Milepost ZERO (3-day post)

Sat 6/28   -  Left Dawson Creek this morning after stocking up on plastic Canadian money and a quilt shop stop.  Dawson is the official start, (thus Milepost Zero), of the Alaska Highway which runs some 1,400 miles north through British Columbia and the Yukon and into Alaska to Fairbanks.  Once mostly gravel it’s now paved, with today’s run being on good two-lane with frequent passing lanes to get around any slow-moving vehicles, (particularly Airstreams).

Mile Post ZERO

I promised to stop at any quilt shops she could find.
(A POX on you SIRI)

This stretch is not particularly scenic and consists mostly of km after km of pine covered rolling terrain, extraordinary only for its immensity and lack of permanent settlement.  Among roadside attractions listed in the ALCAN guidebook The Milepost were, “km 178.2 – turnout with two garbage receptacles” and “ km 201.5 – Sasquach Crossing Café”.   And yes, we stopped, (at both).

 

Don't pick up hitch hikers on the ALCAN

Spending the night at Buckinghorse River Wayside Provincial Park.  For our evening walk, this time I took the bear spray, NOT for the bears, but for the mosquitoes, that are almost as big as bears.

Like a Zombie Apocolypse

  

Sun 6/29  -  Continued north from Buckinghorse River to Fort Nelson BC, last biggest “city” until Fairbanks.  Re-provisioned here and turned west (still on ALCAN Highway) toward the Canadian Rockies.  The scenery and wildlife start to pick up again.  FINALLY, we see our first Canadian moose (with a moos-ette), then another.  Plus some misc bears.

OK...  A little crass, but this is one of the most artistice
one-holers I've encountered  in all of our travels.

Tonight’s stopover is Stone Mountain Provincial Park with and evening walk around the lake.

Mon 6/30 – Rained last night.  Low hanging clouds drifting through the mountains changes the mood from spectacular and glamorous, to mysterious and powerful. 

Later in the day we pass through a 100 mile stretch of  heavy wildlife population, with bears, wood bison, sheep/goats??, and a red fox being particularly cooperative.

What's 7 feet tall and eats trees??

Wood Bison

Special Treat  - Up Close and Personal

Made it into Watson Lake, Yukon Territory late in the afternoon.  Town is famous for its “signpost forest” containing 77,000 (I counted them) visitor contributed license plates, street signs, town sign, etc form all over Canada and the US.  I even saw a “Welcome to Downers Grove” sign in a travel brochure but couldn’t find it at the actual forest.

Anyway, layed up for the night at a nearby CG.

Goodnight from The Yukon Territory

Brad & Val

When Wild Animals ATTACK

While camped at Bear Lake in Crooked River Provincial Park last night, we got a site right on the lake.  Immediately after setting up, Val wanted to take the 20 yard walk down to the shore.  Since we were in the campground proper and just a short distance from the site, I didn't bother to take the bear spray.

Of course, Val is never the one to take a short walk if a longer one is available, so what was supposed to be short stroll turned into a mile or so down the lake shore.  Towards the end of the trail, I hear a "peep-peep-peep".  I scramble through some brush and spot a fledgling bird of some kind teetering on a log thrusting out into the lake.

I mover closer to see what it's all about and BAM!!!,  I'm mercilessness and viciously attacked..... by what appears to be some kind of seagull or tern.

OK..OK  that was a shameless teaser.  BUT it was vicious, I swear, and kept up for a couple of minutes.

Any way........

This is actually a 2-day post covering Jasper to Croooked River then on to Dawson City.  Other than the above, nothing spectacular happened.  

Three more bears Thursday and another two, (including our first grizzley), today.  All road bears.










Some more excellent scenery.

Including another nice set of falls.

Don't these British Colombians EVER GET IT.!

Last tourist stop being Chenwydth, the Chainsaw sculpture capital of the WORLD, with 85 life-sized sculptures of dragons, bears, eagles, hockey players, etc.  Pretty impressive actually.  The only thing I'd probably do with a chain saw is to remove my leg.

HUH?

They must get really bored up here in the winter.











Tonight in Dawson Creek in a motel to get cleaned up for the next leg, which is the actual start of the Alaska Highway, (even though it's still in Canada).

Goodnight from Mile Zero

Brad & Val

A Day At The Falls

Local sight-seeing today in the Jasper area.  Athabaska Falls  being the first stop.

Note - I haven't grown a big fuzzy Alaska
Beard   -   YET

A 100ft wide river dropping into a 20 ft wide canyon.

What's at the end of the rainbow?
Gold?...Silver?...Leprechauns?
Nope

MORE BEARS

Justin Schlamp - Did it the HARD way.
RIP

The River Walk
Almost as Good As Naperville's

ANOTHER Stunning Scenic View

Bear # 10

A RARE 2-Headed Elk
(Photo-Bombed)

OK.  As of today, I'm promising no more than one bear, elk, goat, and scenic view per day.  (UNLESS, the bear is eating somebody.)  Today's bear was special because he was a "personal bear", i.e it was on some back road and there was nobody else there.

(This is opposed to an "Up Close and Personal Bear" which is encountered while hiking.)

Vanessa - The elk picture is actually a moose.  Is this close enough??

Headed for Prince George BC tomorrow.

Good Night Again from Whistler CG, Jasper BC.

Brad & Val 

Three Bears Before Lunch

Headed north again (as we will be for the next 3 weeks).  Destination Jasper Alberta via the Icefields Highway.

Got our usual early start (9:00 am) and withing an hour had seen three bears.  Black bears (one cinnamon cub) and no grizzlys yet.  By the end of the day we'd seen 6 more, plus an assortment of mountain goats..  All of the sightings were from the road, but it does make the hikes much more interesting.

The scenery along the way is nothing short of breath-taking.

.
We're settled in at a campground that is noted for the resident elk herd, which the range said has a number of calves.  You Tube is full of videos of elk that don't like tourists.

We're planning some hiking in the area tomorrow but it's raining right now, (about 9:30 pm).

Good Night from Whistler Campground, Jasper Alberta.

STAMPEDE!!!!

Making our way from Glacier up to Lake Louise/Jasper area in British Columbia.

I have to say we're practically getting run over by the wildlife (animal type).  Just  before crossing the border we bagged two moose.  (Vanessa - eat your heart out.

As we were climbing up into the Kootenay Mountains we rounded a bend and about 30 mountain goats were hauling butt down the center of the road.

After we had set up for the night at Readstreak Campground in the Kootenays, as I was sitting at the picnic table, there was a huge THUD as a golden eagle slammed into a ground squirrel less than 20 feet in front of me.  (No pics of that one).  Not sure I'm ready for the inevitable bear encounter if it's as up close and personal as that. 

View from the campground

Good Night from the Kootenays

Brad & Val