2024 Travel Highlights

 

WOW, I did not realize how much I have covered until reviewing the whole years travel map. Of course, one detour to central Canada for a RV Factory repair was totally unanticipated and did add allot to the map.

Details of each month on the road are in other posts. To find them look on the right side of this page and see a column listed by year and when you select a year it expands to have more posts. Select each post one at a time to read the blog containing pictures and narrative of what I have seen or done in that area of the country. Although I have been RVing for 30 years I started journaling in 2002 and traveling full time 8 years ago.

My wife Tanya was able to work remotely for 4 years and traveled with me. It was so great to share these adventures with her. 2 years ago while wintering over in Key West, FL she steps out of the RV just crying so very hard, she had received an email stating for everyone to return to the office by February. Since then I continue to travel in the RV and when we talk every day and I share what I have seen or done she can visualize it herself and share vicariously my travels for she has had similar experiences while traveling.

This years summary of travels also starts out in Key West, FL. My friend Gene Miller from the WIN's (Wandering Individuals Network) and I spent parts of January and February in Key West. Eating allot, soaking up the sun and he and I are both sunrise aficionados!

Going back to the mainland I purchase a Ford Maverick to tow behind the RV. I love this truck! It allows me to carry my toys and have a dry warm vehicle to tour around in. Of course, it means no more motorcycle for I will not load one into a truck nor will it fit with kayaks overhead. Met another WIN member John who came over and spent the entire day installing the baseplate to tow the truck with. Later John was with me to go to Alaska!

Leaving Florida to slowly go west in preparation for Alaska I connect with more WIN's in Texas to see the Solar Eclipse, while there meet other WIN's who go to Alaska with me Ken Geibe. Also reconnected with Steven Weiler, Marsha Bloodsworth, Linda Funkhouser, Jennell Jones who had traveled to Canadian Maritime together.

In Nevada I discovered a Gemstone Mine and the nearby town of Goldfield, NV with great attractions. This stood out also because similar to Cadilac Ranch near Amarillo, TX they had allot of vehicles nose first into the sand!

Also in Nevada was memories of driving through a cattle drive with Tanya a few years previously. 

A months stay in Oregon visiting family before meeting up with other WIN's and beginning our Alaska journey.

All of the stories of bad roads, broken windshields, flat tires is from many years ago when the roads were still gravel. Now it is paved 99% and only when detouring off main roads have had gravel roads. No one in our 9 member group had vehicle issues except one travel trailer and that was not due to road conditions.

My most enjoyable portion of traveling to Alaska is the vast amount of wilderness and wildlife. Including a herd of approximately 1200 Caribou caught on a drone video, the video is posted on the blog page for you to see.

Denali wildlife 

15 Dall sheep
3 bear
6 caribou 
1 arctic ground squirrels 

Whole trip wildlife 

11 Black bear
1 Grizzly bear, 1 cub
1 Red Fox
14 Humpback whale 
4 Sea Otter
7 Puffins a
3 Eagles 1 baby
2 Mountain goats , chased by black bear 
16 Moose 
9 Trumpeter swans 
20 Sea Lion 
16 Wild horses 
6 Rabbit 
11 Ptarmigan 24 chicks
2 Artic ground squirrels 
1200 Herd of Caribou
3 deer
82 Bison

A on water cruise and saw whales feeding. They dove deep, swam in a circle blowing bubbles to compact baitfish, then swam up through the fish pod with mouths open breaching the surface! Theres a video of this too!

Both the trip north through Canada British Columbia and the trip south there was allot to see and do. Jasper National Park was on fire when we were there so we did not see Jasper or the Icefields Highway.

Towards the end of the trip my brother drove up and joined me for some flyfishing in BC. I'm hoping that future years we spend more time fishing BC.

Returning to Oregon for another month to see family and I received a recall on my RV. When the local shop could not fix it, I was offered to go to the factory for repair. So, a 1600-mile detour to the factory then another 1600- mile to return to my itinerary of going to Mexico for the winter.

I spent November in Puerto Penasco, Mexico with other WIN's friends. Then back up to the states to fly and visit Tanya before going to Quartzsite, AZ for the annual WIN's get together. In January my brother comes down to Quartzsite and we return to Mexico for January and February.

A very, very long travel year for me and loving every moment! I hope everyone has a happy Holiday season and enjoy living vicariously through my travels.

