in the warm sun that was finally showing itself......
And finally we entered Yukon Territory......
Shortly thereafter we connected with the Alaska Highway and left behind the solitude of the Cassiar Highway. That evening we found a spot in the woods along the highway and pulled in for another good sleep away from the world's civilization. It was very nice to say the least. This morning I opened the door so the dogs could go out. Immediately I heard Yukon in full attack mode. I ran outside and saw her attacking a porcupine. Thankfully I was there quick enough to call her off so no damage done.....
So far the Alaska Highway is a great road. It's a fine highway and I'd guess most people are driving at a minimum of 60 miles per hour, probably most are driving faster than that. What a change this is from when I drove this highway as a young man. So yea.....I'm missing the Cassiar Highway but I'm looking forward to what will come.....
As we continued north we drove through a large burnout that lasted for miles and miles. Fire Weed had filled the forest floor and made for a spectacular scene. Honestly these pictures don't do it justice as they just radiated in the warm sun that was finally showing itself......
And finally we entered Yukon Territory......
Shortly thereafter we connected with the Alaska Highway and left behind the solitude of the Cassiar Highway. That evening we found a spot in the woods along the highway and pulled in for another good sleep away from the world's civilization. It was very nice to say the least. This morning I opened the door so the dogs could go out. Immediately I heard Yukon in full attack mode. I ran outside and saw her attacking a porcupine. Thankfully I was there quick enough to call her off so no damage done.....
So far the Alaska Highway is a great road. It's a fine highway and I'd guess most people are driving at a minimum of 60 miles per hour, probably most are driving faster than that. What a change this is from when I drove this highway as a young man. So yea.....I'm missing the Cassiar Highway but I'm looking forward to what will come.....
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unkamonkey
Explorer
Good thing you got Yukon stopped. Pulling porkupine quills out of a dogs mouth and muzzle is not a fun task when out in the woods.
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Yes, no doubt, I (we) was lucky again.......
So here it is almost (24) hours later and I'm still hanging out in Whitehorse, Yukon. This is a really cool town and I just plain needed a break from the driving. Last night we parked at the Walmart with (50) other RV's......the most I've ever seen at one time. My favorite was this Renault. Someone told me that it was a young couple traveling from Argentina on their honeymoon. I can't verify that but the tags are definitely from Argentina......
My original plan was to stop here for diesel and groceries, then head down the road. Of course that didn't happen and when I awoke this morning I decided that I needed to get out a kayak and float down the Yukon River a bit. I wanted the dogs to be tired out before I left them in the camper so we did an eight mile walk to start the day. Then I took the Jeep and a kayak upstream and we floated / kayaked down to where I'd left the camper. It was wonderful to say the least. Here's some pictures of my morning float......
I passed the S.S. Klondike......
And I continued on down the river......
It's time to grab some lunch and then we're off to Haines Junction and then northward to Alaska......
So here it is almost (24) hours later and I'm still hanging out in Whitehorse, Yukon. This is a really cool town and I just plain needed a break from the driving. Last night we parked at the Walmart with (50) other RV's......the most I've ever seen at one time. My favorite was this Renault. Someone told me that it was a young couple traveling from Argentina on their honeymoon. I can't verify that but the tags are definitely from Argentina......
My original plan was to stop here for diesel and groceries, then head down the road. Of course that didn't happen and when I awoke this morning I decided that I needed to get out a kayak and float down the Yukon River a bit. I wanted the dogs to be tired out before I left them in the camper so we did an eight mile walk to start the day. Then I took the Jeep and a kayak upstream and we floated / kayaked down to where I'd left the camper. It was wonderful to say the least. Here's some pictures of my morning float......
I passed the S.S. Klondike......
And I continued on down the river......
It's time to grab some lunch and then we're off to Haines Junction and then northward to Alaska......
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parkkitchings
Adventurer
Jerry.... been following along. As you know I'm headed that way soon. If you haven't been to Haines, Alaska I would highly recommend it. Nice little town with a great campground out on the lake outside of town. If the salmon are running the river will have grizzlies as well. The drive is from Haines Junction is nice as well. When I did it last year the leaves were changing and it was a beautiful drive. Hope to cross paths later this summer. Be safe....
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Clay.....thanks for always having kind words.......
Park......yep, I spoke with a local in Beaver Creek, Yukon and she also suggested Haines so maybe. She said it's good until the end of August if I'm lucky. And yea I hope to meet you.....even if we're just stopped along the highway as we pass by. I've tried unsuccessfully to met Vic Hanson for the last (2) years so I'm sure it'll just be dumb luck. Take care and safe travels......
Yesterday afternoon we arrived in Fairbanks, Alaska with cloudy skies overhead. Hopefully we've left the rain behind. It's rained every day since we crossed the border into Canada.....not all day but at some point each day we've had rain and we're ready for some sunny skies (which we currently have).
I mentioned in an earlier post that the Alaska Highway was a "great" highway. Well things really went downhill after leaving Whitehorse, Yukon but the scenery was getting really good as we drove along the northern border of Kluane National Park. I tried to take some pictures including my vehicle looking forward and then backwards to give you an idea of what I'm seeing as I travel down the highway.......
We stopped in Haines Junction to purchase diesel and the talk from the southbound travelers was that the road north was bad and that there was significant road construction to deal with. One woman said that they had waited an hour for a lead vehicle to follow through the construction. We continued north and soon we were passing Kluane Lake as the highway hugged the southern coastline. It went on forever and it was amazing......
And to the south side of the highway is the St. Elias Range. Just truly a beautiful, beautiful drive.....
Park......yep, I spoke with a local in Beaver Creek, Yukon and she also suggested Haines so maybe. She said it's good until the end of August if I'm lucky. And yea I hope to meet you.....even if we're just stopped along the highway as we pass by. I've tried unsuccessfully to met Vic Hanson for the last (2) years so I'm sure it'll just be dumb luck. Take care and safe travels......
