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Another crisp sunny day greeted us this morning. We slept well in our room with its huge gas heater gently kicking in and out through the night.
The road is mainly pine forest as far as you can see with the northern snow capped Rockies an ever present backdrop.
As soon as we left the town behind us there was snow on the ground despite it being a balmy 9C. We stopped to top up the esky, much of yesterday's snow "ice" was still there keeping much better than the usual drinks ice we've used. While in the snow we took some time to play in the snow. We built a small snow man and let Skip and Maple out to have some time in the snow with our new friend Mr Snowman. Took some pics and off we went again.
At the 333mile point; the summit of Steamboat Mtn, we stopped for some amazing mountain views. Just as we pulled back onto the road a black bear popped its head up, paws firmly planted on the concrete barrier, checking for traffic. Seeing us coming along it went back down deciding wisely to wait til we passed. Of course we didn't pass lol doing everything they say not to do we got out and crossed over the highway to get a couple of pics it pretty much ignored us :-) it was a beautiful black bear, it's pelt glistening in the sun. Once we were back in the car it once again checked, decided we weren't going anywhere and proceeded to cross the highway and hop over the barrier on huge other side. Again being bad kids we hopped out and watched it as it grazed on the grass below us, magic!
Going along an unsealed road which is under repair we copped a stone from a truck, not the first this trip but the first to do damage :-( the top of the drivers side windscreen now has a smallish chip complete with a 7-8" crack which got longer by the mile :-(
The guide book and multiple highway signs advertised homemade hot cinnamon buns at the Tetsa River campground and outfitters. We were really looking forward to them with a cuppa but when we got there it was shut! A sign said they'd gone to town lol ah well didn't need the carbs really :-( we settled instead for fresh cool river water and a muesli bar for morning tea. A short way downstream from our morning tea stop we found a section of the river which was all dammed up by beavers and the surface was frozen! A lot different to where we stopped and played in the river.
Approaching Summit Lake, the highest point on the hwy there were a couple of Another crisp sunny day greeted us this morning. We slept well in our room with its huge gas heater gently kicking in and out through the night.
The road is mainly pine forest as far as you can see with the northern snow capped Rockies an ever present backdrop.
As soon as we left the town behind us there was snow on the ground despite it being a balmy 9C. We stopped to top up the esky, much of yesterday's snow "ice" was still there keeping much better than the usual drinks ice we've used. While in the snow we took some time to play in the snow. We built a small snow man and let Skip and Maple out to have some time in the snow with our new friend Mr Snowman. Took some pics and off we went again.
At the 333mile point; the summit of Steamboat Mtn, we stopped for some amazing mountain views. Just as we pulled back onto the road a black bear popped its head up, paws firmly planted on the concrete barrier, checking for traffic. Seeing us coming along it went back down deciding wisely to wait til we passed. Of course we didn't pass lol doing everything they say not to do we got out and crossed over the highway to get a couple of pics it pretty much ignored us :-) it was a beautiful black bear, it's pelt glistening in the sun. Once we were back in the car it once again checked, decided we weren't going anywhere and proceeded to cross the highway and hop over the barrier on huge other side. Again being bad kids we hopped out and watched it as it grazed on the grass below us, magic!
Going along an unsealed road which is under repair we copped a stone from a truck, not the first this trip but the first to do damage :-( the top of the drivers side windscreen now has a smallish chip complete with a 7-8" crack which got longer by the mile :-(
The guide book and multiple highway signs advertised homemade hot cinnamon buns at the Tetsa River campground and outfitters. We were really looking forward to them with a cuppa but when we got there it was shut! A sign said they'd gone to town lol ah well didn't need the carbs really :-( we settled instead for fresh cool river water and a muesli bar for morning tea. A short way downstream from our morning tea stop we found a section of the river which was all dammed up by beavers and the surface was frozen! A lot different to how it was where we stopped and played in the river.
We stopped and topped up in petrol $1.98/lt! Ah well we are in the wilderness :-( unlike most other places where you have to pay before you can pump it was just a matter of filling up, walking into the wee store where they then ask how much you pumped lol such country faith in the honesty of their fellow man.
Approaching Summit Lake, the highest point on the hwy there were a couple of caribou on the road, in no hurry at all to get out of our way. A few k's further on a lone caribou with only one antler both surprised us and in turn got a surprise as we rounded a corner.
We stopped for lunch at Toad River, a community of about 80. Best buffalo burger ever! It really is the wilderness on this stretch of the road with few signs of life for many kms at a time; mostly it was just us, caribou, forest, beautiful rivers and lakes.
At 2pm it got gloomy as dark clouds rolled in obscuring the sun. We copped a bit of onagain off again drizzle but nothing major for most of the afternoon.
We stopped to take some photos at Muncho Lake and as we got back on the road we spotted a family of caribou. They were trying to cross the road but were unsure about us. All we did was stop and take a lot of pics :-). They finally got the nerve up to cross then stopped half way and sort of dithered til a car came the other way and shooed them back onto our side of the road, silly b*****s :-). It was only a few kms further on that we again saw a small herd, just crossing the road calmly as we waited for them to do so safely.
Past Laird River we came across a large herd of wild bison or wood buffalo as they all them around here. They were split over both sides of the road with two big old boys just sitting at the edge of the road quietly chewing their cud oblivious to the cars passing them by. Not far from there I got a great vid of another herd as they walked beside us.
The road curves and switches back, crossing the border six times before you're finally, irrevocably, in The Yukon :-) At 5.15 as we crossed the border for the last time the sun managed to break through briefly as if welcoming us. For the most part the drizzle and cloudy skies continued :-(
We went through Watson Lake, not much of a town! Saw their main claim to fame, the signpost forest but didn't have one to add. Twenty mins out of town we came to our cabin for the night, smack bang in the middle of nowhere lol awesome cabin though, massive TV. Slight prob in that the net is only available in the restaurant so we were sort of forced to eat there, not that there are any other options for miles around lol. Turned out the old guy who single handed runs it is a great cook, a really good baker too, thoroughly recommend the bumble berry pie to anyone who passes this way :-)
A great meal, a few Yukon Gold ales and all our internet needs met we waddled back to our room to await the clouds lifting so we can check out the northern lights, tonight is rated an 8 on the scale out of 10 so fingers crossed!
Chatting to Dave, the chef, baker and general one man band here and it turns out he's been the chef at some of the best hotels in Canada, explains his cooking ability :-)
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