Our Home Away from Home – Stephenfield Lake Resort

Tuesday, July 7, 2009 – Day 68

10100 Miles of driving and no accidents until I was parking the trailer at Stephenfield.  Janet had suggested that we move the privacy screen on our deck, but I insisted that it helped me line up the trailer to the edge of the deck.  Well guess who was right!!  Just to deny an almost perfect park job, I caught the front, right clearance light on the privacy screen and sheared off the light.  Janet is always right and Jerry always screws up.

Stephenfield is our seasonal campsite located about 110 Km, southwest of Winnipeg.  It has been a summer retreat for the last 5 years.  While it is not as wild as Denali, it is a bit of country for city folks like ourselves. Before I had retired we spent most summer weekends there.  Last year during the house renovation we escaped there when we could; after the contractors and trades people left, to get a dose of sanity.  (Now that would have been great fodder for a blog – a home renovation – it certainly is nothing like the Television shows Trading Spaces or Total Home Makeover, especially when you’re living in it.)

We will be staying here for a couple of days to clean up the flower beds and pull some of the weeds that always seem to have a healthy head start on us.  We will also clean the inside of the trailer and pack away anything that we won’t be needing.  The exterior wash and wax will have to wait for another time.  Our son David has been posted to Ashern, MB for a six month rotation with Manitoba Hydro and will be coming home for weekends, so we would like to spend some time with him.  We can also fully utilize our Home Long Distance plan to talk to Kevin in Kelowna…e-mail is OK, but it sometimes lacks the personal touch.

I have really enjoyed doing the blog and just hope that some people have been able to read it and get some enjoyment from it as well.  As a matter of fact, I’m getting some “separation anxiety” about giving it up by titling a post with “The End” of “Fini”.  Although, I am glad that I don’t have to do this for a living as some days it was so very difficult to find a lead or a catchy idea.  Other days the posts just seemed to write themselves.  Selecting pictures was quite time consuming as sometimes my photographer would go nuts and keep her finger pressed on the shutter for the whole day (or so it seemed.)  But in fairness a lot of credit has to go to Janet who would always have something for me to put into the posts to help illustrate something I was trying to describe.  Once we have got settled at 138, we will do a final post with some statistical info, some opinions and ideas about the trip.

Although not yet carved in stone we are thinking of heading east next year.  Neither of us have been past Montreal, so the Eastern Townships of Quebec, the Maritime Provinces and perhaps some of the upper New England states would be an educational trip.

We will continue to watch our email and check for comments on the blog and will try to respond in a timely manner.  Thanks for reading!

Riding Mountain National Park

Sunday, July 5, 2009 – Day 66 and Monday, July 6, 2009 Day 67

We had a real nice drive along Saskatchewan Hwy 10 and Manitoba Hwy 5, towards Riding Mountain.  Some beautiful scenery especially between Roblin and Grandview, Manitoba.  We turned south onto Highway 10 just before Dauphin and we soon passed by the site of Country Fest, an annual country music festival, one of the biggest in western Canada.  A few dozen miles past that and we were entering Riding Mountain National Park.

The last time that Janet and I had been here was when we were vacationing with our boys about 15 years ago.  Lots of changes, most of which I would guess are the result of budget reductions.  Less road maintenance; less mowing of the road right of ways; in general just less TLC.

We visited the Lake Audy Bison Enclosure, which kept us amused for a few hours.   

We took numerous pictures of the wild flowers. 

We took a picture of this guy patiently waiting for his master to return.            

Janet at the Lake Audy Dam.

Breezin’ Through Saskatchewan

Saturday, July 4, 2009 – Day 65 – American Independence Day

When we were in Whitehorse, we had met Bill and Carol from Battleford, Saskatchewan. They had told us about a number of things that we could do while in the Battleford area.  We turned off the the Yellowhead Highway into Battleford and drove to the area around the Fort which is now a National Historic Site.  It looked like a really interesting area that we would like to explore, but we just weren’t up geared-up for another museum.  At this stage of the trip we are looking forward to a little down time. This has been a long trip and we both agreed that we are “touristed-out.” 

We continued through Saskatoon where we had originally decided to stop but changed our plans and went on to Yorkton, SK.  Once again we pulled in late and we were lucky to get the last electrical and water serviced site. We spoke with the owners of the City Campground for some time.  Cody and Brenda Denton, had purchased the campground a couple of years after Cody retired, so that it would give him something to do.  He is quite an ingenious guy.  Since none of the sites were originally built with sewer service he wanted a better way for the seasonal campers to get rid of their waste.  Under normal circumstances the RV’er would have to dump their holding tanks into a portable, wheeled tote and then wheel the tote to the dump station and empty the tote.  Then repeat this until the holding tanks have been emptied.  Cody’s invention comes to the campsite via an ATV, pumps out the holding tanks and then disappears.  Cody’s problem after that!  For casual weekend campers or travellers like ourselves, he’s developed an idiot proof dump station…no more pulling the wrong valve; no misses and no messes.   We were actually the first people to give it the real world test.  We didn’t clog it and it was finished in minutes!!  Really good ideas.

