Inuvik to Ushuaia
In Juneau - and links to Klondike + Juneau PIctures
By rfay - Posted on July 8th, 2006
Tagged: Inuvik to Ushuaia
We've had three great days in Juneau after riding down to Skagway from Whitehorse and taking the ferry to Juneau. The first day was stunningly sunny and blue, but now we're getting the real Juneau - cloudy and drizzly.
And here are some new pictures from the most recent two legs of the trip:
And here are some new pictures from the most recent two legs of the trip:
- Dawson City to Whitehorse: all (float over for descriptions) or slideshow
- Whitehorse-Skagway-Juneau-Haines Loop: (updated again July 14)all (float over for descriptions) or slideshow
Using a bear-proof trash can as a bear cache/bear cannister
By rfay - Posted on July 12th, 2006
Tagged: Inuvik to Ushuaia
Throughout the Dempster and the Yukon every campground and pullout and rest stop has had the same type of bear-proof garbage container. As a touring cyclist, you should know that you can open the back of these up and just put your food in them for a night - it's much easier than hanging it from a tree. This picture shows Nancy opening the back of the container. Note that the garbage is nicely separated from your foot by the trash bags.
Rosie around the World
By rfay - Posted on July 14th, 2006
Tagged: Inuvik to Ushuaia
We have met many people that make our little trip look pretty insignificant - Meet Rosie! She has run (self-supported) two thirds of the way around the world so far, starting in Europe, crossing all of Russia, and across Alaska in the dead of winter. We sat down and had a cup of coffee with her on her bearskin rug on the side of the road. What a delightful person! (Note that Rosie sailed around the world with her infant son and her husband 35 years ago - she's not new to this sort of thing!)
Klondike Country - the Keno Paddlewheeler
By rfay - Posted on July 14th, 2006
Tagged: Inuvik to Ushuaia
From Dawson to Whitehorse to Skagway we've been in the heart of the Klondike Gold Rush country, hearing and breathing the story of the great stampede of 1898.
What's amazing to me is that sternwheeler steamboats plied the Yukon until 1956! That's after I was born. It was really the only way to get to Dawson until the highway was built in 1953. Dawson is an isolated place.
And the next step of amazing is that the steamboats served the entire Yukon: 2000 miles from Whitehorse to the Bering Sea. Every time we pass the Yukon or a tributary (like the Eagle, which we crossed on the Dempster) I want to get in a canoe and float to the sea. It would take a long time!
What's amazing to me is that sternwheeler steamboats plied the Yukon until 1956! That's after I was born. It was really the only way to get to Dawson until the highway was built in 1953. Dawson is an isolated place.
And the next step of amazing is that the steamboats served the entire Yukon: 2000 miles from Whitehorse to the Bering Sea. Every time we pass the Yukon or a tributary (like the Eagle, which we crossed on the Dempster) I want to get in a canoe and float to the sea. It would take a long time!
Sternwheel Steamer Graveyard
By rfay - Posted on July 14th, 2006
Tagged: Inuvik to Ushuaia
In Dawson, just downstream of the campground, there's an overgrown path to the old graveyard for the many, many steamboats that died on this river.
This picture is taken near midnight, just for perspective - maybe after midnight. This is our friend Oliver in the cabin of one of the old steamers.
This picture is taken near midnight, just for perspective - maybe after midnight. This is our friend Oliver in the cabin of one of the old steamers.
Leaving Whitehorse for Skagway with Rob Ungless
By rfay - Posted on July 14th, 2006
Tagged: Inuvik to Ushuaia
Our friend Rob Ungless flew in from Vancouver to join us for the Skagway-Juneau-Haines Alaska loop. We met Rob two years ago in the San Juan Islands (on a cycling trip) and we've kept in touch - he took us up on our offer to all of you to join us for any part of the trip. You're all welcome! You can ask Rob whether it's safe or not.
Here we are in front of a Whitehorse landmark, the Klondike steamer. It's much larger than the one we saw in Dawson, and it ran the river from here to Dawson.
Here we are in front of a Whitehorse landmark, the Klondike steamer. It's much larger than the one we saw in Dawson, and it ran the river from here to Dawson.
Nancy pedaling her way furiously to Juneau
By rfay - Posted on July 14th, 2006
Tagged: Inuvik to Ushuaia
Here's Nancy pulling up the hill bravely to get to Juneau. See the tense muscles?
Well, there's no way to get to Juneau on a bike except to get on the ferry. Aw, shucks. It was hard, bad weather and everything.
It was a glorious day, blue skies, amazing mountains. And a welcome rest.
Well, there's no way to get to Juneau on a bike except to get on the ferry. Aw, shucks. It was hard, bad weather and everything.
It was a glorious day, blue skies, amazing mountains. And a welcome rest.
Headed down the Cassiar Highway
By rfay - Posted on July 16th, 2006
Tagged: Inuvik to Ushuaia
We're leaving Whitehorse in the morning and will spend 5-7 days on the Alaska Highway getting to Watson Lake, where we'll resupply and then backtrack a few kilometers and head south on the Cassiar Highway. The Cassiar is a beautiful, little-travelled alternative to the Alaska Highway that runs south to near Prince Rupert. It's about 80% paved and about 500 miles long. Probably not much internet access :-) Many people report seeing lots of bears on this route (no trouble with them). And there's a famous trail at Stewart where you can watch the bears catching salmon - we might get to see that.
We'll check in with you down the road!
You are HERE: Watson Lake
By rfay - Posted on July 22nd, 2006
Tagged: Inuvik to Ushuaia
We've just ridden about 450 miles on the Alaska Highway and are about to turn south on the Cassiar Highway toward Dease Lake. Here's the map so you can all see where we're headed. We go on the left side of this down to Dease Lake (with a probable side trip to Telegraph Creek) and to Stewart and Hyde to see the bears eating salmon at Fish Creek..
Watson Lake Signpost Forest
By rfay - Posted on July 22nd, 2006
Tagged: Inuvik to Ushuaia
Watson Lake was a major construction staging area for the Alaska Highway back in 1942 and a lonely GI put up one sign pointing the way to his home town. Now there are more than 40,000 of them. Nancy got lost looking around at them and I didn't find her for hours.
Nancy put our "hobobiker" card and sticker in a ziplock and duct-taped it to the back of a metal sign. It's not much in this incredible forest, but it's lightweight and minimalist for bike tourists :-)
Nancy put our "hobobiker" card and sticker in a ziplock and duct-taped it to the back of a metal sign. It's not much in this incredible forest, but it's lightweight and minimalist for bike tourists :-)
