Spoffords Travel

Day 12 July 13, 2024 Continental Divide Lodge British Columbia to Whitehorse Yukon Territory 188 miles

We went to bed early last night so we got up earlier this morning. Besides it gets light very early and the window shades are not that good. The shower is tepid at best and the water sprays everywhere. The shower stall is so small you can’t move out of the spray. For sure your shower is short. But we ran the water quite some time hoping it would get warm. The showers for the campground are labeled as cold. The water at the sink is very hot.

We went over to the little restaurant for breakfast. We determined that the lady who runs it makes her own bread, muffins and cinnamon rolls. We had one thick slice of toast with our meal which was tasty. Several people came in for coffee. One happened to be an English man who came here for a woman. He had served in the British army and lost one foot. His girlfriend is in the Canadian army as a chaplain.

The weather is mostly cloudy today and cool. We turned the fan on in the car and of course all the windows are closed. Traffic is not all that bad today. Mostly RVs with a few semis. No logging trucks even though there are thousands of trees.

Speaking of trees I think I have determined that the tall skinny trees are Western Larch. If that is so the needles turn orange and fall off. I have asked and so far no one seems to know but there are lots of them. I don’t think they log them because they are too skinny to make a 2×4.

The road dropped back into British Columbia for 42 miles. If we had not had the Alaska Milepost book we would not have known.

We encountered a few short patches of gravel road. No sign that they plan to pave them. Makes no sense.

We have been following The Milepost book which tells what things are along the road. We are now on the Alaska Highway which was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers in 1942. Most of what we saw today was trees, lakes, trees, rivers, trees, and creeks. Oh yes and more trees. There are turnouts often. Some are considered rest stops because they have a pit toilet. Many of the creeks were named by someone in the Corp.

We crossed the next to the longest bridge on the highway at 1,917 feet. The floor of the bridge is the metal grating that cause the woodie to swerve all over. The bridge is being replaced with what looks like the same kind of bridge. We took it slowly as advised. We stopped just before the bridge at a rest stop that supposed had a good place to take a picture. It most likely was good at some point but now the trees have grown up too much for picture taking.

Just across the bridge is the First Nation town of Teslin. Most vehicles were stopping here to gas up including us. The book told us to really watch our speed through here. Success, no speeding ticket.

We have been warned to watch for bear, moose and caribou. So far no sightings beyond the black bear at the beginning of the trip.

We stopped at the rest stop just before another bridge painted bright blue. Several others are stopped here too.

We then crossed the third longest bridge at 1,770 feet has a concrete floor. This bridge was built high above the water so ships could pass under. Most of the ships stopped carrying supplies after the highway was built.

We arrived in Whitehorse about 3:00. This town is considerably larger so more traffic. They have a quilt shop so Connie headed out to see it. Great shop. She helped the local economy.

We ate dinner at a beer brewery that was obviously very popular. It wasn’t very big but was always busy. Connie tried a Two Percent Spritzer that Rob was eyeing. That is until he tasted it. Described as a bitter herby flavor.

No problems with our basic transportation today. However, it could use a good bath.

Day 11 July 12, 2024 Dease Lake British Columbia to Continental Divide Lodge Yukon 222 miles

Today is complete cloud cover and cooler. Only a few rain drops. We started the day by going to Charlie’s Repair shop to see about getting an oil change. He couldn’t do one but gave Rob an oil pan, a piece of cardboard to scoot under the car and oil disposal. So we pulled over to the side of his driveway and Rob changed the oil. Charlie called Rob vintage. We don’t think he has ever been called that before.

Then back to the gas station for a fill up before leaving. That gave us a late start of about 10:00 am. Fortunately we planned a shorter day. The gas station is also a small grocery store. Outside the grocery is a large metal rooster with caribou antlers.

Not far out of town we encountered the first construction work of the day. They are crack sealing. That means they are filling the holes and cracks with road mix and then covering that with what looked like oil. They were using a pilot car that went much further than the work area. A semi actually passed us while we were all in the pilot car line. Never had one do that before. He must have thought the line was over.

Much further down the road another group was crack sealing another long stretch of highway. The weather must cause real havoc with the roads. They are all full of cracks, pot holes and bumps. We just keep bouncing along.

