As we prepare for the Dempster Highway, I spent the last two days getting gear into the tent camping mode. Meanwhile, Ray crafted some "radiator and headlight insurance" against the flying rocks of the northern gravel roads. Herewith is pictorial documentation of the arts and craft project. After creating a pattern, the metal work begins. And the finished project is a work of art!

Meanwhile, the glorious sunsets just minutes before midnight keep us up and snapping those

photos!

Tomorrow, the northward adventure begins...who knows when next there will be Internet and another blog? Till then....the FunFinder sleeps while we roll again.

Real photography On The Road

This is what Ray does when he's not driving the rig. Loading a couple of rolls of exposed film into the Nikor developing tank in the light-tight changing bag. Must be hard work, considering his grimace!

Four rolls of black & white film, 120, taken on an old Rolleiflex and his brand-new Holga plastic wonder.

First roll out on the road. Negatives from the Holga look better than expected, and these from the Rollei are excellent.

On closer inspection yet, there is much rejoicing! Negatives portend many happy hours in the winter darkroom (our bathroom) at home.

Mile 884 of the Alaska Highway, and our first destination.

Whitehorse, Yukon. Mountains and river. To quote an orientation film, "TheYukon takes the cotton out of your ears!" It sure does! Meanwhile, other destinations call, the road is open, and ahead lie many highways: the Dempster to Inuvik, the Klondike to Glacier Bay/Juneau/Skagway, the Cassiar to Stewart/Hyder, the Yellowhead to Jasper, Alberta, and all this in the days and months to come.

Along the road, at Teslin, we discovered the art of the Teslin Tlingit people--

And the sunset at 11;37 pm on summer solstice:

First Destination Achieved!

Arrived this afternoon in Whitehorse, Yukon, one day ahead of our arm-chair projections last March! Scenery along the road never quits--that is, if you enjoy the mountains and vast rivers and endless will roses blooming along the roadside.

Right off, we hurried into town to participate in Aboriginal Day, which is June 21, the Summer Solstice, and celebrated by eating bannock, the traditional bread rather like baking-powder biscuits. Maybe I should have titled this blog something to do with foodies along the road rather than roadies eating lots of food!

Although the mosquitoes haven't carried me off yet (thanks for asking, Dave!), we have some significant welts to show for our battles--hence the delight in finding the bumper sticker about the single mosquito--to read it, you might have to double-click the photo for an enlargement.

Beware of the Road!

Today is a rest day at Dawson Peaks Lodge and Campsite, (yikes..what happened?? Not a link!) so as we sit here in peaceful tranquility, I thought we'd give you a taste of the daily road. Talking about tastes, one of the biggest treats in years is the rhubarb pie baked at the lodge here! It is worth a stop, if you are a rhubarb pie lover as I am. Add a scoop of home-made ice-cream, and ahhhh!

Yesterday we traveled 150 miles from Watson Lake to Dawson Peaks. On the way were these signs warning us:

Steep Grades Ahead to 9%

Sudden S Curves

Road Narrows

Falling Rocks

Slow to 40K (25mph)

Buffalo Herd on Road (herd grazing peacefully)

Deer on Road

Caribou Herd

Horses....and

Frost Heaves

indicating road surface disrupted by permafrost (photo of ubiquitous signs of imminent "Heavee-Jeevies" as Ray calls them!) However, all driving is safe and slow.

Lazing at Muncho Lake and progressing on the Al-Can

Today we passed many milestones--2,500 since we left home, to be exact! Around noon we crossed the 60th North latitude, 23.5 degrees from home with 6.5 to go to reach the Arctic Circle. Then, around afternoon teatime we entered Yukon soon after seeing our first grizzly and caribou on the trip!

Before reaching Watson Lake, we spent four days at turquoise green Mucho Lake, surrounded by the Northern Canadian Rockies. Although the lake was just 56 degrees F. we dipped our toes in and enjoyed the chance--thanks to generous-hearted neighbors from Grand Prairie, to paddle around a little in their kayaks. Shared stories and campfire time and took more photos than would ever fit into a blog. Did I mention that we had to pump our water?

