Alaska Highway at last

On the Alaska Highway at last!  We've been putting in long days in order to traverse most of BC and get beyond the familiar into the real North, and today we started down (or up?) the Alaska Highway.

Leaving the urban south, we have sped through booming mill towns and into the thriving oil patch, where Tim Hortons outnumber MacDonalds, Starbucks are nonexistent, and pickup trucks rule the road.  This is definitely Christieland, and it's clear that her message of jobs and development of resource industries resonates here much more than in the lower mainland.  It's also the land of the grammatically and numerically challenged - McLeese Lake welcomes you with 'Please Drive Safe', and the cashier at the Williams Lake tourist office was flummoxed by the necessity to round 57cents in the absence of pennies in the til.  

North of Prince George we crossed the Pacific/Arctic watershed divide.  After following the Fraser upstream for 2 days, we turned north as it headed east to it's origin high in the Rockies.  At Summit Lake, 740 m above sea level, rivers begin to flow north, as does all the water from here on in our trip.  Last night we camped at Crooked River Provincial Park, 60 km north of PG, high on the central plateau.  It's clear that we're high - there's still snow along the ditches, and the temperature was 6 C. this morning in the camper!  

Today we dipped into the Rocky Mountain Trench  coming down from the central plateau just before climbing over the Pine Pass - rather an anticlimactic crossing of the Rockies compared to the southern passes, but another milestone geographically.  We always find the geology and geography of the province fascinating, and I must admit to an obsession with tracing all the BC rivers each time we meet one.  All those childhood hours with the atlas is showing!

Tonight we are alone by a tiny lake north of Fort St John.  Norbert is out on the lake in his belly boat hunting the next fresh trout while I catch up on my writing.  The sun sets about 9:30 here, so there's no rush for dinner.  A red squirrel is sitting on the top step looking at me as I type and the red wing blackbirds are trilling their evening song.   Life on the road has resumed, tranquil and easy.  May all of you have such good fortune.

(Written on Mon. May 27, posted in Fort Nelson Public Library, May 28)

Final Preparations

You would think that setting off in an 8 foot camper would be as easy as picking up groceries and filling the tank with diesel, wouldn't you?  Alas, some magical force of nature has conspired to make both Norbert and I obsessive-compulsive, and we somehow have filled the last month with ToDo lists that grow rather than diminish.  One job leads to 7 more.  Borrowing an inflatable boat requires inflating it in the garden, cleaning, sea trials, engine jiggery-pokery, repacking, fixing engine mount in truck, finding gas container, buying motor oil, stowing oars, finding life jackets, testing motor, repeat from step one.... 

In the midst of the frenzy of cleaning, stowing, finding, losing, etc. we noticed Buddy seemed increasingly out of sorts.  Then he was drinking copious and unreasonable amounts of water.  Then he was making copious and unreasonable amounts of pee.  Then the penny dropped - he's developed diabetes!  Several days with the vet, various expensive tests and medications later, he's still not back to normal, but he's not peeing on the floor at least!  And we're now dedicated to a cycle of giving insulin injections twice a day.  Who'd a thunk it? 

Luckily we have a wonderful house sitter, Yanting Qiu, who will be amply able to look after Buddy this summer.  He is definitely not up to travel any more, and he'll be happier being at home, spoiled by Yanting.   Those of you nearby, please feel free to come by and introduce yourselves to her.  She's a delightful graduate student from China, very interesting and with a fascinating perspective on her home country. 

So we may be close to take off at last.  I think today's ToDo list may be the last, although I know I'll have added 20 things and only crossed off 4 by tonight.  But I think we'd better just assume we'll manage without whatever remains when the week runs out, and get on the road at last.  Summer won't wait, and neither should we. 

Please join us as we travel north, send us your comments or suggestions, and pass along our blog to any friends who might be interested.  I know it will be a wonderful journey, and I want to share it with you. 

Northern Bound

May has begun, spring is in the air, the days are noticeably longer, and we are itching to get on the road.  This year we are planning a northern trip - the Yukon and Alaska!  Three months will give us plenty of time for hiking, fishing, and exploring in the exciting North!

We plan to beetle straight up through BC to the Alaska Highway in Fort St. John, turning north by Dawson City to drive the Dempster to Inuvik.  This has been on our bucket list for a while now - 800 km of gravel road, much of it above the Arctic Circle, may not be on everyone's top ten, but we can hardly wait.  We'll have to drive the Dempster in both directions - it's the only road to Inuvik, but we should be rewarded with fantastic photo ops, wildlife, and of course, endless days in June.  From there, we'll head west through Alaska, down to Anchorage, and eastward to Juneau and back into BC.

We still have lots to do to get the camper ready, so we'd better get started.  Come along with us, and join this wonderful new expedition to the heart of our northern territories.