After dinner we went to fuel the truck, and as we were leaving we saw the couple next door, taking their tent down and getting ready to setup a tent trailer.  We’d thought it strange, that they had not used the tent trailer immediately.  We drove around Yorkton for a little while and then returned to the campsite to find the same couple working on their tent trailer. We found out that they were from Humboldt, SK and they had just purchased the pre-owned, tent trailer  from a lady in Prince Albert, SK.  Seems like the lady was no lady at all; but more like a shady lady. The trailer had been set up when he arrived to buy it and he checked it for leaks, the stove, wheels, etc.  She then showed him how to collapse it.  Unfortunately; she didn’t show him how to get it up, probably because it wouldn’t go up.  This was their dilemma.  We tried helping them but it appeared as if the cable that raises the tent trailer roof had broken in an inaccessible place and the whole rear of the trailer would have to be dismantled.  Not a job to be started at 08:30 PM. As we disappeared into our trailer they were getting ready to setup their tent once again.  This was a classic case of Buyer Beware.

Tomorrow we are headed for Riding Mountain National Park for a couple of nights before we make the final push for Stephenfield.

Fallen Four Memorial - also A Big Beaver and a Big Egg

Friday, July 3, 2009 – Day 64 – Nine Weeks on the Road

Left Dawson Creek, BC at 07:50 AM, a little cooler this morning we had to put the furnace on just to take the chill out of the air.  As we travelled south and east along the Yellowhead Highway we notice that the countryside is now very gently rolling; we’re out of the mountains and now on the high prairies of northern Alberta. I couldn’t resist stopping at Beaverlodge, Alberta.  This town boasts the biggest beaver in the world.  It seems that many of the little towns have a statue or object that is “The Biggest _________ in the World” -  it is sometimes the only hook they have of getting the highway traffic to stop in their town.  I did however stop in Valleyview, AB to take another look at the brake controller.  It still seems to be acting-up.  I checked the visible wiring and checked the brake magnets on the trailer to see if there was any worn area, but nothing showed up. We were soon back on the road.

As we travelled along the Yellowhead we saw mileage signs to Mayerthorpe and Edmonton.  The name of Mayerthorpe Alberta, immediately brought back memories of the four RCMP Officers who were killed there a few years ago.  There was no debate whether or not we would stop there. 

After I fuelled the truck I asked the gas station attendant the directions to the memorial to the RCMP Officers.  He told me to just continue down the street in the same direction I was pointed and watch for the log building. Hmmm? We saw a log building with a green metal roof about 3 blocks away with playground equipment beside the parking lot.  I had expected something a little grander and a little more dignified.  AND IT WAS!  The actual memorial is on the far side of the building, hidden and unseen by someone from the street.  The log building is what it is all about.  Each officer is honoured with a brief description of their life and why they joined the force.  Invariably they wanted to help other people.  They also were very young when they died. As I stood there reading their stories, I couldn’t help but think that our boys and their friends are the same ages.  I just can’t fathom the deep pain their parents must feel.   – Memorial to Fallen Four – The memorial outside has statues of the four officers in different poses facing the four cardinal directions. In the centre is a large pillar with doves at the top.  If you are ever travelling on the Yellowhead Hwy, past Mayerthorpe, Alberta; stop for a few minutes at the memorial.  It was a reality check for me.  The same kind I get when I visit a veterans’ cemetery.

We hit Edmonton at rush hour looking for a nice campground. By the time we realized that there wasn’t anything on the east side of Edmonton we were already well past it and checking the accommodation guides for the next town.  We decided to head for Vegreville, Alberta approximately 60 miles east.

