Radium Hot Springs BC

Radium Hot Springs BC would be our last place to visit in Canada.  To get there we drove Hwy 93S through Kootenay National Park.  This park, designated in 1920, has a diverse geography, from glacier peaks to grasslands.  Part of the route had seen forest fire (in fact there was an active fire as we drove through, although we never saw flames; only the slight smell of smoke in the air).

Radium Hot Springs, the town, is located just outside the park boundary.  It has an alpine village feel, with restaurants serving Austrian, Bavarian and German style foods.  A wandering herd of bighorn sheep call the town home; we only saw one, but sometimes the entire herd is seen resting along the highway

And there are the hot spring pools located at the edge of town. From early settlers and travelers, to today's tourists, many have stopped to visit and soak in the mineral rich waters.   Other attractions are golf, whitewater rafting, hiking, and cross-country skiing in winter.

One day we toured the town of Invermere, just south of Radium.  Setttled on the shores of Lake Windermere, the little village hosts quaint shops and galleries, cafe's and coffeeshops. One could stroll around town, wade along the shores of the lake, or even rent kayaks or canoes...in winter, there is even ice fishing.

As we headed south toward the border, we drove through the Columbia Valley, where the Columbia River has it's beginnings in the wetlands around Canal Flats.

Banff National Park

Banff National Park, established in 1885, is the first national park designated in Canada.  The scenic resort town of Banff attracts millions of tourists annually, for summer scenery and winter skiing.

From Banff we drove north through the park on the Trans-Canada Hwy (Hwy 1) to Lake Louise. The highway has some unique overpasses designed to allow large animals to cross the highway without getting hit by vehicles.


Lake Louise/ Victoria Glacier (left) are one of the most photographed locations in the Canadian Rockies.

After lunch, we drove further north along the Icefields Parkway (hwy 93N).  This drive takes you through ancient glacier fields, dramatic rocky spires, and emerald-color lakes.

Bow Lake (right) was especially scenic. Just north of the lake we crossed Bow Summit, highest point on the Icefield Parkway (2088 m/6849 ft elevation).  Late afternoon we drove back to base camp near Cochrane, Alberta (just west of Calgary).

To celebrate "Canada 150" anniversary, the park service is giving free admission passes to all visitors in 2017.

Alaska Journey Ends

From the mile "0" marker in Dawson Creek, BC, the Alaska Highway stretches 1483 miles to Fairbanks, Alaska.  At mile 887 (Whitehorse, Yukon) we decided to end our trip and turn around.  

 

The main reasons: bumps & rough roads, and long stretches of loose gravel.

we returned via the same route (the only route!) back to Dawson Creek.  From there we began to look for new places to explore...

Wildlife along the Alaska Hwy

Along the Alaska Highway, wildlife have the right-of-way.  If an animal is on the road, you stop for it.  If an animal is along the road, you pass slowly without stopping to watch or take pictures.  Most of the animals we saw were on the section of highway between Fort Nelson, BC and Teslin, Yukon.

 

Black bears (alone or with cubs) and Wood bison (in herds or single males) were the most common and easy to see.

 

 

 On Stone Mountain, we finally saw the Stone sheep.  Their coloring is very similar to the rocks they climb on.  We also saw these caribou or young moose; they were crossing the highway, but were gone by the time we got close.  Other smaller animals included red fox, some deer,  rabbits and squirrels.

Whitehorse Rapids Fishladder

For thousands of years salmon have traveled up the Yukon River to spawn; some traveling to the Yukon's headwaters near Whitehorse, Yukon Territory.  The salmon lay eggs in the fresh water sand where they develop over winter before hatching the following spring.  The salmon fry remain in fresh water for a year or two, after which they make their way to the salt water oceans to live to adulthood.  Some of these adults return to the fresh water where they were hatched to spawn, and start the cycle over again.

In the late 1950's this cycle was disturbed when Northern Canada Power Commission built a hydroelectric facility and dam on the Yukon River in Whitehorse. In order to provide a means for the salmon to continue their migrations again, in 1959 the Whitehorse Rapids Fishway (commonly called the "fish ladder") was built.

This unique structure provided a "ladder" for the salmon to move from below the dam at the hydroelectric plant and go upstream to the spawning areas. An underwater canal directs the fish toward the ladder entrance. A series of steps with flowing water allows the fish to jump or swim along the ladder. Salmon are not the only species to use this unique bypass system.  At 366 meters (roughly 1200 feet) it is considered to be the longest wooden fish ladder in the world.

An interpretation center with viewing screens (via underwater cameras) allow visitors to see fish moving along the ladder. 

