06/27/09 Wa- Vancouver, B.C – Haines Junction, Yukon- Tok, Alaska

Seattle, Wa- Vancouver, B.C – Haines Junction, Yukon- Tok, Alaska
After spending the weekend in Seattle with dubious friends of questable character.

Monday found myself back on the road going north for the next phase of this trip. Crossing the border and circumventing Vancouver was fairly straightforward. Following Route 99 around the coastline up to Whistler (host for Winter Olympics 2010) was enjoyable as the roads are in excellent condition due to the Winter Olympics scheduled for next year. Once you get beyond Pemberton, the road gets a bit rugged with construction, paving and gravel. But this is where you want to be, away from the glitter, traffic and people. The campsite for the night is in a rest area of sorts, out of the wind and a 5 lb bag of organic tortilla chips to munch on.

Of course I could not pick a spot that had the sun hitting it until1200hrs. It was a bit on the chill side and trying to put on as many layers of clothes as possible inside the sleeping bag is always a fun event. First major stop was for a cuppa plus one to go. Staying on Rt 99 was enjoyable, then we join the masses with another slew of vehicles together on Route 97 going north. We live with Rt 97 allllllllll day long plus at least 12 road construction sites. To top this off just north of Williams Lake we have a 2 car crash, which kills both occupants. It takes the fire department and medics 4 hours to cut the victims out of the wreckage. The vehicle that caused the crash had veered across the centerline in excess of 90 mph.

Hixon is the site for the night and I am now in mosquito country and the fun begins also have made a drastic change to the Goatmobile for sleeping. And is life even better. Still haven’t figured out how to install the beer keg on the roof yet.

Back on Route 97 up to Prince George, probably the largest city in northern British Columbia, then Route 16 west for the next 4 hours. Finally arriving in the town of Kitwanga. From here it is Route 37 north. Now most people with just a half tank of petrol would fill the tank up again with questionable gas stations up the road. Not yours truly though because he is just too smart for his own good. Both gas stations that I was depending on were closed and out of business. The fuel warning light is on and I have another 70 (46 miles) kilometers to go for the nearest petrol station. Stewart, B.C. was the closest and the only saving grace was that it was all down hill into Stewart. After filling ($60.00) up I estimated that I was on fumes for the last mile. And of course there is no cell phone coverage with adds a bit of excitement. Spent the night at a RV site and don’t we have mosquito’s here in big, big numbers. Me thinks this is going to be the norm for the rest of the trip until the east coast, maybe. The RV site had a grizzly come through the camp last week so it is no tents or soft side campers for overnight stays at all.

The trip back out from Stewart on Route 37A is not to be missed. Mountains on both sides of the road and a glacier as an added attraction. And if you have the time and patience, the Salmon Glacier is an hour and a half away via sealed road
Southwest of Stewart through Canadian and US Customs, a bit humbug. Once you are out of Stewart it is route 37 north to Watson Lake, that’s if you get there. Last year about this time I came up this way via the Jasper National Park, Fort Nelson then west through Whitehorse. If I had my choice again, Route 37 would be the way to go, but you would then miss the huge glacier at Jasper along with 50 tour buses and a mass of people. Getting back to Route 37 north, it’s a mixture of sealed road and gravel along with the odd Black Tail Deer and mountain sheep. It’s a long drive but the scenery well makes up for it. The campsite for the night is a rest area just 30k south of Watson Lake.

Had a chance to talk to people from Ontario and their take on crossing from Alberta to Ontario. Flat farmland with roads that run straight and when you get to the horizon the road continues straight till the next horizon, just grin and bear it. A bit like the outback of Australia I would say.

Another night of rain, but as I made a few modifications to the Goatmobile, single nights on the road will be inside the vehicle. It takes about 15 minutes to get everything sorted out and along with the 52 inch HD TV screen, more better!!!

Up to the Great Alaska Highway heading west to Whitehorse, capital of the Yukon Territories, and 5 hours later I am in the city itself. Too busy and too many people so with Haines Junction only another 150 kilometers west and the sun still bright on the horizon, it was a go. Haines Junction, I passed this way last year on my motorcycle, has a German Bakery that is not to be missed. It is fat pill heaven to the max along with a great cuppa of coffee. Haines was supposed to be mosquito’s free but somewhere some how the word just didn’t get out………

Just a short note; total petrol cost for today was $110.00 and the more remote I get, it will get worst. Tomorrow I’ll be in Tok, Alaska then back across the border into the Yukon and the Northwest Territories before heading south into Alberta.

Haines Junction to Tok, Alaska is a mind numbing experience. First you have frost heaves (Google the name for an explanation) then road construction and last of all chip seal roads that are dustier then the whatever’s. Tok is wet, rainy, overcast and no relief insight for better weather. Its ok as I am out of here tomorrow for Chicken, Alaska, ferry across the Yukon River and Dawson City, Yukon for the night.

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Norm The Greynomad