We pulled into the Elks Club campground, just on the east side of town near the hospital.  This campground is operated on a strictly first come, first served basis.  A guy came out to greet us and told us that there were only two campsites left and one of them was way to small for us to fit into.  While I circled around the bay to get parked, Janet was going to the office to pay. Her final order to me as she hopped out of the truck was to fill up the fresh water tank as there was no hose connection at the campsite.  Yes, Ma’am!  When I got part way around the end of the bay I realized I’m hooped.  There were cars parked along the inside of the bay (illegally, I might add), and I didn’t have more than a few inches to make the corner.  One of the bright lights got off his butt to ask if he should move his car…I told him only if you don’t want it damaged!  While this guy moved his car I could see that a small Class C motorhome that had been following me to this point, decided to turn around and go back the other way.  (The bastard was going after my spot!!!)  Meanwhile the joker finally got his car out of the way and I was able to nose my truck into the campsite just as the motorhome arrived there.  I wasn’t going to move so he finally relented and took the smaller campsite.  Now for the real fun…backing a 33 foot trailer into a 40 foot lot.  Sounds easy – not so much.  Anyway I got it in with just a couple of moves.  Not bad considering Janet wasn’t directing me.  Just then she arrived on the scene and asked if I’d already taken on water. I went on to explain about the guy in the Class C motorhome and the hassle with the parked cars. (I also mentioned that the bright light with the parked car was also parked in front of the water spigot!)  I further explained to her that this was a near perfect park job and I wasn’t going to move AND I would figure out some way to get the water tank filled.  Big mistake…details to follow. 

We started to unhitch the trailer, by lowering the landing gear.  The landing gear motor was humming away but the legs weren’t coming down.  We tried the manual crank and still nothing happened. After some investigation we found that the bolt that connects the landing gear to the motor had sheared off.  I have lots of spare parts but not that particular bolt.  I was just about ready to force a large screw into the part when a neighbour suggested a metal tent peg.  BINGO…I got an old tent peg and slid it through and bent it back. A cable tie completed the job and it worked flawlessly.  We were now back in business and able to complete our setup.  By now it was almost 7:30 PM, and time for a late supper.  After supper we fuelled the truck and drove around the town of Vegreville, AB. It is a nice little town and seems to be fairly well kept although by 8:30 everything was pretty much closed up. We also discovered why the campground was so full. There is a big Ukrainian Festival going on.  Vegreville is a predominantly Ukrainian community.  As a matter of fact Vegreville boasts the “Worlds Largest Pysanka” (a pysanka is a Ukrainian decorated easter egg!)  And our trailer was parked only about 100 yards away from it across the railway track!  Oh yes; as I had mentioned several times before, RV Parks and campgrounds are typically located on marginal land – ideally very near a railway track.  I suppose we were lucky though; the back of our trailer was a good 20 feet away from the track AND only one train came through in the middle of the night blasting it’s whistle.  And Janet says I can’t hear anything.  The Big Egg is located in a nice little park behind the campground, so we took some pictures and went back to the trailer.  By this time it was about 9:45 PM and we are no longer in the land of the midnight sun!  I sure could have used some light as Janet had reminded me that we had no water in our fresh water tank.  Now for some real fun.

Our water hoses combined are only about 75 feet total length.  The only water spigot was about 250 feet away.  Looks like I’m going to be like my Zodiac sign, the Water Boy – Aquarius.  The spigot is a free standing pipe approximately 3 feet above the ground.  It is very difficult to hold a 2 1/2 gallon water jug steady under a running tap without getting wet.  By the time I had filled the first two jugs, I realized I wouldn’t need to shower that night.  Hump them back to the trailer.  Second problem – how do I get the water from the jug into the fresh water tank??  Now if you aren’t familiar with how RV water systems are made you can’t really appreciate how difficult this was going to be.  The fill tube for the water system on an RV is located close to eye level and flush to the side of the RV.  So you can’t just pour the water in…you need to stick a short fill hose into it and then hook this up to a water source…in this case a water jug.  And to make things even more complicated the water jug has a straight spigot with nothing to screw the hose onto.  So I have to try to hold the water jug up and hold the hose in place under the spigot and try to turn it on. (Gravity is a great invention…it keeps us firmly stuck to the ground and it lets water flow downhill. In this case mostly over myself.)  Definitely will not need a shower tonight!  Another brainiac idea…a siphon would work great.  I carry a length of clear vinyl tubing so I got it out and in no time I had water flowing into the tank with hardly any spillage.  Of course I had to inhale a breath of water getting the suction going and my coughing only got a few neighbours aroused.

430 miles today.  Not bad considering we lost an hour as we crossed the BC / Alberta border.  Janet remarked to me that it is funny how we take the prairies for granted…we have fields of golden yellow canola contrasted against a big, beautiful, blue sky. We also have dark nights in the summer so we can sleep – that’s one thing Alaska doesn’t have.

At Peace

Thursday, July 2, 2009 – Day 63

There was a steady rain as we hitched-up the trailer in Fort Nelson.  The temperature was a cool 10C.  We had some issues with the trailer brakes, but it seemed to clear up once we started moving or so I thought.  The rain continued off and on till we got to Fort St. John.

This town apparently has a population of about 18,000 people, but it seems so long.  We read in the Milepost that it is the localized centre for oil and gas exploration in Northern BC and is also dependent on the lumber business.  The town is situated just above the Peace River Valley.  This is beautiful rolling country with large ranching and grain operations lining the valley.  There are enough steep grades and winding roads to keep your attention focused on the road.

