Heading South Out of Alaska

We drove from Haines up through Haines Junction and then got back on the Al-Can Highway heading towards Whitehorse.

This message we saw at a gas station leaving Haines may mean something to those of you who remember a situation  that happened in 1971.   Sorry it is so blurry.

A good deal of this land is owned by First Nation tribes and they still practice open range farming so we had to also watch out for horses and cows.  

But as remote as we were, we still saw cross-country bikers on the road. 

We made it to Whitehorse and unhooked the car to go to the grocery store.  While turning a corner in town the car made a very loud clunking noise for several seconds and then stopped.  We immediately pulled over but now the engine was sounding almost normal again.  I walked back along the road where we had heard the noise and picked up two pieces of what looked like part of an engine belt but had no idea if it came from our car or someone else's.  The car sounded pretty normal after that so rather than spending a long weekend in Whitehorse waiting to get the car into the shop we decided to keep on going.  The car was being towed so it wasn't running and we felt we could make it there okay. Brett called ahead and made an appointment in Prince George, British Columbia, to get the car into a dealership there. 

A good view of the bridge over Teslin Lake.

This mountain looks like a prehistoric alligator looking down on us.  Shades of Jurassic Park.

We spent the night in Watson Lake staying at the same place when we first started our trip to Alaska.  At this point one has to decide whether to retrace your steps by staying on the Al-Can or taking another road called the Cassiar Highway into British Columbia.  The Al-Can Highway is a longer drive and we had talked to several people who said the Cassiar Highway was fine as long as you took it easy.  Also, the Cassiar is the second major north-south highway in British Columbia.  

The feeling of being all alone again hits you on this road.  Very little traffic and no cell phone coverage.  The first 30 miles were uneventful and the road seemed good although it was very narrow with little to no shoulder.  They tell you while on the Cassiar if you run into trouble to flag down a truck when it comes by.  We found there are very few trucks on this road, too.

Along the way we could see many areas where the trees had been burned in the recent fires.

This shop was one of the few buildings on the highway.  It sells jade and was a popular stop for RVers looking for some good deals.

We saw large power lines along the drive but there are sections along the Cassiar Highway where people don't have electrical power.  They are still using gas generators to power their homes.

On this highway the bridge surfaces were still made out of wood.

We had made reservations to spend the night at a resort called  Bell 2.  It is named after the Bell 2 River which is alongside it.  This was the only RV stop within miles and miles on this highway.

How could you turn down this offer..........

This was the bar area.

We were the first couple in the place and a little later another couple came in.  After several minutes of conversation we decided to have dinner together and they joined us.  The food was very good and so was the company.

Tom and Myriam Munson are the couple who joined us for dinner.  They are from Spokane, Washington, and were up in the area taking pictures.  Tom's passion is photography and he is really, really good at it.  They were heading back home the day after we met them and several days later we received an email from them.  Just after they crossed the border, a big buck deer jumped out in front of their car and did a considerable amount of damage.  Luckily no one was hurt but not a very good way to end your vacation.

The next day we set out again heading down the next leg of the Cassiar Highway.  The roads continued to be challenging with curves up and down the mountains but we took our time to get to our next stop at a town called Smithers. It was a nice municipal park but was full because some of the people staying there had been evacuated from their homes due to  the fires.  They were still waiting to go home and some had been in Smithers for several weeks.

  

This bridge was down to one lane and still made from wood.  We could see that they were building a new one to replace it.

Another family on the move.

Heading towards Prince George we came into a very smoky area.  We could smell the smoke in the rig while driving but we didn't see any fires.

We left Smithers the next morning on our final leg to Prince George.  We arrived at a nice park and the Captain took the car into a GM dealership on Friday morning to have it checked.  Long story short,  they said it was the serpentine belt and needed to be replaced.  The service rep. tried to find one in British Columbia and Alberta but the only one she could find was in the states and had to be shipped.  The Captain asked to have it expedited and even with that it would be a week before it came in.  Well that really messed up our plans.   

The next day, a Saturday, we stopped back into the dealership and talked to another service rep because ours was off that day.  Probably the best thing that could have happened to us.  We explained the situation and the Captain again wondered why it would take a full week to get the belt shipped to Prince George. This service rep. suggested looking for the needed belt in Prince George at one of the local car care companies.  It wouldn't be a GM product but since it wasn't covered under warranty it didn't make much difference.  We whole-heartedly agreed and asked him to do that.  The service shop was open until five that day but since it was a weekend they had a reduced crew so he told us he may not be able to get to it until the following Monday. About twenty minutes to five, on Saturday, we got the call that the car was fixed and ready to be picked up.  We were very surprised and pleased.  We got our car and were able to get back on our schedule.