Yesterday afternoon we arrived in Fairbanks, Alaska with cloudy skies overhead. Hopefully we've left the rain behind. It's rained every day since we crossed the border into Canada.....not all day but at some point each day we've had rain and we're ready for some sunny skies (which we currently have).
I mentioned in an earlier post that the Alaska Highway was a "great" highway. Well things really went downhill after leaving Whitehorse, Yukon but the scenery was getting really good as we drove along the northern border of Kluane National Park. I tried to take some pictures including my vehicle looking forward and then backwards to give you an idea of what I'm seeing as I travel down the highway.......
We stopped in Haines Junction to purchase diesel and the talk from the southbound travelers was that the road north was bad and that there was significant road construction to deal with. One woman said that they had waited an hour for a lead vehicle to follow through the construction. We continued north and soon we were passing Kluane Lake as the highway hugged the southern coastline. It went on forever and it was amazing......
And to the south side of the highway is the St. Elias Range. Just truly a beautiful, beautiful drive.....
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YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Our next stop was Destruction Bay, Yukon (what a cool name !). More diesel and more talk from southbound travelers of the horrible road to come. We finally came to this horrible stretch of road and the good news was that it was in the evening and the construction crews were gone.....therefore no lead car and no wait. We flew through it and it turned out to be nothing but lots of dust off and on for (40) miles......
We made a last stop in Beaver Creek, Yukon for more diesel, moved north and passed through customs around 9 p.m. I drove a few miles beyond that, pulled over next to a lake and called it a day.
The morning brought more rain but it was minimal so after a morning walk I unloaded a kayak and went for a paddle. The lake is located in the Tetlin National Wildlife Preserve. Apparently this is a natural passage area for birds that migrate as far south as South America. You should Google it......it's pretty cool actually. Here's a picture of our campsite for the night. It's close to the road but there's no traffic after 9 p.m. so it was plenty quite. It was almost like we were the only people left in the world.......
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And here's some pictures as I kayak around the lake's perimeter. So tranquil.......
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As I paddled along the far shoreline I noticed something in the tall grass so I landed the kayak.....
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What I found was a bunch of white feathers.....possibly from swans.....and (16) piles of wolf ********. I couldn't find a single bone in the pile of feathers and ********. I hung around for awhile hoping that a pack of wolves would show up but no luck.....
I paddled back to the camper, loaded the kayak and gear, and then we were back on the road to Fairbanks. We saw lots of moose that day.....some right along the road and others quite a distance away. I haven't seen any more bear for the past few days and that's a little disappointing since I've been looking forward to seeing some grizzlies and brown bear.....
Our next stop was in Tok, Alaska for more diesel and then back on the highway. Once we got to Delta Junction, Alaska the road improved greatly and the mountains began to disappear somewhat. And we saw plenty more moose along the way.....
We made a last stop in Beaver Creek, Yukon for more diesel, moved north and passed through customs around 9 p.m. I drove a few miles beyond that, pulled over next to a lake and called it a day.
The morning brought more rain but it was minimal so after a morning walk I unloaded a kayak and went for a paddle. The lake is located in the Tetlin National Wildlife Preserve. Apparently this is a natural passage area for birds that migrate as far south as South America. You should Google it......it's pretty cool actually. Here's a picture of our campsite for the night. It's close to the road but there's no traffic after 9 p.m. so it was plenty quite. It was almost like we were the only people left in the world.......
View attachment 296027
And here's some pictures as I kayak around the lake's perimeter. So tranquil.......
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View attachment 296029
View attachment 296030
View attachment 296031
As I paddled along the far shoreline I noticed something in the tall grass so I landed the kayak.....
View attachment 296032
What I found was a bunch of white feathers.....possibly from swans.....and (16) piles of wolf ********. I couldn't find a single bone in the pile of feathers and ********. I hung around for awhile hoping that a pack of wolves would show up but no luck.....
I paddled back to the camper, loaded the kayak and gear, and then we were back on the road to Fairbanks. We saw lots of moose that day.....some right along the road and others quite a distance away. I haven't seen any more bear for the past few days and that's a little disappointing since I've been looking forward to seeing some grizzlies and brown bear.....
Our next stop was in Tok, Alaska for more diesel and then back on the highway. Once we got to Delta Junction, Alaska the road improved greatly and the mountains began to disappear somewhat. And we saw plenty more moose along the way.....
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YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
That night we stopped at Gertsle River and set up camp for the night. It was outstanding to camp right on the river's edge, and it rained hard for most of the night and the early morning. We slept like logs with the sound of the rain hitting the roof of the camper......
We continued on to Fairbanks and arrived that afternoon. I guess I'll post up before I leave town. I have lots of errands to run here so I plan to stay at least two nights and more than likely it'll be three. It's nice here and the weather is perfect.......70 degrees and sunny.....I'm loving the change......
A few pictures on the way to Fairbanks......
You know, I don't really have a "bucket list". But if I did surely this would be on it as would be my trip to the Himalayas earlier this year. I plan to put my foot in the Arctic Ocean on Saturday or Sunday. I'm feeling good about all this right now......
We continued on to Fairbanks and arrived that afternoon. I guess I'll post up before I leave town. I have lots of errands to run here so I plan to stay at least two nights and more than likely it'll be three. It's nice here and the weather is perfect.......70 degrees and sunny.....I'm loving the change......
A few pictures on the way to Fairbanks......
You know, I don't really have a "bucket list". But if I did surely this would be on it as would be my trip to the Himalayas earlier this year. I plan to put my foot in the Arctic Ocean on Saturday or Sunday. I'm feeling good about all this right now......
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