Driving the Dempster

 

Fasten your seatbelts - here we go! Maybe get a cup of tea or a glass of water, because this is a long, long post. 

The Dempster Highway (aka Yukon Highway 5 and Northwest Territories Highway 8) had a start and stop construction history, beginning in 1959, but not opening until 1979. The road begins 40 kilometres from Dawson City, Yukon, and ends at Inuvik, Northwest Territories. Further construction, completed in 2017 carries on to Tuktoyatuk on the Arctic Ocean. I'll save that portion for another day. 

We departed Dawson City around 7:30 am on a sunny August morning. We left behind our travel trailer, not wanting to subject it to 747+ kilometers of gravel road complete with innumerable potholes.

Our first stop was Tombstone National Park, about 70 km along the road. Many people drive just this far and turn around, because the road here is the worst of the entire trip. We jounced and rattled along, with Tim crossing back and forth across the road trying to avoid the worst holes.

The mountain above is the view from the visitor's centre. In the clear northern light it looked amazing. I would never tire of that view. 

We carried on, stopping now and again to just absorb the immensity of the space. William Ogilvie, a land surveyor who explored and surveyed much of the Yukon and the NWT, including establishing the border between the Yukon and Alaska, in 1893 wrote, 

"...the scenery is sublime...vastness such as I have never before conceived, while in every direction as far as the eye could reach appeared to brood the spirit of profound solitude, silence and desolation."

We certainly felt that vastness, solitude and silence. It is unlike any landscape I've ever seen. I felt like I was on top of the world. The colours were amazing, with fireweed adding pink, and oddly, burned sections of forest looking dusky purple. The road wound on and on, up and down, and was visible far in the distance. 

Although the drive could be done in one long day, we chose to break it up and stayed the first night at Eagle Plains. What's in Eagle Plains? Very little. A gas station and mechanic shop, and a motel. It was constructed in the 1970s and remains a crucial support point for industrial trucks (and tourists) along the highway. The decor reminded me of visiting a great aunt's home where the welcome is warm, but nothing has been updated for quite some time. 

About 9 people live here year round. We spoke with the manager of the motel/restaurant, who is from Mexico and will be spending his first winter here this year. Another employee, from the Czech Republic, said she spent the previous winter, and it was hard because of the isolation and lack of light. Vitamins and melatonin helped her and this year she plans to get a lamp that replicates sunlight. 

We enjoyed a most delicious dinner in the restaurant both coming and going on the highway, as we stayed on the way back, too. I awoke in the night and peeked behind the blackout blinds to see a glowing red sky streaked with clouds around 1 am. Now I wish I had dressed and taken my camera outside. 

The next morning we got up early and ate breakfast in the Tahoe. I had made muffins before leaving Dawson City, and we had fruit with us. 

Not far from Eagle Plains is the rest stop marking the Arctic Circle at 66 degrees 33 minutes latitude. We were early and the sun fierce behind us, so the photos are not the greatest, but we had fun posing in various stances while I ran back and forth to the camera. 

We stopped to walk on the tundra and taiga several times, and to listen to the utter absence of man-made sound. Distances are deceptive - at one point I suggested we walk to the top of a hill on the road just for exercise. It took far longer than I'd thought. The tundra is soft with vegetation and we sank down almost to our knees in places. We watched a cow moose with her calf on a distant hill for some time. 

There are clear and calm lakes, where we saw Trumpeter Swans swimming in the distance, and geese and mallards floated in abundance. The feeling of utter freedom made me want to run in exhilaration with my arms open wide like Maria in The Sound of Music. The air is an elixir of energy.

Foxtail Barley ripples in the wind, adding motion and colour to the landscape. It's native to Yukon, but can be harmful to animals. 

The highway passes through the Ogilvie Mountains and then the Richardson Mountains. Descending from the latter we came to the Peel River, and then the McKenzie River, both crossed by small ferries. You can see that the ferry "terminal" is not quite the same as we are used to. 

The Dempster Highway closes during fall freeze-up and spring break-up. In the fall, the rivers must freeze solid before traffic can drive across the ice, and in the spring, the ferries can't run until the ice has departed, nor can vehicles drive across. This is about 6-8 weeks in both fall and spring. Supplies must be stored for these weeks as the only access is by air, and that is minimal. The woman who gave us the greenhouse tour in my previous post said she kept a very deep pantry, and was stocking up for freeze-up. 