Leaving Prince George we came upon  more road construction where they were hydro-seeding the bare ground.  The traffic behind the truck was backed up for miles but that sure is an impressive way to get the planting done.   

Above it the new road was being built into the hillside.

One of several lumber mills in the area.  Wood products are a huge business in British Columbia.

More wood mills in the distance in a town called Quesnel.

They also build log cabins in this town.

Quesnel also has farms and ranches in the area.  As we were moving out of town we came upon this horse on the road.  He was not a free-range horse, he had gotten out of a farm pasture and was in a panic.  A woman was running down the road trying to catch him but truck noises made him skittish and he kept on running.  Finally all the traffic stopped and so did the horse.

Some other horses were whinnying by the fence and he raced over to them and the traffic began to move again.  So glad it didn't get hit.

We stopped in a little town called Lac la Hache which means Lake of the Ax.  It is advertised as the longest town in the Cariboo (note the difference in spelling from the U.S.) because it stretches along 11 miles of the highway following the lake. It was also a very scenic rural area.

We went through towns called 150 Mile House, 100 Mile House, and 70 Mile House.  These towns were established as post houses on the Cariboo Waggon Road to the gold fields.  

By this time we were on very good roads and close to our last destination in Canada, the city of Victoria in British Columbia. We had not heard of the Fraser River Canyon and Thompson River Canyon and was that a delightful surprise for us.

We drove through several small towns and hit some rain as we climbed up into the mountains.  But as soon as we hit the top and started coming back down the scenery changed dramatically.  This area is called the Arizona of Canada because it is so dry and desert looking.  

This piece of rock is being used to help hold up a utility pole alongside the highway.  

Some of the rock had a reddish orange tinge to it that changed the color of sections of the road and guard rails.

On the other side of the canyon you could see railroad tracks that are still in use and tunnels they have built to cover the tracks because of the land slides.

You could see the fallen rock above and below the tunnels.

The landscape was very dry and you could see sagebrush in many places.  

We stopped at a rest area to let the pups out and take more pictures and poor Desi stepped into cacti.  He was not a happy camper!

The Captain had to get a comb from the rig to get them off his paws.

While we were there we saw a train come by.  Turns out there are two different train companies in this area so they use different sides of the river.

The rock seemed to have a sandy consistency and would just break off and slough down the mountain.

We finally got out of the desert area and started seeing more green again.

This train was just sitting on the bridge not going anywhere.  You've gotta be careful about getting out of the engine car and forgetting where you are.

Coming down from the mountains there are a series of seven tunnels you have to drive through.

We were so impressed with the Fraser Canyon Valley and all it had to offer that we hope to get back here again in the future and spend more time in the area. 

Finally we were coming into Vancouver and heading towards the B.C. Ferry Lines which take you over to Vancouver Island and Victoria.  

One of many suspension bridges near Vancouver Harbor.

And mile after mile of railroad yards handling all the goods that come in from the ships.

Shipping containers were everywhere.

Downtown Vancouver in the distance. 

As we were driving to the ferry we saw an information sign over the highway that the noon ferry to Victoria was only 70% full.  Our reservation was for 2:00 PM but we got to the ferry a little after noon.  They asked us if we wanted to take the 1:00 ferry and we gladly agreed.  The woman in the toll booth measured the length of our rig with the toad attached and told us the fee.  We didn't even have to unhook the car.

Waiting in line to enter the ferry.  You can get out of your car and walk your dogs if you like.  There are places to purchase food and bathrooms to use and even a playground for kids.  It is a very nice operation.

We drove the rig down to the fourth level with a bunch of trucks. The pups had to stay in the rig during the trip but the area was well lighted and the trip only took one hour and thirty-five minutes.  On the upper decks there were nice sitting areas and more restaurants.  

Even the Queen showed up to see us off.

Leaving Vancouver Harbor.

We passed many islands along  the Strait of Georgia. 

A BC Ferry going the other way.

Coming into port on Vancouver Island.

We mentioned earlier the friends we met in Bell 2, Tom and Myriam Munson and his love for photography.  They had been up to Denali to try and get a picture of the great mountain.  They say only 30% of the people who visit get to see the mountain because of the weather.  Tom was one of the lucky ones and sent us these photos to share with you in this blog.  I told you he was really good!!!

We are on Vancouver Island now seeing the sights and enjoying the dynamic city of Victoria.  It is a wonderful place to be.  Peace!