Day 10 of Lupe’s 2018 Dingo Vacation to the Yukon, Northwest Territories & Alaska!
6:45 AM, at the Log Cabin trailhead along South Klondike Highway No. 2, British Columbia – Misting, and the wind still blew. Not that cold out, but the world was gray, wet, dreary, the mountains cloaked by low clouds and drifting fog. Lupe had ventured out only once or twice during a blustery night of light rain. So what now?
Wait. At least a little while. Give it a chance. SPHP worked on catching up the trip journal. Lupe snoozed, or watched as water droplets ran in silvery streaks down the windows.
8:00 AM – No change, except that the journal was caught up. Probably wasn’t going to anytime soon, either. A few tiny patches of blue sky had appeared off to the SE, but quickly vanished to be followed by another shot of rain. The Alaskan coast must be socked in. Peak 6053 or Devils Punch Bowl weren’t happening. Not today. May as well forget it.
SPHP turned the key. Lupe was on her way N again! Only a few miles farther inland made an amazing difference. The rain had completely stopped. The situation only continued to improve. The forest fires Lupe had seen E of Tagish Lake yesterday were still burning. Didn’t look like it had rained a drop here. Well, that was easy! Onward!
There were stops along the way. N of Carcross, the American Dingo got to sniff around the old Robinson Roadhouse. In Whitehorse, she waited in the G6 while SPHP got cleaned up at the Takhini Hot Pools. She had to wait some more as fuel and supplies were purchased. Loop did her best to help devour half a barbecued chicken, and enjoyed considerable success at it.
However, Lupe didn’t really get to escape the G6 again until she was well N of Whitehorse at Fox Lake. The Carolina Dog promptly made such a ruckus about squirrels, SPHP was afraid of getting tossed out of the campground before being able to fill the water jugs.
Freedom at Fox Lake! Photo looks S.Here’s another look at Fox Lake, but the real excitement is back in the trees over by the campground! Photo looks NNW.
Much of the day had already been frittered away by the time Loopster reached Five Finger Rapids on the Yukon River N of Carmacks. SPHP stopped at a big pullout on the W side of North Klondike Highway No. 2. The American Dingo was thrilled with a chance to redeem herself after her squirrel escapades, and escape the G6 again.
Lupe arrives at the Five Ringer Rapids Recreation Site N of Carmacks.
An observation deck along the edge of the highway pullout overlooked the Yukon River valley and Five Finger Rapids. Plaques told about the dangers to boats and rafts Five Finger Rapids had posed back in the days of the Klondike Gold Rush, and discussed the geology of the Five Finger islands. The navigation problems had ultimately been resolved by blasting away the underwater hazards in the river channel.
One of the plaques showed a map of a 2 km long trail that went down to the Yukon River near Five Finger Rapids. Lupe would enjoy that!
The Yukon River and Five Finger Rapids from the observation deck up by the highway. Photo looks SW.A brief overview of the Five Finger Rapids area, plus a map of the trail to the rapids.Plaque about the geology of Five Finger Rapids.
Lupe was about ready to head down a long stairway leading to the trail, when suddenly a voice said “There’s that dog we saw at Atlin Lake!”. And that was how Lupe and SPHP got to meet Fred and Teresa Reitsma.
Fred and Teresa were from Smithers, British Columbia. Having recently sold the Smithers Sausage Factory, which Fred had started way back in 1984, a month ago Fred and Teresa had purchased a beautiful, recent model 5th wheel camper. They were now on their very first trip with it on the way to Dawson City. They planned to meet up with friends there, and do some gold panning.
After a pleasant chat, Lupe and SPHP started down the long wooden stairway leading to the Five Finger Rapids trail.
This way to Five Finger Rapids!
At the base of the stairs, a nice level path went through the forest.
If you can manage the stairs, the rest is easy!
A wooden walkway went over a damp spot. Lupe didn’t necessarily need it, but the walkway was a nice convenience for SPHP.
Think I’ll just cool my paws off instead!
Near the trail’s end, an opening to the R provided an opportunity to get to cliffs overlooking the Yukon River. Lupe could see the downstream end of Five Finger Rapids from here.
Loop by the downstream end of Five Finger Rapids.
The trail climbed a little hill before ending at a huge deck overlooking the Yukon River and Five Finger Rapids.
This big deck is at the end of the Five Finger Rapids trail! Photo looks SW.Five Finger Rapids from the deck at the end of the trail. Photo looks NW.The fabled Yukon River from the deck. Photo looks upstream (SW).
