Amazing Coincidence -- Yukon Rock Art

If you read our last post about Yukon Rock Art, you saw that we posted a picture of the word "Trikers" written in rocks on the ALCAN Highway in the Yukon Territory.  We wondered if it was written by our friends, Dee and Cal, who travel around on special "Trikes" -- 3 wheeled recumbent bikes. 

Well, guess what . . . . . . .  It was their writing!!!  We received this message from them:

Yes, that rock art is ours. We can't believe it is still there. Sounds like you are having a wonderful trip. We've been following your blog. We did it June 15, 2009, on our first trike trip to Alaska. The mosquitoes were really terrible at that campground, and I remember we spent hours boiling water there to refill our water bottles. We worked on the art work while the water was boiling. Dee

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Yukon Highway Rock Writing

As we were driving through the Yukon Territory on the ALCAN (Alaska/Canada) Highway, we noticed all this Rock Art Writing on the hillsides beside the road.  The words and sometimes symbols like a heart are written with rocks on this vast highway (actually just a 2 lane road) which stretches from Dawson City, British Columbia to the Yukon/Alaska border near Beaver Creek, Yukon .  The writers have spent quite a bit of time working on their creations out in the middle of nowhere.  It is hard to read them as you are driving past at 50 miles per hour but we took some pictures when we stopped at the Big Creek Provincial Campground in the Yukon, west of the town of Watson Lake.      

We wondered if our friends Dee and Cal wrote this.  They have 3-wheeled recumbent Trikes which they have ridden up to Alaska twice.  They advised us on our route, and we know they did go this way. 

This is Cal and Dee on their trikes. 

Here is more Rock Writing we photographed on the road beside our campground. 

Someone's initials, we guess.  You can tell this has been there awhile because there is a little tree growing up in the P. 

We think this was done by "Ailie".

This either says "YO" or maybe the "U" was lost with the shifting earth.  Who knows! 

ALCAN Highway Military Convoy

The ALCAN -- Alaska/Canada -- Highway was completed in 1942 in only 8 months.  We had heard horror stories about how bad the ALCAN was and how likely we were to need a new windshield after the experience.  Except for a few places where there are "frost heaves" over which Rita flew a few times, or construction due to rock slides, we found it to be an excellent road. 

This year is the 70th Anniverwary of the building of this famous and historic highway.  We ran into the 2012 Alaska Highway Convoy comprised of vintage military vehicles from World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Desert Storm.   We talked to one guy who had restored a World War II jeep which he and his son drove out here from New Jersey.  He said he had not had any trouble and was surprised at how well it had held up.  Seems like it would be a pretty rough trip in the old jeep today.  Can't imagine what it must have been like 70 years ago.

Note Rita in the background, next to one of the big ARMY transport trucks. 

http://www.alaskapublic.org/2012/08/02/historic-military-vehicle-convoy-celebrates-the-alaska-highway%E2%80%99s-70th-anniversary

Watson Lake Sign Post Forest

Watson Lake is a small town in the southeast corner of the Yukon Territory.  They are famous for their Sign Post Forest which was started in 1942 by a homesick US Army G.I. who was working on the ALCAN Highway.  They told us that there are over 72,000 signs now.     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sign_post_forest

We had heard about the Sign Post Forest from several people who have traveled this route.  They told us to be sure to bring a sign with us.  We could not think of what to bring, but finally settled on an old Georgia license tag which our friend Emory gave us.  It has the name of our county (Hall) on it.  Emory visited Watson Lake many years ago and did not post a sign so we decided to honor him and post his old license tag.  Bill mounted it on a piece of wood and Sally wrote our names and the date on it.   We had a great time just walking through the "Forest" trying to find the perfect spot for our sign. 

Here is Bill nailing up our sign.  Interesting that the sign right above it is from another Sally, hung in 2004. 

The finished installation.

Can you find Dolly Parton's hometown?

There were a lot of City Limit signs.  I tried to get a City of Buford sign but was turned down.  The guy told me that they didn't have any old signs.  Maybe I should have just removed a current sign, like a lot of people appear to have done!