Fort McPherson is a hamlet inhabited mostly by about 640 First Nations peoples. It is the site of a former Hudson Bay fur trading post, and the starting point of The Lost Patrol, where four RCMP officers died after getting lost in the winter. They were enroute from Fort McPherson to Dawson City via dog sled and missed a turn. Their bodies were found and brought to Fort McPherson for burial. 

On our way back we saw a huge mother grizzly with her also very large cub. Grizzly bear cubs stay with their mothers up to three years, and Tim estimated this one to be 2-3 years old. The mother disappeared over the ridge just before I took the photo. A noise startled this cub and it took off running across the grasses, its glossy fur rippling in the light. A magnificent sight. 

If you've read this far, you're to be commended! One last photo of the scenery, this one taken in Tombstone Park on the way back. Rain in the distance made for a moody photo as we stood, realizing that we would soon leave this place and possibly never return. It was truly the experience of a lifetime. 

Sweet peas, and Midnight in Inuvik

 

Inuvik, Northwest Territories, lies at 68.36 degrees north latitude, above the Arctic Circle, and on the vast McKenzie River delta. It's a planned town, started in the 1950s to replace another across the river that was constantly flooded. 

Because of its northern location, Inuvik enjoys over 50 days of continual light during the summer, along with the opposite of 30 days of polar night during the winter. I took the above photo at 3 minutes before midnight on the 5th of August. Actual sunset was about 20 minutes later, very early the next morning. 

I set up my tripod in a little park overlooking the river, around 11:30 pm. Young children were splashing in the water, having a great time. A Muslim family with two young children were enjoying the evening. It felt very odd to me to not have any complete darkness throughout the night. During this portion of our trip we stayed in a hotel and were very thankful for blackout curtains. 

The temperature that day was a sunny 26 degrees Celsius (79 F). The next day was 14 C (57F), and the next even cooler. It warmed up again after we left. 

Construction in Inuvik must consider the permafrost. Buildings are raised on pilings. All services reach homes via an utilidor system which you can see above. Water, electricity, gas, and sewer run through above ground steel pipes behind the houses. 

Landscaping is minimal because of the climate, but I saw lots of pots of petunias in the north, bright and colourful bits of summer. 

An iconic landmark in the town is the "igloo church" - also known as Our Lady of Victory church. We took a very interesting tour through the church and were able to climb into the cupola with narrow stained glass windows. The cupola is lighted at night in winter and is said to be very beautiful. The shiny effect on the domed roof is created by diamond-shaped aluminum "scales". 

The growing season in Inuvik is extremely short, and not suitable for growing much food. An old hockey rink has been converted into a community greenhouse where members can have garden plots for a small membership fee and some volunteer hours. With 24-hour light for a couple of months, the protected gardens grow very quickly. We toured the greenhouse with a gardener who was very enthusiastic. 

But what about the sweet peas? We asked the tour guide to show us her garden, which she was happy to do. "But," she commented, "I don't know why my peas aren't forming big pods." It was her first time growing garden peas, and she had ordered sweet pea seeds. She had a lovely colourful array of flowers, and was quite shocked when I told her that all parts of the sweet pea plant are toxic. "I'll just pull them out, then," she said, "because I want to grow food." 

Once home again, I was very happy to see my own sweet pea flowers still producing a few blooms. Above are the last of them, and I've harvested the seeds to plant next year. The twisted pods in the photo are ones where they burst open on their own. Perhaps they will come up as volunteers next spring. I'll be happy to see them. 

For now, I'm still enjoying summer and am in no hurry to think about autumn. Today is our son's birthday, born on a sunny morning in the Ecuadorian jungle. We'll be getting together later in the month for a family party celebrating three birthdays. Today I plan to deal with all the apples that are falling off the trees! Applesauce, here we come!

Friday Favourites: More Summer than Autumn

 

In my garden on this first day of September, golden Rudbeckia dominate one bed. I never used to allow yellow into my garden, but one year I planted these, and oh my, have they ever flourished! I will be dividing them in hopes of curtailing their dominance. The purple Echinacea that I had hoped would take over are not as aggressive as the Rudbeckia, but I plan to give them more space. The yellow does add lots of brightness.

