Day 36, Thursday, 7/23: Up early to shower and fix some breakfast. Plan to leave here by about 10 and visit the Wal-Mart in Fairbanks. Not sure if we will stay there or head south…
We didn’t make it very far today. Staying at the Wal-Mart in Fairbanks! Spent most of the day driving around the city and found the Wal-Mart, the Polaris dealer, Fred Meyer, etc. Did a bit of shopping and Bob bought some mud guards for the RZR so he is planning to install them here in the parking lot…. Tomorrow we head toward Denali National Park. It is still quite smoky today from the forest fire and I think we are headed in that direction. There is a breeze so maybe it won’t be too bad. We can’t believe how many RVs are in this Wal-Mart parking lot and some of them look like they have been here awhile. It’s like a little village!
Well, upon opening the box with the mud guards it was discovered that they had two right front fenders!! So much for that…. Will have to take them back in the morning.
We spent some time playing cribbage (after buying a new board in Wal-Mart as our very old one didn’t have regular pegs, just ends of toothpicks), and cooked a camper- oven sized pizza for dinner. Not a very restful night as we are right on a major expressway and the traffic noise was pretty bad.
We BRIEFLY discussed staying in Fairbanks until Sunday to attend the Governor’s Picnic and listen to Sarah’s farewell speech but Denali was calling….
Thursday, July 23, 2009
North Pole Day 2
Day 35, Wednesday, 7/22: Another beautiful day at North Pole! The RV park gives tours of the town so we decided to take advantage of it. There were 4 of us in the tour van and a nice young guy named Jesse took us around. Didn’t take long but it was informative. After that Bob went to a Rotary meeting (took the RZR) and I did some ‘house’ cleaning and spent some time on the computer. Also, watched a couple of old movies since we have cable TV here… After lunch we took the RZR to Safeway and I was in heaven!!! Was never so glad to see lots and lots of vegetables and fruit at reasonable prices!! Being in the far north and remote makes you appreciate those things. It was hard to limit what we bought!!! It is a very nice and huge Safeway here at the North Pole.
After putting the groceries away, we walked over to the Santa Claus House that is a Christmas lover’s dream. Santa was even there and we had our picture taken with him. Would have spent more time shopping but we had laundry going and it was quite warm inside. Next to the house is an enclosure for the reindeer. They have huge antlers and we got some pictures of them too.
Since it was such a beautiful day we grilled some steaks and sat outside for a long time just enjoying the evening. It did get quite smoky from a forest fire nearby but that didn’t deter us. Some of the things we have noticed after being remote for so long are sirens, trains, traffic sounds… Things you wouldn’t normally even pay attention to.
After putting the groceries away, we walked over to the Santa Claus House that is a Christmas lover’s dream. Santa was even there and we had our picture taken with him. Would have spent more time shopping but we had laundry going and it was quite warm inside. Next to the house is an enclosure for the reindeer. They have huge antlers and we got some pictures of them too.
Since it was such a beautiful day we grilled some steaks and sat outside for a long time just enjoying the evening. It did get quite smoky from a forest fire nearby but that didn’t deter us. Some of the things we have noticed after being remote for so long are sirens, trains, traffic sounds… Things you wouldn’t normally even pay attention to.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
North Pole..... Santa's Play Ground
Day 34, Tuesday, 7/21: Left Chicken about 7:30 this morning and discovered the road suddenly turned to pavement about 10 miles out but still 25 mph most of the way to the junction with Hwy. 2 (the Alaska Hwy). Beautiful scenery and we did see two linx cross the road and a couple of rabbits. A bit of road construction along the way. Arrived in Tok around 10:30 and fueled. There are several really nice RV parks here which we will keep in mind when we pass back through. On to Delta Junction which is the end of the Alaska Highway. Nice visitor’s center here. There was an add in the Milepost for the Buffalo Center Drive-in saying they had the best burgers north of the Yukon so we decided to go there for lunch. Guess what? Closed on Tuesdays!!!!! So on down the road a piece we found the Buffalo Center Diner and they were open. First fountain drink (diet Coke) we have had in about 3 weeks and boy did it taste good! Decided to continue on to North Pole since it is only 80 miles. The wide rivers here are very muddy and you can understand why they call it the delta.
Stopped in at the Knotty Store just before North Pole and bought some things there. It is quite impressive and they were busy! Mostly Alaska souvenir stuff and they sell ice cream too but we were still full from lunch.
Arrived at Santaland RV Park about 3:30 this afternoon. It is quite large and very nice. Supposed to be where Santa spends his off season…. It is really warm here too (81) so nice to have hook-ups so we can run the air conditioner. Guess we are wimps after all the cold, wet weather we have had. Will tour the town tomorrow.
Stopped in at the Knotty Store just before North Pole and bought some things there. It is quite impressive and they were busy! Mostly Alaska souvenir stuff and they sell ice cream too but we were still full from lunch.
Arrived at Santaland RV Park about 3:30 this afternoon. It is quite large and very nice. Supposed to be where Santa spends his off season…. It is really warm here too (81) so nice to have hook-ups so we can run the air conditioner. Guess we are wimps after all the cold, wet weather we have had. Will tour the town tomorrow.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Chicken, Alaska
Day 33, Monday, 7/20: Decided to load up and drive into Dawson for breakfast. There was a place called Sourdough Joe’s that looked interesting. When we got there we discovered it didn’t open until 11:00 (they don’t serve breakfast, just lunch and dinner). Oh well. We walked around town and found a Chinese restaurant that served breakfast so that is where we ate. Found out most of the locals go there because it is good and very inexpensive. After breakfast we did a little shopping and then crossed on the ferry over the Yukon River about 10:30. The ferry crossing is right in town, at the northwest end. The road we are on at this point is called the Top of the World Highway and it is aptly named! You drive on the tops of the mountains for miles and miles. It is rough road (mostly gravel) and at times it was much worse than the Dempster! About 45 miles from Dawson is the Alaska/Yukon border crossing and we passed through without a hitch. Just showed our passports, they asked a few questions and that was it. We are amazed that they haven’t yet asked to even look in the trailer or camper…. This border crossing is only open in the summer as this road is closed in the winter. Saw lots of RV’s headed toward Dawson on this road. Surprised that people would bring their big motor coaches on such a road. Drove on another 30+ miles to the town of Chicken. It is quite tiny but has a huge RV park and a small ‘downtown’. It is just one building that is divided between a gift shop/liquor store and tavern! They have free ‘dry’ camping so we are camping in the parking lot tonight. They DO have WiFi though! Amazing…. Of course we bought a few things in the gift store. We are now on Alaska time which is an hour earlier than Pacific time. Another day, another adventure!! No critters were seen today.