All along the route are lakes, rivers and creeks. Sometimes you can see a long stretch but mostly we only see glimpses through the trees.

We came to Jade City where they mine jade. Looks like a tourist trap to us but there are a lot of vehicles in the parking lot. Outside are numerous big rocks that have been sliced and polished to reveal the jade. The area produces about 1 million pounds of jade annually.

Oh my a wild animal. A porcupine was right beside the road. Glad it was not on the road. Those quills are deadly on tires.

Next up was Good Hope Lake. This is a Native Nation town. They have gas and diesel but as we remembered from before they are only open limited hours and prefer to sell to Native Nation residents. So on we go.

We ate at a small turn out at the entrance to a provincial park. One vehicle stopped and took a picture and two French speaking bicycles also stopped. They had never seen anything like it.

The landscape opened up into a large valley filled with trees. The mountains are further away and shorter. These are the oldest mountains in British Columbia. They are more like New England with evergreen trees rather than hardwoods.

Then we came upon a huge area that had been destroyed by wildfire. We didn’t ever see a date but it must not have been too long because new vegetation has not started. Many of the burned trees are laying on the ground like giant black toothpicks. The forest has been destroyed as far as we can see in all directions. A short section the hills are like giant mole hills all very close together.

At last we have reached the Yukon. Good bye British Columbia at least for now. A small sign says goodbye and a large sign says hello.

We filled with gas at the junction of the Cassiar Highway and the Alaska Highway. We have been traveling on the Cassiar Highway for several days. The Alaska Highway seems much smoother and wider. Probably explains the more semi trucks. Still lots of RVs in all sizes. The right-of-way between the road and the trees is considerably wider and full of wildflowers in all colors and sizes. In many of the sandy cuts words are spelled out in rocks. This was originally done by the Fort Nelson swim team in 1990. Many of those words are no longer legible because many of the rocks are missing. Other travelers have continued the practice however.

Our lodging tonight is at the Continental Divide Lodge. We pulled into their gas station. The clerk came running out saying we were the coolest thing she had seen come off the highway. We even got a discount on the room and a free load of laundry.

Day 10 July 11, 2024 Stewart British Columbia to Dease Lake British Columbia 254 miles

First a little about our lodging. We are in the Historic Bayview Hotel built in 1924. Our room didn’t have a bay view. It had a view of the building next door’s roof and the building on the other side of that. The room was small before they installed the bathroom. The room contained a coat rack, rectangular table with a larger top for luggage, an uncomfortable chair, fan, small refrigerator, dresser, night stand and full size bed. That left just enough room to get around. We are up a rather long flight of wooden stairs for which the hand rail does not go to the top. A common area further down the hall has a microwave and some pots and pans. One electric heating element is there also. Just don’t use more than one electric appliance at a time.

At about 1:00 in the morning the smoke alarm goes off. We didn’t smell smoke but rather something like burnt toast. By the time Rob got out to see the alarm quit. We went back to bed. Then in five or so minutes the smoke alarm and the fire alarm went off. We got up quickly, threw on a few clothes and headed down the stairs. Another guest was already calling the desk attendant number. That person called the fire department and the manager. So far no one or flames. Then a lady appeared at the top of the stairs calling for help. Rob and another guest went to help. About then the desk attendant and the manager arrived followed closely by the fire truck. Turns out the lady lives full time in the apartment located in the hotel. She had put some eggs on to boil and fell asleep. Rob ascertained the situation and got things under control. The fire personnel determined it was safe to return. So much for a good night’s sleep. Windows and doors were opened to clear the smoke and lower the “sleeping” temperature.

We got up at our usual time, loaded up and drove to Hyder Alaska. Hyder can only be reached through Canada or by boat. The United States has no immigration station here so we just kept driving. The town is pretty much closed up. There are a few houses scattered along the road. The general store boasts a sign advertising fresh fudge. Everything is quiet. We drove out of town in a matter of minutes. The road follows the river with high peaks on both sides. Before long we turned around and parked in a turn out right by the river. Luckily its not raining but the clouds are hanging low. We ate breakfast there. Great stop.

