June 19, 2012 Day 11/60 Liard Hot Springs to Watson Lake, Yukon Territory
I usually don’t get to write my blog until early the next morning so this is a treat. Today’s drive was just as spectacular as yesterday’s. We saw so many bison (American Buffalo) that we actually lost count. We saw single bison eating alone along the highway. I wonder if they are alone by choice or pushed out of the herd for some reason. We saw several cows (female bison) with calves along and in the highway. We motored slowly behind them but they stayed on the road in front of and beside us running up the steep grade. We were close enough to see their tongues hanging out the sides of their mouths. I tried to tell them to take it slow and easy. I don’t like to run either and certainly not up a hill. We eventually got past the bison and saw a larger herd of mostly males lying at the top of the hill. Maybe when the cows got their calves safely with the herd, they could relax and stop running. (Shout out to all my mom friends who spend so much time running their kids here and there.)
Later we saw a group of 6 male bison crossing the road. The first to cross was the largest and he stepped confidently into the road and strutted across with style. The next three sort of sauntered. The next to last looked over his shoulder as if to say to the last reluctant one, “Come on. It’ll be fine.” He then went back to give the last one a nudge. The last one eventually put a hesitant hoof onto the road and got across. Interesting group dynamics at play, I think.
We saw 8 bears today! Most were just eating greens along the side of the highway completely disinterested in us. Luca was lucky enough to see a cub in a tree. The most spectacular of all were two young bears (Mom thinks they may have 3 years old and away from their mom) wrestling beside the road. They tumbled and play fought for as long as we watched and probably after we left. They were quite tall when they stood on hind legs. It was like National Geographic in person. We had front row seats and Mike got it on video. (I will try to learn how to add photos and video links before the end of the trip.)
I may have seen a grizzly bear down a side road all covered in grass that may have been part of the old highway. (Speaking of old highway, I think I forgot to mention that when we left Dawson Creek we drove a section of the old highway and crossed a 70-year-old bridge. I got a picture before we crossed. For now, you will have to take my word for it.) I definitely saw a cinnamon brown furry lump, but no one else did and we couldn’t back up or turn around. I don’t feel I can claim it as a grizzly-sighting.
We settled in quickly at the empty parking lot with hook ups that they call the Downtown RV Park. What it lacks in ambiance and shade, it more than makes up for in shower facility (yay, I finally got a shower!) and it is close to many attractions. We walked across to Kathy’s Kitchen for lunch because a) Judy was tired of eating lunch in and b) Dominic wanted to try a bison burger. The service was slow but not in the European “Here’s your drink, honey. Enjoy while we make your delicious lunch. And then when we bring it, take as long as you like.” It was more like they kitchen was backed up with orders and she didn’t bring our drinks right away. The food was ok in my opinion but Rick seemed to like his Bison Bacon Cheese burger and soup.
After lunch, we went next door to the Northern Lights Museum. The guy behind the counter was super friendly and talkative. Rick, Mike and I took advantage of good Internet connections on the free computers to check a few things. Then we all went in for the presentation in the planetarium-like dome theater. I would love to tell you about the fantastic two-part presentation, but I fell asleep as I always do at these things. Really, ask anyone who has gone with me. I always fall asleep. I have never seen the whole show at the Academy of Science where we are members. Well, maybe the whole thing but not in one sitting. Anyway, the first part seemed to be about the vastness of space. Dominic told me later that some of the information was outdated (well, the copyright was 2004, per Dominic). I fell asleep when we got to the Andromeda System. Rick woke me up at the end of part one or the beginning of part two, I am not sure. Part two was about the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis. I was really hoping to see this part since I had already slept. The beginning was about the difficulty of filming the lights in wide screen and color, etc. They had to wait for science and technology to catch up. Then they started to talk about where they went to film and then I fell asleep. Seriously. I am not that old. I have no idea why I can’t stay awake at these things. Very annoying. You will just have to come to Watson Lake to see it for yourself or read my step-dad’s blog. I am not sure how to tell you to find him, being new to blogging. His blogs have all the facts of where we went, stopped, ate, etc. His name is Mike Eisman (can you even search by person?)
After the museum, we discovered it was raining again. Of course, it rained. I had put on a tank top and shorts (purchased when we stopped at Cabela’s near Eugene, OR) in order to enjoy the 78+ degree weather. There was one dark cloud in an otherwise gorgeous blue sky and it was right over us. At first, it was only a sprinkle. No problem. We went across to hang our sign in the sign post forest (a seriously strange collection of sign posts left by people passing through town, really look it up). While Rick and the boys hammered in the sign we made from an art project a darling little girl had given me at Cub Scout family camp, my camera froze (refused to take the picture) and it started to rain harder. It was a cold rain with huge drops but it passed quickly.
