Last miles before Yukon!

Aug 5/10

Change of plans: the fires have closed Hwy 37 between Dease Lake and the Yukon border. Our only route into the Yukon is Hwy 97, the famed Alaska Highway! Maybe we can do our Yukon visit and then come out south via Hwy 37 and take 16 across BC to the prairies.

And so, today we head for Chetwynd through pine forests, hay fields, giving way to deciduous tress—cottonwoods—then lakes and forest (mostly pine). Snacked at Crooked River—warm and lots of cicadas celebrating summer! Drove on to McCloud—oldest continuous settlement in BC (1805). It now consists of a general stores and liquor outlet, plus post office.

At 4:30 the sun comes out—finally—there has been a gray smoke over everything.

We are driving along the Rocky Mountain Trench—and they are recognizable Rockies, even to those of used to the Roger’s Pass version of Rockies! Not much other traffic today. Arrived at Chetwynd to an RV park West. . . . .—great washrooms and laundry. The sites are industrial and full of garbage—our firepit has a worn out serpentine belt in it and the next door picnic table is covered in empties, a towel and someone added socks during the night!

Aug 6/10

Before leaving Chetwynd, we drive around and look at the chain saw sculptures from the competition the town hosts. Look at the pictures—mythic and First Nations subjects executed in perfect detail!

Today we headed into the Peace River country and stopped for along time at the Bennett Dam. The creation of Williston Lake is a work of destruction and of beauty. (He retired to Victoria, and lived just down Cedar Hill Cross Road from us. He knew Elizabeth.) We took the tour of the powerhouse: “ginormous” does not begin to describe the forces present in the mountain. When we exited into the manifold room with its 6 stories of water swooshing out into the valley, I felt a strong need for some poetry—and some cello!

The Peace River and its valley are beautiful beyond description. Mountain ranges with dark tree lines and stern rocky tops slop down to foothills then wheat and hay fields on steppes and finally to the river valley. This extraordinary piece of the earth must not be flooded to make the Site C under discussion. It is unique and irreplaceable.

The car is to be commended for managing the many 10% grades with switchbacks. Thank goodness for the driving practice in the Okanagan! Tonight we are camping at just north of Fort St John at Charlie Laken and plan to take the morning to do a bit of banking, wash the car etc before heading further north. I like it here; it’s peaceful and basic.

The RV Park at Charlie Lake Recreation and Leisure Park is beautifully treed and carefully tended. A retired couple touring on a motorcycle tell us how dreadful the road is south of Dawson and also south of Fort Nelson. Noted!

Aug 7/10

We tour the museum in Fort St John. It has settings of life in a hospital, in trappers cabins, during WWII, in kitchens as well as an excellent explanation of the role of the Hudson Bay Co and the forts in the area. This is a very young area of the country and I recognize from my childhood many of the tins of spices and washing machines!

Then we have lunch at Mama Panda’s and head for Fort Nelson. I’m curious to see the town because two of my favourite colleagues have taught there. The drive is gray again—this time because of rain.

When we arrive we stay at the Bluebelle Motel and RV Park. This is another RV parking lot, though with full services. Poor Jim sets up in the rain and we stay in all evening—so does everyone else. It continues to rain all night and in the morning the trailer is sitting in a puddle and Jim is sliding around, nervous to unhook the electricity in the midst of the wet!

The washrooms are in a building which has a lake in front of it. This place is off the list for the return trip!

Aug 8/10

This is a landmark day in that we enter the Yukon. Now we’re really north, although we are nowhere near Dawson yet!

We stop at Tetsa Lake Service for gas and to try the ubiquitous cinnamon buns. Gas is $1.40/litre, but the cinnamon buns are fabulous! We talk with a German couple who are touring. We have wonderful information about RVing in Norway if we ever get there!

Still raining—wonder if any of this moisture is far enough east to help with the forest fires. Apparently the highway is now open sometimes with a pilot car convoying a few vehicles through.

Then we stop at Toad River—the usual gas station, restaurant and motel. We see the same couple from Germany. We are all afraid to pass a gas station. There are numerous settlements like Toad River but they have been closed and we get nervous about what might be ahead. We were warned to drive on the top half of the tank—top quarter is even better—the German couple had very nearly run out of gas!

Had lunch at the Muncho Park pullout—water is supposed to be many different colours, but it is such a grey day that one can only imagine!

Then we stopped at Coal River—more gas. Burning premium right now to give the engine every chance on the grades. Not much traffic it seems.

Arrived at Watson Lake at 6:35. Trees in the campground RV Services—very ordinary name for a charming site—and such a nice treat after the wet start to the day in Fort Nelson! Now starts the Yukon adventure!

Aug 4/10

Cache Creek to Prince George—countryside we have never before seen. And it’s covered with a gray pall except for the eerie red light from yesterday afternoon. The air smells acrid and grabs at the throat. As we get a little north of Quesnel ground smoke is visible just over the hills—close enough to the fire!!



We stay just outside the city in a pretty RV park called Southpark. The proprietor has gone to a lot of trouble with flowers—every site has a huge tub of red and white petunias—a pleasant sight after the barren hills of the drive. The beauty here is that of ranch country.

Vancouver to Cache Creek via Seattle July 26 to Aug 3/10

July 26/10

And the great adventure begins! We’re on the 9:00 ferry on an enviable west coast day We’re looking forward to a few days with Eliz and Chris before they head for Ontario—new stuff is afoot! I’m really happy we will see them for awhile in late September, but headed north by going south from here to Seattle to the opera! First of all to pick up the Guppy from Tammy and Reace and then to install ourselves at Burnaby Cariboo RV Park—easier said than done as the spaces are more than a little narrow! With the help of the “helper” I backed into a cedar hedge and scratched the car—poor car, but we’ll worry about paint later—like November.