The observation deck had plaques telling about the Klondike Gold Rush days, and navigation issues on the Yukon River.Voices! Fred and Teresa appeared. They had come to see Five Finger Rapids, too. The more, the merrier! While the Reitsmas took their turn on the big observation deck, Lupe circled around it to get a bit closer to the cliffs upstream of Five Finger Rapids.
Kind of hard to believe we are actually here along the fabled Yukon River, isn’t it?This is the upstream beginning of Five Finger Rapids. Photo looks WNW.
Fred and Teresa joined Lupe and SPHP on the way back to the trailhead. Once there, the Reitsmas were more than willing to pose with Lupe at the Five Finger Rapids sign.
Checking out another view of Five Finger Rapids on the way back to the trailhead. Photo looks NW.Lupe with new friends and fellow adventurers Fred and Teresa Reitsma, until recently the long time owner-operators of the Smithers Sausage Factory.
It was getting on toward dinnertime. Fred and Teresa graciously invited SPHP to join them in their 5th wheel camper for hamburgers and home-grown peas, carrots and potatoes. Naturally, SPHP accepted.
Lupe had her Alpo, then dozed contentedly in the G6 while Fred, Teresa and SPHP had a tasty, nutritious meal. The evening was spent relaxing and chatting in the beautiful 5th wheel camper. Fred had once bicycled clear across Canada! Teresa was originally from Red Deer in Alberta, a community which has grown tremendously. They both loved Smithers and the outdoors.
It was a fun time! Though the sun sets late in the Yukon, it was getting low by the time SPHP returned to the G6. On the road once more, Lupe didn’t get an awful lot farther before stopping for the night. A sign said the American Dingo had reached the E edge of Beringia.
Yukon River at sunset, Yukon Territory, Canada 8-13-18
Day 14 & Day 15 (Part 1) of Lupe’s Summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies, Yukon & Alaska.
Rain, rain, rain! It had been raining most of the night, and it was raining now, harder than at any time yesterday. It was so early, Lupe was still conked out. Dark clouds hid the mountains and the Worthington Glacier, where Lupe had such a great adventure yesterday.
Clearly, the Carolina Dog’s luck at the Worthington Glacier wasn’t going to be repeated again today anywhere near the S Alaskan coast. A week of rain was in the forecast. Time to head inland. Maybe it wasn’t so wet there? As soon as the G6 was ready, Lupe and SPHP drove N on the Richardson Highway, hoping to drive out of the weather before reaching Glennallen.
About 10 miles before even reaching Glennallen, SPHP pulled into the parking lot for the Wrangell – St. Elias National Park & Preserve visitor center. It was still raining, but not as hard as before. The clouds weren’t as dark, either, although they still blanketed the entire sky. Lupe waited in the G6, while SPHP went into the visitor center to see if they had a near term weather forecast for this part of Alaska.
SPHP interrupted three idle rangers chatting among themselves behind the information desk. Did they have a weather forecast? Rain for the next 10 days, and more after that, responded a bored female ranger. Alaska’s best days of the summer of 2016 were history now. It was just going to get colder and darker, she said. What about farther N, did they have a forecast for Fairbanks? Even colder and darker, there she replied.
SPHP returned to Lupe in the G6. Sorry about the wait, Loop! That was a complete waste of time. No specifics, other than more rain is expected. The ranger didn’t care, and knew next to nothing. Any lame brain would know that it would get colder and darker as summer fades to autumn in Alaska. Maybe we will find out something in Glennallen.
Hah, fat chance! At the Glennallen visitor center at the intersection of the Richardson and Glenn Highways, the story was almost the same. At least the lady at the information desk exhibited some energy and interest, but all she said was that it was raining in the entire state of Alaska, and had been rainy for weeks. She too, expected more rain, but had zero specifics. What about the weather in Fairbanks? Yup, raining there too, she insisted.
Gah, she had no clue either! Alaska is a vast territory. It was hardly possible it was raining in the whole state. Still, it left SPHP wondering what to do. Should Lupe go farther N hoping to find better weather, hang around here for who knew how many days waiting for the rain to stop, or just give up on Alaska all together, and go back to Canada and the Yukon?
Leaving Alaska now would be a shame! Lupe had come all this way, and had so many Alaskan adventures on her list of possibilities! SPHP left the building pondering the situation. A man followed SPHP outside.
The man introduced himself as the owner of Alaskan Quest, based in Fairbanks. His name was Kent Kaiser. He had overheard the conversation. Kent said he had just come from Fairbanks. Although it had been unusually rainy this summer there, it was sunny when he left Fairbanks this morning. Better yet, 10 more days of sun were in the forecast! SPHP thanked Kent for the tip.