Next stop bank for the ATM, then the little Department Store in town. That is a loose term to mean the place where you can buy just about everything from housewares to fishing licenses to underwear. Rick and Mike got fishing licenses and lures. Rick and I headed back to the RV Park with the boys to check out the showers (very nice) and the lake across the street. Mom and Mike went to the variety store which is not to be confused with the grocery store. A very eclectic mix of merchandise can be found in small town stores. The lake was nice with a board walk over the marsh. Dominic spotted 3 coins in the lake and tried to get them with a stick. By now the sun was out again and beating intensely on the backs of the boys’ necks. I wanted to get going so I waded in to get the coins in my several year old but never been wet Keen sandals (aah, a mother’s sacrifice – picture back of hand to forehead). I gave each of the boys one of the Canadian quarters and kept one for my trouble.
Mike and Rick cooked steaks on the grill and Mom and I contributed more instant mashed potatoes (thank goodness that box is gone, but at least it was a break from pasta noodles) and peas. Delicious meal. All the males left to go fishing and Judy did the dishes while I went to the market for more milk and taco seasoning. Prices on junk food really encourage you to eat healthier so I did not go off the list and get any chips, soda (day 19 without soda, except for a few sips here and there), or candy. I did get a box of coconut cookies because I love coconut and they were only $1.69. I only had half a serving so they will last.
There were only a few other campers in the RV park when we checked in. Now that it is almost 9 PM (and still broad daylight, btw), it has somewhat filled up. I am glad I showered early. Rick and the boys will want to shower after fishing (or at least I will want them to). I may be asleep by then. Grandma Judy put blackout shades in the boys’ bunk area so they will be able to sleep better. Judy/Mom/Grandma and I both could have gone to bed an hour ago.
Rick found a nail or screw in one of our tires (after 5 PM of course, but at least we are in a town and not 54 miles down the road in the rain). We will have to delay our start a bit tomorrow to get it taken care of.
June 20, 2012 Day 12/60 Watson Lake to Whitehorse, YT
The guys did not get back from fishing until after 10 PM. Don’t worry it wasn’t even close to dark yet. (I guess Alaskan kids don’t get told to go play and come home when the street lights come on.) The y didn’t catch any fish but had great stories to tell. I wasn’t there so I may get some of this wrong. At some point Mike borrowed Rick’s fishing rod and the whole end flew off when he cast. It started to rain, so Rick tucked his hiking boots under the tailgate of the truck when he changed into his $5 thrift store rubber boots (perfect for fishing from the shore). When Rick cast, he snagged a tree and didn’t want to lose his $3.99 lure purchased at the Watson Lake department store. He took off his boots and wool socks. He rolled up his pants and put his boots back on. He waded out to the tree and unsnagged his line. In the process the water went over the tops of the boots filling the rubber boots with water. When it was time to go, Rick discovered that water had drained from the tailgate in a steady stream into his hiking boot. He poured more than 2 cups of water out of his hiking boot. I still chuckle when I think of it. Wish I had been there or someone had captured it on video (cue AFV voice over by Tom Bergeron).
We only saw two bears today, but one was a gorgeous cinnamon color. As we got closer, I dared to hope that it might be my first wild grizzly sighting. However, it was a black bear. Black bears come in many colors. In California, I have seen black, brown, cinnamon, and blonde. So far we had only seen black bears with black fur on this trip. I was starting to wonder if the various colors were a California thing. You know how we like our wild and crazy hair colors in California.
Mike saw a grizzly cross in front of his truck but by the bear had scampered (can something so big really scamper?) down the embankment and we had a semi-truck in a really big hurry between us so we couldn’t stop to investigate.
We saw some beautiful meandering rivers today. It looked like a scene from “A River Runs Through It.” There were few pull outs of any size and no real access to the river so no fishing. We stopped at Rancheria Falls for a short 10-15 minute hike on a raised board walk out to an overlook. The falls were not as tall as imagined they would be. The walk was still enjoyable after so many days in the car. We saw interesting plants and evidence of animals (including bear scat right next to the walkway. Still wishing for more photos?).
We stopped for lunch in Teslin. We parked across the street from the gas station near the bridge where you cross the Yukon River (you know the one). It lacked the ambiance of some of our earlier stops (lakeside is preferred) but there was no diesel exhaust. Rick and either Mom or Mike or both ate what was billed as award winning rhubarb pie that we had stopped for. At $5 it had to be good. Rick said it was some of the best he ever had. I should hope so.
After lunch we went to the George Johnston Museum. He was part of the Tlingit First Nation (native) and a very successful trapper. So successful, in fact, that in 1928 he fulfilled his dream of owning the first car in the Yukon. There were no roads yet, so he drove on the frozen lake and built a 1.5 mile road into town. He learned to drive it during a lesson at the Whitehorse airport and had it transported to Watson Lake on a boat. They had to cut a hole in the wheel house to fit the car. This was one determined, powerful, and wealthy man. The museum housed artifacts and photographs (taken by Johnston) from the time. He was truly a man who straddled two worlds. It was very interesting.
