Jim & Mary Anne's Northern Adventure

Every year in July the Great Northern Arts Festival is held in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada. It lasts for two weeks. It is said that the people of northern Canada and Alaska work all winter long on their various arts and crafts and then bring them to the festival to display and sell. That is our "goal" in a sense but the trip itself is the true goal. We will leave in a little over a week with the following as a very rough itinerary leaving from the San Diego area:

South Rim, Grand Canyon
Monument Valley (AZ and UT)
Glacier NP
(enter Canada)
Banff
Jasper
Dawson Creek
Whitehorse
Dawson City
Inuvik

We will take a more "westerly" route back after returning to Dawson City because we want to follow a bit of the Gold Rush trail up through Skagway, Chillcoot and White Passes etc. We also want to take that scenic train trip over White Pass.

We will come home through Vancouver and then over to the Olympic Peninsula and then down the Washington and Oregon coasts back to California, if we have any energy left, or simply "streak" down I-5 to the comfort of our recliners.

I am not really a fisherman in any true sense of the word but I do enjoy just "being there" and trying so I will try and get "outfitted" with the basics before we leave and then get the specific tackle for the various areas once we were there. We have set aside plenty of time for two and three day stays in both directions if warrented. My only fear is that we will find the perfect camp site by the perfect lake in the perfect mountains and we will simply sit there for two months and grow moss on the side away from the sun. Win-Win? More as this progresses,
Jim & Mary Anne

 

That sounds like an awesome trip! Definitely a 'win-win'!
Charlie

 

Wow - can't wait to hear all about it. Safe travels!

 

How exciting! Sounds like a wonderful trip!

If you need tips on the Oregon Coast, we can give some good suggestions!

 

The distances involved, and the remoteness of the areas we will be traveling in require certain special considerations. Tires for one; one spare for the CI, and one for the TV. What happens if I lose a second tire on either the trailer or the truck? I don't have room for mulitple spares so a couple of cans of that tire repair/inflator is all I can think of. "Limp to a garage" tools. We are taking our 10X10 sun shade with the optional bug screens but I think I will also get one of those REI Screen Rooms for just a quick "pop-up" shelter. Much quicker to put up and take down than the sun shade, ideal for a simple late afternoon set-up I think. People love to tell us their "how horrible the bugs were" stories so this bug shelter should fit the bill. We have head nets, gloves, and of course DEET, for just walking around if needed. I did have a grill guard installed to protect the radiator and head lamps. It looks like I could knock down small buildings and not hurt the truck. The theory is that if you hit an animal you can limp to a garage because your radiator is still intact. If nothing else it gives the truck some real "attitude". Other vehicles seem to move right along if you come up behind them.

Looking for a quick overnight spot to stop between Kingman and Williams (near I-40) before heading up to the South Rim (Grand Canyon) the following morning on Hwy 64. We have reservations at the Mather Campground for both Saturday and Sunday nights, 6/9-6/10 if anyone is in the area we would love to meet you. Drinks and a tour will be offered immediately.

Still need to talk to Verizon for cell phone coverage and internet access (MiFi) while in the northern Provences of Canada (Yukon and NWT). Mary Anne's iPad is Verizon 4G enabled but mine requires the MiFi card. In either case we need a cell phone signal to connect and I am getting more horror stories about the "streaming" charges. At any rate I still need to practice getting pictures out of my camera and into these forum updates. I never seem to keep it all straight and have to screw it up two or three times before I get it right. I would love to be able to simply format a trip report in MS Word (or suitable word processor) with embedded photos and then copy it into this forum's format. Oh well, the camping and travel is the point, telling other's about it is only a wonderful bonus.
Jim

 

Jim, sounds like fun. I heartily agree that a simple lightweight pop-up shelter is the way to go on road trips.

 

Going to the Northwest Territories, huh? Got your bear spray?

Nah, you'll be fine and probably have the time of your lives. This is one heck of a wonderful trip you've planned and I hope you enjoy every single minute.

Camp On,

Sue and Jim

 

About bears, just remember that they can run faster than you can.

Grizzly bears usually attack if they see you as a threat; if you become totally passive they will stop attacking you. Black bears tend to see humans as food and will stalk you. It they attack, resist as aggressively as you can. Now the hard part, how to identify a grizzly bear from a black bear. Fwiw, grizzly bears that are well feed are all fun and games and will want a tour of your Camp-inn; however, as Timothy Treadwell found out; the minute they are out of food they tend to have a major change in their disposition.

 

What are the rules on bear spray? Can I take it into Canada? I had planned on getting 1 or 2 canisters at REI but those suckers are pricey, between $45 and $55 depending upon the size. We will be in Glacier NP for 2-3 days so I hate to wait until we cross the border. Better safe than sorry I know but I would hate to give them up at the border just to have to buy them again on the other side.
Jim

 

Good question. I don't have an answer. Anyone out there know the rules for carting bear spray across the border?

Sue

 

This might help:

Bear Spray in Canada

 

I think Betsey’s link conveys the sense of how Canadian customs works, however, it looks like it was published in 2001 and maybe out of date. In any event your mileage will certainly vary at the border and the primary factor will be the attitude of the border personnel. Ask Bear, the person and not the family Ursidae, about his experience with Canadian customs.