One afternoon I took two of the grand girls to Butchart Gardens. It was hot and sunny and not very good for taking photos. But we had a fun time together. Many tourists continue to visit and I enjoyed hearing the cacophony of languages as we wandered the paths. 

On another day Sadie (whose mother is in teaching preparation mode this week), and I accompanied Ashley and her two littles to a nearby lake for the morning. Digging in the sand appealed much more than swimming in the lake. 

Okanagan peaches are in season at the moment and Sadie helped me can 12 pints of them. I peeled and halved them, she put them into jars and poured the syrup over them. The work was done in very little time. How delicious they will be in the darker, colder days to come.

This morning I noticed how the rich fragrance of ripe fruit rose to my nose as I held a round peach and peeled it with a paring knife, the velvet skin pulling away from the golden flesh in long strips. Then the soft plop, plop, plop as the chunks fell into my bowl. I added raspberries and strawberries from the garden, plus yogurt and nuts, and enjoyed a most delicious breakfast, along with a cup of tea. 

I had thought to eat on the patio, but after going outside, I quickly changed my mind. Mornings are cooler, and damp, a harbinger of days to come. Still, the days are pleasantly warm, and summer lingers in spite of the quickly shortening days. Already by 8:30 it's now getting dark. I plan on enjoying every bit of summer I can. 

Wildlife in the Wild

 

The Alaska Highway, also known as the AlCan (Alaska Canada) passes through five rugged mountain ranges and crosses countless rivers and streams. Constructed over eight months in 1942, its purpose was providing a land route to supply Alaska in the event of sea routes being cut off after the attack on Pearl Harbour. 

The vast majority of the highway passes through the Canadian province of British Columbia up to the Yukon Territory (also Canada), and then across to the Alaskan border, about 1900 kilometres, with the total length from Dawson Creek, BC to Fairbanks, Alaska about 2230 kilometres. 

Muncho Lake, seen above, stretches 12 kilometres along the route. It's a popular place for camping in the summertime with a beautiful jade green colour due to copper oxide leached from the bedrock underneath the lake. 

Above the lake is an alluvial fan where gravel, boulders, and sediment form a triangular shaped field washed down by rivers and streams. We spent a few hours one morning walking up the fan, and found it quite challenging because of the stones and gravel. 

To our delight, a small herd of Stone Sheep clattered down the fan across from us. How sure-footed and swift they are with dainty hooves much more agile than our clumsy booted feet.  

Their goal was the highway where they lick salt and minerals from the roadbed. In the winter highways are salted to lower the freezing temperature of the water, making roads safer. Once the licking was completed, the sheep made their way along the rock face beside the highway. How perfectly they blend in to the scenery. 

Not too far up the road from Muncho Lake is Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park. The campground is fenced with an electric fence to keep wildlife at bay. While sitting at our campsite one afternoon a large black bear wandered by on the other side of the fence.

To access the hot springs, one passes through a gate and onto a boardwalk through a marsh. There we saw another black bear, quite small, foraging for berries in the bushes. 

The springs themselves were such fun. They were used by the First Nations peoples for cleansing purposes, and the first written record of the springs dates from 1835 by an agent of the Hudson Bay company. The mosquitoes were terrible in the campground, the worst of the entire trip, but they didn't seem to like the hot springs very much. 

The natural setting and source of the springs has been preserved here with hot water, really hot water flowing in one end of the pool, then cascading down a retaining wall to a cooler pool, but still warm and pleasant. The pool narrows at the other end into a twisting, overgrown creek that we waded until we came to the end where a cold stream tempered the water. 

It was a delightful place and during our couple of days at the campground, we visited the pools three times. 

One evening, around 9 pm, we walked along the boardwalk and saw a cow moose stood in the muskeg with her calf. We watched for a very long time, until the mosquitoes drove me batty. The mother appeared to be weaning the calf, for when the calf tried to nurse, the mother gently pushed it aside and walked away. 

We had heard how terrible the bugs can be in the north, so we came prepared with mosquito head nets. This was the only place we used them, and they made a great difference! Here's Tim cooking pizza on the grill. We ate inside the trailer! 

These were our first wildlife sightings other than a couple of bears along the highway, and we were thrilled to see the Stone Sheep, the moose, and the bears. 