Enjoy the view!

On we roll! From Charlie Lake, so delightful that we spent four days there among the poplars and quaking (in Canada--trembling) aspens. After Fort St. John, the road took on what I call the "real feel" of what we imagined the Alaska Highway to be like--rolling grades lined with mixed conifer and deciduous forests, here a bear, there a moose, over there a coyote and way up there an eagle! The animal on the road sign seems to be a horse, but we've not seen one of those yet!

On the horizon loom the Northern Rockies, coming closer every day. Camped alongside the Sikanni River last night and saw sunrise around 4 am.

Really making progress now! Black bears along the roadside--well, we glimpsed two, no photos, though--a visit to Hudson's Hope, setting of the memoir "Mrs. Mike" and the Bennett Dam that created Lake Williston, huge and productive.

We posed for photos in Dawson Creek, the Mile Zero point of the Alaska Highway, then found the wooded secluded campsite at Charlie Lake in Fort St. John, some fifty miles along the Alaska Highway.

So, we are actually On The Way. Driving south to Hudson's Hope beats all superlatives for magnificent rural scenery and at a viewpoint we met the most friendly people--hey to Gary and Earla from Oklahoma.

Details and photos next post.

Canada 97 North to Dawson Creek from Prince George

Heading north presents all kinds of decisions! From Prince George, we faced this sign. To Dawson Creek, we decided. Good choice, since we have now seen two bears along the way. The first was just sitting a short distance off the road side, watching the traffic go by like some highway patrol with radar control. Ray saw the next bear which disappeared before I caught a glimpse.

In Prince George, we visited the Railway and Farm Museum where Ray could grown nostalgic about the old Rumley tractor, comparing the more modern aspects of the one pictured below.

Glorious views of the west side of the Canadian Rockies opened vista after vista through the raindrops on the windshield. How lucky can we get--waterfalls and the Rockies all the way up to Chetwynd today, with Dawson Creek and Mile Zero of the Alaska Highway awaiting tomorrow!

Today we passed the 100 Mile House as we drove by low lakes and meadows rather similar to the high parks of Colorado.It is a dark and stormy night...drove through Lytton, named for the true author thereof, although tonight is getting rather dark and stormy here in Quesnel, BC.

Coming north from Hope, we drove through the spectacular canyon of the Fraser River, stopping for many a photo and an overview from Hell's Gate.

The turbulence there make me wonder in awe of rafters who pass by there, although we didn't see any while we watched.

Odd sights included the longest cross-country skis and a picturesque church.

Between Boston Bar and Lytton, we corssed the 50 degree latitude line yesterday. Northward, ho!

We raided the Trader Joe's in Everett, WA as though no other provisions would be forthcoming for weeks. On a whim, we visited the 5th Wheel Place RV Center and enjoyed viewing some newer models of our trusty FunFinder, but we're too snug to consider switching--thanks for your time, Judd! In sunshine we crossed the 49th parallel and entered British Columbia on the way to Wild Rose Campground in Hope. Switched miles for kilometers and dollar bills for loonies and twosies and celebrated with meat pies and Nanaimo bars. (Don't intend to support one gas station over any other, but this brief philosophy of the road caught our eye along I-5 in Washington.)

Two days ago: Today we got up close to Mount St. Helen’s and learned lots about vulcanism and the power of volcanoes and the differences between lava from volcanoes in Hawaii ( compare to honey) with the lava from Mt. St. Helen’s (think peanut butter, but very chunky with 300’ size peanut chunks). Dodged rain drops all day in this green and ferny Northwest, and took refuge at 19-Mile House on Washington 504 where we ate divine fruit cobblers, the best ever. The rest of the meal was outstanding, too, and the service was as friendly as our own family. Worth a stop, or a drive to Toutle, when you’re in the area! Good thing I resisted applying for the job advertised in an Oregon paper for a rigging slinger with thinning experience. Never having achieved any experience at thinning, I passed it up.