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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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Something (Ideas) for the Baja Road?
Along the way to Alaska, we visited this funky place on the AlCan Highway near Watson Lake in the Yukon.
It all started back in 1942....while building the Alaska Hwy, it was common practice for the US Army of Engineers to put up a directional post at
their camps. A certain homesick GI from Danville, Illinois erected a mileage sign to his hometown and snowballed it into this.
A totally fun place to walk around and see some old memories, new adventures and good-natured wit. If you can spare a license plate, or any other
'sign', add yours to this forest. A local told me that there are about 75,000 signs in this forest...and counting.
I didn't want to lose a license plate from either the pickup or fifth wheel, so I stole a cookie sheet from Co-pilots kitchen, and 'posted' a painted
cartoon of our rig bouncing over some 'moguls' on the Alaska Highway.
Great fun! Can you imagine a similar one for the Baja Road? I wonder what that might be like??
[Edited on 1-25-2014 by Pompano]
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65100
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Looks like the glass on the Rancho Santa Ynez restaurant or Mama Espinoza's ... Is there a 'got baja?' or 'Viva Baja' sticker in there somewhere???
LOL
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BeemerDan
Nomad
Posts: 187
Registered: 1-13-2011
Location: Port Orchard Wa
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Ah, Great pic Pompano, Did the ride on my beemer to Arctic circle a few tmes and always stopped at the Sign post forest.
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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Likewise, BeemerDan....both of us have good photo memories from that great Road. Always reminds me of driving some of the more remote places in Baja.
I envy your 'lighter load'...
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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BeemerDan
Nomad
Posts: 187
Registered: 1-13-2011
Location: Port Orchard Wa
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Thanks Pompano,
That pic was my 1st ride up, and unfortunatly just as I was leaving Watson lake my transmission started to squeal like a stuck pig, Made it into
Whitehorse then drained the tranny fluid to find chunks of metal pouring out. ended up putting 180 weight motor honey in it then slabbing it down to
Skagway to catch the Alaska ferry back to Wa state.
Which in retrospect was the highlight of my trip down the inside passage.
I couldn't afford a cabin, but they let me pitch my tent on the aft deck.
1st time on the trip I didn't have to worry about bears 
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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Hah...as many times as I have made that trip, I always look forward to the next one. Always sure to be an adventure. Made the first trip in a
beat-up VW bus way back in the day when there was far more gravel than pavement.
Hah...your motorcycle breakdown reminds me of yet another similar experience for me, BeemerDan. My Dodge 2500 Cummins had a complete
transmission-rear end breakdown on the Yukon Highway just outside of Whitehorse. The Cummins diesel is bullet-proof..but the tranny and most all
drive-support was bad, at least on mine..maybe I got a lemon.
We had to wait in Whitehorse (not exactly a tourist destination) for 10 days for a new one to be flown in..high $$$. And to top it off, while at a RV
park, somebody stole our 2 brand new mountain bikes off the fiver's bike rack while we were gone shopping....used a bolt cutter. Got the bikes plus a
big expensive cooler.
The RCMP officer we reported it to said to forget about finding that bike again..saying most likely it was over on the nearby 'reserve'....then said
the native aborigine area was off limits to them. Shades of Hollywood...We'd been victims of an Indian raid!
He was a nice mountie, though, and gave Co-pilot a present to carry on her keyring, a 'Kojak'..a blunt aluminum stabbing spike for warding off
molesters..or time-share salesman in Cabo! Along with some fun pics from the Alcan Road, here's the mountie and the gifted Kojak. Ouch..that thing
hurts!!
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Howard
Super Nomad
Posts: 2353
Registered: 11-13-2007
Location: Loreto/Manhattan Beach/Kona
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Mood: I'd rather regret the things I've done than regret the things I haven't done.
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10 days in Whitehorse?
You can go see the Follies, get your oil changed, and one of the better museums on the Alcan showing how the highway was built in WWII along with
First Nation exhibits.
Now for the Whitehorse highlight.................
http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/worlds-largest-weathervan...
[Edited on 1-24-2014 by Howard]
We don't stop playing because we grow old;
we grow old because we stop playing
George Bernard Shaw
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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Whitehorse highlight.....finding Tim Hortons
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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BeemerDan
Nomad
Posts: 187
Registered: 1-13-2011
Location: Port Orchard Wa
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You went up the Cassier, You Sir are a true adventurer! I have that same pic with my bike in front of the fly rod. Gotta go look for it.
Off the top of my head, I can't remember, its either New Hazelton, or Smithers BC?
[Edited on 1-25-2014 by BeemerDan]
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captkw
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3850
Registered: 10-19-2010
Location: el charro b.c.s.