 A sign from Sally's hometown.  We could not find one from Gouverneur, NY.

There were some pretty creative and different "signs".

We liked the Moose Antler's sign at the top of this post.  As you can see, there were many international signs.  We have run into campers from all over the world.  We have met Europeans who come over for 4-6 weeks and rent a motor home.  We have met three Australian couples who have bought RVs here in the US and come over each year for 6 months.  When it is time to go home, they store their RV in the US, fly back to Australia, and then come back the next year for another extended vacation.    

from South Carolina to Massachusetts

Bison, Bears & Caribou on the Road

We saw a herd of bison on the ALCAN Highway from Watson Lake to Ft. Nelson in the Yukon Territory.  One mother had two calves.  The littlest one was so cute and I was able to get a picture of it as we drove past.  I was a little nervous having the window all the way down because the mother was VERY large and was pretty close to the car. 

The cute little bison calf

  This might be the calf's mother.  I just looked up whether female bisons have horns and the answer is "Yes", according to this National Zoo website:  http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/NorthAmerica/Facts/fact-bison.cfm

The herd was grazing along the side of the road and then some decided to cross the road.  We just watched and waited for them to get back on the side.   

Two black bear cubs came running down the steep bank beside the road.  The first one ran in front of our car and the second one ran behind the car.  It happened so quickly that we could not get a picture.  Rats! 

We did get some pictures of caribou grazing beside the road.  They are much more docile and not as spooked as some animals.

Someone told us that they believed the mother to this one had probably been shot by a hunter as this young one was wandering along the road aimlessely.  It is illegal, but happens a lot.

Yucky Water!!

We prefer to camp at isolated state and provincial parks in Alaska and Canada, rather than at commercial campgrounds on the main highways.  They are usually in beautiful areas and are much more private and rustic.  They are usually on lakes or rivers and have hiking trails.  We like to go to a commercial campground occasionally to catch up on the internet and do our laundry.  That is where we are now -- at the Rotary RV Park in Ft. St. John's in British Columbia -- and where we are sending this blog post from.   Another big difference between public and private campgrounds is the price.  The public ones are usually $10-$20 per night while the private ones are $25-$45.

Below is a picture of the commercial campground we are camping in now here in British Columbia.  Notice the beautiful setting.  As you can see, it is flat and treeless, with each site very close to your neighbor.  They do have laundromats, showers, free WiFi and cable TV hook-ups.  Since we don't carry a TV with us, this is not a high priority.  They also often have meeting rooms with big screen TVs, kitchens, activities, etc.   We actually have watched a little bit of Olympic coverage at the Chena Hot Springs campground north of Fairbanks.    

Rotary RV Park in Ft.St.John, British Columbia

Now . . .  below is a picture of Rita at a state park on the Cooper River in the Kenai Peninsula in southern Alaska.  You can see how nice the site is but they have no facilities except a water pump and an outhouse.  Bill backs the trailer in and we are all set in our own little space.  Sally is learning to back, but Bill gets pretty nervous watching and trying to offer instructions which, of course, makes Sally more nervous! 

The only big drawback with state and provincial parks is the water supply, which is usually a hand pump.  Some of the water has been fine, but often it is not so great.  If it looks awful and has a sign saying to boil it, we use our store-bought water. 

We both take turns pumping.

Bill is still holding the bucket, waiting for the water.
  

This sounds pretty bad, doesn't it. 


We decided to dump this out.  It was not a candidate for boiling!

 

Fireweed, Dandelions, Lupine & Spruce Trees

We have really enjoyed seeing all the beautiful wildflowers and trees as we drive through Alaska and Canada.  Right now, the fireweed is blooming here in the Yukon Territory and British Columbia.  You see large patches of these pinkish-purple flowers along the roadsides now.   

Here is Rita parked by a patch of fireweed.

When we drove through Canada in late May on the way to Alaska, the dandelions were blooming and the roadsides and fields were bright yellow.  These dandelions are about 3 times as large as the little ones at home.  I would say that the stems are about one foot tall.  Bears evidently love them.  We saw a black bear by the side of the road in Juneau eating dandelions.