It was all SPHP needed to hear. Loopster, good news! You’re heading N! After gassing up the G6, Lupe and SPHP continued N on the Richardson Highway.
The weather didn’t improve. The farther N Lupe got, the harder it rained, and the darker the clouds became. Not a speck of blue sky appeared anywhere. Lupe went past high mountains, a forlorn, dreary-looking Summit Lake, and big rivers. Some of the creeks were out of their banks. SPHP began to wonder.
Looking W from the Richardson Highway N of Glennallen.
Eventually, though, conditions did improve. The rain slackened, then quit. A tiny speck of blue appeared in the sky to the N. The blue spread, as Lupe and SPHP neared Delta Junction. By the time Lupe and SPHP stopped at a McDonald’s in North Pole to share a couple of cheeseburgers, a glorious pale blue sky stretched from horizon to horizon.
Lupe and SPHP reached Fairbanks, which turned out to be an attractive city. Fairbanks wasn’t Lupe’s actual destination, however. The decision to come N meant she was going all the way to her most northern peakbagging objectives. As far N as Lupe was already, she wasn’t even close to them yet.
It was already evening, as Lupe left Fairbanks heading NE on the Steese Highway. Less than 15 minutes later, at Fox, SPHP turned N on the Elliot Highway. Traffic faded away to almost nothing. The Elliot Highway was paved and in great shape. It went through densely forested territory, repeatedly climbing high ridges only to descend into successive big valleys farther N.
By the time the sun went down, there were clouds in the sky again, but they were thin and non-threatening. Lupe was almost to a much anticipated turn. A little beyond Livengood, there it was! SPHP made the R turn. Almost immediately, this new road turned to gravel. SPHP wondered what Lupe was getting into. The road went up a hill. At the top was a sign next to a long gravel pullout. Lupe had made it to the start of the Dalton Highway!
Sunset from the Elliot Highway, 8-12-16.Lupe reaches the start of the Dalton Highway near Livengood. 414 miles away, the Dalton Highway ends at Deadhorse, near the Prudhoe Bay oil fields and the Arctic Ocean.
While Lupe was at the Dalton Highway sign, a semi-truck appeared from the N. The driver stopped the long truck at the pullout. The truck was absolutely filthy, caked with dirt and dust. The driver got out. With the truck still idling, he used a wire brush to scrap the dirt off all the lights on the truck. The driver checked on a few other things, then drove away. Five minutes later, another semi-truck came out of the N. The same thing happened.
Good grief! Would the G6 be able to stand up to the Dalton Highway? Was Lupe going to be able to get anywhere close to her peakbagging objectives? Tomorrow would tell. It would be here soon enough.
The next morning, SPHP was concerned. The sky was cloudy, not clear. The Dalton Highway was dry, though, so Lupe fearlessly, and SPHP wonderingly, started N in the G6.
Lupe on the Dalton Highway early on 8-13-16, Day 15 of her Summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation. The sky was overcast, and fog hung in some of the valleys.Dawn from the Dalton Highway, 8-13-16.
SPHP drove slowly, even though the Dalton Highway was in better shape than feared. No sense on taking any chance of damaging the G6 way up here in northern Alaska! Up and down. Lupe crossed many hills, valleys and ridges. Sometimes the Alaska oil pipeline was in view. Several sections of the road were paved, which was encouraging. Lupe was making progress.
At mile 55, Lupe reached her first objective along the Dalton Highway. It wasn’t a peakbagging goal. Lupe was about to cross the famous Yukon River!
Crossing the Yukon River on the Dalton Highway. Photo looks NNE.
Crossing the bridge only took a minute or two. Lupe was N of the mighty Yukon River! On the E side of the Dalton Highway was the Alaska oil pipeline, and a little visitor center. Time to get out of the G6 to see what there was to see, and celebrate Lupe’s crossing of the Yukon River.
At the Alaska oil pipeline, N of the Yukon River! Photo looks NNE.Information display near the visitor center E of the pipeline.Lupe on the N bank of the Yukon River. Photo looks downstream (W) toward the Dalton Highway bridge Lupe had just crossed.
The visitor center wasn’t open yet. SPHP looked at a few of the displays outside. Lupe went down to see the Yukon River. She saw the bridge on the Dalton Highway she had just crossed to get N of the river. Interestingly, the Alaska oil pipeline is attached to the underside of the bridge.