2024 July, August Canada

 Our last day in Alaska was uneventful, halfway from Chicken, AK to Dawson City, YT we stayed "On Top of the World Highway". A very beautiful drive on a dirt road between two countries! There was a sign stating that in the spring and fall the Caribou herd migrates through here. Too bad we did not see them.

The border crossing was one of the easiest weve made so far. Next is the crossing of the river into Dawson City. 

Klondike Gerties with dance hall girls!

Nearby Dredge #4 This is the area called "Klondike Gold Rush". The whole valley is lined with the tailings or stone piles as a result of the dredge. It moves 1/2 mile in a season of 8 months work. It digs down to bedrock lifting scoops of rock and gravel up into the dredge, a rotating tumbler being washed with water separates the gold and it falls out to the bottom. Rocks are spilled out the back into piles.  

Tumbler

Control booth, John trying to be an engineer.

Coconut matts that catch the gold

A long drive through active forest fire to finally reach Whitehorse, YT where we stayed over in a campground for 2 nights. The first heat of the summer hit us in Dawson City, stayed hot until nighttime in Whitehorse, then cold days again.

On down the road Wood Bison herd of about 50 animals. They don't seem to miithe traffic going by. Also seen along the way was what appeared to be a wolf eating his kill alongside the road. 

Laird Hot Springs, touted to be the best in the NW. I tend to agree, it is not commercialized like others, it remains in its natural settings. The campground itself is surrounded by electrified fences to keep the bears out.

We discovered that the road on our next step is closed due to flooding and washed out road. Next morning its reported open, that afternoon is reported closed. Waiting until actual turn option to decide what route to take. Also learned that Jasper town itself is on fire, we will deal with that as we get closer to it.

Taking a 100 mile detour to enter Northwest Territory, Canadian Province. This will be the closest we will be, so why not go!

Along the way we saw another herd of Wood Bison. 

Baby felt like feeding time, zoom in.

This is what my RV looks like from behind.

The town of Fort St John, BC has allot of oil drilling and support companys. The college here has extensive drilling rig set ups to teach how the industry works. Also in the town museum was information about oil drilling. Very cool!

A rainy day allowed us to relax and call it down time!

Dawson Creek, BC the beginning of the ALCAN.

Toured town murals and Pioneer Village.

Snowmobile

Rodeo, the National Chuck Wagon Competition!

First Nations, Stick horse race

Chuck Wagon Races video

Near Tumbler Ridge, BC is many waterfalls, hiking trails, prehistoric artifacts. We stopped for several days, I even tried fishing and learned that Bull Trout live in deep holes in the river that I was unable to reach.

This picture is a little hard to understand. It shows that there was an inland sea many millennium ago, I knew about the one that covers most of Nevada. This shows it was connected to one up north here in BC.

We stayed over 2 nights not just one. This is a beautiful area with allot of outdoor things to do!

Waterfalls everywhere, a nice hike to Quality Falls 

Chetwyn BC along the way toward Prince George, BC. Wow, cool town, I can guess what keeps them occupied during the long winter!

Keep on going, overnight along the highway, boondocking of course, loving this life!

A stop in Prince George then over to Mt Robson (Jasper has burned out from wildfire, still burning as a matter of fact) and a great bike ride 8 miles up and down hills. Love it!

At 3,954 m (12,972 ft). Mount Robson is the most prominent mountain in North America's Rocky Mountain range; it is also the highest point in the Canadian Rockies. The mountain is located entirely within Mount Robson Provincial Park of British Columbia, and is part of the Rainbow Range. Mount Robson is the second highest peak entirely in British Columbia, behind Mount Waddington in the Coast Range. The south face of Mount Robson is clearly visible from the Yellowhead Highway (Highway 16), and is commonly photographed along this route.

I departed from the group at this point to go meet my brother for some fishing in British Columbia. The others have continued along the Icefield Parkway, Banff, Lake Louise before returning to the US and or home.

No pictures of fishing with my brother so I will tell you that it was an exploratory trip to learn where it is feasible for flyfishing in rivers and streams. I have already learned that most Canadians are more interested in fishing lakes than streams.

We fished Wells Grey, Kootenay river, Thompson river. My brother keeps reading about Fraser River near Quesnel, BC but when I traveled there the river was really blown out and the locals talked about lake fishing.