Now to start the day’s travel by returning to Canada. A sign as we left Hyder said friendliest little ghost town. The Canadian side had an immigration office that looked closed. We slowed to a stop and tried to see someone but didn’t so we continued. Then a lady came out and told us to stop. She asked lots more questions then when we entered before. Evidently a lot of Canadians go there to buy booze and cigarettes.

After the rather long question and answer session we returned to Stewart which is only a few miles from Hyder and returned the way we came yesterday. This time we are going to look for Bear Glacier that is about half way between Stewart and the Junction where we filled with gas. We stopped in a couple of places to take pictures because there was less rain today. Sure enough we eventually saw it on the top of the mountain. It is quite blue in color unlike the remaining snow. We took pictures from two spots and then it began raining.

We stopped for gas at the Junction again and recognized that we stayed there two years ago when we drove across Canada. They were extremely small rooms in manufactured home like structures. But up here you don’t always have a choice.

We drove along with rain showers coming and going. About the time the windshield would clear the rain would come again. Therefore picture taking was not good. The mountains along here are tall and close. Most still have some snow. Waterfalls are frequent too. The road is rather rough with pot holes and dips. We crossed several small creeks. Sometimes the bridge floor is wooden and sometimes metal grates. The wooden ones are great. The metal ones make the woodie move from side to side. Sure glad the traffic is lighter. Only a couple of logging trucks.

We ate lunch at a rest stop but elected not to use the picnic table. Possible rain and mosquitos. Besides the temperature is cool and the table is most likely wet.

The mountains are now further away and there is some valley. The wind is coming and going mixed in with the rain. A handful of individuals riding bicycles were along the way. Sure glad I don’t plan to do that.

A crew has been working to clear a right-of-way strip about 30 feet wide along both sides of the road. They are removing trees and brush. The crew all waved when we drove by.

Many of the evergreen trees now are tall with short limbs. They are also darker in color. They look almost as though they have been burned.

A few miles out of Dease Lake we encountered major road construction. They have removed the asphalt so it is all gravel and not very smooth. We managed to get on the tail end of the pilot car run. We traveled several miles in one lane while they were packing down the other lane. The other cars were quite a bit further ahead. There were enough hills in the stretch so we had to slow down. We drove a few more miles and then came to where they are seal coating. The gravel is still loose.

We arrive in Dease Lake just before 5:00. We have a room with a kitchenette but went to the Asian food truck for dinner. It was recommended by one of the folks from last night. Not the best. I think we are getting a more distinctive palate.

No issues with the car today other than a slightly sleepy driver. Hopefully we can resolve the driver issue tonight.

Day 9 July 10, 2024 Smithers British Columbia to Stewart British Columbia 210 miles

The coffee machine in the breakfast room was the fanciest Keurig ever. There were eight options to choose from with including hot chocolate, tea, latte, cappuccino, espresso and regular coffee. The beans are ground after you make your choice. The used grounds container filled up while we were there so Connie figured out how to empty it. The other unique item was all wooden utensils.

We finished and loaded the car. Several crows were at the back door. One was working very hard to get into a discarded pizza box. Amazing what they can do.

We stopped briefly for gas and finally took off about 9:00 am. The skies are partly cloudy and much cooler.

Came to our first construction site of the day. They used a traffic light mounted on the back of a pickup with a drop down gate like those used by railroads. The other end was a regular flagger. Later we saw these used on both ends of a construction site.

Just before our turn off a portable sign indicated an active wildfire was ahead. Be aware of low visibility. Sure glad we aren’t going that way.

The landscape is predominantly dense forest. It is a combination of evergreen and birch. Occasionally we could see a lake or river through the trees. Large mountains are in the distance. Some snow is still on them.

The skies are getting cloudier and the temperature is dropping. We came to a couple of short patches where a lot of rain had fallen recently. This was a warning of things to come. Very shortly after filling with gas a continuous rain started falling. It last nearly until we arrived in Stewart. Rob got out and put the windows down. He also opened up the manifold heater and got a blanket for Connie.

The mountain on the opposite side of the river still has snow at about our level. The river has a fine mist above for a long distance. The top of the mountains are hidden in clouds so the view isn’t as good as it could be. Luckily there is significantly less traffic.

