Exploring the Chilkoot Trail and Driving the Cassiar Highway back into British Columbia

 

After two days of heavy rain and wind, I was finally able to explore with my bike.

                        A series of three pictures of Skagway.

I drove over to the old Dyea Townsite which was the start of the Chilkoot Goldrush Trail.

This is what it looked like in 1898.

This is the same view today. Since the harbor was so shallow a two mile long wharf was built where ships were moored, then it was a two mile walk while unloading the ships. Parts of the wharf still exist. 

The 1,000 foot Scales at the summit was also called the Golden Staircase.

I hiked a few miles in. But it was posted that the trail was closed because a bridge was out. When open many people hike this trail in 5 days.

Two trails of the Klondike Goldrush to Dawson City, Yukon territory. One from Dyea and the other from Skagway.

I am out of Alaska and the Yukon and back in British Columbia. They say that when it starts consistently raining in Alaska that winter is coming.

A friend recommended the beautiful Cassiar Highway for an exit plan to leave Canada. 

I spent a few nights boondocking (free camping) along the 500 miles of trees and waterways.

This was my view from Belle's kitchen of a beautiful valley as I was cooking one evening.

                        It was a very narrow road. I just took it slow.

A few weeks ago I started noticing a dull pain on the left side of my upper jaw. Then while chewing gum a crown came off my last upper tooth. A few days later I had plans to spend several more days exploring another interesting part of BC with a very large glacier and fjord then the pain kicked in. At this point, I drove 100 or so miles to get cell reception then started to call several dentists along the road I had planned to exit BC on. None of the dental offices were taking walk-ins. Then at Watson Lake, I asked the Chamber of Commerce if there was a dentist in town. I was told if traveling west the closest was in Whitehorse, Yukon at 500 miles, and to the east in Dawson Creek (the beginning of the AlCan that I previously drive through) at 1,000 miles! So I drove south to get better cell phone service. I contacted a dentist who had a cancellation the next day in the city of Prince George, BC. I set out on a 600-mile drive and 13 hours later I was in Prince George. Two of the roots were infected. So the tooth was extracted. Enough said.

After an hour out of Prince George, I pulled over for the night.
When I was stepping out of Belle the next morning I heard a noise and looked up to find this scared bear. He must have been walking by Belle and heard me cooking breakfast and scurried up this tree.  

At a rest stop in BC with washrooms. But I do miss the pit toilets.

 

Canadian money seems so smart as there are coins for $1 and $2 called a Looney and a Toonie.

Plus the Canadian currency is a lot more artistic. 

                                            Bear in the tree video.

A Very Interesting Skagway.

 

I arrived in Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon in pouring rain. At this point, it was only another 80 miles to Skagway but I had heard that the drive is not to be missed. So I got on my favorite cheap camping app, The Dyrt, and they listed The Real Canadian Superstore as similar to Walmart for free overnight stays. I spent the night there along with many others. Hey - real toilets, unlike the pit toilets I have used most frequently! Where's Waldo?

Emerald Lake.

                                                                Moon Lake.

The drive was through several fjords.

The closer to Skagway the geography and the weather changed dramatically.

Back in the United States.

There's a price I pay for being off-road - nicks in Belle's windshield. I have repaired three and have two more to go. The repair kit is usually around $20.

                                        A video of Emerald Lake.

Downtown Skagway. What is strange is all the jewelry and diamond stores. Maybe this is because there are usually four cruise ships here?

Skagway reminds me of Dawson City, Yukon. The buildings in Dawson City are more run-down looking and the streets are not paved so mostly mud. But both have old wood boardwalks.  This is all on purpose according to the fire chief of Dawson City that I met at breakfast one morning. I do like Dawson City more as it is so natural for its historic time.

The Gold Rush Cemetary which started in 1898.

I find old cemeteries fascinating and have spent many hours exploring them all around the world. I have hundreds of pictures of cemeteries.

    133 gravesites have been located here but only 60 have burial records.

Reid Falls is named after Frank Reid who was the city surveyor that designed the town in 1898.

An interesting story about Smith and Reid.

                                                    Reid Falls.

                                                    Built in 1899.