Chicken, Alaska
Day 33, Monday, 7/20: Decided to load up and drive into Dawson for breakfast. There was a place called Sourdough Joe’s that looked interesting. When we got there we discovered it didn’t open until 11:00 (they don’t serve breakfast, just lunch and dinner). Oh well. We walked around town and found a Chinese restaurant that served breakfast so that is where we ate. Found out most of the locals go there because it is good and very inexpensive. After breakfast we did a little shopping and then crossed on the ferry over the Yukon River about 10:30. The ferry crossing is right in town, at the northwest end. The road we are on at this point is called the Top of the World Highway and it is aptly named! You drive on the tops of the mountains for miles and miles. It is rough road (mostly gravel) and at times it was much worse than the Dempster! About 45 miles from Dawson is the Alaska/Yukon border crossing and we passed through without a hitch. Just showed our passports, they asked a few questions and that was it. We are amazed that they haven’t yet asked to even look in the trailer or camper…. This border crossing is only open in the summer as this road is closed in the winter. Saw lots of RV’s headed toward Dawson on this road. Surprised that people would bring their big motor coaches on such a road. Drove on another 30+ miles to the town of Chicken. It is quite tiny but has a huge RV park and a small ‘downtown’. It is just one building that is divided between a gift shop/liquor store and tavern! They have free ‘dry’ camping so we are camping in the parking lot tonight. They DO have WiFi though! Amazing…. Of course we bought a few things in the gift store. We are now on Alaska time which is an hour earlier than Pacific time. Another day, another adventure!! No critters were seen today.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Dawson City Day 2
Day 32, Sunday, 7/19: Bob was up early and a caravan of big RV’s left the park about 6:00 this morning! It seems empty here now as they were parked next to us. It is cloudy but not raining. Bob got the laundry going early (before I got up) and we had breakfast at a little café here in the RV park while we waited for the laundry to dry! They have two guys from France here this summer to cook and we had wonderful crepes with caramelized apples and a nice omelet. Visited with some folks who are on motorcycles heading to Alaska. They are from Alberta and they were interested in the RZR which we had taken to the café. After that Bob worked on one of the camper jacks that had not been working. Looks like it needs a new motor which we will get in Fairbanks or Anchorage. We don’t need it unless we want to unload the camper from the truck and then we could use the manual device. Watched TV and read for a bit, took naps…. Finally this afternoon the sun came out so we decided to take the RZR into ‘downtown’ Dawson City to do some sightseeing. Still lots of folks left from the music festival that has been going on here all week. The tickets cost $160 each! We just walked up and down their main street and drove around a bit. We did visit their very impressive museum. Plan to go back in the morning to a couple of stores to buy ‘stuff’! Didn’t want to pack it home on the RZR… We will be going through town anyway on our way to the ferry. Even though Dawson is a Canadian town it was built by people from the US who were here looking for gold in the late 1800’s. Tomorrow we plan to head to Chicken, Alaska. We read that the town fathers (some miners) wanted to name the town ptarmigan but none of them could figure out how to spell it so they named the town chicken! Thought that was interesting….
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Another Critter day and then Dawson City
Day 31, Saturday, 7/18:
Woke early and left about 6:30 toward Two Moose Lake, 50 kilometers south. Decided to wait and make coffee and have breakfast there. Just as we were pulling into the turnout at Two Moose Lake we spotted a Mama Moose and two calves on the hill just north of the lake. She spotted us too!! Got some pictures and they wandered off. This is a nice spot to watch the ducks on the water and let the mosquitoes swarm around you…. We made coffee and had a bite of breakfast and decided to head on down the road since we figured the Mama and calves were probably all that we were going to see. Just after this spot we saw a black fox on the left side of the road and we watched him (or her) for quite a while pouncing and playing in the tundra. It was quite a sight! About 20 klicks (kilometers in Canadian) down the road we spotted another female moose just off the road grazing in a small pond. Probably the closest we have been to one and we got quite a few pictures! She was a bit nervous but didn’t run off. THEN, on down the road were a Mama fox (red) and her two (black) little ones running down the road right in front of us! They were sure cute and stayed on the road for a long time before disappearing into the bushes. We kept seeing what looked like female pheasant on the sides of the road but determined they are ptarmigan, a tundra-dwelling grouse and they eat willow buds. There is a thick cover of willow along the river. Anyway, it was quite a morning for critter watching! Left the Dempster about 11:00 and arrived here in Dawson City where we are planning to spend several days to clean up. They have an RV wash, laundry, and hook-ups.
After washing the truck/camper/trailer we settled into our spot. We spent some time cleaning inside the camper and trailer (everything was covered in dust). About 5:00 it started to rain and we had a tremendous lightning storm! It’s been a long time since we’ve experienced anything like it and the rain was coming down in buckets. We could hardly hear each other speak inside the camper! That lasted about 45 minutes but it continued to rain for awhile after that. Didn’t get to do laundry today because there were people waiting in line for the machines. Had some dinner and watched a bit of TV.
Woke early and left about 6:30 toward Two Moose Lake, 50 kilometers south. Decided to wait and make coffee and have breakfast there. Just as we were pulling into the turnout at Two Moose Lake we spotted a Mama Moose and two calves on the hill just north of the lake. She spotted us too!! Got some pictures and they wandered off. This is a nice spot to watch the ducks on the water and let the mosquitoes swarm around you…. We made coffee and had a bite of breakfast and decided to head on down the road since we figured the Mama and calves were probably all that we were going to see. Just after this spot we saw a black fox on the left side of the road and we watched him (or her) for quite a while pouncing and playing in the tundra. It was quite a sight! About 20 klicks (kilometers in Canadian) down the road we spotted another female moose just off the road grazing in a small pond. Probably the closest we have been to one and we got quite a few pictures! She was a bit nervous but didn’t run off. THEN, on down the road were a Mama fox (red) and her two (black) little ones running down the road right in front of us! They were sure cute and stayed on the road for a long time before disappearing into the bushes. We kept seeing what looked like female pheasant on the sides of the road but determined they are ptarmigan, a tundra-dwelling grouse and they eat willow buds. There is a thick cover of willow along the river. Anyway, it was quite a morning for critter watching! Left the Dempster about 11:00 and arrived here in Dawson City where we are planning to spend several days to clean up. They have an RV wash, laundry, and hook-ups.