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Mood: new dog/missing the old 1
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Pompano
Hola,,Glad your back here....I've driven that road like maybe 11 times...Would that not be the entrance to "Whitehorse"....about the only place
outside of "Dawson" you can find a beer !!! been up and down the Cassier and the Alcan...The USA Owes the Canuks for helping during WW2 with that one
! most folks don't know that we had hand to hand combat on "Dutch harbor and Attu" ( the most eastern point in the USA...Fact) But thanks to many
canecks helping ......things changed for the better !!!K&T
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captkw
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3850
Registered: 10-19-2010
Location: el charro b.c.s.
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Mood: new dog/missing the old 1
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OK...Me stupid !!
I just saw Pomps first (top) post and then replyed and went back and read the whole thread !!! So for you folks that have yet to be their...the name
"Whitehorse" comes from the Big,,Broad Yukon River with afternoon white caps that look like running ponys...Hence The name "Whitehorse.. Big
River!!..So if Ya think being in BAJA is in the boonies....Wrong!!!..whitehorse,,Dawson creek,,Leard Hotsprings...And This post Has to Add....HYDER
AK....Talk about stepping back a 100 years...The most south coastal town of AK...Go Get HyderISED.!!!....LOL ..when you go back across the bridge to
BC its a "DRY" town called seward and to top it off farther north in AK has the same Name...For you folks that have not been up there,,,,call your
kids,,family this fall and GO !!! A Bucket lists must !!!
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BeemerDan
Nomad
Posts: 187
Registered: 1-13-2011
Location: Port Orchard Wa
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Tim Hortens?
I must a taken a wrong turn
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BeemerDan
Nomad
Posts: 187
Registered: 1-13-2011
Location: Port Orchard Wa
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Did someone say Hyderized?
Salmon Glacier
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grace59
Senior Nomad
Posts: 614
Registered: 9-14-2004
Location: San Felipe, Baja, Mexico
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What a great post! Brings back so many good memories. My husband and I camped our way up the AlCan and down the Cassier (I have never seen so much mud
as we got into on the Cassier)....The scenery was so breathtaking! Saw all kinds of wildlife, visited the hot springs...saw that fun sign post forest,
almost got carried away by a vicious Mosquito !! We have already
discussed doing that again some summer after we make the full time move to Baja...a great way to explore and get away from the heat! If you haven't
had the chance to take this road...do it!
Whenever I hear that rainy, chill wind blow. I think it may be time to head for Mexico. Tengo que obedecer mi corazon!
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chuckie
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6082
Registered: 2-20-2012
Location: Kansas Prairies
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Mood: Weary
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Amazing coincidences I spent a couple days in Whitehorse waiting for Dodge parts a few years ago..in my case a broken diesel return line..I put a
sign up at the yard "Bird City Ks"...went up on the Cassiar....Headed for Kenai for a moose hunt....
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vgabndo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3461
Registered: 12-8-2003
Location: Mt. Shasta, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Checking-off my bucket list.
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Dutch Harbor 53.8890° N, 166.5272° W One of the most WESTERN places in the USA. At 179 degrees 46 minutes East, Semisopochnoi Island is the
easternmost point in the USA.
I believe THAT is a fact.
If its all the same to you Captain, I'll leave the navigation to the cook.
 
Semisopochnoi is west of Dutch Harbor, but in a different hemisphere, thus easternmost.
Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. Sam Harris
"The situation is far too dire for pessimism."
Bill Kauth
Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
PEACE, LOVE AND FISH TACOS
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captkw
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3850
Registered: 10-19-2010
Location: el charro b.c.s.
Member Is Offline
Mood: new dog/missing the old 1
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Jeeze..loureez
June 7 1942 the Japanese tried to take attu..Nope !!hand to hand in the fog..the us boys stopped them !!! it is the farest eastern part of the
USA!!!....at 172.27 E and over the M line.. if your a pilot,,boat captain this is really simple...with Lats & longs broken down to hrs,,min..
sec..myself have never been there but had girlfriend that was a navy brat that was there for a week.there is Nothing there...anyway a good Party,,bar
trick question...ATTU is the most eastern part of the USA....and somewhere in there is "Semisopchno" think I spelled that right !! Due to mag Dev. and
Var. airports are now changing the numbers on many runways as this chunk of spinning dirt is changing !! Good Day !! K&T
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BeemerDan
Nomad
Posts: 187
Registered: 1-13-2011
Location: Port Orchard Wa
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No bridge to Attu
But the Dempster hwy is fun to ride!
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captkw
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3850
Registered: 10-19-2010
Location: el charro b.c.s.
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Mood: new dog/missing the old 1
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Beemer dan ..WOW !!
That's a pic you can brag about,,,,good on you Mate !! Holys--t!! thars a bike ride !!
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captkw
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3850
Registered: 10-19-2010
Location: el charro b.c.s.
Member Is Offline
Mood: new dog/missing the old 1
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Beemer dan #2
ooops..I have a bad habit of going to to last post on a thread without reading what is/has been posted since I last read...me Bad !! I just saw your
post about salmon gacleir....did you get Hyderized ??...me and my sis did and woke up up on the side of salmon creek with 2 bears looking at us !!!
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