From Quesnel we continue on the # 97 that leads to Dawson Creek to Watson Lake. From Dawson Creek, however, it is now called the Alaska Highway. We leave Dawson Creek, however, are right, you cross the # 29 of Chetwyn about Hudson's Hope (Bennett Dam) to Fort St. John and takes you to a shorter path to the Alaska Highway.
On the south shore of Lake McLeod, we find a nice spot on the lake shore. Only an elderly couple there. We enjoy the peace and observe the lake. A Bald Eagle is flying next to us a round, only 10 m! Esther watched from her window from the hustle and bustle of several beavers. A hummingbird sits nearby on a branch. There is absolutely no wind. The lake is smooth as glass, and because he is dark, the evening sky reflects almost 100%. Sorry, can also Camp Fire, the mosquitoes do not distribute.
morning It is quite cool, and the lake has small waves. In the distance we see a moose grazing. A Golden Eagle bathing on the shore. Intensive shakes its wings in the water and then flies away. Sits on a branch of the Bald Eagle, we have observed the night before.
on Cameron Lake, we stay in a small, simple campground. The location is wonderful. We are almost alone. The sun is warm, we can warm up the bed sheets in the sun. I swim in the lake, we read on the shore and watch beavers, the dive with an audible tail shock, watch fish jump up and snapping at flies. Mosquitoes, it has apparently not. But geradeso are annoying the neighbors, the sit outside, have visitors and can run until midnight on the radio and talk. We now alone on the # 29 A coyote is on the road. He apparently wants to cross the street. We keep on the right side of the road. He is watching us - we. Finally he decides to go over. Over there he stops, looks at us again, takes a few steps, but looking back it always. Then he stops, goes behind a hill. We drive a little further to see him come out again over the hill and cross the street. On the roadside, he continues, do not take a look around without being marked his territory and finally disappeared in the bushes.
From Hudson's Hope we go to the Bennett Dam, where we take a guided tour at 10.30 clock in the WAC Bennett Dam. With a bus we drive into the underground power station and see where the room with the ten 80-tonne turbines, and the room where the water is discharged from the turbines. This water is there a temperature of only 1.5 °. The dam itself, the core of sand and the shell material from the moraine consists of a 5 km away, is about 2 km long. The sand core is saturated with water and gives the dam stability. The dam has a length of 350 km. The fish leave the lake through the turbines! 10% pay these dizzying carousel ride apparently with his life. The others are later so confused or stunned that they are easy prey for birds of prey in the Peace River. The power plant provides a peak performance of 2.7 million KW and supplies a large part of BC with energy. Power lines leading up to Vancouver.
ENCOUNTER WITH MOOSE
We drive on the Alaska Highway. At long range I mean a dark-suited man to see with a dog. Not impossible, since we have also overhauled a cyclist. But then I remember the strange swaying gait on this wall. Finally, they turn out to be a cow elk with boys. We slow down our journey. The moose ambling along the roadside and then disappear in the bushes. The next day I mean in the river beside the road a canoeist to see. However, it is a moose, by the river swims. We slow down the ride and stop just before the spot where the moose comes up the embankment. In fact: Five yards from us, they come up dripping, staring at us blankly and then plods on in its gangly gait. Even in Caesars Bellum Gallicum is written (but not of Caesar's hand) that moose are in the truest sense of the word clumsy animals. Because they have no knees, they could not lie down to sleep, but were leaning against a tree. To hunt the elk, the Teutons, the, sleeping trees had 'been cut slightly. Then, when a moose on the tree was leaning, he had fallen along with the tree and could be easily caught.
That reminds me, the amusing description of Bill Bryson (Highlights from America, Goldmann) Reviews
"The moose is the most curious, pathetic helpless creature that has ever lived in the wild! He may be huge - as big as a horse - but incredibly awkward. A moose runs when the left leg does not know what the right do. Even his antlers makes her nothing. Other creatures can grow horns with pointed ends that look in profile sumptuously and extort the enemy respect. The moose, however trots with an antler through the area that looks like a glove pot holder. Above all, the animal is distinguished from an almost boundless lack of intelligence. If you drive along a highway and enters a moose from the woods, he winks at you a whole minute long and then suddenly runs away from you, but along the road. The legs fly simultaneously in eight different directions. "
ON ALCAN (= Canadian part of the Alaska Highway)
Since Fort St. John we encounter on the Alaska Highway, which we now follow the next 1,400 km (to White Horse). To Fort Nelson, he formed a 60 m wide band through the endless forest.