After washing the truck/camper/trailer we settled into our spot. We spent some time cleaning inside the camper and trailer (everything was covered in dust). About 5:00 it started to rain and we had a tremendous lightning storm! It’s been a long time since we’ve experienced anything like it and the rain was coming down in buckets. We could hardly hear each other speak inside the camper! That lasted about 45 minutes but it continued to rain for awhile after that. Didn’t get to do laundry today because there were people waiting in line for the machines. Had some dinner and watched a bit of TV.
Dempster camping
Day 30, Friday, 7/17: Woke up during the night about midnight and couldn’t believe how light it was. It’s just amazing and feels a bit weird. Only heard one big truck go by during the night and Bob heard one car this morning (I slept in). The sun is out and looks like it is going to be a beautiful day. Bob is cooking breakfast and then we will head on down the road. Plan to spend one more night somewhere along the Dempster before getting back to Dawson City.
Forgot to mention yesterday that we got our first battle scar! A big truck went by and kicked up a rock so we now have a chip in the truck windshield but it is down low and to the left on the driver’s side. Doesn’t interfere with seeing the road and we somewhat expected it to happen sooner or later.
We visited with a couple from Wellington, New Zealand at the Arctic Circle marker. Her brother was also with them and he lives in Calgary, Alberta. Friendly folks and they are traveling in a small SUV pulling a tent trailer. Not sure how they all fit since they were all quite tall! She trains search dogs so there was discussion about search and rescue.
Fueled in Eagle Plains where there was a tour bus full of teenagers. Not sure where they were headed but they were going south toward Dawson City. Lots of RV’s headed north toward Inuvik while we are headed south. Stopped at a rest area and saw Elephant Rock. It is a rock on the very top of a mountain that is shaped like an elephant. Hard to see without binoculars but we managed to spot it. Pretty cool! It is in the Dempster Hwy. guide book that we got at the first campground on the way in and that has been a wonderful thing to have. Lots of information about things to look for and see that you would miss if you didn’t know about it.
We are stopped in a rock quarry again for the night. It is about 5:00 and we were getting tired. About the 150 kilometer marker from the Dempster Hwy. junction. Plan to spend a few hours at Two Moose Lake in the morning. It is at the 102 marker and that is where we saw the big bull moose on the way north.
OK, so Betsy is getting addicted to cribbage on the computer!!! We have even had to run the generator so we could charge up the laptop…. Camping in the wilderness is such a challenge.
Forgot to mention yesterday that we got our first battle scar! A big truck went by and kicked up a rock so we now have a chip in the truck windshield but it is down low and to the left on the driver’s side. Doesn’t interfere with seeing the road and we somewhat expected it to happen sooner or later.
We visited with a couple from Wellington, New Zealand at the Arctic Circle marker. Her brother was also with them and he lives in Calgary, Alberta. Friendly folks and they are traveling in a small SUV pulling a tent trailer. Not sure how they all fit since they were all quite tall! She trains search dogs so there was discussion about search and rescue.
Fueled in Eagle Plains where there was a tour bus full of teenagers. Not sure where they were headed but they were going south toward Dawson City. Lots of RV’s headed north toward Inuvik while we are headed south. Stopped at a rest area and saw Elephant Rock. It is a rock on the very top of a mountain that is shaped like an elephant. Hard to see without binoculars but we managed to spot it. Pretty cool! It is in the Dempster Hwy. guide book that we got at the first campground on the way in and that has been a wonderful thing to have. Lots of information about things to look for and see that you would miss if you didn’t know about it.
We are stopped in a rock quarry again for the night. It is about 5:00 and we were getting tired. About the 150 kilometer marker from the Dempster Hwy. junction. Plan to spend a few hours at Two Moose Lake in the morning. It is at the 102 marker and that is where we saw the big bull moose on the way north.
OK, so Betsy is getting addicted to cribbage on the computer!!! We have even had to run the generator so we could charge up the laptop…. Camping in the wilderness is such a challenge.
Left Inuvik, back on the Dempster
Day 29, Thursday, 7/16: Slept in late and were getting things ready to head out when we noticed the same tire on the trailer was flat again!! Took the truck/camper to the other RV park to dump/fill, bought ice and a really great book on the Northwest Arctic. Decided to put air in the tire and take it back to the place that “fixed” it. We do have a small air compressor along which helped. So back to town we went. It was the owner of the shop this time that fixed the tire. Finally left Inuvik just after noon. We weren’t staying very far from town but the road between was awful! It was paved but had frost heaves big time so you felt like you were on a roller coaster and had to drive really slow with the camper on…. Made us glad to finally get back on the dirt/gravel since except for some pot holes it is smoother! Bob is good at dodging those pot holes now.
Crossed on the ferry at Red River and then on to the MacKenzie crossing. When we pulled up there the ferry crewman told us a small motorhome was in the middle of the ferry and they had locked themselves out of their rig! So, until they could break in we wouldn’t be able to cross! They could only take a few cars at a time and no big rigs at all. We happened to have a metal coat hanger to give them and on the next crossing they were able to get in… In the meantime, there was a First Nation guy selling dried fish so I bought some. It’s in strips like jerky and quite tasty. He has a camp right there on the river and lots of people who are waiting for the ferry buy from him. The ferry crewman also told us that they had to shut down the ferry yesterday due to high winds so it is good that we stayed another day in Inuvik. Stopped at Fort MacPherson and discovered there isn’t much of interest there… Our goal today was to get back into the mountains which is just about where you cross into the Yukon. We are staying in an old gravel pit, off the road, with fantastic views all around. Got out our chairs and sat there enjoying the sites. There is a slight breeze so the bugs aren’t bad and the sky is clear. It is so quiet!! Makes you feel like you are the only ones on earth!
