Sunday, November 22, 2009

Heading south on the Cassiar Highway eventually brought us to the junction with Highway 16, running east and west. My Roger's cell phone came back to life - finding it's first reception since we left Alaska!

Back on dependable pavement again, I spent quite a while at the car was - hosing off the last of the Yukon, Alaska, and northern BC mud.

The weather was warm again, at 23C. No decent camp spots were located in the Burns Lake area, but we did finally pull into Beaumont Provincial Park to spend the next night. Weather had been dry and a fire ban was still in effect.

I found a glass repair shop in Vanderhoof, but as I suspected, the cracks were too big to be repaired. Now it just a case of sitting back and see where the cracks spread to and how far they go before a new windshield is in order.
It was a pleasant, though somewhat uneventfull drive on east through Prince George on this Monday morning, and before long we were getting back near my old stomping grounds of Jasper.

Just west of Jasper park is Mount Robson Provincial Park, with the mountain of that name - highest in the Canadian Rockies at 12, 972 feet - seen below. It is usually covered in clouds, but in this shot, only the very tip is covered.

We crossed the last boundary of the trip back into Alberta and into Jasper National Park. Some serious rock work was in progress along the side of the road.
After turning south onto Highway 93 (Icefields Parkway) at Jasper townsite, it was now only a short 230km trip back home. My 'residents pass' saved me from having to pay the park fees as I headed south. Near Mt Kerkeslin, where I used to live about 15 years ago, the usual mountain goats were along the side of the road at a mineral lick, creating the usual 'goat jam'.
There were a few goats and kids enjoying the lick.
Shortly after 6pm I pulled into the driveway at home in Lake Louise after a trip of 10,546 km, not including distances traveled on the ferry.
We had departed the same location on July 24th, and it was now August 17th!

Fuel prices ranged as high as $1.34/Litre at the juction of the Dempster highway, to a low of $.82 in Hinton on the very first fill of the trip - even though there was a fuel shortage at the time. All prices for diesel fuel.
The furthest point west reached was near Anchor Point Alaska, south of Anchorage at:
59°47'54.28"N 151°50'25.21"W.

The furthest northern point we reached was a days travel up the Dempster highway at: 64 53.398 N 138 16.861 W

The furthest southerly and the furthest east points were at the starting and ending location.

Though this trip took place between July 24 and August 17, 2009, it was not possible or convenient to blog it in real time - partially due to time and internet constraints. Surprisingly, it has taken me until late November to complete this trip after the fact.

While I find myself at home shoveling snow at present, I hope to be able to depart very soon for southern climes to get the acumulating snow melted off the camper and the truck.

I did in fact make a short trip out to Vancouver Island last week - just before the storms and flooding hit. I did take a few photos, so I may post those next time - before I head south!
Hope you have enjoyed our Yukon/Alaska/northern BC adventure, I know I did!

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