It is actually fairly easy to bring in fire arms into Canada if you are a hunter or taking them to Alaska and know which forms to fill out. Bear spray looks like it falls into a gray area and your ability to bring it into Canada will be based on chance. If you do get it into Canada, make sure to bring it back out of the country when you leave.

Ironically, the evidence indicates that bear or pepper spray is much more effective than a fire arm in deterring a bear. Mostly because you will not have much time to aim and it is doubtful that you will hit anything that will stop a charging bear. The statistics, however, indicate that your chances of encountering a bear that will intend you any harm are slight. Especially in the summer when there is food. Bears on the coast seem to act like they are on turkey tryptophan comma because of all the fish they eat. Interior bears are more dangerous but sufficiently rare that they will not be a problem if you don’t do anything ill-advised.

The biggest problem with bears you are likely to encounter are the Polar bears around Inuvik, they should be out on the ice floes but it is hard to predict with the increasing loss of habitat. With the Polar bears I would not put much faith in bear spray. :whistle:

 

Good point!

Here's the latest (6/2010) from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police website:

Q. Is pepper spray allowed in Canada?

Criminal Code Regulations prohibit Mace and similar products designed to injure, immobilize or incapacitate a person. Bear sprays and similarly devices clearly designed for protection from wild animals are allowed.

RCMP

 

thanks, Betsey!

Kathy

 

Betsy and all the gang at CI,
Thank you so much for the info on the bear spray, but more importantly, for building us a trailer we can take places where we will need it. We are leaving tomorrow to be at the South Rim (of the Grand Canyon for anyone who doesn't get out much) by Saturday for two nights in the Mather campground. We will then proceed north at a leisurely pace taking the route listed at the start of this thread. Again, anyone around the South Rim come find us. But the truth is, once set up one of the first things we do in campground or RV park is walk around to get a feel for the place and to see what everyone else has. If you have a tear we would probably find you first.

Jim

 

Jim and Mary Anne,

Safe journey. If you pass any into the local Res on the way, don't forget to stock up on smoked salmon. Great stuff.

Also, a friend of ours is headed up to Alaska for his seasonal gold panning and he has some advice on dodging bears:

The best way to avoid being eaten by a Grizzly is to smear bacon fat on the camper in the next site.

He always was a bit bloody minded...

Camp On,

Sue and Jim

 

We left home for what we are calling our “Arctic Adventure” last Friday, 6/8. The word “Arctic” sounds pretentious this far away but that is our goal. We are now 2500 miles into the journey and are now at the East entrance to Glacier NP in readiness for moving north across the border into Canada tomorrow. I have copied and pasted a series of brief “blogs” or updates we sent to our family along the way. I’m afraid pictures will have to wait until much later because of a number of factors, not the least of which is the internet access charges. Verizon was very specific on what happens when we cross the border even with the “International Plan”.
Day 1, Williams Arizona
Well, the "Adventure" to the North Pole begins. Left Luke and Karina's house Friday morning just before 10 and drove all day. Drove up Hwy 95 from I-10 to I-40 along the Colorado River hoping for good views of the river but we only we were only allowed brief glimpses. We were setup for a quick stop over by 6:00 here in Williams. By "quick" I mean we didn't even unhitch from the truck. Will try and send something, however short, from each stop we make. There is a big biker rally here this weekend so a lot of activity. Went to a local Pub last night for brew and a light dinner. Had my first Grand Canyon Brewery pale ale, excellent. On to the South Rim today but since it is only an hour away from here we are taking it easy this morning. So, on to the GC for two nights and then on to Monument Valley on Monday.
Grand Canyon, Days 2&3

Mary Anne and I rafted the GC with our friend Joel a number of years ago and since then I have always felt that seeing it from the rim was, at best, second best. Well once again I was quite wrong about something I was quite sure of. From the river you cannot really see all the layers the river had to cut through over billions of years and how wide it must have been. From the river you often only see the current walls of the canyon, not those that went before.

We have a beautiful campsite in the woods but everything is "tinder box" dry and fire restrictions are firmly in place. No fires period. Until yesterday not even charcoal was allowed but that has been relaxed. This entire place is a maze of small roads, many one way and if the call came to get out in the middle of the night it could be very bad.

Spent all morning following the "Rim Trail" from the Lodges the 11 miles west to Hermits Rest. There is a road (and an excellent trail) but no private vehicles are allowed. There are shuttle buses however that stop at a number of "lookouts" along the way so you can hike, ride or combine the two. Saw 3 elk this morning, up close and personal.

Expect to be in Monument Valley tomorrow to pay homage to the "Johns" (Ford & Wayne). I have asked MA to wear a yellow ribbon.