Now we are heading south, back through Canada, and all the dandelions have gone to seed.  You see huge patches of white dandelion fluff on the roadsides. 

Below is a picture of the fluff. 

In June, while driving through Alaska, the lupine were blooming.  These purple plants are lovely.  Of course these are all weeds which seem to be able to adapt to any conditions.

The trees are different up here -- not as many deciduous hardwood trees.  Maybe it is too cold for them??  The forests are mainly Spruce Trees, which are very tall, pointy evergreens. 

These Spruce Trees are beside a glacier-fed river in British Columbia.  The glacial silt (called rock flour) gives the water a milky appearance. 

Out of Alaska & into Yukon Territory

We drove out of Alaska on the ALCAN (Alaska/Canada) highway two days ago.  The road was very bad at times with Frost Heaves.  This is where the road freezes and thaws and creates bumps, lumps, waves, etc.  They have posted little red flags by the side of the road where it is the worst so that you know to slow WAY down.  The road is gravel in parts so Rita got very dirty. 

We are leaving Whitehorse, Yukon Territory this morning and heading toward Watson Lake.  That is where they have a Sign Post Forest where we will post the old Georgia license plate from Hall County that Emory gave us.

Puppies and Hydroponic Tomatoes

These puppies are part of the sled dog group at Chena Hot Springs.  I'm not sure about the puppies but I know the adult dogs live outside all winter.  They have 85 dogs and take the resort guests (mainly Japanese) on dog sled rides.

This is what their kennels look like.  I imagine the snow covers their houses and acts as insulation.

Chena Hot Springs even has Hydroponic Greenhouses where they grow tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries and veggies for the resort restaurants and for the staff meals.  They also sell some of it.  The greenhouse manager told us that they keep the temperature at 72 degrees year round.  He said that people love to come over to the greenhouse in the winter when it is 40 below.

We bought some cherry tomatoes which were delicious.  Since we missed Harold, Maggie and Pat's tomatoes this year, we were glad to finally get some fresh tomatoes. 

It is very interesting to see how they grow them.  The roots are in buckets of vermiculite which they fill with a fertilizer-rich water.  As you can see, they wrap the vines around and around the buckets as they grow, and keep picking the tomatoes at the bottom.

$14.99 for a Watermelon!!

As you can see from the watermelon picture, prices are HIGH in Alaska.  Well, it would not fit in Rita anyway.  They are not as high in the big cities of Anchorage and Fairbanks but very high everywhere else.  In Anchorage and Fairbanks, you can get a gallon of milk for $2.89 - $3.29, but in the small town of Glenallen, we paid $6.49.  We have been paying about $1 per navel orange.  Kiwi fruit, which we love but are resisting, also cost about $1 each.  Amazingly, seafood is not cheap here.  Prices are very much like the prices in Atlanta, e. g. $19.95 for a pound of Halibut, but the big difference here is that you can get it, and you can buy it fresh at times.   I say at times because usually it is frozen and it is hard to find it fresh.  Why is this?  Well everyone that wants it either catches their own, or knows someone who will catch it for them.  They also keep big freezers and stock for long periods of time, so they prefer to buy flash frozen meats and fish. 

Gas is also high.  Here is the most we have paid in Alaska:

We are now in the Yukon Territory of Canada and gas will be even higher.  In Canada, there seems to be price fixing as everyone sells at the same price.  This was also suggested by a Canadian whom we met.

Bill and the Ice Maiden

Chena Hot Springs has an Ice Museum, and we went on a tour.  The temperature in there is 20 degrees so they have matching parkas for everyone to put on.  It was still VERY cold inside.  They have an Ice Bar where you can order an "Appletini", served in an ice martini glass which the ice artists turn on a lathe in the museum.