The further we go, the more varied the route. We cross raging rivers, deep blue ride Lakes along to see even with snow-capped mountains - and more than 1400 km! The Alaska Highway was built in 1942 within six months, but was initially only passable with tracked vehicles. The Japanese threat to the United States finally gave the more or less reasonable excuse for the construction, which could not oppose Canada. The length was 2288 km (from Dawson Creek to Delta Junction). Today's new trackbed is about 60 km shorter, we see again the old tracks. We think most of the traces of the 2000 year old Roman roads.
The first two days we travel 300 km. One can easily drive 100 km / h, because the swath is a certainty. Then we take it easy. There is little traffic and we can hold in many places. We have still 14 days left for the remaining 1600 km! Fast overtake us nor the cyclists, of which we come across a few stalwarts. Inevitably, we think of the movie, Grumpy Old Men '(with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau).
on our short walks we see some flowers, among many others, the white and yellow lady's slipper.
Even animals we see, first run over, then, thank God, only surviving deer, elk, Cariboo, black bears, bison, Dall sheep and of course, mosquitoes. The front of the car is littered with dead insects, unfortunately, with a few large dovetails. A Loon, an excellent diver races, according to the Summit Lake like a turbo with strong wing beats a fish.
The weather is crazy: At mile 47 (Fort St. John), it is warm 32 degrees, after 2 days at the Summit Pass (1295 m with the highest point of the highway) 6 degree cold with rain and sleet. In White Horse again for several days over 30 degrees. And the sun will not go down easy. It is 23.15 clock.
EXCLUDED!
Am 28.6. done what we had always feared, because we do not have a spare key, we have excluded ourselves. At a photo stop we get off briefly to photograph Dall sheep, and leave the ignition key, depend on which all other keys stuck and can only open a car door. As the wind strikes the door - and we remain outside. Our bad luck for the door lock was on, put lock ', which means automatic closing. It is cold, a biting wind is blowing, we begin to feel cold and have nothing with us as the camera and Esther's fanny pack (which it stores just for sleeping!). Esther is on the road and stops at the next car. A Ami stops immediately and is working with a wire bar to unlock the disk along the door - without success. He had just been a car thief, but FBI officials. It's getting uncomfortable. Another car holds and takes us to thank God, with only a mile away, Rocky Mountain Lodge, a somewhat run-down gas station,
is only frequented by motorcyclists. The owner travels with us to our RV, suggests a small window, which in 1000 shattered pieces and sticks to a film (but without the dirt under the adhesive tape to remove before). We have to go as quickly as possible to 500 miles away White Horse, to repair the disk. We drive off. An hour before Watson Lake begins to rain. We are in a real downpour. As a precaution, we had just before, when we saw the storm approaching, the window also isolated with tapes. But the heavy rain, penetrates and Esther sits the last driving lesson on her bed and is busy mopping up the water come urgent. In Watson Lake
I fit a Styrofoam plate from inside the window frame. Almost two months ago, I had received in Durango in a hobby market Styrofoam to tinker Esther's bed for a wedge. The rest of the styrofoam plate to fit random millimeter in the window frame. Sealed with tape and see. Now we are ready for the biggest tornado.
The next day is sunny. We arrive for another 500 km drive in White Horse, looking for - at the very last minute - to a glass shop and can be used as an intermediate solution, a plexiglass plate. Had we arrived 10 minutes later, we would have to wait until Tuesday. Canada Day is on Saturday, and as do many a long weekend.
Esther managed from now on, the keys of the kingdom, that the RV door.
soon we have forgotten our bad luck. Within two days because we had to drive 800 km, we have a few days remain ahead of our program, and as the weather is summery warm, we did a few days in the beautiful White Horse Area. The area we like very much: the traveling Yukon, the scent of wild roses on the long shores, the still snow-capped mountain peaks, the warm sun, which is the first clock at 23.15 and we by bedtime keeps. We drive on the southern section of the Klondike Highway, admire the turquoise waters of Emerald Lake, hike through the smallest desert, the Carcross visit Desert, the town of Carcross, finish of today's White Pass & Yukon Railway and the legendary Chilkoot Pass Trail, admire the Atlin Lake etc. ...
But now I want to close, or swallows the Lord does not blog long report. Maybe we will get back in Dawson City and then safely back in Alaska.
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