Day 4 & 5, Monument Valley (OR WHY WE CAME THIS WAY)
We left our campsite on the South Rim Monday morning and stopped briefly at the Desert Tower. This is a 4 story rock tower built in the 30's as another attraction for the growing travelers taking the just recently built train route to the Grand Canyon. What is really unique is that every level is filled with Native American art, especially the paintings done directly on the walls and ceilings.
The Canyon was truly Grand but we came this way to go through Monument Valley and it exceeded all expectations. Every way you turn is another amazing vista, yet still very familiar. These are backdrops to so many movies we had grown up with and they are almost as real in person. Mary Anne said she was in "sensory overload" simply standing and absorbing. We stayed in Gouldings RV Park right in the valley. Goulding had slowly built up a trading post here in the 20's and when the depression came the Navajo were very badly impacted (as was Goulding) so he took all the photographs he had and his last $75 and went to Hollywood to "sell" the location. Fortunately, after not getting anywhere with his plan for weeks, he finally got in to see John Ford and the rest is history. Ford packed up an entire film crew including all the support people and moved to the valley. Stagecoach starring John Wayne was the result and many more followed. If this is on your list, go, if not, put it on and go. I strongly recommend the Green Chile Stew with Fry Bread, a Navajo mainstay.
This morning we slowly drove north and then West to an amazing road up and over the sheer wall of a mesa to reach the Natural Bridges National Monument. Look at a map of Utah in the lower right hand corner. Hwy 163 goes right through the valley and just after Mexican Hat look for Hwy 261. Look closely at a good map. Most of 261 is a black line indicating a paved two lane road but there is a 3-4 mile section that is shown in white and indicates unpaved switchbacks. We had missed that little detail but the warning signs caused us to look more closely. "No trucks over 20', no RVs, NO TRAILERS". Signs alone won't stop me from at least taking a look, unless of course it is wearing a badge and gun so on we went. Believe me when I tell you that you are following a perfectly "normal" paved road, straight as a ruler to the base of a sheer 2000' wall of rock. Even at the base you couldn't see where a road could possibly go. Yet up it goes, unpaved (signs call it "unimproved") with the tightest switchbacks I have been on in a vehicle. It is blasted out of the rock in such a way that you cannot see it from below. That was exciting. Natural Bridges was a little bland after Monument Valley and that road and now we are in Green River UT for the night. Expect to be in Idaho Falls late tomorrow afternoon. Tomorrow is just a driving day, mostly Interstate (70 & 15).

Days 6 &7 Idaho & Montana

Day 6 was just a day's drive on I-15 from Utah to Idaho, but a day full of reminding each other what it had been like the first time we came this way. We got married in 1965 and a week later pulled the smallest U-Haul they made with everything we owned (it was still half empty) from the Bay Area to our current destination, Idaho Falls. I was being sent there by the Navy for a final 6 months of training out at the reactor test facilities before being assigned to a Submarine. As it turned out those 6 months turned into almost 3 years (stayed on as an Instructor) but we didn't know that then. We were city people, this bordered on the great unknown. The last few miles brought about looks of dismay, there was nothing here but farms, ranches and lava beds, mostly lava beds. Oh yes, only one freeway exit. Now there are 4 exits with a big sign telling us which one to take to tour the "Historic Old Town"! Historic Old Town? We cannot possibly be old enough to have lived in what is now a Historic Old Town. And our two children were born there as well. I know for sure they aren't old enough. Well we drove around a bit, got a nice place by the river and then went to dinner with our good friends Bill & Kathi. Had a wonderful time. This morning we are camped on beautiful Lake near Wolf Creek, Montana and plan to drive another couple of hours north to the East entrance to Glacier NP at a small village called St. Mary ( no "s"). We plan on at least two nights there before crossing the border into Canada. Oh yes, had a discussion with some guys who had been in the far north. They felt Pepper Spray was the best you could do for black and brown bears (much better than guns) but that Polar Bears are the problem that far north. Spray one of them with pepper and you would be asked to also pass the salt just before they “dug in”. This is so much fun, it really is.
Day 8, Glacier National Park
We are actually just outside the east entrance to the park. The “Highway To The Sun”, which crosses GNP is now closed. It was open last week but 3’ of new snow corrected that situation. The road is only open for 15 miles today but the Park Service thinks it will be open by next Tuesday. The “locals” are less sure. We are in a very nice Good Sam RV park called Johnson’s. I just got finished putting the rain fly on the side tent, it is cold (low 50’s), completely overcast and VERY windy. Our Raindrop continues to perform perfectly and always attracts a great deal of attention. Everyone we talk to that is heading north for the summer (should one be scheduled) is worried about their tires so I got thinking about changing one on the “drop”. I keep the scissor jacks lubricated but the mechanical advantage of that little “jackhandle” got me worried. Posted on the forum and everyone suggested a cordless drill. Don’t know what I was thinking, if I was at all, and left mine at home. Now I have two. More as we progress along the way.
Jim & Mary Anne

 

Great recap. We plan this trip (or part of it anyway) for next summer so we'll be watching your posts with great interest ( maybe now is the time to start organizing a CI caravan to Alaska next summer!). My friend gave me a big, big sleigh bell. Supposedly it attaches to your back pack and warns the bears you are coming. I think it's purpose is more like a dinner bell!
Mike

 

That would be so awesome to caravan to Alaska. I could just imagine the "buzz" it would create...

tina