There is so much to tell about our trip, but I will pick and choose what I hope you will find most interesting. 

We're experiencing hot days here now at home, and at 9 pm there is just a tiny fingernail of yellow moon visible as I sit outdoors under the gazebo. The temperature is pleasant, and I look at the dark shapes of the garden beyond the deck, and I am so content to be at home. 

Home is a Lovely Place

 

Travel is wonderful, but coming home is so very lovely. We enjoyed dinner with my parents, and spent one last night in the trailer before catching the 8 am ferry on Thursday morning. What joy to pull up to our home and begin the task of settling in once again. 

Our Iranian tenants took good care of the garden (with help from neighbours and our children), and gave us the vase of flowers seen above, as well as some delicious date pastries. 

The garden is calling out cutting back, harvesting, and weeding, and we spent much of yesterday doing just that. I clipped the very first bouquet of sweet peas before leaving home on July 22, and was able to cut another when I returned home. They sit on my windowsill along with ripening peaches. Soon they will be pulled and put on the compost pile.

Yesterday evening we spent with our children and grandchildren, and it was a wonderful time with delicious food - salads, hamburgers, and an apple cake. 

This morning I did a few in-house chores and some grocery shopping, and this afternoon I'm heading out into the garden once again. Thankfully, the weather has cooled off (we missed almost all of the heat this year). I'll be reading a few blogs when I need to have a bit of a break. 

We are filled with gratitude for our trip, and with pockets full of stories to pull out and share. I'll write some of them up for you in the coming weeks. 

from the Road 5

 

Kluane National Park is stunning!  We camped at Kathleen Lake in a beautiful treed spot with the sound of quaking aspens all around us. We’ve taken short walks and strenuous hikes. 

One day we treated ourselves to a short flight in a very tiny and very bouncy airplane. Behind the beautiful

Peaks seen from the ground, huge glaciers that resemble of ice slowly wind down immense valleys. Canada’s highest mountain, Mt Logan, was mostly wreathed in clouds the day we went up, but other peaks displayed their majesty and the magnificence of God’s creative power. 

We will soon be wending our way out of the Yukon and back into BC for our slow trip home. There are still sights to see along the way. 

I have only been able to post from my phone, with limited access. Someone asked if their comments were coming through and I think they are. I receive all comments in my email account and read them there. I have not loaded the blog successfully on my phone. 

Autumn is beginning to show her face here in the north. Trees are turning colour and the animals are getting ready for winter. I hope that is an encouragement to you who are suffering tremendous heat. 

 

Post card from the road 4

 We made it to the Arctic Ocean - the northernmost spot one can drive to in Canada. Although it was chilly and windy the day we were there, temperatures were in the mid 20s Celsius the day before. 

The scenery along the Dempster was stunning, even on the rainy day of our return to Dawson City. 

Our adventure continues for a few more weeks - we are headed to Kluane Park next. 

Someone asked if we saw the northern lights during our trip. No, we have not, because there is little darkness at this time of year. 

Post card from the road 3

 

Today we crossed the Arctic Circle. I’m sitting at a gas station in Fort McPherson in the Northwest Territory. It’s a beautiful, warm sunshine-filled day. We filled up our gas tank and bought a few extra groceries just to have on hand. Services are few and far between here. 

We left our camping trailer in Dawson City because the road, the Dempster Highway, is unpacked with some very rough sections. We are staying in hotels during this portion of the trip. 

Now we are off to Inuvik where we will stay three nights. Thank you for all your comments! 

Postcard from the Road 2

 

A quick post this early morning before leaving for Dawson City.  We’ve been in Whitehorse for three days and have seen flowers, a fox, and more of the beautiful surroundings  the sunset photo was taken at 10:15 one evening.  Light lasts long and begins early still, even as autumn is just around the corner.  

Thank you for your comments. Internet has been sparse and I have not visited anyone online.  I will have lots of catching up to do when I return home.

Postcard from the road

 

We have been travelling for a week now, taking our time as we travel northwards through BC. We stopped to visit friends along the way, and spent three days in the Northern Rockies with zero cell coverage. It was a good break. 

Today we crossed into the Yukon and are stopped in the town of Watson Lake. We ate huge and delicious cheeseburgers at a local restaurant, then attended a show at the Northern Lights centre that featured the wonders of the aurora borealis. Stunning photography.  

