We left Mt. McKinley with the trees ablaze in golden colors and went north to Fairbanks where the trees were mostly bare. We had to drive to Denali several weeks earlier and saw those trees in their glory. Summer was short, autumn came quickly, and we were glad to leave before the snow started to fly. From what Alaskans say it could happen any day. My favorite part of the stop in Fairbanks was a trip to WalMart and Sam's Club to stock up on supplies for the trip home. After not cooking all summer it was an adjustment trying to decide what to buy. The only thing we didn't like were the high prices. One bus driver on one of our trips called it the AGF - Alaska Gouge Factor.
The next day we drove past the North Pole (a city in Alaska) to the Canadian border. We began the following day by crossing into Canada with no difficulty. The roads were very bumpy with frost heaves for many miles so we took our time. After passing beautiful scenery along the Kluane River and mountains we stopped at Whitehorse, YT at a rustic campground. We bundled up and took a walk on their trail and then huddled in the RV to keep warm.
The following morning dawned with gray skies, freezing temperatures, and frost on the Blazer. As we traveled the fog was so bad in spots that we had to creep along. Then the snow started to spit. When we traveled to a higher elevation the snow came in full force. Fortunately the roads did not get snow covered, and we drove out of it when when we descended. We had to use our memory of the beautiful scenery on the trip north because all we saw that day was dreariness. The trip from Whitehorse to Watson Lake, YT was not our favorite.
What a difference a day makes! Our trip from Watson Lake, YT to Fort Nelson, BC was filled with awesome scenery of colorful leaves as we went up and down the hills and around the curves. We passed horses, buffalo, and caribou grazing on the side of the road. We passed through Summit Point which is the highest point on the Alaskan highway at 4,250 feet. The next day we continued on our journey to Dawson Creek, BC (mile 0 of the Alaskan Highway) with sunshine and magnificent views. Our moment of excitement came when Dan had to swerve to dodge a deer. His quick reaction saved the day! This is a picture of Summit Lake.
Another scene of British Columbia:
After we set up at the campground we decided to unhitch the Blazer and go exploring. Much to our dismay he discovered that the frame under the Blazer was very loose. Fortunately we were in a town large enough to find someone who could look at it and hopefully weld it back together. After the mechanics checked it they said that it could not be fixed. So our choices were for me to drive following the RV or rent a UHaul trailer to carry it. We opted for the UHaul, and there was a dealer nearby. The Blazer was drivable but we could not tow it. Dan thought of putting a sign on the side of the Blazer saying, "I did NOT survive the Alaskan Highway." All in all we are very grateful that the Blazer did not break off and disconnect while we were driving down the road. That could have been a disaster.
The rest of the trip through Canada was pleasant and mostly uneventful. We ran into construction around Edmonton, AB where we had to retrace our route because there were no signs to show us which way to go. The way we were supposed to go was blocked. It reminded us of Pittsburgh back in the day when people constantly got lost in the construction zones. Between the maps and GPS we found our way out of the mess. The scenery changed from mountains and rolling hills to mostly flatlands with farms and ranches. The colorful leaves on the trees came in bursts of vibrant red, orange and gold. There was a strong southerly wind that brought up some warm temperatures. When we arrived across the border in Sweet Grass, MT the temperature was 88 degrees. Warmth at last!!!!
At that point we had traveled about 2500 miles. We were glad to go back to thinking in gallons not liters, miles not kilometers, and farenheit not celcius. The gas price spiked at Fort Nelson, BC to $1.42 a liter which if I calculated correctly was $5.41 a gallon. That's also where we bought milk for $6.13 a gallon. We called it the CGF (Canadian Gouge Factor) but felt sorry for the folks who have to pay those prices on a daily basis.
More to come about our travels in the USA....
No comments:
Post a Comment