My attention was also focused on the brake controller, which I had thought had been resolved earlier.  Periodically it would report trailer brake problems or no power.  We stopped several times, trying different things each time to fix the problem but it continued to Dawson Creek.  With thunder and lightning just in the distance and the sky getting darker and darker.  I took apart the junction box to find that the ground wire had come out of the set screw.  I reattached the ground wire and hopefully that should resolve the problem once and for all.  It is a real tribute to the Silverado’s ability to maintain a steady controlled speed going down an extended 8% grade while holding back a 12,000 lb trailer with only the truck service brakes and the Duramax/Allison combo.  Love this truck!

As I was completing the repairs the heavens just opened up and we got a real light show.  The rain came down in buckets and we had a couple of brownouts, but no real power failure.  However, it did affect the campground router in that it knocked it out of service.  Soooo, when we finally get a good Wi-Fi signal the phone line is zapped.  I am already two days behind in my blog posts.

We have finally made it to Mile 0 of the Alaska Highway, which officially starts in Dawson Creek, BC.  We have driven the whole 1422 miles of the highway although not contiguously; maybe we’ll try that next time!

Wildlife count today – 1  Owl, 1 Elk and 1 BIG Bull Moose – too bashful for the Spot the Moose feature, though.

What Scat is That? OR Janet, knows her shit! OR Wild Life in Northern BC.

Monday, July 1, 2009 – Day 62 – Two Months on the Road – Happy Canada Day!

We left Watson Lake this morning at 08:10 AM, one of our earliest starts yet.  The Caravan that had almost taken over the campground last night had mostly left; just a few RV’s and the rear guard.  The temperature was 10C and it was very foggy, reducing visibility to a few hundred meters.  The fog stayed with us for about 60 km, sometimes thinner, sometimes thicker.  We really had a mixed bag of weather during the day, bright sunny skies with temperatures in the 20’s followed by a thunderstorm with pea-size hail.  According to one highway flag woman, we just missed snow in Summit Lake by one day…although we did have lots of mud on that section of road.  I had to use 4 wheel drive and I was still sliding.

As we drove along, we saw all kinds of scat (the gentler name for animal poop) beside the highway.  Janet has become quite adept at identifying scat.  She told me that the piles we were seeing were likely from Bison.  I didn’t think that they had Bison this far north, until we saw them grazing at the side of the road.  As we headed south east we saw several more groups of bison.  And when we saw bison we usually saw a black bear just before or just after.  It seems that they co-exist in the grassy margins beside the roadway.  We saw 13 black bears today plus 2 cubs.  We also saw two kits (baby foxes).  They were pushing each other out of a small culvert right beside the road.  That was another missed shot as we were travelling too fast with the loaded trailer in tow, to make a safe stop. During the rest of the day we saw 1 deer, 2 caribou and very near the end of the day we got some footage for our “Spot the Moose” feature. 

Although it doesn’t seem to have the “official designation” of a Scenic Highway.  This portion of the Alaska Highway (BC 97) is probably one of the prettiest, most scenic highways that we’ve driven on this trip.  Mountains shrouded in fog, gently rolling valleys, roaring rivers and emerald green lakes.  We really were happy that we saw this section of the Alaska Highway, while it was in full leaf to get the full benefit of it.  However, everything wasn’t perfect…while we were in Alaska we had read on the internet news about the forest fires that were blazing through the Liard River, Coal River and Fireside areas of BC.  The fires threatened several indian reservations and caused a number of evacuations.  They also destroyed thousands of acres of beautiful forest.  The fire was brought under control with the help of Mother Nature’s rains in the last week and the highway was fully open.  We could see smouldering areas they were still watching and the air was still acrid with the smell of the burnt forest.  In our travels we had seen one particular forest fire that occurred in 1959; 50 years ago and it is just now starting to look fully recovered.  I won’t live long enough to see this forest recover. 

We arrived in Dawson Creek, BC at about 16:30.  We are staying at the West End Campground.  I won’t complain about the Wi-Fi signal in this post.  It was free or Zero Dollars and that is just about what it’s worth. 

One other thing…they don’t celebrate Canada Day with fireworks here…it doesn’t get dark enough.  Funny.  They do have fireworks for Halloween.

Whitehorse to Watson Lake Yukon

Monday, June 29, 2009 – Day 60 

A really laid back day for our last day in Whitehorse.  We had an appointment for an oil change this afternoon at Klondike Motors, a GM dealership a few miles toward Whitehorse from the Hi Country RV Park and Campground.  I waited for the truck to be finished with the hopes that I could catch the Yukon Brewing Company’s, 2:00 PM plant tour and testing.  I arrived approx. 15 minutes late to a parking lot that was overflowing.  When I found a parking spot and finally got into the building the sales room was packed.  Seems that these Yukoners are a thirsty bunch as they were all crowded around the tasting table throwing back the amber offerings.  I found one of the few remaining sampler packs and after paying was off to get some liquid elixir for the truck.  I arrived back at the trailer to find that Janet had made some fresh banana raisin muffins for the final days of our journey.