White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad

Born during the Klondike Gold Rush, the White Pass & Yukon Route narrow gauge railroad was built to provide an easier mode of transportation to the gold fields in the north.  The route starts at sea level in Skagway, Alaska and climbs to almost 3000 ft at the White Pass summit
just 20 miles away.  Tight curves of White Pass called for a narrow gauge track (rails only 3 ft apart).  Construction meant 110 miles of cliff hanging curves, two tunnels, and numerous bridges and trestles.
Construction crews worked from two directions: north from Skagway across White Pass Summit, and south from the Klondike gold fields.  They met in Caribou Crossing (now called Carcross).  A gold spike was driven there in July, 1900.  For decades the WP&YR carried ore, supplies during WWII, and fortune seekers to the Klondike.  In 1982 mines closed, and the railway suspended operations.  In 1988 WP&YR was reinvented as a tourist attraction.

From Whitehorse, we took a bus to the town of Fraser to board the train.

En route we had a short stop at the
town of Carcross.   This little town of about 500 is brightly decorated with First Nation native painting and carvings.


Once on the train we had a guided tour through the curves and tunnels, over canyons and trestles, until we departed at Skagway, Alaska.

At Skagway, we had some time to look around and have lunch before returning to Whitehorse via bus.

Skagway is also a port for Alaska cruise ships; one was on dock while we were there.

The S.S. Klondike

The S.S. Klondike, built in the late 1930's, was the largest stern-wheeler on the Yukon River at that time.  The Klondike carried supplies, food and liquor, mail, passengers, and silver ore along a 460 mile route between Whitehorse and Dawson City, Yukon.  Her cargo capacity was up to 300 tons, and sometimes a loaded barge was pushed ahead.  Manuevering the fast moving Yukon River took skill, especially in spring when snow melt filled the river.  The Klondike was retired in 1955.  Today she rests on the west bank of the Yukon River in Whitehorse.  There is an interpretive center, film, and free self-guided tours at this National Historic Site.

Teslin to Whitehorse Yukon Territory

From Teslin YT (Yukon Territory) we had a fairly short drive to Whitehorse, YT.  Along the way we drove close to two large lakes: Teslin Lake and Marsh Lake.  We found Pioneer RV Park just outside town.

Whitehorse is a large city, compared to most we've been in lately.  Since 1953 it has been the capital of Yukon; with a population of  26,000, it accounts for about 60% of the total inhabitants of the entire territory.  It has stores, restaurants, museums, parks, phone & wi fi.

Whitehorse was founded during the Klondike gold rush.  Large paddlewheel steamboats navigated the Yukon River to Whitehorse, bringing people and supplies to the new territory.  Eventually a railroad line was built from Skagway, Alaska to Whitehorse, Yukon...this connected the town to even more trade.  Whitehorse became a major supply center for the entire Yukon Territory.

After about two weeks of driving every day, we have decided to park and stay a few days in Whitehorse...rest, get a car wash, and just play tourist for awhile.

Coal River BC to Teslin Yukon

After Coal River the Alaska Hwy turns northward toward Yukon Territory. The road crosses the border of British Columbia and Yukon several times before arriving at the next sizable town: Watson Lake.  Watson Lake is a trade center for southeast Yukon.  The little town of about 1500 is at the junction of a couple major highways, and sees lots of traffic.

A neat tourist attraction in Watson Lake is the "Sign Forest". The idea was started by a GI during construction in WW II...he put the name of his hometown on a piece of wood and posted the sign pointing in the direction of his home. Since then thousands of visitors have added their own signs, and now the forest contains some 75,000 signs.

From there we continued on to Yukon Motel and RV, our campsite in Teslin, Yukon.

This little town of about 450 residents sees lots of travelers.  They have fuel, a restaurant, motel rooms, the RV park, gift shop and wildlife museum. It sets right at the end of Nisutlin River Bridge on Nisutlin Bay.

Noisy ravens welcomed us...they are the province bird and images of them are found on locally made souveniers.

Fort Nelson to Coal River BC

From Fort Nelson the Alaska highway climbs through the Canadian Rockies.  We cross the highest peak at Summit Lake (elevation 4250 ft). Three large provincial parks are along the route. 

We drove along Toad River and the shores of Muncho Lake...literally...there are no guard rails!  Laird Hot Springs is the third park, but we didn't stop there.

 

This was our day for seeing wildlife...black and brown bears, caribou, stone sheep with lambs, and bison.  All were wandering along the roads, or in the case of the bison, crossing the road in front of us.

Our destination that night was Coal River Lodge and RV.  This was a 1940's style roadhouse with cafe, fuel, motel rooms & campground for tents & RV's.  There was no phone or wi-fi service; the camp ran a generator to supply household power for the buildings and the 12 RV sites...we had to be careful how many electronic appliances we turned on at once!  (FYI: this lodge is now for sale if anyone is looking for an investment opportunity...)

Fort St John to Fort Nelson BC

Driving west as we left Fort St John we left the plains behind and began climbing toward the eastern edge of the Canadian Rockies.  

Roads were in poor condition, with lots of loose gravel sections, so the driving was slow.  Flagmen stopped traffic in the active work areas, and we spent time waiting for the OK to proceed.

