to have an Internet connection via satellite. This was the last time we were able to
connect via satellite and have been relying on WiFi Hot Spots since then. This will be
the case until we are again further south.
We drove along the Snake River via Jackson, WY where the snow-capped Grand Teton
Mountains provided a most impressive view (see photos). In Grand Teton National
Park we spent the night at Colter Bay Campground. The following morning
we moved on to Yellowstone National Park which lies only a few miles
further north. We chose Lewis Lake as our base camp while at Yellowstone. After
unhooking the RV, we drove to the Geyser area to see “Old Faithful.” On the way we
noticed a camper parked on the road side with Hamburg license plates. Although it
seemed unlikely, it looked exactly like one that was at Percha Dam in New Mexico. We
had met the couple but forgot to get their names for our journal (see April 06 Travel
Journal). What a coincidence! It was the same couple (Felizitas and Wolfgang Nickel)
who had already made it to Alaska and back!
On the following day, we made the round trip through Yellowstone along with the wild
animal sightings and beautiful views (see photos). Lobo had the opportunity to go
swimming in Yellowstone Lake. At Fort Yellowstone we even saw a herd of elk grazing
in the meadow between the housing (see photos). That evening, as Renée and Lobo
were taking a walk, Chuck saw a gray wolf in the woods next to the RV. Unfortunately,
the camera was in the pickup and the wolf decided to leave before Chuck could get a
picture of him.
On July 7th, we left Yellowstone and were once again able to use the cell phone. We
had been without water, electric and sewer since Utah, so we stopped south of
Livingston, MT at a campground with full hookups (including WiFi).
After spending a full afternoon and evening with the laundry and other necessities, we
took off the following morning westward on I-90. That evening we spent the night in
Garrison, MT. The following day we drove through Idaho to Spokane, WA where we
wanted to spend a few days. Lobo needed to go to the vet for a checkup concerning
his thyroid medication and we had decided to have new tires installed on the rear of
the pickup before heading into Canada. We also needed to stock up at the commissary
at Fairchild Air Force Base. Renée had lost so much weight on her diabetic diet that
she needed to replenish her wardrobe and give away the old clothes.
On July 13th we left, travelling by Grand Coulee Dam , spending that
evening in Omak, WA before crossing into British Columbia (see photos). The odometer
read 44509, having traveled 3559 miles since leaving White Sands, NM on June 12th.
As we drove north on highway 97 in British Columbia (BC) south of Kelowna, we crossed
over a pass of 5670 feet. This was quite steep and the pickup had to be driven quite
slow to avoid overheating. We spent our first night between Merritt and Spences
Bridge at a roadside pulloff (see photos). This was our first time we had spent the
night on the road side but has not been our last. In British Columbia, Yukon Territory
and in Alaska there are lots of places to spend the night on the roadside.
On July 15th we spent the night in Quesnel, BC at a Wal-Mart. The local residents
apparently spend a lot of time on their flowers during their short summer. They also
seem to enjoy making an art of tastefully displaying their work.
After Quesnel, we again left civilization, spending the night on highway 97 between
Pine Pass and Pine Le Moray Provincial Park. That night Lobo was very sick. He
coughed most of the night and wanted to go outside to eat grass.
Before we left the following morning, we received a visit by a black bear. After
seeing Lobo, Chuck and Renée in three different locations, he apparently felt he was
outnumbered and surrounded, so he took off on a fast run.
That afternoon we arrived at Dawson Creek where the Alaska Highway (Alcan
Highway) begins (see photos). We spent the night in Farmington, a small
village between Dawson Creek and Fort St. John. We had full hookups and the owner
let us use the cable modem for an Internet connection. Lobo was still not completely
well, but appeared to be doing better. The following night we decided to try one of
the provincial parks instead of parking on the road side. After turning off to the Andy
Bailey Park, we realized it was 7 ½ miles from the highway on a dirt road. It had
rained and as we continued on the slippery drive to the campground, a gritty mud that
turned into something like cement after it dried, completely covered the underside
and front of the RV and truck. After arriving at the park, a lady came by and
collected 14 Canadian dollars which was the price to enjoy the mosquitoes (no water, no
sewer, and no electric). The following morning the weather was clear but we had no
way to clean off the mud.
That day we saw mountain goats, bison and wild horses. One of the horses stood in
front of us on the highway, refusing to move for almost 15 minutes. We filmed,
took pictures, blew the horn, shouted but nothing would make him move. Finally, we
threw a piece of bread out of the window which caused him and the others to move out
of the way. Wild animals should not be fed, but it was the only way to get him to move.
About 30 miles further we parked behind a large rock pile in a forest clearing and
spent the night. We were already so far north that it didn’t get completely dark at
night and we did not want to be seen from the road. Lobo took a turn for the worse,
coughing and licking the carpet as if he was trying to scrape off something on his
tongue. It was a very bad night, and he wanted to spend most of the night eating
grass. We were completely puzzled and worried.
The following day we reached the Yukon Territory (see photos). In Watson Lake, we
filled up, made a trip to a super market, and visited the “Sign Forest” (see photos).
By that evening (July 20th) when we parked in a secluded forest, we had driven 1453
miles in Canada, of which 856 were on the Alaska highway. The following day we
reached White Horse , and we went to the first vet we could find. After a
thorough examination and our description of Lobo’s symptoms, the vet arrived at a
diagnosis. There is a plant called Fox-Tail Barley that can be quite dangerous for dogs.
The seed/grain/fruit of the plant has long hairs that are like needles. They are so
sharp that they actually penetrate the flesh. Dogs will eat it and get it stuck in their
mouths, tongues, tonsils and internal organs. Whenever we are near this grass, Lobo
has to be wiped with a damp cloth after a walk. It took several days but Lobo has
finally recovered.
In White Horse we also saw a red bus with Passau, Germany license plates. It
appeared to have bunk beds. After looking it up the next time we had a WiFi
connection, we learned that it is called a “Rotel” and is a rolling hotel. (The
link is in German but there are pictures of the vehicle that will give you an idea of what
we saw.)
On July 22d, we finally reached Alaska (see photos). We spent the first night
between High Cache and Northway. The following morning we stopped in Tetlin
Junction, which has become a ghost town in the past few years (see photos). We then
drove further to Tok, Delta Junction and toward Fairbanks. Shortly before Fairbanks
at 5 PM we parked the RV at Eielson Air Force Base near Bear Lake. Odometer=
46714 miles. We had driven 5764 miles since White Sands, NM.
The gears in the kitchen slide out had become clogged with the grit and mud from the
Andy Bailey Provincial Park drive. It was so severe that we had to schedule an
appointment to have it repaired in Fairbanks. The rest of the month of July we spent
around Fairbanks . Pioneer Park (see photos) contains most of the older log
structures of Fairbanks. The Catholic Church (also see photos) was built in
1904 and in 1911 was moved across the frozen Chena River, pulled on logs by horses.
On a walk with Lobo, Chuck discovered an airplane in the lake near our campground
(see photos).
Lobo had to go to the vet for a checkup on his thyroid medication. The medication
appears to be keeping the numbers in the right range. He has recovered from his
Foxtail fiasco and appears to be in good health and in a good mood.
To be continued in August….
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