Monday, July 20, 2009

Yukon & Alaska 2009

On June 4th, Margaret-Ann and I flew to Calgary to begin another excellent adventure with my cousin Dennis and his wife Val. Dennis and Val picked us up at the airport and we drove back to their luxo condo in the Sliver Tip development of Canmore. After a couple of relaxing days in Canmore we set off on June 7th for a ten day odyssey of just over 3,000 kilometres through places like Banff, Jasper, Smithers, Prince Rupert, Ketchikan, Wrangle, Petersburg, Juneau, Skagway, Whitehorse, Dawson, Chicken (great chili!!!), Tok, and Anchorage. We travelled on roads with great names like the Ice Fields Parkway, Yellowhead Highway, Alaska Marine Highway, Klondike, Top Of The World, Alaska, Taylor, and Glen Highways. Hope you enjoy the pictures below – hold the cursor over the picture to read the caption; a single click of the left mouse button will enlarge the picture.

June 4th, the day we arrived in Canmore, looking out at The Three Sisters from Dennis and Val's balcony.Off to the Banff Springs Hotel on June 5th for lunch.Looking out an arched window of the Banff Springs Hotel over the Bow Valley.Mount Rundle in the fading light of June 6th from Dennnis and Val's balcony. June 6th and there's still plenty of snow on The Lawrence Grassi Peaks (shot from Dennis and Val's balcony).After dinner on June 6th, Margaret-Ann and Val get some photos of the Elk on the fairway behind the condo.Clouds gather around The Three Sisters at sunset on June 6th, shot from Dennis and Val's balcony. The Three Sisters at sunrise on June 7th, from Dennis and Val's balcony.

Sunrise on The Lawrence Grassi Peaks on June 7th, from Dennis and Val's balcony.Leaving Dennis and Val's condo on June 7th to start our ten day, 3000+ kilometre trip.On the Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper, we stopped to take a picture of the Crowfoot Glacier. Athabasca Falls in Jasper National Park Athabasca Falls in Jasper National Park Athabasca Falls in Jasper National Park Impressive fireplace inside the Jasper Park Lodge. Early on June 8th we found an elk grazing on the grass outside our unit at Beckers Chalets. We left Jasper on June 8th, heading west into British Columbia on the Yellowhead Highway; stopping at Mount Robson -- the highest point in the Canadian Rockies (3954m). View from The Logpile Lodge outside Smithers,B.C. After a relaxing sleep and decandent breakfast, hosts Barbara and Chris took our picture in front of their Logpile Lodge. A little later in the afternoon of June 8th, just past Fraser Lake, we spotted a moose on the side of the road. Prince Rupert harbour on the Cow Bay Inlet, viewed from the Breakers Pub were we dined on June 9th. We boarded the ferry about 9:00 pm on June 9th to travelthe Alaska Marine Highway from Prince Rupert to Skagway. Just north of Prince Rupert, sunset from the bow of our ferry on June 9th. Bald Eagle on a lamppost in Wrangle, Alaska, on June 10th.We passed through the Wrangel Narrows, and the fery prepared to dock at Petersburg, Alaska, around 3:30 pm on June 10th.Through the early evening of June 10th, between Petersburg and Juneau we took many pictures of the Coastal Mountains. Icebergs at the mouth of the Tracy Arm, south of Juneau. Preparing to dock at Skagway, Alaska, around 8:00 am on June 11th. The Grave of Frank Reid, the man who shot dastardly Soapy Smith, at the Gold Rush Cemetery, Skagway, Alaska. -- June 11th Lower Reid Falls in Skagway, Alaska. Val, Margaret-Ann and John at Lower Reid Falls in Skagway, Alaska, on June 11th.On our way to the ghost town of Dyea, we stopped to take a picture of the tour boats docked at Skagway. We left Skagway on June 12th and met a Grizzly on the side of the Klondike Highway, northwest of the White Pass in B.C.Once one of many paddle wheel boats travelling to and from Dawson, the Klondike is now on permanent display at Whitehorse, Yukon. John and Margaret-Ann enjoying dinner at Whitehorse's trendy Klondike Rib & Salmon BBQ on June 12th.Dawson's statue honouring the gold miner and his shaker box. Dennis checked out the Dawson City Museum.

Margaret-Ann in the locomotive display of the Dawson City Museum on June 14th.Margaret-Ann checks out the menu at Dawson's Sourdough Joe's. Another building in Dawson restored by Parks Canada. Front end of Dredge #4 on the Bonaza Creek in Dawson. Dredge #4 on the Bonaza Creek in Dawson. The hazzards of constructing heated buildings directly on permafrost in Dawson, Yukon.

View of Dawson from the top of Midnight Dome Road -- the Klondike River, on the left, joins the much bigger Yukon River.The Yukon River flowing out of Dawson on its way through Alaska to the Berring Sea.The vehicle ferry carrying traffic from Dawson across the Yukon River to the Top Of The World Highway, We left Dawson on June 15th, crossed the Yukon River and travelled the Top Of The World Highway westward to Alaska.We left Dawson on June 15th, crossed the Yukon River and travelled the Top Of The World Highway westward to Alaska. We entered Alaska at Poker Creek and picked up the Taylor Highway on our way to Chicken (great chili!) and Tetlin Junction. The Matanuska Glacier near Chickaloon, Alaska. The Matanuska Glacier near Chickaloon, Alaska. From the balcony of our B&B in Anchorage on June 15th, the sun sets over the Knik Arm -- 11:08 pm! Margaret-Ann and John with friend in Anchorage on June 16h. We later flew to Vancouver, then flew on the red-eye special to Toronto, arriving at 6:00 am on June 17th.

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