The GPS took us to the wrong location for our lodging. While we were stopped trying to figure it out a couple stopped to admire the car. They own an RV park in town and were hoping we planned to stay. We agreed to follow them back for pictures. On the way the car ran out of gas! No wonder we were smelling gas. The RV hosts returned and the two guys got things restored but we lost at least three quarters of a tank of gas. They put in some gas from our gas cans to get us to the camp ground and on to the gas station. The hose from one end of the inline gas filter came loose.

The hotel for tonight is definitely an old one. It was built in 1924. The room is small but if you look over the building next door the view is gorgeous. We went to the highly recommended Mexican restaurant across the street for dinner. Expensive and only fair in our opinion. Connie does much better Mexican food.

Day 8 July 9, 2024 Prince George British Columbia to Smithers British Columbia 234 miles

This room has a very unique bathroom wall. Normally it is clear glass so you can see in the bathroom from the rest of the space. When you close the bathroom door the wall clouds up so you can’t see through. Wonder what that cost them.

The hotel doesn’t provide breakfast because the restaurant is undergoing renovations. So after loading the car we headed for Connaught Hill Park which is very close by. We wind our way up the hill to the top. The views are terrific in all directions. Several types of trees provide lots of nice shade. We lulled into the parking lot and used the microwave to heat water for tea, coffee and instant oatmeal. John Taylor walked up and talked with us for quite awhile. Then the landscape crew drove up for a short visit. It was a very well maintained park.

Back down the hill and a quick stop for gas and ice. Then we are on our way. Late start for sure. It was about 9:30. Next to the road is a wide section of land where the trees have been removed. Most likely so you can see a deer, moose or bear in time to stop. Well we did see a black bear close to the trees. Unfortunately not in time for a photo Or a quick bite.

The landscape is mostly forest and grass hay fields. The pine forest has more birch trees mixed in. Sometimes the grass is being mowed, sometimes drying, sometimes baled and waiting for pickup. Big round bales, big rectangular bales and small rectangular bales. Some fields have multiple shapes. At the corner of a farm road a flat bed semi is stopped. On the ground to its right is a full load of grass hay. Other than one bale it is still perfectly stacked. We think the driver cut the corner and the load slid off.

We are still encountering lots of loaded logging trucks. In the town of Vanderhoof was a huge sawmill. There were stacks and stacks of what looked like 2x4s. Some have been there a long time and are looking a little warped. Now we know where Home Depot gets their lumber. At the end of the mill grounds are thousands of logs ready for processing.

Down the road we pulled into the small town of Fort Frazer. We parked on a back street in the shade and ate our picnic lunch. In order to get back on the road we went back near the only gas station so we filled again.

At the end of town construction crews are working on a bridge. Thankfully that didn’t slow us down much. Then came a slow vehicle sign. That means they are mowing the grass near the road.

A lake comes into view. Turns out this was the first of several. This is the Lake District. RV camping spots are along the way. We have observed that far more Canadians have campers on their pickups than do Americans.

A Mennonite Church sits beside the road. We haven’t seen any that we know of. I know there are some in Alberta where my cousins live.

Break time so we stopped at the A & W in Houston for a root beer. You will be glad to know that the Whistle Dog is back for a limited time. I think this applies only to Canada so if you want to try one you must go north. In case you don’t know what they are they are on a toasted bun with bacon, cheddar cheese and condiments. All this for $5.64 US. We did not try any. That would spoil our supper plans.

The grocery store was close by so we walked over to get cream cheese for our picnics and a salad kit for dinner. Plenty of choices except ice cream. The hot weather has had an effect On ice cream consumption.

One more bridge construction project before reaching our destination of Smithers. We got here about 5:00 pm. A little cooler here. Only mid 80s. We had no problem with the car overheating today. Oh, and Rob saw a big bear cut out of a big tree.

Day 7 July 8, 2024 100 Mile House British Columbia to Prince George British Columba 207 miles

Today is supposed to be another hot one and unfortunately the hotel doesn’t have an ice machine. They did include a breakfast but unlike most places they had no juice and they used real plates and silverware.