While we were having our dinner a couple came into the “back-in” spot next to us.  The woman was out guiding the guy who had the trailer manoeuvred around a couple of cars and expertly parked, despite all of her hand signals.  When we were talking them later we found out that Bill and Carol were from Battleford, SK, and Bill had learned his parking skills on the family farm where he used to park farm carts.  Carol actually, gave good signals, only problem was she was behind the trailer and Bill couldn’t see them! Bill is a history buff and gave us detailed notes on what to see and do when we pass through Battleford on our way back home.  They were on a tour of the Yukon and eastern Alaska.  We were gas bagging and comparing travel notes until late but had to cut things short as we wanted to get an early start (for a change) on Tuesday morning.  We left them with the promise that we would try to be quiet when we hitched up and left.  Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

I think that I have disparaged the DSP hitch in a previous post, so I will not do that again; even though it is only useful as a boat anchor.  I had to give it a couple whacks with the mallet to get it to lock into place, but other than that we didn’t make too much noise.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009 – Day 61

After we were hitched up we pulled out of the campground a little after 08:30 AM, headed for Watson Lake, YT.  Although we had travelled this way when we came through in May…it looked totally different.  Ice has disappeared from the lakes, the poplars and willows are now in full leaf and the wildflowers are blosoming along the roadsides.  The scenery is just as breathtaking as when we first came up here.  We parked once again in the Downtown RV Park basically because it’s the only game in town.  Should I disparage their pitiful excuse for a Wi-Fi signal, again??  I’ll let that be.  They have a caravan of motor homes in the park and all the old farts were gathered around the laundry area trying to catch a decent signal.  I will go up there later and post this blog and check my mail when all the old people have gone to bed.  Then I will join them!

We stayed in Watson Lake to catch the show at the Northern Lights Centre.  They feature a great surround video of the northern lights and the astronaut program.  They also have a featured exhibit of all the Canadian astronauts.  I didn’t know this till today but apparently each astronaut has their own personal, symbolic “patch” that they make up, in addition to the mission patch that the crew wears. The patch is made up of things that are important to that astronaut.  All in all it was very well done.

I almost forgot to mention – Hi Country RV Park and Campground is one of the nicest privately owned parks that we stayed in.  They have tried to maintain a nice woodland setting while giving travellers excellent services at a fair price.  Their Wi-Fi signal is excellent everywhere in the park.   Klondike Motors is a great place to have your oil changed while you are travelling through Whitehorse.  They seem to cater to travellers who are passing through Whitehorse.  Labour rate for lube, oil and filter and 14 point check $14.99, a really good price. AND, they gave me the remaining oil in the original container – that has never happened in Winnipeg.

Leaf Borers and a Bald Eagle

Sunday, June 28, 2009 – Day 59

We slept in late today as we really hadn’t planned to do a lot.   After breakfast we went for a hike along Miles Canyon.  We had hiked in Miles Canyon when we were here in mid-May.  What a difference.  The deciduous trees are now in full leaf although the poplars seem to be affected by a leaf borer, which creates a zigzag pattern in the leaves and causes them to reflect the light so that they look a greyish green.  The wild crocuses that were in bloom when we were here have been replaced by many other wildflowers and the water in the canyon seems to have cleared from a browny colour to a more, typical glacial blue-green.  

When we had completed the hike we went to the Yukon Energy hydro electric dam.  To aid the Chinook/King salmon on their migration up the Yukon River, they have built a wooden fish ladder next to the dam.  This is reportedly the longest, wooden fish ladder in the world and features a glass viewing area where you can see the fish as they make their way up the ladder. Too bad it is closed on Saturday and Sunday. We’ll have to try to catch it tomorrow.

 

 

We had been told that Fish Lake Road was a scenic drive just west of Whitehorse.  What northerners call a road I would call a dirt track.  There is some gravel sections and it was very badly potholed.  My guess is the grader operator felt that this could wait till next year….three years ago.  After several miles of this driving we finally arrived at Fish Lake.  I guess you have to see it in a different light.  The scenery going back down IS amazing.  (Funny thing when you’re trying to avoid the biggest pot holes you don’t look in your rear-view mirrors.) From different places along the route you can see Whitehorse in the Yukon River Valley and it is really breathtaking.

The rain had stopped when we got into Whitehorse so we decided to walk around some of the stores.  We picked up the local newspaper the Yukon News,  not so much for the content as we have been following world events on the internet, but more for the local flavour.  We try to do this in any city that publishes a newspaper.