There is considerable oil and gas exploration along this section of highway.  Numerous signs mark  access roads to the sites. Because of this, many campgrounds have converted to "open camps", bringing in portable "barracks" for the workers, and using lodge dining rooms to feed the workers.

 

 

We reach Fort Nelson, and our next campground.  Triple G Hideaway RV Park is at mile 300.  Near the campground was a neat museum devoted to relics from the 1940's Alaska Hwy construction era.

For trivia folks, Fort Nelson is home to the northern most traffic light in British Columbia!

Dawson Creek to Fort St John BC

After a quick stop in Dawson Creek to take pictures at the start of the Alaska Highway we were on the road again.  Shortly after, we met our first challenge, enter the Peace River Valley.  This steep downgrade leads to the longest bridge crossing on the Alaska Hwy.

From the bridge it wasn't much further to our campground near mile 50.  Rotary RV Park was on the shores of Charlie Lake.  It's a popular fishing lake, and since it was the weekend lots of boat trailers were already in the parking lot. A wildlife conservation area was also nearby.  Unfortunately early evening produced a severe thunderstorm with strong gusty winds.  We were fine, but the tent campers had to scramble to recover their tents!

Charlie Lake is the site of a monument to 18 soldiers who lost their lives building the Alaska Hwy.  In 1942 their pontoon carrying equipment and supplies sank while crossing Charlie Lake.

Alaska Highway History

The Alaska Highway, or Alcan (Alaska-Canada Military Highway) begins at mile 0 in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, travels northwesterly through the Yukon Territory, and ends at mile 1520 in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Construction of the Alcan began in 1942, during World War II.  US Military leaders considered Alaska to be a vulnerable target for enemy invaders.  An overland supply route might be needed if the more commonly used water routes to Alaska were threatened. 

President Roosevelt authorized the highway to be built.  So, with little planning or consideration of how to accomplish such a task, the project began.  11,000 American troops, 7 regiments of engineers, 16,000 civilians, and 7000 pieces of equipment completed the job in 8 months, some during brutal winter conditions.  At that time the highway was dirt road, roughly scraped through the forest, with sharp curves, steep hills, and wooden bridges.

After the war, the Canadian government took over maintainence of the sections within their country.  In 1948 the Alcan became available for public transportation.  Over the years, many improvements have been done to shorten the distances, eliminate dangerous curves and hills, replace bridges, and make the road safer.

2017 marks the 75th anniversary of the Alaska Highway.

(reference: "The Milepost" 2017 edition)

On to Canada

Our journey continues as we cross the international border and enter Alberta, Canada.  We chose the Sweet Grass-Coutts Port of Entry, located just north of Shelby, MT.  It is a large entry facility, open 24-hours.  The day we entered there were only a couple vehicles there, so we had no wait time, and were quickly on our way.

Adjusting the RV speedometer from "miles per hour" to "kilometers per hour" was one of the first things we did.  Our trusty GPS guide changed automatically.  Still it took some getting used to seeing "max 110" on the highway speed limit signs (converts to 68 mph).  And, after hearing that the overnight temperatures would be 15 degrees, we were glad to convert that from 15C to 59 F.

We found a bank, and exchanged some US cash for Canadian...we now have loonies and toonies to spend ($1 and $2 coins).  Credit cards are easy to use.

We followed various highways to Lethbridge, AB, then drove on the Queen's Highway (hwy 2) to Calgary and on to Edmonton.  From Edmonton we headed west again through Alberta and into British Columbia. Scenery is changing as we go north...the wheat and grain fields of Alberta have given way to pine, birch and aspen forests, rivers and lakes.  The days are getting longer too...sunset has been after 11 pm some nights.

Our destination is Dawson City, BC...start of the official Alaska Highway.  We arrived there today...1881 miles driven so far to reach this point.

North to Alaska

"North to Alaska", the ultimate RV trip...it's a long drive, but what an adventure.  That's what we will try to find out this summer as we make our way North to Alaska...

We left Minnesota the end of June, driving west on I-94 across Minnesota & North Dakota, and part of Montana.  At Miles City, MT we headed north to hwy 200, following it west through Lewistown and Great Falls, MT.  At Great Falls we connected with I-15, which we took to Shelby, MT.

So far the trip was going well.  We were driving to a destination campground most every day.  There were two days we were forced to "shelter in place" as strong, gusty winds and thunderstorms moved across our path.  On those non-RV travel days, we take the car and explore the small towns nearby...that's how you find the little downtown cafe that still serves hot beef or meatloaf sandwiches, with mashed potatoes & gravy, and homemade pie!  Hardware store browsing in small towns is another past-time we enjoy...you often find things you've been looking for.

The July 4th weekend interfered some with our selection of campgrounds, as many were booked ahead for the holiday.  We still managed to find a place to park every night.

After a couple days in Shelby, MT we were ready to move into Canada.