Crossed on the ferry at Red River and then on to the MacKenzie crossing. When we pulled up there the ferry crewman told us a small motorhome was in the middle of the ferry and they had locked themselves out of their rig! So, until they could break in we wouldn’t be able to cross! They could only take a few cars at a time and no big rigs at all. We happened to have a metal coat hanger to give them and on the next crossing they were able to get in… In the meantime, there was a First Nation guy selling dried fish so I bought some. It’s in strips like jerky and quite tasty. He has a camp right there on the river and lots of people who are waiting for the ferry buy from him. The ferry crewman also told us that they had to shut down the ferry yesterday due to high winds so it is good that we stayed another day in Inuvik. Stopped at Fort MacPherson and discovered there isn’t much of interest there… Our goal today was to get back into the mountains which is just about where you cross into the Yukon. We are staying in an old gravel pit, off the road, with fantastic views all around. Got out our chairs and sat there enjoying the sites. There is a slight breeze so the bugs aren’t bad and the sky is clear. It is so quiet!! Makes you feel like you are the only ones on earth!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Inuvik Day 2 plus
Day 28, Wednesday, 7/15: It rained off and on all night and today the wind is just blowing like crazy! There is some blue sky so who knows what is ahead. One thing for sure, we can’t put the camper back on the truck in this wind!!! So, we are hoping sometime today it will calm down. Plan to leave in the morning if all goes well…. We did not use SPOT yesterday. We are still in the same campground in Inuvik and if the sky remains somewhat clear we can use it today. Going into town for a bit and will try to post this on the blog at the library where we can have internet access. Might snow tonight. Weather service is similar to Union County... ya just never know if it is real...
Inuvik Day 2
Day 27, Tuesday, 7/14: It started to rain during the night and it has been windy and blustery all day today. Had a late breakfast and went into town to check things out. Houses are all built off the ground and the sewer, water, etc. are all in insulated large pipes above ground that go from building to building. Will get some pictures because it is hard to describe. The ground here is very unstable due to the permafrost.
Checked out the grocery/and just about everything else store. We won’t be buying anything here as it is extremely expensive! Found the liquor store and bought a few bottles of wine because of course that is worth it. Decided we will stay here until Thursday and then spend 3 days going back to Dawson City. They are having a music festival this week-end and the RV park was booked so if we don’t arrive there until Sunday there should be a place for us. It was a nice park. Tomorrow we might check out the Arts Festival going on here in Inuvik and have a few other things we want to do. Hoping the weather dries out a bit. We came back to the camper about 2:00 and took a nap. Got up, had a bite of supper and played cards (Skip-Bo), some games on the computer (Cribbage) and doing some reading. It is now almost 11:00 p.m. and the sun hasn’t set yet. Wind is still howling but the sun is shining through the clouds. We are nice and cozy in our little camper!
Checked out the grocery/and just about everything else store. We won’t be buying anything here as it is extremely expensive! Found the liquor store and bought a few bottles of wine because of course that is worth it. Decided we will stay here until Thursday and then spend 3 days going back to Dawson City. They are having a music festival this week-end and the RV park was booked so if we don’t arrive there until Sunday there should be a place for us. It was a nice park. Tomorrow we might check out the Arts Festival going on here in Inuvik and have a few other things we want to do. Hoping the weather dries out a bit. We came back to the camper about 2:00 and took a nap. Got up, had a bite of supper and played cards (Skip-Bo), some games on the computer (Cribbage) and doing some reading. It is now almost 11:00 p.m. and the sun hasn’t set yet. Wind is still howling but the sun is shining through the clouds. We are nice and cozy in our little camper!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Inuvik Day One
Day 26, Monday, 7/13: Well, Bob decided that we should start out early this morning so we were on the road at 3:00 AM! Of course, it is daylight no matter when you travel and he thought we might see some critters. The sun was just above the horizon and it was nice. Several reasons we won’t be doing this again! The sun was full in our eyes, there was fog in spots, we didn’t see any critters except for a few rabbits and grouse. We arrived at Eagle Plains Lodge/Motel at 6:00 hoping to have breakfast but their restaurant doesn’t open until 7:00 and the fuel station doesn’t open until 8:00. So Bob is having a nap and I am updating our journal…. More later….
We had a great breakfast at the Lodge/Motel. It is quite a place! The complex was built in 1978 when the Dempster Highway was finished and they are totally self-sufficient. They use generators as there is no power out here. The complex includes the motel/lodge, restaurant/lounge, RV park, public laundry and showers, fuel station with repair shop and helicopter pad. Water is trucked in and sewer is trucked out! We were surprised that the breakfast was NOT expensive. The young lady that waited on us was a college student that works here in the summers. She said it is great because there is no place to spend money so she is able to save! They do have Wi-Fi here but we didn’t take advantage of it since we had internet connection yesterday.
After breakfast we fueled and headed on north. This area is so VAST it is just amazing. You drive for miles and miles and the only thing that is man made is the road! There are no fences or power poles or houses, just an occasional microwave/cell tower on a mountaintop. We have been a little surprised at how many cars and RV’s are on this road. Not as many big trucks as we expected though.
Crossed the Arctic Circle this afternoon. Once we left the mountains we had expected to be in a flat environment which for the most part it was. The surprising thing was that there were so many of the small black spruce forests on both sides of the road. There is a section that is 13 miles of perfectly straight road! Crossed two rivers by ferry today which is always an adventure. The black flies seem to hang around in those spots! Since we got up at 3:00, we stopped at a gravel pit and Bob took another nap (I read my Kindle). He is driving which is a little stressful since you have to watch for potholes and such. Once we left the mountains the scenery was not nearly as spectacular so we just kept driving until we reached Inuvik! Arrived here about 5:30 pm and the first campground was a wash. The sites were too small and we could only stay one night as they have people with reservations. There is an Arts Festival in town starting at 10:00 in the morning! So, we backtracked to another Territorial Park and they were VERY accommodating. We have a nice pull through spot and decided since it is about 5 km. outside of town that we would disconnect the trailer and put the camper on the ground so we have the truck to go sight seeing. They have nice showers here and a viewing tower to see the McKenzie River delta area. Will take some pictures soon. Camper and trailer are dirty/dusty inside and out. 34.5 Miles to the Arctic Ocean.
Bob is thinking Speed Week in Mid August.. We are about 7 full days drive from Bonneville… Bob’s thinking probably stinks… Alaska… Nevada… Alaska.. Utah.. Alaska… salt… ALASKA… much better.