On our way back to the trailer we stopped by a roadside information kiosk, at which we had stopped on our previous visit.  An eagle has nested in a nesting box very near this kiosk.  We were able to get some really good pictures of her. 

South on the Klondike Highway or Whitehorse, Round 2

Saturday, June 27, 2009 -  Day 58

We pulled out of Dawson City this morning around 09:00 AM. (A surprisingly early start for the Lewis’.) The temperature was 9C, under a mostly sunny sky. As I had mentioned in an earlier post, ”Gold Fever”; there are tailings from the gold dredges all around Dawson City.  I didn’t realize till we started driving that they extend about 8 miles past the city on both sides of the highway.  Past this point however the forest starts creeping back to the side of the road and things get a little more scenic.  The Klondike Highway is in fairly good condition with a few gravel sections and some frost heaved areas, but nothing at all like the dirt track that they pass off as the Taylor Highway, east of Chicken, AK.

Rain started falling when we approached the Carmacks area and continued almost all the way into Whitehorse.  We stopped at the overlook of Five Finger Rapids on the Yukon River.  These rapids apparently were quite the curse to river navigators during the Gold Rush years and many riverboats have been wrecked there.  From the top of the bluff it didn’t look that bad to me.  All perspective I suppose.  We wanted to stop at Lake Laberge, made famous by Robert Service, in the Cremation of Sam McGee, but it was raining buckets at the time, so we wimped out.

 

As I am writing this I forgot to mention that yesterday, we had wandered down to the river where some large tents had been setup with an even larger “FINISH” sign.  Apparently, this was the weekend of the Yukon River Quest – 740 Km or 460 miles along the Yukon River from Whitehorse to Dawson City.  This is apparently the longest canoe and kayak race in the world. (I drove for seven hours today 332 miles and my butt was sore!) The race is conducted over the course of four days, but a few teams had finished yesterday with a total in water time of 40 hours and 52 minutes.  Incredible.  I guess they didn’t have any trouble at Five Finger Rapids either.

We intend to spend a couple of days in Whitehorse, just looking around and catching some of the things that had been closed when we came through here in the middle of May.  All the ice is now off the River; the trees are in full leaf and wild flowers are growing along the roadsides. It has changed considerably! We are also scheduled for an oil change on Monday.  As of today we have travelled 7779 miles!

A Visit to the Commissioner’s Residence

Friday, June 26, 2009 – Day 57

An overcast, drizzly day with a high temperature of about 12C.  A good day to spend indoors; and that is exactly what we did.  We were at the Dawson City Museum, when it opened at 10:00 AM.  The locomotive shed which is next door is only open a couple of times during the day, so we went there first.  I should mention that probably 98% of all the buildings in Dawson have tin roofs, and because the locomotive shed has not interior partition walls and no insulation to deaden the sound, the rain was making a sharp pinging sound on the roof.  The locomotives housed here were from a railroad dedicated to servicing the mining area.  Dawson owes it’s very existence to the gold rush and fittingly the theme of the museum is dedicated to gold and the gold rush.

On the back deck they offered a demonstration of a rocker box. (Basically a large cradle shaped contraption that could process more gravel than a single gold pan. Although the final separation must still be done with a gold pan.)  A couple of volunteers from the audience supplied the manpower for the rocker box while Museum staff performed the final separation with the gold pan. The gravel to be processed was supplied from a claim in the Bonanza Creek area and was guaranteed to contain gold.  Sure enough at the end of the demo there were two tiny nuggets of gold in the pan. The staff member estimated that they were worth about $10 each.  Now I wonder…how could they guarantee that there was gold in that bucket of gravel???

Unfortunately the original museum had burned to the ground along with almost every artefact it contained. The new museum is housed in one of the original Territorial Administrative buildings but I would guess that the artefacts are not quite as old as what was previously on display.  Although, Dawson’s history only goes back a little more than 110 years ago anyway.  In its heyday Dawson was the largest city north of San Francisco and west of Winnipeg and was sometimes referred to as “Paris of the North”.  Today the population of Dawson is 1,800 full time residents and it is no longer the Territorial Capital.

This afternoon we had a date with a Parks Canada interpreter at the Commissioners Residence.  At one time this was the official residence of the Territorial Commissioner when Dawson City was the Territorial Capital.  If you were arriving by riverboat the first building that you would see would be this large two and half story residence at the bend in the Yukon River. It was meant to give the impression of stature in an otherwise frontier landscape.  The interior was no less ostentatious.  The interior has richly carved woodwork with a dark wainscoting.  The parquet flooring is laid in an intricate multi coloured pattern.  Parks Canada has done an excellent job of restoring the residence to its former grandeur.

