We finished driving for another three days straight. The first two days weren’t bad but the last day was brutal from beginning to end. But we made it to Revelstoke finally.
Here are some pictures from Skagway to Revelstroke..
Ok well it’s really been five days since the last post in Juneau. First we had the 6.5 hour ferry ride. We went back on the ferry to Skagway getting up at 4am to be to the ferry by 5am. Ferry was on time today and the ride was smooth. Busier than the ride over, we sat in the cafeteria for most of the trip as all the other tables were full.
Scenery was sill great. And not as windy outside but still cold.
For the last couple hours we moved to the back deck. It cleared out a lot when we stopped in Haines.
May have been a bad choice, they turned off the heat lamps when we stopped so it was pretty cold out there.
Back in Skagway. We had a down day before our drives. We walked around town a bit.
Marcus showed us a bridge he had ran to. It’s not a very big town he had to cover most of it to get his miles in.
Still in Skagway we took a drive to see what we could see. I wanted to check out the old mining ghost town of Dyea. And get on the famous gold miners hiking trail. We stopped off at the Slide cemetery on the way.
Trail to the cemetery
At the cemetery, was a interesting but weird stop off
We also checked out the tidal flats. Pretty cool area.
In Dyea, nothing left really except the town streets still grided out.
I expected more really. We didn’t stay long
Old ship, they used the tide to bring supplies. Sometime ships old it stuck. Town lost out to Skagway when the rail line came in.
Checking out the 33 mile Chilkoot trail. We only did a mile. Would be awesome to come back and do the whole thing someday.
Proof we were in the right place
It was an awesome trail to hike on even though we just got a taste. 1/2 mile in and back. It was really steep right out of the gate.
Mossy
Some downhill as well that we’d have to hit on the way out. Another reason we didn’t venture far we didn’t have the gear for a serous hike.
Turned around and found Samus in a tree.
Everyone had fun on this little hike
Stopped to get a look at the river
A lot of tours from the cruise ships, we passed a couple in our hike. They’d hike in a ways not sure how far but farther than us and then float on back. We ran into a group that we passed a few times. The guide was talking to us, he was from Seattle but but had been to Sioux Falls a few years ago and loved our micro-brew scene. Had great things to say about Covert Brewery.
Now we’re in the car, between the boarder crossings is a tundra area. We said we wanted to stop on the way back and so we did. Pretty crazy landscape.
Lots of little ponds but this is a big one
After this stop was the boarder crossing, no search this time just some questions and we were on our way.
Still going the first drive day. Stopped off at Liard Hot Springs again. Much nicer day this time.
I’m glad we stopped we were treated to a moose having a snack.
When it looked at me gave me a little flash back to Marc and my moose encounter at Bearpaw lake in the Tetons. Much more distance between us here but probably closer than recommended.
Since it was nice out this time we walked more of the boardwalk to check out the hanging garden.
The hanging garden
Good shot of the whole pool area.It was too hot today was much better when it was cold and rainy. Too hot so we didn’t stay too long.
We made it to our destination for the night less than a hour down the road. Muncho Lake. Being hot we were looking forward to a cold mountain lake. We got more than we bargained for. The hot springs were too hot, this was too cold. We all agreed (well the three of us that went in) that it was the coldest lake we’ve ever been in. It was so cold.
But a beautiful crystal clear lake.
Marc got in
I floated around
We both jumped off the dock. Marc a few times.
Enough of that. It was dangerous cold. Never got used to it took your breath away every time dunking in. Hands, feet, everything numb.
Our camping spot just staying overnight at the Northern Rockies Lodge. They have a few lakeside campsites and they have a motel and different cabins. A pretty nice lodge.
Been a while since we had a camp fire. Needed this one to warm us up.
Shot of our campsite from one of the docks
They do float plane adventures here. So have a couple float planes docked for the night.
We finally made it… to the sign… we’re leaving the Alaskan highway but I made sure we weren’t taking the bypass this time.
White knight in the parking area next to the sign. Got the elevator shot.
Our stop for night two was by Grand Prairie. We’re at Bear Lake campground. A little campground I had found around where we needed to be for the night. But turns out I didn’t look at it real well. It only has non-potable water so we had to dry camp for the night. It was a bit of a chore we don’t normally travel with water but I could have kept some if I would have realized it. We had to fill a lemonade carton we keep water in to use when traveling to use the bathroom (need to fill the toilet bowl with some water to have things work properly) a couple of times with its non-potable water. As we were also running out of bottled water to drink. And definitely non-potable, the water was chunky we expect just pumped from the lake.
Was nice mostly empty campground otherwise.
A bear for bear lake.
And the next day on the Bighorn Highway we got a good look at a bear… but I didn’t get a good picture. You can barely see it. A grizzly bear walked across the road and I was able to pull over. We watched it walk through the ditch and then in a pissed off fashion swat at the bushes as it made its way back into the forest. Was pretty funny.
River we stopped by the river to have lunch
Making sandwiches again. Kids aren’t real happy at the jar of peanut butter I brought along. I’m rather enjoying it we don’t ever eat peanut butter sandwiches at home. Got off them when Becky had her allergy issues so really since the first trip we had been peanut butter free. We also have some meat and cheese, I think that’s what Marc is making here.
Mark enjoying his sandwich.
I never miss an opportunity to get an odd angle on the old family truckster. Was quite the climb up from the river bank. The rest of the drive was long and a bit treacherous. The Icefields parkway was beautiful but it was so busy. We couldn’t even get gas in Jasper both stations had queues of a dozen or more cars and not big stations anyway for the camper with that much activity clogging up the station. So we gulped and kept going hopefully we have enough to the next station, we did have enough but we already had a scare when I left Grand Prairie missing the last gas station. So worrying about gas for another stretch I wasn’t looking much forward to. Then we turned on Hwy 1 to go over the passes to Revelstoke. Bigger road but tons of trucks and steep grades. My nerves we already shot and now this. A few really sketchy moments. But we lived, not looking forward to heading back over and into banff, with all the people in Jasper (which is pretty much burned up) I bet Banff will be a zoo.
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