Less interesting but still somewhat interesting was the lonely Filipino lady who ran the place. She was desperate to talk to us in her broken English and part of me wondered what brought her to Teslin. I didn’t have to wonder for long. She soon told Mom her life story. Mom has that effect on people. The museum was so small I couldn’t help but over-hear her. Her father was an attorney (I think, I was only have paying attention) in the US Army, so she moved here. I later found out that her husband was working several hours away and “left her here, all alone.” They own a rice farm in the Philippines. So why are you all alone in the Yukon, I thought. I didn’t have time to find out as we had another museum to get to.
The Heritage Museum in Teslin was hosting a tribal meeting so we got in for half price and couldn’t listen to the audio portion. The gift shop was larger than the display area. Outside there were 5 nice totem poles and some dugout canoes on the beach. I did pick up a pamphlet on how dugouts came to the Yukon when there are no cedar trees to make them from. It turns out they were fabulous traders. Some of these canoes held 50+ men. Very impressive. If I had it to do over, I would skip this stop, however.
We didn’t have many choices for campgrounds for the night. Many in Whitehorse were full. We found one that had parallel spots for us. Well, okay at least they have full hook ups. Well, no way we could pull in to the spot for us so Mike and I went back to the office. The lady there said there were two others reserved for us and they were pull-through spots but closer in. We couldn’t decide if she was confused, trying to book her least desirable first, or what. We opted for the close-in spots.
June 21, 2012 Day 13/60 Whitehorse, YT
This morning we found a long line of RVs, trailers, etc. lined up outside our spots to fill up at the gas/diesel/propane tanks right across from us. However, Dominic still managed to sleep through the engine noise. He didn’t get up until after 8:30. Mike and Rick had taken both trucks in for oil changes so there was no hurry.
Today we went to the Yukon Bernicia Interpretive Center. It had a few very nice displays about the migration of animals and people by way of the Bering Strait Land Bridge. The docents here were very nice. One helped the boys with a treasure hunt and seemed very excited about their involvement and completion of it. I wonder if it was his project. Upon completion, he gave them both a poster from the collection available for sale. We didn’t have to pay any extra for this activity. It kept the boys interested. We also watched a brief video about the Beringia. I stayed awake this time but just barely. The room didn’t go completely dark and the seats didn’t recline. I think this helped. After the film, another docent took us outside for a demonstration and activity involving atlatl. It is an Aztec word meaning “throwing board.” However, many cultures have used the atlatl as a hunting tool. Everyone got to try to throw one. I didn’t try as my wrist still bothers me. I mentioned to the docent that I run summer camp and he gave me his curriculum for a Ferocious Furious Fun camp.
We stayed so long at this museum that we had to go to lunch before hitting the Transportation Museum right next door. At first we thought we would try the Klondike BBQ and Salmon Bake. However, it was very pricy and nothing for Luca who is quite picky. We were very close to downtown and decided to walk to see what we could find. Several blocks later, we stumbled upon a Canadian and Italian place in a hotel. Mike and Rick ordered Vietnamese Beef noodle soup. So it was clearly an international place. I think everyone was happy. The boys and I walked back to pick up the car so Mom wouldn’t have to walk so far. It rained a little, of course, because we had neither umbrella nor jackets. Oh well, it is a familiar thing now.
After we had everyone in the car, we went to the visitors’ center to inquire about campgrounds between here at Dawson City. We also stamped our Yukon Passport. These passports encourage you to visit sites throughout the Yukon and stamp your passport. If you visit 10 sites this summer you will be entered in a drawing for 1 oz. of gold and 20 stamps for 2 oz. drawing. There are also consolation prizes of tourist souvenirs. Mike agreed to take our passports into the Old Log Church (someone thought it was Old Dog Church, we got a chuckle out of the devout canines of the Yukon). Actually, it is a story of a priest who got so hungry over a long winter that he ate his boots. Mike also ran into the SS Klondike for stamps for us. We skipped this attraction as the boys have slept on the Delta King in Sacramento and it is very similar.
We headed back up the hill to the Transportation Museum (another stamp). There was a lot of information about moving people and things around the Yukon before, during and after the Alaska Gold Rush (1898). There were photos of early bush pilots (crazy, brave guys). There was a life-size diorama depicting the Chilcoot (spellcheck) trail. There was an amazing story of survival. Two people survived a plane crash outside Watson Lake. They were in less than 40 degrees below for 49 days. The movie stars Ed Asner as the pilot and Sally Struthers (Gloria from All in the Family) as the passenger.
Now the guys were all headed to Wal-Mart to look for cheaper lures (Luca didn’t recover one of the $3.99 ones from an underwater snag last time) and then off to fish. I am contemplating a nap.
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