Dawson is a comfortable, tourist town without all the boisterous hype of  Skagway.  Other than Front St. along the Yukon River none of the streets in the city are paved. The sidewalks are slightly elevated boardwalks and up till very recently they dumped their sewage directly into the river. Local bylaws mandate that the buildings must reflect a turn of the Century character, although the bright colours on some of the buildings break with that tradition.  Dawson City is like that shabby old pair of slippers you like to put on or that big, soft easy chair that seems to welcome a little nap.

Strange Things Done in the Midnight Sun

Thursday, June 25, 2009 – Day 56

We took a walking tour with a Parks Canada interpreter today.  Janice was dressed in period costume as she pointed out the historic buildings of Dawson City.  Aboriginal peoples had always come to this site but it wasn’t until the discovery of gold that a town sprung up and the first structures built were of course the saloons.  Some smart business people bought up all the land that fronted the Yukon River, (present day Front Street) and during the height of the gold rush these lots were selling for $20,000 to 30,000.  Outfitting stores, hardware stores, hotels and saloons all were equipped with scales to weigh the gold dust the only currency at the time.     Stability was restored with the arrival of the Bank of North America moved in.  They setup an assay office in the back

of the bank to measure the purity and weight of the gold and then would give the prospector Canadian Currency in exchange.  The bank building has been restored as has the Red Feather saloon.  The only original building that has survived the test of time is the Post Office and a few other buildings that were raised off the permafrost.  Most buildings that were built on the permafrost have collapsed. 

When we returned to the starting point the Palace Grand Theatre.  Another interpreter in the role of Martha Black, described her experience as one of the few women (other than working girls) who came up to the Klondike during the stampede. Martha Black went on to become the second woman elected to the House of Commons.

After lunch we returned to the Palace Grand to watch a performance of the one act play called, Bloomers and Buckshot.  The play centered around two “percentage girls” working in a Dawson City saloon.  It described the hard life that these women had chosen, and how hard it was to escape it.      Immediately after a film was shown of many of the famous (or infamous) Good Time Girls of the Klondike.  Similar to the play the film described in greater detail the tough life of such women as Klondike Kate and Diamond Tooth Gertie.  We returned to the trailer to do some maintenance and had an early supper.

“There are strange things done in the midnight sun” the first line from The Cremation of Sam McGee by Robert Service.  We went to the Robert Service cabin for another Parks Canada, interpretive program.  Sam Cogswell, is a Sociology/Philosophy student from Queens University who was in Robert Service character.  His presentation of poetry, combined with biography was outstanding.  He presented a few poems strictly from memory without referring to any notes.  Two of the poems that I can recall are The Ballad of Blasphemous Bill and the Three Bares (which is copied below IF you have the time).  The evening was warm and sunny (as are most nights in the Yukon) a few mosquitoes were buzzing around but everybody was enthralled Sam’s presentation.  A must see if you are NOT a poetry buff.  Just plain entertaining.

The Three Bares by Robert W. Service

Ma tried to wash her garden slacks but couldn't get 'em clean
And so she thought she'd soak 'em in a bucket o' benzine.
It worked all right. She wrung 'em out then wondered what she'd do
With all that bucket load of high explosive residue.
She knew that it was dangerous to scatter it around,
For Grandpa liked to throw his lighted matches on the ground.
Somehow she didn't dare to pour it down the kitchen sink,
And what the heck to do with it, poor Ma jest couldn't think.

Then Nature seemed to give the clue, as down the garden lot
She spied the edifice that graced a solitary spot,
Their Palace of Necessity, the family joy and pride,
Enshrined in morning-glory vine, with graded seats inside;
Jest like that cabin Goldylocks found occupied by three,
But in this case B-E-A-R was spelt B-A-R-E----
A tiny seat for Baby Bare, a medium for Ma,
A full-sized section sacred to the Bare of Grandpapa.

Well, Ma was mighty glad to get that worry off her mind,
And hefting up the bucket so combustibly inclined,
She hurried down the garden to that refuge so discreet,
And dumped the liquid menace safely through the <em>centre</em> seat.

Next morning old Grandpa arose; he made a hearty meal,
And sniffed the air and said: 'By Gosh! how full of beans I feel.
Darned if I ain't as fresh as paint; my joy will be complete
With jest a quiet session on the usual morning seat;
To smoke me pipe an' meditate, an' maybe write a pome,
For that's the time when bits o' rhyme gits jiggin' in me dome.'

He sat down on that special seat slicked shiny by his age,
And looking like Walt Whitman, jest a silver-whiskered sage,
He filled his corn-cob to the brim and tapped it snugly down,
And chuckled: 'Of a perfect day I reckon this the crown.'
He lit the weed, it soothed his need, it was so soft and sweet:
And then he dropped the lighted match clean through the <em>middle seat</em>.