We had a great breakfast at the Lodge/Motel. It is quite a place! The complex was built in 1978 when the Dempster Highway was finished and they are totally self-sufficient. They use generators as there is no power out here. The complex includes the motel/lodge, restaurant/lounge, RV park, public laundry and showers, fuel station with repair shop and helicopter pad. Water is trucked in and sewer is trucked out! We were surprised that the breakfast was NOT expensive. The young lady that waited on us was a college student that works here in the summers. She said it is great because there is no place to spend money so she is able to save! They do have Wi-Fi here but we didn’t take advantage of it since we had internet connection yesterday.
After breakfast we fueled and headed on north. This area is so VAST it is just amazing. You drive for miles and miles and the only thing that is man made is the road! There are no fences or power poles or houses, just an occasional microwave/cell tower on a mountaintop. We have been a little surprised at how many cars and RV’s are on this road. Not as many big trucks as we expected though.
Crossed the Arctic Circle this afternoon. Once we left the mountains we had expected to be in a flat environment which for the most part it was. The surprising thing was that there were so many of the small black spruce forests on both sides of the road. There is a section that is 13 miles of perfectly straight road! Crossed two rivers by ferry today which is always an adventure. The black flies seem to hang around in those spots! Since we got up at 3:00, we stopped at a gravel pit and Bob took another nap (I read my Kindle). He is driving which is a little stressful since you have to watch for potholes and such. Once we left the mountains the scenery was not nearly as spectacular so we just kept driving until we reached Inuvik! Arrived here about 5:30 pm and the first campground was a wash. The sites were too small and we could only stay one night as they have people with reservations. There is an Arts Festival in town starting at 10:00 in the morning! So, we backtracked to another Territorial Park and they were VERY accommodating. We have a nice pull through spot and decided since it is about 5 km. outside of town that we would disconnect the trailer and put the camper on the ground so we have the truck to go sight seeing. They have nice showers here and a viewing tower to see the McKenzie River delta area. Will take some pictures soon. Camper and trailer are dirty/dusty inside and out. 34.5 Miles to the Arctic Ocean.
Bob is thinking Speed Week in Mid August.. We are about 7 full days drive from Bonneville… Bob’s thinking probably stinks… Alaska… Nevada… Alaska.. Utah.. Alaska… salt… ALASKA… much better.
On The Dempster
Day 25, Sunday, 7/12: On the Dempster… First Bull Moose… Big… and of course he was next to Two Moose Lake. Cannot find the words to express the beauty of this place.. One might be awesome. Huge could be one.. Spectacular.. Nothing like it so far. It’s one big place and fantastic scenery in all directions. Went through rolling hills, forests of small trees, rivers, lakes and mountains all around. Interesting rock formations and colors. Took lots of pictures today! The road wasn’t bad so far and we ended up driving about 250 km. Spent the night at a view point turnoff and had wonderful views to look at while we had dinner. There was a very large and annoying crow that was prancing around on the camper roof sometime after we went to bed. Not sure what he was doing up there…
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Dawson City
Day 25, Saturday, 7/11: Happy Birthday to my niece Cindy! In Dawson City today doing a final prep of stuff for the Dempster trip. Except for some rough road, it was a pretty uneventful day. Nice weather but no critters to be seen…. This town is a major tourist town and the streets were filled with people today! We got fuel and filled the extra tanks in the trailer. Also filled the extra water containers since we will probably be dry camping for a bit. Doing a load of laundry and bought a few groceries. Plan to watch a bit of TV this evening since we have a cable connection here at this RV park. It’s been almost 4 weeks since we have seen TV! We have picked up a radio station here and there.
About those cinnamon buns at the Braeburn Lodge (last place we tried them). We met someone yesterday who told us the reason they weren’t that good is that the two women who normally make them were on holiday and they were selling some that had been frozen! We only ate about half of it and threw the rest away…
Hoping to grill a burger tonight if it doesn’t rain on us. It is quite warm (75) but cloudy and just now starting to drip a bit. Plan to go over everything before we head out tomorrow: all vents closed, tires in good shape, hitch oiled, everything strapped down, etc. The road is 475 miles of dirt/gravel and we have heard it is VERY dusty.
When we make it to Inuvik we will try to hook up to internet at their public library…
Happy Birthday to our son, Jim, on Monday, 7/13!!!! Won’t have internet or phone then.
Up Keno hill and then 'Moose Creek'
Day 24, Friday, 7/10: Bob went over to the lodge first thing this morning and was able to hook into their Wifi for just a bit. Didn’t do the blog but did receive some e-mails. Left camp about 7:30 and drove to Keno, about 36 miles up the road. It is a mining town (silver and gold), established in the late 1800’s and they continue to mine today. The little town has several museums which were very interesting. They also had a very large Grizzly that was stuffed and on display. Drove the RZR to Keno Hill, about 6 ½ miles to the top. Fantastic views from the top, with a sign post indicating distances, an old cabin and a butterfly walk. Didn’t see any butterflies however. Maybe wrong time of year…. There was still some snow on the ground up there and a bit windy so it was cold! Had met a couple from BC who have an Arctic Fox trailer and they were staying at the same campground. They have a Rhino so we rode with them part of the time. Bob has become an unofficial promoter of the Arctic Fox website, giving everyone he sees with an Arctic Fox or Nash the internet address! We have actually seen quite a few up here.
Drove back to Mayo (saw a moose on the way!) and visited their little museum too. Not as good as Keno but interesting. Got back to the main highway about 3:00 and found a Yukon Government Campground called Moose Creek where we are staying for the night. Had planned to drive on to Dawson City but it’s getting late and we are tired. No sense pushing ourselves since we aren’t on a schedule! Lots of firewood here so we might have a campfire later. So far, we are the only ones here and there are 30 sites.
(About 4 more rigs showed up during the evening…)
Drove back to Mayo (saw a moose on the way!) and visited their little museum too. Not as good as Keno but interesting. Got back to the main highway about 3:00 and found a Yukon Government Campground called Moose Creek where we are staying for the night. Had planned to drive on to Dawson City but it’s getting late and we are tired. No sense pushing ourselves since we aren’t on a schedule! Lots of firewood here so we might have a campfire later. So far, we are the only ones here and there are 30 sites.
(About 4 more rigs showed up during the evening…)
Mayo and Keno
Day 23, Thursday, 7/9: Left camp about 8:00 and headed for Braeburn Lodge which is supposed to have wonderful cinnamon buns. We are “on a roll” with rating the buns at various spots so couldn’t pass this one up. They are huge, dinner plate size and about 5 inches high, but not nearly as good as the first one we had in HUCTesta River Resort. The one from this morning will last a week it is so big… Maybe a little butter and the microwave will improve it some.