For readers who haven’t heard—Eliz has finished her MFA in poetry and Chris has a very generous scholarship to start his Masters at York U in Toronto.

July 27/10

We spend the morning squirming into the Guppy with enough stuff for 3 months. Thanks to Tammy and Reace’s planning, we get nearly everything in and still have room in the van (our tow vehicle 2009 Dodge caravan) to seat 4 people!

Supper with Eliz and Chris was amazingly collected and a great visit! They are really well organized--Eliz followed David’s good work in helping me set up this blog. Clearly, by the length of time it has taken me to get posting, there were some aspects I didn’t get. Here’s hoping!

July 29/10

The big anniversary –a nice round 10 years for Eliz and Chris. Lots of memories of events 10 years ago—how can it be so long! Especially since the top layer of the wedding cake is still in my freezer!

Before supper we meet at Queen Elizabeth park and join up with Patrick and Julie, Barrie and Margaret, Trevor and Gitai, and Jeremy. David will join us later at the restaurant, Crave, and Matthew is unable to trade off his work shift.

What a fabulous dinner—great food and even better company! It is heartwarming to see that Elizabeth and Chris are part of such a gifted and promising group! We have lots of great pics—just a couple here!












































Jim and I return to the RV Park to prepare to leave in the morning. David will stick around and do last-minute helping for the big move! Lots of hugs—it will be awhile!

July 30/10

Wagner calls—off to Seattle to see Tristan and Isolde. The Ring cycle last summer (09) seems to have made Wagner fans of us—at least Seattle Wagner fans!

We stay, as per usual on Opera jaunts, at the KOA in Kent, just south of Seattle. The breakfasts are as good as ever and the couple of work it have their son back from Afghanistan. One always wonders. . .

July 31/10

Had an extra good sleep this am and got ready to go to the Pre-opera lecture for 5:00. It was a good thing we went—The director took a very interesting turn from the point in the story where Tristan and Isolde take the death potion which seems to turn into a love potion for most of the rest of the opera. The director interpreted the events after the taking of the potion as a stretching of time such as happens in “Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”—a story in which a northern spy is being hung off a bridge by a party of Confederates who find him. They kick the board out from under his feet and he falls, but the rope breaks and he slips into the water and swims away to safety, eventually making his way to his wife who is waiting on the front porch of their home. Just as he reaches to embrace her joyously, the rope around his neck reaches the end of its travel and his neck snaps. So all the intervening events were all an extension of thoughts in time. So. . . the opera director interpreted events between the taking of the potion and the deaths of the lovers as being part of their mind-processes in the interval. As a result the set changes very little. Only the costumes which where bright red in the beginning change as the life drains out of them. At the end the costumes are white with only a red sash.

There is a great deal of standing still and singing—it is interpreted as a very introspective opera—quite a change from ‘wagner’s Ring Cycle last summer. The voices, as usual for Seatle, were stunning and engaging.

And at the end of the opera the Question and Answer period was taken by the director and by Speight Jenkins. The latter is a real blessing to the opera, for both his musical expertise and for his courage in supporting new opera and new interpretations.

Aug 1/10

Into the familiar pack-up routine and off to Belingham, via a wonderful visit with Liliane and Herb, as well as Ron and Caroline plus Bonnie and Jim. We had a great lunch and visit—reminded me of feeds on the prairies! Lots of good advice about travel in the North. Ron and Caroline have a son and family in Alaska and know the roads well! Herb has done a lot of hunting.

Bellingham RV park is ok. It is devoid of trees, but well run and the wash and laundry rooms are spotless.

Aug 2/10

We stay in Bellingham to have lunch at Birch Bay with Caroline and Ron, Bonnie and Jim, and cousin Max. Great restaurant with tasty food and more conversation—hadn’t run out yet! Bonnie had excellent pictures of the previous day’s gathering all set to examine. Max drove his restored Packard—what a neat car. Maybe I’ll get a ride next time! Back to Vekved’s for a famous Caroline pie and coffee! What a solid send-off to the north.

August 3/10

We head for Cache Creek—an uneventful border crossing. Actually the Duty Free adventure was more exciting! The entrance to the parking lot (at Sumas) is unclear (I do say!) and I went “in” the “out” while towing the trailer—made for a rather messy turnaround, but two cars obligingly moved to help out! Then a rainstorm complete with thunder and lightning broke! Man!

We drove up the Fraser Canyon as a change from the Coquihalla. It is a beautiful route, especially in an air-conditioned van. Jim and I were exchanging stories about how hot it used to get going through there: Terpsichory (Pomeranian) lost all her hair from the heat on one trip. I used to get a Coke ice cream float in Kamloops!









We start to “feel” Canada. There are two trains (CN and CP) on two different tracks. The weight of the rumble of the trains is just a hint of the extent of the nation.
But the sky is gray and there is the smell of smoke in the air. The sun, when it breaks though in the afternoon, is an eerie red—forest fires as far away as Stewart.







At Cache Creek we stay at Brookside Campside—still here from 1995 when we tented here with the kids-ages 13, 10 and 7. Seems an eternity ago. The Campsite is very comfortable with amenities and lots of trees! The couple next door warn of highway closures in the east (Hwy 37) and dense smoke!