 Here is the ice artist making one of the glasses and below are all the glasses that he and his wife made that day.  They are the ice artists for this facility and evidently are very good.  They have won many awards at ice sculpture contests around the world.  The husband has 14 gold medals and the wife has 9 -- sort of like the Olympics, I guess.  Here is their website:

http://www.stevebrice.net/

Ice Sculpture, as you can imagine, is big around here where it gets down to 60 below at times.  One person told us that the average low temperature at Chena Hot Springs last winter was -23 degrees!!  Working in 20 degrees above zero must seem warm to the ice artists. 

The museum has various ice sculptures in several rooms, some of which they call "Bedrooms".  They have ice beds in them, and our tour guide said that you can stay in one of these rooms for $600 per night.  I asked a few more questions about it, and evidently, you rent a regular room in the Lodge and then can come and go from the Ice Bedroom.  She said that a father and son stayed there last week. 

Here is a picture of me on the Ice Bed.

You can also have a Destination Wedding in the Chapel in the Ice Museum.  The tour guide told us that they regularly host weddings in there, but that they are very short!  They provide the bride and groom with beautiful fur capes and I guess the guests all wear the parkas.  I think they have the reception in the Lodge. 

One of the rooms has a xylophone in it that works.  Here is a picture of me playing it.  It sounded like a regular big xylophone like you would hear in a band or orchestra.  It was completly constructed of ice.

Here is the website for the resort:  http://www.chenahotsprings.com/

Ear Candling???

Chena Hot Springs offers a wide array of massages and other health related services. We noticed that they offer EAR CANDLING. We asked what this was and were told that they place some sort of cup over your ear and put a lighted candle on top. They said it creates a suction which pulls the excess ear wax out. It costs $50 so we decided to pass this one up!!

　

This is where they give the massages and other health services like the Ear Candling.

Life is different up here!!

Visiting Chena Hot Springs

Chena Hot Springs Report is 60 miles north of Fairbanks.  We went there last week and stayed two nights at their campground.  Here is the website for the resort: http://www.chenahotsprings.com/

There is a hot spring which provides water for a large swimming pool, several hot tubs, and a large outdoor rock-lined pool. The water temperature is between 104-110 degrees. My hot-tubbing mother would love it here. It is open year-round.
　

　
Here is a picture of the outdoor pool. People from Fairbanks told us that they come out here in the winter when it is 20-40 degrees below zero. The water is still the same hot temperature, and they told us that getting from the locker rooms to the pool is quite an ordeal, as you can imagine. They said that if you get your hair wet and put your head out of the water, your hair immediately freezes. One woman told us that people like to create "ice sculptures" with their hair. You can spike it up or do a Mohawk and it will hold that shape with little ice crystals on the ends. She said it looks like you are a punk rocker with streaked hair. Life is different up here!!

In the summer, most of the clients are American tourists, but in the winter 80% of their guests are Japanese. All the signs at the resort are in English and Japanese. We asked why so many Japanese come here since this is WAY out in the middle of nowhere. There seem to be several reasons. One is because there is a Japanese marketing manager who has worked at the resort for 10 years, and he arranges charter tours. Another reason, according to the Japanese desk clerks we talked to is because Japanese love hot springs and they want to watch the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. They are only visible in northern latitudes (above ) and Japan is not that far north. They are at about the same latitude as Georgia. The final reason might or might not be true. One tour guide (a young Caucasian man) told us that he heard that some Japanese believe that being conceived under the Northern Lights is an auspicious start for a baby and that the baby will gain much wealth in life.   So . . . maybe there are lots of pregnancies after these tours!! Who knows??

　

The resort has made good use of antique, rusting cars and farm equipment and have them placed around the grounds as outdoor sculptures, often as planters for their gorgeous flowers which they start in their greenhouses when it is still freezing outside. Alaska seems to have a problem with old rusting equipment which you see all over. We asked someone in a small town on the coast why there seems to be so many old cars, parts, etc. He said that their town (Petersburg) has to ship their large trash by barge to Washington State and it is very expensive so everyone tends to just leave stuff sitting in their yard.    

This "Antler Sculpture" is probably a season's worth of Moose Sheds which they found on the property. The Greenhouse Manager told me that he has seen up to 6 moose together at the Beaver Pond on the property.