Stopped in a little town called Carmacks around noon for fuel and they had quite a little grocery store there. Found some sausage rolls which we bought for lunch. We really like them (I don’t want to know what kind of meat they use because I have been searching for pork sausage and they don’t have it up here…). Anyway, about a ½ hour up the road we stopped and warmed them up and ate them going down the road. Very tasty! Some road construction along this route so we were delayed a bit. It has been very smoky the last few days and we have heard there are several large forest fires in the area.
Took a side road to a place called Mayo. Camping tonight at the Bedrock Motel/RV park. Lodge/motel is nice but can’t say much for the “RV park”. Not very friendly either…. Did notice that we are so far north that it never got dark during the night. Having a bit of trouble sleeping due to it being light all the time!
Stopped in a little town called Carmacks around noon for fuel and they had quite a little grocery store there. Found some sausage rolls which we bought for lunch. We really like them (I don’t want to know what kind of meat they use because I have been searching for pork sausage and they don’t have it up here…). Anyway, about a ½ hour up the road we stopped and warmed them up and ate them going down the road. Very tasty! Some road construction along this route so we were delayed a bit. It has been very smoky the last few days and we have heard there are several large forest fires in the area.
Took a side road to a place called Mayo. Camping tonight at the Bedrock Motel/RV park. Lodge/motel is nice but can’t say much for the “RV park”. Not very friendly either…. Did notice that we are so far north that it never got dark during the night. Having a bit of trouble sleeping due to it being light all the time!
Fox Lake, Yukon
Day 22 Wednesday, 7/8: Well, we have been on the road 3 weeks now and it has gone by really fast. For those of you who are wondering, for about two weeks I haven’t had any pain or discomfort from the surgery so it took about 4 weeks for recovery. Not bad. Still feels a little odd in my throat but I will get used to it. Bob says I still snore a bit but nothing like it used to be and I don’t stop breathing as before so I guess it was a success! We are both satisfied with the procedure and glad it is done.
Well, we got up earlier than planned. Thought it was 7 when it was actually 6. Decided to not make coffee but to drive to Taglish and have breakfast. It is a small town and Bob had read on the internet about this store/restaurant/motel/RV park that was supposed to be nice. So, on we went. Turns out it was a very nice place. The owner, Kurt, was there but he doesn’t normally open the store/restaurant until 9:00 (we got there at about 7:00). He saw us and invited us in for coffee and said he would be glad to fix breakfast. He and his wife moved here from Germany 3 years ago and they own and run the store/restaurant/motel and RV park. It is small, only 5 motel units and only 7 RV spots but just enough to keep them busy. Every Saturday evening he BBQ’s steaks, ribs, chicken, etc. so we hope to stay there on our way back through. The breakfast was awesome and more than we could eat. He is quite a talker and we enjoyed hearing all about the area. Lots of mosquitoes here though! Maybe it will be better when we come back in late August.
Drove on to Whitehorse and did some shopping at Wal-Mart. Bob is having to fix the muffler on the RZR so he had parts to buy for that and of course we had to stock up on more wine. It is MUCH cheaper in the Yukon than in Alberta or NWT. Bought a few groceries and fuel too since this is the last city before we head north to Inuvik. Will still have a chance to get fuel before we turn off on the Dempster Highway and will fill the extra cans in the trailer then. We will also fill the extra water containers. Bob about freaked out when he saw a large puddle of oil under the front of the truck! We drove to another spot and he let it sit for awhile and nothing. He decided it was from someone’s else’s vehicle. Whew! All of our fluids were fine although he did add some coolant as the low coolant light has been on a few times.
Arrived at a Yukon Government Park on Fox Lake about 3:00 this afternoon. Our campsite is right on the water. It can’t be more than 30 feet from the rig to the shoreline! Very beautiful spot, a little breeze which keeps the bugs away and the water is quite warm (relatively speaking). Bob is working on the RZR and I took a few pictures. Sat in lawn chairs by the water until almost 9:00, sipping our wine and enjoying the peaceful spot. Sunset is not until at least 11:30 so it seems earlier than it is.
Well, we got up earlier than planned. Thought it was 7 when it was actually 6. Decided to not make coffee but to drive to Taglish and have breakfast. It is a small town and Bob had read on the internet about this store/restaurant/motel/RV park that was supposed to be nice. So, on we went. Turns out it was a very nice place. The owner, Kurt, was there but he doesn’t normally open the store/restaurant until 9:00 (we got there at about 7:00). He saw us and invited us in for coffee and said he would be glad to fix breakfast. He and his wife moved here from Germany 3 years ago and they own and run the store/restaurant/motel and RV park. It is small, only 5 motel units and only 7 RV spots but just enough to keep them busy. Every Saturday evening he BBQ’s steaks, ribs, chicken, etc. so we hope to stay there on our way back through. The breakfast was awesome and more than we could eat. He is quite a talker and we enjoyed hearing all about the area. Lots of mosquitoes here though! Maybe it will be better when we come back in late August.
Drove on to Whitehorse and did some shopping at Wal-Mart. Bob is having to fix the muffler on the RZR so he had parts to buy for that and of course we had to stock up on more wine. It is MUCH cheaper in the Yukon than in Alberta or NWT. Bought a few groceries and fuel too since this is the last city before we head north to Inuvik. Will still have a chance to get fuel before we turn off on the Dempster Highway and will fill the extra cans in the trailer then. We will also fill the extra water containers. Bob about freaked out when he saw a large puddle of oil under the front of the truck! We drove to another spot and he let it sit for awhile and nothing. He decided it was from someone’s else’s vehicle. Whew! All of our fluids were fine although he did add some coolant as the low coolant light has been on a few times.
Arrived at a Yukon Government Park on Fox Lake about 3:00 this afternoon. Our campsite is right on the water. It can’t be more than 30 feet from the rig to the shoreline! Very beautiful spot, a little breeze which keeps the bugs away and the water is quite warm (relatively speaking). Bob is working on the RZR and I took a few pictures. Sat in lawn chairs by the water until almost 9:00, sipping our wine and enjoying the peaceful spot. Sunset is not until at least 11:30 so it seems earlier than it is.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Leaving Watson Lake
Day 21 Tuesday, 7/7: Up early to do a last load of laundry. Plan to head out about 9:00. On toward Whitehorse, YT! Next internet will probably be Inuvik in about a week. Hope we survive the Dempster Highway!!!!