A gas station with a single pump was on the W side of the Dalton Highway. $5.50 per gallon. SPHP didn’t buy any. The G6 had plenty. Still, it was taking a chance. No matter what the price at Coldfoot, SPHP would have to buy some there.
Lupe and SPHP went down to the Yukon River again, this time W of the bridge.
Lupe at the Yukon River W of the Dalton highway. The river was murky and gray, not exactly what SPHP had expected. Photo looks downstream (WSW).The Dalton Highway bridge over the Yukon River from the NNW.
Almost as soon as Lupe left the Yukon River heading N, the Dalton Highway became damp, soft, and a little muddy. Once again, SPHP became concerned, but before long the road improved.
Slow and easy, 30 to 35 mph, Lupe and SPHP continued N. The Dalton Highway wound around, going up and down big hills and ridges. Often it was possible to see many miles toward distant mountains seemingly far beyond the reach of civilization. The scenery was vast and remote. The truck traffic on the Dalton Highway became almost the only source of reassurance that it wasn’t crazy for Lupe to be way out here.
About an hour N of the Yukon River, the highway passed very close to the summit of Finger Mountain(2,202 ft.). This was just too tempting. With only 30 feet of elevation gained required to claim a peakbagging success way up in N Alaska, Lupe had to stop!
A short nature trail went up Finger Mountain. Lupe followed it. The top of the mountain was a collection of rounded boulders. Lupe got up on some of them for a look around.
The summit of Finger Mountain from the Dalton Highway. Too close and easy for Lupe to resist! Photo looks NE.Lupe up on the boulders at the top of Finger Mountain.Looking NW at the vast Alaskan landscape from Finger Mountain. Olsons Lake is the largest pond seen on the R.Loopster up on Finger Mountain, Alaska! Photo looks N.
One of the things SPHP found amazing everywhere Lupe went in Alaska was how strikingly colorful the little tundra plants were.
N of Finger Mountain, there was a long stretch of paved road. Instead of deteriorating as it went N, as SPHP had feared, the Dalton Highway was getting better! Overall, the Dalton Highway wasn’t nearly as bad as some of the descriptions SPHP had read online implied. On the other hand, maybe that was just because the gravel sections weren’t muddy right now.
Lupe along the Dalton Highway a little N of Finger Mountain. The Alaska oil pipeline snakes N on the W side of the highway. More importantly, notice the lovely stripe on the road. Yes, it was paved here! Photo looks N.
Half an hour N of Finger Mountain, Lupe came to one of the most important non-peakbagging objectives of her entire Summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation. At mile 115 of the Dalton Highway, intrepid explorer and adventurer Lupe reached the Arctic Circle!
Intrepid American Dingo Lupe at the Arctic Circle!
Lupe’s adventures in the Arctic were about to begin! Back on the Dalton Highway again, Lupe and SPHP continued N another 60 miles to Coldfoot. SPHP’s gamble paid off when gasoline for the G6 was a measly $4.59 per gallon, a significant savings over the $5.50 per gallon they wanted at the Yukon River.
At the Coldfoot gas station, Lupe made friends with a couple of motorcyclists from Huntington Beach, California. Alfredo Gonzalez, a riding academy instructor for Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, and his friend, Sam, both showed an interest in Lupe. They were riding BMW motorcycles, and were on their way back S after having gone all the way to Prudhoe Bay.
Sam (L) and Alfredo Gonzalez (R) from Huntington Beach, California with Lupe at the Coldfoot, Alaska gas station. Sam and Alfredo were on their way back S from Prudhoe Bay on their BMW motorcycles.
It turned out that Sam and Alfredo were talking about possibly taking another motorcycle trip going through the Dakotas in 2017, so SPHP invited them to stop by and visit Lupe at home in the Black Hills. Maybe Lupe will get to see Sam and Alfredo again!
Sam and Alfredo said good-bye to Lupe and SPHP. They were ready to head S. Lupe was going the other direction. Excitement was mounting – it wouldn’t be long now! Another 25+ miles N of Coldfoot, Lupe would see the most famous mountain along the entire Dalton Highway. 90 miles into the Arctic, Lupe was here to climb it today!
Lupe 200 miles N of the start of the Dalton Highway, and 90 miles N of the Arctic Circle, approaching famed Sukakpak Mountain in the Brooks Range. Photo looks NE.
Voices! Fred and Teresa appeared. They had come to see Five Finger Rapids, too. The more, the merrier! While the Reitsmas took their turn on the big observation deck, Lupe circled around it to get a bit closer to the cliffs upstream of Five Finger Rapids.