His little grand-child Rosyleen cried from the kichen door:
'Oh, Ma, come quick; there's sompin wrong; I heared a dreffel roar;
Oh, Ma, I see a sheet of flame; it's rising high and higher...
Oh, Mummy dear, I sadly fear our comfort-cot's caught fire.'

Poor Ma was thrilled with horror at them words o' Rosyleen.
She thought of Grandpa's matches and that bucket of benzine;
So down the garden geared on high, she ran with all her power,
For regular was Grandpa, and she knew it was his hour.
Then graspin' gaspin' Rosyleen she peered into the fire,
A roarin' soarin' furnace now, perchance old Grandpa's pyre....

But as them twain expressed their pain they heard a hearty cheer----
Behold the old rapscallion squattinn' in the duck pond near,
His silver whiskers singed away, a gosh-almighty wreck,
Wi' half a yard o' toilet seat entwined about his neck....

He cried: 'Say, folks, oh, did ye hear the big blow-out I made?
It scared me stiff - I hope you-uns was not too much afraid?
But now I best be crawlin' out o' this dog-gasted wet....
For what I aim to figger out is----WHAT THE HECK I ET?'

Gold Fever

Wednesday, June 24, 2009 – Day 55

Parks Canada operates the Gold Dredge #4 as one of its historical sites, and part of the bigger Dawson City Historical Site.  The dredge is a good example of corporate mining at the beginning of the 20th Century. 

After the initial gold claims had been worked in the Bonanza Creek area outside of Dawson City, the large,well financed mining companies came in with their gold dredges and mechanized equipment. This changed the look of the landscape for many years. Most of the parts of the dredge where shipped via the Yukon White Pass Railroad through Skagway, AK.  The largest parts had to be sent via the Yukon River on the west coast of Alaska and barged along the Yukon River to Dawson.  When you look at the distance those parts had to travel to get to Dawson and ultimately the Bonanza Creek area, it must have been a logistical nightmare. The parts were then assembled on site and the dredge was ready to go.  Almost.  First, because it was called a dredge it needed some water.  Well actually enough water in the pond to float this behemoth, which weighed over 200 tons and was almost 250 feet long. Water was diverted from over 60 Km away through a series of ditches and pipes. 

The dredge was enormous; especially the business end. (Envision a huge chainsaw; the actual saw part would be equivalent to the line of buckets and it worked almost the same way.) Each of the buckets (larger than any backhoe bucket) could dig down to 48 feet below the water line and bring up 16 cu. ft of gravel.  There were 72 of these buckets, and 22 buckets could be dumped per minute.  (About 600 tons of gravel per hour.) The amount of material processed was staggering and after it was processed all of the waste rock…probably about 99.99% of what had been dug up was dumped out the back end in an arc shaped pattern.  These tailings cover a huge area of Dawson City, but you can see that trees are starting to re-vegetate these piles of rock and rubble.  (You needn’t bother about going through these tailings in search of any residual gold. These machines could extract gold so fine that an experienced gold panner would not be able to extract it.  It was so effective that it paid for itself in the first season of operation.

There are still small claims being processed slightly higher up the valley walls but most of the major deposits have long been exhausted by the mining companies.  The sheer size of this dredge boggles the mind and just amazed me. I will post additional pictures in the photo space.

We next visited the homes and cabins of some of the authors who made Dawson their home at one point or another.  Pierre Berton was born and raised here and he always had a love for the Yukon. The original Berton home has been restored to its original appearance.   Robert Service had a small cabin on the edge of town, which is the scene of twice daily readings of his poetry during the summer.  Jack London who wrote Call of the Wild and White Fang, only stayed in the Klondike for one year, but those experiences carried over into his later writings.

Dawson City also had an Opera House during it’s heyday, which has been reconstructed to it’s original appearance including “Yukon Stoves”. Parks Canada conducts tours of the Opera House “The Palace Grand Theatre”, to give the visitors an insight into how the stampeders, would try to socialize with the “percentage girls”.  Basically, the hired girls, (these were not “ladies of ill repute” though) would charge the guys $1.00 for a dance and entice them to purchase more liquor.  Depending on the skill of the girls they could earn up to 25% of what they took in.  Many of them did a lot better than most of the stampeders.  We were also allowed to see the rooms where the entertainers would be lodged during their performances in Dawson City.  As with most of the National Parks Service or Parks Canada presentations this was also very well done.

Before returning to the trailer we drove up to Midnight Dome.  A popular spot on solstice for Yukoners to watch the sun “not go down”.  Dramatic views of Dawson City, the Yukon River and fabulous mountain ranges stretching endlessly into the distance.