DianaT
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Misc. from Trip --Northern Canada/Alaska
Just some misc. pictures from our recent trip --- they are in no particular order and just a part of our fond memories. I would return tomorrow!
Skagway --- that gold rush town owned now by the cruise lines. First from the truck when 4 cruise ships were in port..
And after all the nametagged people are herded back to the ships. Some people love traveling that way.
Lakeview Campground in the Tetlin Preserve in the Yukon --- same lake, different time --- the last one quite late at
night when the sun finally was headed down.
The rain forest in Hyder
A quick peek of the toe of the Salmon Glaicer near Hyder when the clouds suddenly opened up, and then when the clouds
were quickly closing off the view
The port at Stewart
The bears at Haines and why I will never again leave home without a certain lens. The bears put on quite a show and we
missed getting any really good pictures.
The mouth of the Chilkoot River in Haines
And a great old working truck in Haines
More old vehicles --- not working at Chicken, Alaska
Where we found the friendliest US custom's agent ever!
Top of the World Highway, Alaska
A glacier on the road to Haines
Dawson City, Yukon
And Tommy looking out over Lake Lebarge and thinking about the famous poem that captures the essence of the Yukon, past
and present.
The Cremation of Sam McGee
BY ROBERT W. SERVICE
There are strange things done in the midnight sun
By the men who moil for gold;
The Arctic trails have their secret tales
That would make your blood run cold;
The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,
But the queerest they ever did see
Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge
I cremated Sam McGee.
Continued at The Rest of the Poem
Thanks for looking
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dtbushpilot
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Great pics Diane, thanks for sharing. Jill and I are contemplating an Alaskan trip next summer in our truck/camper. We have done the cruise, looking
for something a little more our style. How are you traveling?
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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Skipjack Joe
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OMG these are jaw dropping scenics. I am so glad you had a chance to see some of those great landscapes. What fabulous skies. And that one image of
the glaciers was superb. Wish I had done Alaska again this year.
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DianaT
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Quote: Originally posted by dtbushpilot  | | Great pics Diane, thanks for sharing. Jill and I are contemplating an Alaskan trip next summer in our truck/camper. We have done the cruise, looking
for something a little more our style. How are you traveling? |
Our pop-up camper combined with a few hotel stays worked very well for us on this 9000 mile 6 week trip. It is light weight and can go pretty much
anywhere. On the thread I did about traveling the Dempster Highway, Desertbull posted a picture of his camper in which they traveled for 2 1/2
months.
Our camper is small --- only 6 1/2' and is not fully self-contained as there is no bathroom, just a portapotti that fits in a cupboard under the seat
for the middle of the night emergencies when I just don't want to deal with the creatures of the night lurking in the campgrounds. It has a water
tank, but no holding tank. There is a good propane heater, a three burner stove that works fine for us and a larger all electric refrigerator that we
really like as it holds a lot. To keep it running, we have a solar panel. It works well for us.
JMHO --- your truck and camper will give you a lot more flexibility than other modes of travel. Also, we have found the latest edition of The Milepost to be very valuable both times we have traveled that way.
[Edited on 9-15-2015 by DianaT]
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DianaT
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| Quote: Originally posted by Skipjack Joe | | OMG these are jaw dropping scenics. I am so glad you had a chance to see some of those great landscapes. What fabulous skies. And that one image of
the glaciers was superb. Wish I had done Alaska again this year. |
Thanks Igor.
Here are just a couple more --- the main reason to visit Skagway, AKA the Jewelry Store Mecca, is the drive to Skagway. It is one of the prettiest
drives.
And just for fun, I love how the one person on this ferry is keeping warm. 
I am sure you will travel there again --- so much to see and enjoy.
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AKgringo
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Thanks for more great photos! Although I have lived up north for thirty five years, you are hitting a few places that I have not been to yet. Thanks
for the ride along!
About the folks lounging on the deck of the ferry (laughingly referred to as a 'sun deck') there are radiant heaters in the ceilings that keep it
reasonable to sleep there.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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wessongroup
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DianaT
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| Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo | Thanks for more great photos! Although I have lived up north for thirty five years, you are hitting a few places that I have not been to yet. Thanks
for the ride along!
About the folks lounging on the deck of the ferry (laughingly referred to as a 'sun deck') there are radiant heaters in the ceilings that keep it
reasonable to sleep there. |
Thanks --- so much more to see.
I am not sure about any heaters working on that small ferry that morning --- it was not that cold, I just liked the bare feet because if my feet are
cold, I am cold. We did need jackets.