I’m posting from my phone so I hope it all goes to plan. We’re seeing gorgeous country and meeting interesting people. And I’ve gained an appreciation for how vast our province is, and by extension, how vast Canada is. 

Sweet Peas and a Road Trip

 

I planted a row of sweet peas along the back fence, where we took out the cedar hedge. Tendrils cling to the mesh fence and reach for the sky. Blooms of dark purple and red mix with pale pink and white. They are old-fashioned flowers, and have such a lovely scent. This is my first real bouquet of them this year. 

Petunias, sweet potato vine, and pansies from last autumn grow in profusion beside the front door. I love the contrast of cobalt blue and lime green. 

The garden is filling out and looking lovely these days. But alas, we're going to miss a lot of it, because by the time you read this we'll be off on an adventure. 

We're headed for the Arctic Ocean! It's a long, long road trip and we're taking five weeks. We'll be taking ferries and traveling the length of British Columbia, the Yukon, and part of the Northwest Territories. We've been planning this for months and finally, the time is here!

We have house sitters coming to stay, and there is nothing like having someone else live in your home to motivate a deep clean. That's what I've been doing for the past couple of weeks. 

We're taking our little Escape trailer, and that bouquet of sweet peas is coming along, as well. Its fragrance fills the space. 

Connectivity is going to be hit and miss along our travels, but I'll post when I can. What's the longest road trip you've taken?

July Delights

 

"Rebecca's World"

Living on an island has the advantage of ocean breezes moderating the temperature. This morning a little wind ruffles the trees I see from my window. A frisky-tailed squirrel just ran across the lawn. An airplane drones far above and closer to home I hear the beep-beep-beep of a construction vehicle in reverse. In between all of that, birds chirp from every corner of the garden, and a hummingbird visits the jasmine, now in flower. 

The roses are past their first flush of blooms, but tight buds promise more flowers in a week or two. Dahlias are beginning to bloom. Rebecca's World is new to our garden, and what a beauty she is with bits of white against the deep red. She's dahlia to watch because the balance of white and red can vary greatly. I'll be interested to see if all the flowers will be similar.

Last night I stayed in the garden until 9:30, weeding and cutting back. As the light began to fade I heard the birds sing their sleepy night songs and settle quietly. Blueberries are beginning to ripen and I've picked several bowlfuls to eat fresh and to freeze for winter. 

Tart-sweet raspberries are a summertime favourite. My grandfather used to own a raspberry farm and one of my first jobs in the summer was picking berries. On hot days, we alternated between the shady side of the row and the sunny side. I learned to pick them quickly, but not as quickly as my mother did, for she spent many summers picking berries. Nowadays, my picking is quite leisurely and the bowls fill much more slowly than the flats on stands that we used to use. 

Kim, from Happy at Home, recently held a giveaway for a lovely cookbook featuring recipes by the season and occasion. I love reading cookbooks and was happy to receive this one in the mail. Thank you, Kim. There are a number of recipes I'm looking forward to trying. 

This dish, not from the cookbook, was eaten here last night. A grilled pork tenderloin, marinated in a fig balsamic dressing, along with grilled zucchini and apricots, and served with couscous, went down well. Tim took leftovers for his lunch today. 

Although many of his co-workers go out for lunch, Tim has always preferred eating something from home - for time as well as expense. He often takes leftovers, so I cook enough for dinner to make sure he has some. 

A friend gave us a platycodon "sentimental blue" plant several years ago (thanks, Sandi), and I always enjoy seeing the tightly folded buds swell and pop open. They remind me of origami. 

Looking out my window once again, I see bees busy about the roses, and a damsel fly hovering like a helicopter deciding where to land. A white butterfly circled the fig tree then sailed off across the hedge to visit the neighbour's garden. 

Time for me to make some pesto for the freezer with the basil, bought from the market. Our own basil is miniscule and will perhaps be ready at the end of August. One can hope. It's a dismal year for the vegetables. The Swiss Chard has been nibbled to the ground, so I've netted it in hopes of preventing a repeat. Tomato plants are puny and barely flowering, with just a few fruit forming. It's a very good thing we are not dependent on our potager for winter sustenance, or we would become very lean.