Finally left Watson Lake about 10:00 and had a leisurely drive. Sunny, warm day. We stopped at the Continental Divide Lodge about 11:45 and had a cinnamon bun. It was good but didn’t compare to the one we had at Testa River Resort. Drove on past Johnson’s Crossing to a small Yukon campground on Squanga Lake. Only $12 (Canadian) for the night and lots of free firewood. No hookups but we don’t need them. Mosquitoes are a bit irritating but with mosquito coils burning, spray repellant and a campfire I think we can manage to survive! The plan is to be on the road fairly early tomorrow and maybe we will see some critters. Only saw 2 bears today and nothing else…. The scenery along this section of the highway is awesome. Beautiful mountains, trees, rivers and lakes. It is a fisherman’s paradise for sure. Since we aren’t into fishing, we will just have to sit by the fire and enjoy a glass or two of wine. Haven’t had the boat in the water yet. Waiting for a bit warmer weather and less bugs. Have lots of time and lots of lakes yet ahead.
After dinner we walked down to the lake and on the way back stopped and spoke with a Mennonite woman. She was one of 6 (3 couples) traveling in an old gray bus from Florida, Illinois and Kansas! We now refer to them as the Mennonite hippies…. Anyway, she knows someone in Cove and we had a nice chat with her. The others were around the campfire roasting marshmallows!
The next camper we met was in a Volkswagen Jetta and “tenting” it. He is a school teacher (probably in his 30’s) from Quebec and he speaks French, German and English. First name is Pierre but I didn’t catch the rest. He was very friendly and we discussed US politics a bit. He is not a Bush fan and hopes for greater things from Obama. He is on his way to Alaska also.
Finally left Watson Lake about 10:00 and had a leisurely drive. Sunny, warm day. We stopped at the Continental Divide Lodge about 11:45 and had a cinnamon bun. It was good but didn’t compare to the one we had at Testa River Resort. Drove on past Johnson’s Crossing to a small Yukon campground on Squanga Lake. Only $12 (Canadian) for the night and lots of free firewood. No hookups but we don’t need them. Mosquitoes are a bit irritating but with mosquito coils burning, spray repellant and a campfire I think we can manage to survive! The plan is to be on the road fairly early tomorrow and maybe we will see some critters. Only saw 2 bears today and nothing else…. The scenery along this section of the highway is awesome. Beautiful mountains, trees, rivers and lakes. It is a fisherman’s paradise for sure. Since we aren’t into fishing, we will just have to sit by the fire and enjoy a glass or two of wine. Haven’t had the boat in the water yet. Waiting for a bit warmer weather and less bugs. Have lots of time and lots of lakes yet ahead.
After dinner we walked down to the lake and on the way back stopped and spoke with a Mennonite woman. She was one of 6 (3 couples) traveling in an old gray bus from Florida, Illinois and Kansas! We now refer to them as the Mennonite hippies…. Anyway, she knows someone in Cove and we had a nice chat with her. The others were around the campfire roasting marshmallows!
The next camper we met was in a Volkswagen Jetta and “tenting” it. He is a school teacher (probably in his 30’s) from Quebec and he speaks French, German and English. First name is Pierre but I didn’t catch the rest. He was very friendly and we discussed US politics a bit. He is not a Bush fan and hopes for greater things from Obama. He is on his way to Alaska also.
Watson Lake, Day Two
Day 20 Monday, 7/6: We have reconsidered our route after leaving here. May stay on the Alaska Highway until we get to Whitehorse and then go north. May skip the gravel/paved Campbell Highway since the Dempster will be ALL gravel and that is a long trip up and back. Used the RZR and went to town again. Checked out their “department store”, an auto parts store and the grocery store. Went back to the Sign Forrest and put up our sign and took lots of pictures. There are over 66,000 signs there now and it’s fun to look at them. It would take weeks to see them all though. Our’s is made out of steel and has COVE OR 1150 cut into it by my nephew Rick in Gresham. He did a great job and it will last forever! The 1150 is the miles from here to Cove.
Met up with the couple from Florida, Fran and Ken, at the grocery store and we went on a nice ATV ride with them on a somewhat overgrown logging road just south of town. We had the sawed-off shotgun and they had the bear spray so we felt fairly safe…. Glad we didn’t have to use either… Did see lots of Moose poop along the way.
At the end of the road (about 12 miles in) we had a snack and enjoyed the view then drove back to camp.
Cleaned up a bit, visited with Fran and Ken (really nice couple), had dinner and called it a day…
Met up with the couple from Florida, Fran and Ken, at the grocery store and we went on a nice ATV ride with them on a somewhat overgrown logging road just south of town. We had the sawed-off shotgun and they had the bear spray so we felt fairly safe…. Glad we didn’t have to use either… Did see lots of Moose poop along the way.
At the end of the road (about 12 miles in) we had a snack and enjoyed the view then drove back to camp.
Cleaned up a bit, visited with Fran and Ken (really nice couple), had dinner and called it a day…
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Watson Lake, Day One of Two
Day 19 Sunday, 7/5: Up early and out of camp by 6:45. Another Critter day. 9-10 black bear, bison, moose, grizzly bear, and very few RV’s because we were on the road early. Into Watson Lake by 10:30 am in camp. Laundry (3 loads!) and clean up time. Much better net access at this RV park. Will get this posted before all the other people arrive… We plan to take the RZR into town this afternoon.
Continue: We did take the RZR into Watson Lake and looked for a place to have lunch. There is only one place and it is called Archie’s Fast Food! He makes a pretty good hamburger (or buffalo burger if you prefer) and great fries. We tried the poutine which is fries with 3 kinds of cheese and brown gravy over all. Very unhealthy but good! It is a Canadian thing that Nathan told us about and we were glad to try it. Bob had a rum and butter milk shake that he said was quite good too. Went by the Sign Post Forrest and it is always so amazing to see the thousands and thousands of signs that people have left. We are going back tomorrow to post ours. Met a couple from Florida (originally, they have been on the road 20 years!) and they have an ATV and wanted to go riding tomorrow so we are going to do it. Weather is still wonderful (almost hot today) and the bugs are much easier to deal with. Plan to stay here at this campground until Tuesday morning and then head north on the Campbell highway which is 60% paved and 40% gravel. Didn’t bother to wash the camper/truck/trailer here because it is just going to get dirty again. Having some wine and working on dinner….