As we have done in the past, we were going to take more ferries depending on cancellations, but the system was in a real mess! The ships are old and
one of the big ones, the Columbia broke down and had to go to the shipyards. The Malaspina had to rescue those passengers. We could get to Juneau,
but from there no one knew what the schedule was going to be and since there were so many with reservations that had been stranded, we decided we
could end up stuck in Juneau for a long time!
So, we decided to just take the ferry from Haines back to Skagway and head for the Cassiar. We bought tickets, got up early only to discover that
they had cancelled the stop at Haines and were headed to Juneau. They said someone should have called us the night before. So we had to wait another
day, but Haines is a good place to be delayed. If you travel down there, and you like Thai food, be sure to go to the Chilkat Restaurant &
Bakery. They are from Thailand and the food is GREAT --- as is the Bakery.
Glad now that the ferry broke as we really enjoyed northern BC,
[Edited on 9-15-2015 by DianaT]
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bufeo
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Another set of lovely photos, Diana. I really enjoy them—enough to run over to the house and bring my Diana over to see them. They are especially fun
for us having been to those places (except the NWT spots).
In response (sort of) to dtbushpilot's question about travel, we've driven to AK with four different vehicles ranging from a Jeep Cherokee with a roof
pod to our SD F250 pulling a good, sturdy, off-road trailer. I think my preference was our F250 with a Lance 10' camper (not the same F250 as seen
below).
Twice we used tents with an auxiliary cooking tent (i.e. mosquito netting). Both of us tired of setting up the tents at every stop, though we became
rather proficient at the process.
The trailer, a Komfort ATRV
 was our most luxurious accommodation and we really enjoyed it. We weren't prevented from any road because of its size and
weight, but it did add that inconvenience of towing something.
Allen R.
(Diana, I apologize for inserting information into your thread.)
[Edited on 9-15-2015 by bufeo]
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DianaT
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| Quote: Originally posted by bufeo | Another set of lovely photos, Diana. I really enjoy them—enough to run over to the house and bring my Diana over to see them. They are especially fun
for us having been to those places (except the NWT spots).
In response (sort of) to dtbushpilot's question about travel, we've driven to AK with four different vehicles ranging from a Jeep Cherokee with a roof
pod to our SD F250 pulling a good, sturdy, off-road trailer. I think my preference was our F250 with a Lance 10' camper (not the same F250 as seen
below).
Twice we used tents with an auxiliary cooking tent (i.e. mosquito netting). Both of us tired of setting up the tents at every stop, though we became
rather proficient at the process.
The trailer, a Komfort ATRV
was our most luxurious accommodation and we really enjoyed it. We weren't prevented from any road because of its size and
weight, but it did add that inconvenience of towing something.
Allen R.
(Diana, I apologize for inserting information into your thread.)
[Edited on 9-15-2015 by bufeo] |
PLEASE --- no apology --- it is just good information as to what has worked for you and more information for David.
Our camper requires set-up and it was so rainy this year up there, that at times it was a bit of a pain, but not that bad; not as bad as a muddy dog
too much of the time.
I am glad you have enjoyed the pictures along the way --- thank you and I hope you enjoy this area again. The far north is worth many visits, IMHO.
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bufeo
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It's interesting for me to see some of the changes. Is the Cassiar route now paved all the way? When we first traveled it in 1973 (second year it was
open to the public) we had to secure permits and drive only between 6 pm and 6 am (no problem in the summer with all the daylight hours). It was 100%
dirt—bad dirt in places.
Subsequent trips have seen more and more pavement and commerce. In 2005 all but about 80 miles was paved and our favorite camp spot now has a motel,
restaurant, RV park, and gas. Ahhhhh, progress.
Allen R
[Edited on 9-15-2015 by bufeo]
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wessongroup
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Thanks to all for sharing ... never got there
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DianaT
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| Quote: Originally posted by bufeo | It's interesting for me to see some of the changes. Is the Cassiar route now paved all the way? When we first traveled it in 1973 (second year it was
open to the public) we had to secure permits and drive only between 6 pm and 6 am (no problem in the summer with all the daylight hours). It was 100%
dirt—bad dirt in places.
Subsequent trips have seen more and more pavement and commerce. In 2005 all but about 80 miles was paved and our favorite camp spot now has a motel,
restaurant, RV park, and gas. Ahhhhh, progress.
Allen R
[Edited on 9-15-2015 by bufeo] |
It is paved, but not in good shape in some places --- the weather is hard on those roads. At one place on the Alaskan Highway where they were doing
construction we were talking with the flag woman about how pavement is not always the best way to go in the north.
