We Finally Made it to the Alaska Highway!

We moved on from Lake Meziadin, aka Lake Mosquito - no joking on the mosquito label, they were very intense. We were totally owned by a small, flying insect - yet thousands of them, gotta like their odds, 'eh? We started to hear them whining near our ears when none were present..that's domination I tell you....strength in numbers and we numbered two - clear advantage went to the mosquitoes. My hats off to them, they were superior and for that I salute you king of the mozzies, well done.

So off (BTW, 'Off Botanicals' is a most appropriate repellent for these mozzies - field tested and H man approved) to Waters End RV Park at Dease Lake.

We pull in to the RV park and talk with the owner Chuck Phillips who is about 75, rolls his own smokes and has owned this RV park since the '70's. He and his lovely wife Gracie spend their summers here at Deese Lake and winters east of the Salton Sea - you know, to warm up a bit.

So we pick out our site, get the camp chairs out and I start looking around the hood. Mind you, this place is in the absolute middle of no where...7 clicks north of Dease Lake, BC which is the definition of the middle of nowhere. First thing I notice is to the right of us is what looks to be a major tailings pile from a previous mining operation.
Then, I casually, look to the left and notice a plethora of old mining equipment. I'm trying to put all of this together in my mind and relying on my mining engineering classes from Virginia Tech, the best damned engineering school in the world by the way, this guys not running an RV park, he's running a gold mining operation. Now, Chuckie, you've got my attention...rolling your own cigarettes, I'm on to you Chuck!


You need to click on this photo...notice the wooden sluice box leaning against the building, the large metal sluice box to the left, pallets (what respectable miner doesn't have a few pallets on hand?), plastic buckets to collect the yellow rock, CAT front end loader to move ore - I say, the evidence is overwhelming, gold mine - how do I invest Chuck?
I then smooth on down to his office to, you know, get agressive friendly and find out what the deal is.
He was very nice and friendly but guarded, I suppose would be the best word to describe it. I got the sense that he didn't really like some damn whippersnapper from Kaliforny asking questions about his gold mining enterprise.
He may have been nervous about the whole encounter but I dug the shit out of it!

After Dease Lake our goal was to make the Alaska Highway at Watson Lake, YK (yeh, first time you've seen YK, stands for the Yukon - we're in the freaking Yukon, can you believe it?)..pinch us, we've made it this far!



Prior to hitting the Yukon border we saw this dude crossing the absolute middle of the  road, had to stop the caravan...hey, I'm going this way and I don't care where you're going but I'm going over here....how's that? OK by us big man, this is your world, we're just a couple of squirrels trying to grab a few nuts....



Posted up at the Downtown RV Park in Watson Lake, YK where they have us nooked in by cheek and jowl with the rest of the RV set heading to AK. I have to watch  myself 'cause we'll probably be seeing these guys again on our travels north. Oh, what the hell, f' em I say.




Hung out with the RV Park owner Archie, from Scotland....I gently inquire - say Archie, how'd you come to end up owning this joint? Well,  (I think his Scottish accent was bullshit, but so be it, let's move on...) I was in California and an old friend of mine was up here and said come on up and visit. And after a bottle or two of vodka I was the proud owner of an 88 site RV park in Watson Lake, YK. Really, I bag on the man but he is a good soul and someone I enjoyed spending time with on a BS level, if you know what I mean.

Ole Arch turned me on to an epic trail around Lake Wye right adjacent to the RV Park, most pleasurable walk after watching my Pens lose Game 5 to the hated Sharks, crapitola - come on Pens, you're better than that.


Something we've grown to appreciate about Canada...they make outdoor recreational opportunities a priority. Every small town, no matter how econimically depressed, the local or provincial government has made parks, hiking trails, etc a focal point and have provided all opportunities for the citizens and visitors to get out and relax....muy bueno Canada!






Rest stop at the bee-u-ti-ful Boya Lake In BC, wish we had kayaks/canoe for this stop....


Those are some road weary vehicles right there...

Manana, we head on up the Alaska Highway towards Skagway/Haines, AK. OK, now we're getting serious about this North to Alaska 2016 stuff...stay tuned gentle readers.

A final photo for your consideration....we've been hearing the tales of AK bound travelers and broken windshields. Well we've now got the worry out of the way...clear taped it to reduce dust, water intrusion in expanding the crack. Sounds good theoretically...hope it lasts until we get back to SD. Don't want to replace a windshield tomorrow and have it crack again the next day, know what I mean?



Good night, tired and going to bed, come on Pens!