Continue: We did take the RZR into Watson Lake and looked for a place to have lunch. There is only one place and it is called Archie’s Fast Food! He makes a pretty good hamburger (or buffalo burger if you prefer) and great fries. We tried the poutine which is fries with 3 kinds of cheese and brown gravy over all. Very unhealthy but good! It is a Canadian thing that Nathan told us about and we were glad to try it. Bob had a rum and butter milk shake that he said was quite good too. Went by the Sign Post Forrest and it is always so amazing to see the thousands and thousands of signs that people have left. We are going back tomorrow to post ours. Met a couple from Florida (originally, they have been on the road 20 years!) and they have an ATV and wanted to go riding tomorrow so we are going to do it. Weather is still wonderful (almost hot today) and the bugs are much easier to deal with. Plan to stay here at this campground until Tuesday morning and then head north on the Campbell highway which is 60% paved and 40% gravel. Didn’t bother to wash the camper/truck/trailer here because it is just going to get dirty again. Having some wine and working on dinner….
Critter Day
Day 18 Saturday, 7/4: Independence Day! A momentous day for critter watching too! We got a late start out of Fort Nelson due to sleeping in a bit, taking showers, buying a few groceries and getting some cash from an ATM. Heading west and northwest now toward Watson Lake, Yukon. This was a beautiful sunny day with spectacular scenery because we are back in the mountains… Decided we don’t really care much for the flat land. First critter we saw was a small brown bear looking at us from the side of the road. Next thing was a moose grazing, then on to Stone sheep (smaller and darker than Big Horn), some bison, caribou and more sheep! It was very exciting to see so many critters, to have a dry, sunny day and to just enjoy the mountains, rivers and lakes we drove past. Stopped at a campground/cabins/you name it place called Testa River Resort. Saw a sign indicating they were famous for their cinnamon buns so we had to try one. It was an awesome little place with a small café, bakery, gift shop. Bought a very large cinnamon bun to share and two other pastries for tomorrow’s breakfast! The cinnamon bun was to die for! Probably the best we have ever had and to find it in such a remote location! Took our time going through the mountains and we are seeing so many RV’s! There is a caravan of about 20 traveling the same way we are and they all have numbers on their rigs. Hope we don’t end up the same places they are! Had planned to stay at Muncho Lake but the two campgrounds were both full! Kept driving to Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park about another 50 km. further and got their last spot. It is a very nice campground and we plan to have a campfire tonight and BBQ some steaks. It is just so nice to finally have some dry sunny weather finally…. Have our bikes out and ready to go for a short ride.
Fantastic dinner.. Used the remote thermo for the steaks… perfect med rare. Corn on the cob, shrimp and sauce, excellent Canadian Sauvignon Blanc sitting beside the campfire..
Fantastic dinner.. Used the remote thermo for the steaks… perfect med rare. Corn on the cob, shrimp and sauce, excellent Canadian Sauvignon Blanc sitting beside the campfire..
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Fort Nelson
Day 17 Friday, 7/3: Left camp early (before 8:00), back across the Liard River by ferry, onto the Liard Hwy. another 250 km. to the BC border. Saw a large bear on the road and more bison. This is a dirt/gravel road most of the way until the border when it turns to pavement. The last time we were on this road (about 7 years ago) we only saw one other vehicle. Times have changed and we encountered about a dozen or more this time…. Had to put some diesel in the truck as we almost ran out of fuel. This was about 30 km. from Fort Nelson. Drove into town, fueled, and had a low tire on the truck repaired. Had a small nail in it… Same as Les Schwab, free fix!
Staying at a small RV park west of town and they say we have Wifi next to the office so we are going to try and post this to our blog. Slow wi-fi, but at least we are on. Next blog in Watson Lake, 2-3 days down the road
Staying at a small RV park west of town and they say we have Wifi next to the office so we are going to try and post this to our blog. Slow wi-fi, but at least we are on. Next blog in Watson Lake, 2-3 days down the road
Fort Simpson
Day 16 Thursday, 7/2: Left camp around 9:00 and headed to Fort Simpson. At the junction of Hwy 1 and Hwy 7 the road to Fort Simpson turns to pavement and about 60 km up the road is the Liard River Ferry. Seems odd that they would pave just that section of road! Staying in the Provincial Park here. Went to the visitor center and checked e-mails but it was extremely slow so we didn’t try to send any. They had a computer set up for people to use. Will try again when we get to Fort Nelson, probably on Saturday. It rained pretty much all night and all day today! Our truck/camper and trailer are covered in mud and we are hanging out in the trailer where the computer is. The RZR is out so if it ever stops raining we can go for a spin around town…. We heard it is supposed to clear up in 3 or 4 days J There was a brief break in the weather so we took the RZR around the village. We felt like a one man parade because everyone was staring at us and smiling broadly! Guess they had never seen anything like it!!!! (The RZR or us, I’m not sure which….)
Another interesting thing about this park, we parked near the showers and discovered a propane truck filling the propane tank (not surprising), then a ‘honey bucket’ truck showed up to empty the sewer, followed by a water truck to fill the water tank! No underground pipes here… Freeze level is 12 to 14 feet down.
Another interesting thing about this park, we parked near the showers and discovered a propane truck filling the propane tank (not surprising), then a ‘honey bucket’ truck showed up to empty the sewer, followed by a water truck to fill the water tank! No underground pipes here… Freeze level is 12 to 14 feet down.
Sanbaa Deh Falls
Day 15 Wednesday, 7/1: Canada Day. On the road at 8 am…. After some Tim Hortons ‘diet’ donuts. Tried some for dessert at lunch on Tuesday…. Fantastic. Krispy Kream has nothing to compare… Passed the bison again, crossed the Deh Cho (MacKenzie) River, hit the gravel just east of the junction (Hwy 1), and found miles and miles of miles and miles. Gravel was smoother than the pavement! Stopped at Sambaa Deh Falls campground for the night, arriving just before 3:00. Nap, short hike and wine time. Baked some brownies and we are having leftovers for dinner. Nice park but no hook-ups and the showers are ‘out of order’. Beautiful hike to the falls with wildflowers in bloom and of course the dreaded mosquitoes! Took lots of pictures here. Still having the occasional rain showers with sun mixed in. Highs in the 60’s.
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