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SFandH
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You guys are killing me. I'm going to have to go out and buy a new pick-up and trailer and explore the high latitudes.
Current F-250, 5.4L gas, has 150K with a Callen cab-over shell. Might work.
bufeo, can I rent your rig?
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dtbushpilot
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This is our rig, I like it for Baja exploring because it is tall, tough, diesel and 4WD. We've been able to get to places that many vehicles can't go.
It has a toilet/shower combo, 2 way fridge, cook top, oven, microwave, AC etc. You have to be plugged in to run the micro and AC but everything else
runs on battery or propane. I have a small solar panel on the roof to keep the battery topped off when it isn't on the truck. One reservation I have
for this rig over a motorhome is that Jill can't go back and make me a sandwich while I'm driving, guess I'll have to stop more often.
Your photos are incredible Diane, my cell phone won't do that even if I knew how to take pictures in the first place.
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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DianaT
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| Quote: Originally posted by SFandH | You guys are killing me. I'm going to have to go out and buy a new pick-up and trailer and explore the high latitudes.
Current F-250, 5.4L gas, has 150K with a Callen cab-over shell. Might work.
bufeo, can I rent your rig? |
Go for it! You won't be sorry! It is a very unique part of the world. We will return. As fast as we are aging, we just need to keep on traveling!
| Quote: Originally posted by dtbushpilot | This is our rig, I like it for Baja exploring because it is tall, tough, diesel and 4WD. We've been able to get to places that many vehicles can't go.
It has a toilet/shower combo, 2 way fridge, cook top, oven, microwave, AC etc. You have to be plugged in to run the micro and AC but everything else
runs on battery or propane. I have a small solar panel on the roof to keep the battery topped off when it isn't on the truck. One reservation I have
for this rig over a motorhome is that Jill can't go back and make me a sandwich while I'm driving, guess I'll have to stop more often.
Your photos are incredible Diane, my cell phone won't do that even if I knew how to take pictures in the first place.
|
Thanks. 
Now your rig looks very well suited for that journey and in comparison to what we call our traveling motel room, you will be living in luxury. And
best of all, no cruise line agenda --- just go where you want! And in our way of thinking, it is way more practical than a big motorhome.
In Haines we stayed at the campground/RV place in town because we needed the laundry and the showers and we were there when one of those big caravans
pulled in --- the monster buses , 4 at a time. It was fun watching them all get organized in the pouring rain. Those motorhomes really restrict
where one can go!
But about Jill not being able to go back and make a sandwich, surely you have watched the Long, Long Trailer. You just need to stop, let her climb
in the back and stop a little later so she can bring your lunch up to the cab.
BTW-- I believe that the old Lucy movie, The Long, Long, Trailer should be required viewing for anyone who ever wants to pull a trailer. It is still one of my all time favorite comedies.
[Edited on 9-16-2015 by DianaT]
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BajaBlanca
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I have never seen a glacier although I did see a glacier lake outside of Seattle years ago. Those photos are jaw dropping. The world is so big and
there are so many beautiful places to go to.
Thanks again for sharing.
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DianaT
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| Quote: Originally posted by BajaBlanca | I have never seen a glacier although I did see a glacier lake outside of Seattle years ago. Those photos are jaw dropping. The world is so big and
there are so many beautiful places to go to.
Thanks again for sharing. |
Thank you --- and yes, so many great places to go!
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bufeo
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| Quote: Originally posted by SFandH | You guys are killing me. I'm going to have to go out and buy a new pick-up and trailer and explore the high latitudes.
Current F-250, 5.4L gas, has 150K with a Callen cab-over shell. Might work.
bufeo, can I rent your rig? |
Sadly, that rig is no more. Literally. We sold it to my wife's niece and her husband a couple of years ago. They enjoyed one, really long trip to the
Canadian Maritimes. Then, just last spring they were setting our on a long road trip and just east of Denver met with heavy, no, make it HEAVY, side
winds. One set the trailer on its right wheels, and the subsequent accident totaled both vehicle and trailer.
Komfort made only sixteen of those trailers. Occasionally I see one for sale. They are substantial and quite a good, rugged off-road tow trailer.
Sorry.
Allen R
On Edit: dtbushpilot, I agree with Diana. Your rig looks great for a trip to AK, the Yukon, and beyond. I recommend it. (the rig and the trip)
[Edited on 9-16-2015 by bufeo]
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