We left the hotel at about 9:00 am but stopped for gas and ice before leaving town. The GPS says not many road changes today. Of course there are not many roads. The few roads that go off the highway typically go to campsites, resorts or ranches. They are well marked in advance which is really nice. Signs also tell you how far to the next passing lane. Passing lanes don’t always mean a hill. We have seen lots of signs indicating from October 1 through April 30 passenger vehicles must use winter tires. Another different sign occurs when driving in an avalanche zone. That sign says no stopping if there is a rain event.

The drive today has more lakes and rivers. The land seems mostly ranches or forest. Wildflowers are in great abundance. They come in white, yellow, orange, red and purple. Several different flowers exist for each color.

We stopped for gas in the small town of Lake Mcleese. The clerk at the convenience store came out to look at the car and give us travel advice. He also blessed our journey and called upon the Jedi forces to protect us. Well something like that anyway.

There are still up and down hills today but not as high and not the really long grades. Therefore the car didn’t overheat. Since we were moving more we didn’t get overheated either.

This road is very busy with semis and big RV rigs. Some of the worst though are the logging trucks. If the logs are big around they are going south. If they are small around they are going north. Regardless of the direction they are going fast and they are long. We saw a few very large sawmills with thousands of logs ready to process.

My oh my we actually passed a vehicle. Nevermind that it was a medium sized tractor. Luckily we were on the flat.

We ate our lunch in a very nice park right along the main road. We were able to sit on a bench in the shade. The temperature had not gotten too high yet and a gentle breeze was blowing. A nap would have been nice. The park had an electric vehicle charging station. Don’t know the cost.

Our hotel is right downtown. We arrived about 3:00 pm which is good. While Rob was checking us in a nice gentle man stopped on his bike and asked about the car. We need to do laundry and refill the pill packets tonight. The hotel has a guest laundry so very convenient. You have to use an app to pay for the machine use.

We walked about a block to an Irish Pub for dinner rather than the Indian restaurants. We have learned the Canadians seem to use Brisk for all their iced tea. We have now had that twice and don’t care for it.

Somehow we neglected to mention we saw a minor wreck yesterday. Looked as though the driver fell asleep at the wheel or just went off the pavement. No one seemed hurt but the car was going on a tow truck.

Day 6 July 7, 2024 Bellingham Washington to 100 Mile House British Columbia 278 miles

David got us delicious scones for breakfast. He gets them at the Farmer’s Market in Bellingham. They were flavorful and soft. The best kind. A doe and one fawn were on the front lawn this morning. David said there are two fawns so the other one must have been hiding. We left soon after breakfast.

We decided to fill the car at Costco. For some reason the route this morning seemed much longer. We twisted and turned all through town. We did finally get there. Then off to the back roads again.

More beautiful farms and mountains. They have a somewhat Scandinavian look. Numerous big dairies again. Looks like the cows never get out of the sheds. Hay and corn are the main crops. The bales are a mixture of medium round ones and the older style rectangular ones.

We were thinking we should be about to the border when suddenly there it was right in front of us. There were two short lines so the crossing didn’t take long at all. Not many questions either. Before long we began the day’s journey through the mountains. We went through seven tunnels, followed several different rivers, and wound up and down the mountains. The road has lots of passing lanes and pull outs which is great since we are slower. At first we are in evergreen forest but then it turns to dry sagebrush covered mountains. The temperature is getting much warmer. Some of the electronic road signs warn of excessive heat. Then at a rest stop in the middle of nowhere we saw two electric car charging stations. We never saw any others the remainder of the day.

Near the convenience store where we fueled was a mountain with a large question mark in the landscape. Not sure what caused that. A couple of long freight trains were across the river from us. We rarely got down to river level. Eventually we stopped at one of the rest stops that actually had shade and ate lunch. The shade definitely felt better than the sun.

The temperature was getting so hot and the hills were so steep that the car started over heating. We stopped five times all together to let it cool down. It was 103 F at one of the stops. Rob opened the hood and occasionally a hot breeze would blow through. On the fifth stop he added more water to the radiator. That combined with somewhat cooler temperatures we were able to make it to the hotel in 100 Mile House by 8:00 pm. People checked on us at three of the stops. We were offered a camping site as well.

That is when a couple on a bike from Wisconsin saw the car. They could not believe we were going to drive that to Deadhorse. They did give us some good information about the trip. They have gone there before. He gave so much information and so quickly we may not remember it. What was the name of that dead horse?