When we left Telegraph Creek we knew we had experienced something very special. We were so grateful to Chris, the Surveyor, who had encouraged us not miss Telegraph Creek. Now we pondered what was ahead of us on this journey. We also started to think about where we wanted to stay for the evening.

Our first stop was French Creek. It’s a BC recreation site, so no fee. The creek was high and muddy. We watched several campers loaded with canoes and kayaks pull into the campground, check it out and immediately leave. No one was going to tackle that creek -too swift, too deep, too dangerous.

We settled into a site and quickly discovered this is a hunting camp during hunting season. I was getting Silence of the Lambs vibes, while hiking around and seeing the wood poles, set up to hang their game from for gutting. Definitely my least favorite stop so far. I slept okay but was really glad to get out of there in the morning.

We drove and drove and started to think about our next camp-Jim was looking for a lake he could fish in. The first lake we came to was Good Hope Lake. One of the prettiest lakes I have ever seen. I really wanted to stay , but no fish here , so away we go.

I should have trusted my instinct and asked more strongly to stay at Good Hope-as we drove further and further north it was clear no lakes were up ahead that were good for fishing or kayaking.

We did find a nice spot to stop at Morley River Recreation area-clean pit toilets, free firewood and a fairly level spot. A little close to the highway, but there isn’t a lot of traffic so it wasn’t a problem for us.

Breakfast and coffee in the morning and then back on the road, heading towards Whitehorse. No animal sightings today but we did discover Rancheria Falls. It was a nice place to take a break and exercise our legs. We hiked down to the falls-the pathway is a boardwalk that keeps folks from destroying the forest and the hillside-great idea.The falls are stunning. I thought someone had fallen in the water on the other side of the river when I saw what looked like a mans torso in the river. Really need to wear my contacts, it was a huge log, and with the bark washed away by the swift current, it had the appearance of torso. Boy, I’m starting to feel like an idiot-we had a great laugh though.

 

As we were standing there another couple joined us. Turns out they were from Saskatchewan. As we talked about our travels he told us they had been to Peru 7 times they loved it so much. It’s like our German friend who had been to Alaska 8 times ! We exchanged emails and agreed to stay in touch, as one of dreams is to visit Argentina with a side trip to Machu Pichu.

Since we were only 2 hours from Whitehorse we decided to continue and look for a campground close to town. We were in need of showers, laundry and a few groceries.

Wahoo, Welcome to the Yukon ! We were almost to the end of the Cassiar Highway-it was quite a ride-one that we would do again !

The last time we were in Whitehorse was 17 years ago for a rafting trip down the Tatshenshini River with Canadian Expeditions. The town hasn’t changed much since then. We were tired and Ruby was covered in mud so we checked into Hi Country RV for the night. We took advantage of the RV wash; the laundry and the showers. We charged all of our electronics and we took advantage of an average wifi signal and caught up on email.

The next morning we hit the Visitor center-great RV parking here. Inside we met France and Joelle, two lovely French Canadian women from Quebec. We must have stood in the visitor center for 30-40 minutes chatting with them. Joelle was a fisherwoman so she and Jim compared fly fishing information. France and I both discovered the Gaspe Peninsula was one of the most special places on earth. We exchanged emails and addressed and promised that our paths would cross again. They tipped us off about the Fish Ladder on the other side of the river-another boon docking spot !

We also discovered the Alpine Bakery on the trip. Owned by a couple who immigrated from Germany. What a fabulous place. All organic, a great selection of some of the best gluten free pastries I have ever tasted-this place is a jewel. Stop here if you are ever in Whitehorse-you won’t be disappointed. The Alaskan Sourdough bread is delicious and makes a killer French toast ! And my favorites are the spelt jelly pastries and the morning glory muffins. My mouth is watering just writing about them.

After a few groceries we stopped at the liquor store for beer. Why didn’t anyone warn us that the price of beer in Whitehorse is similar to the price of gold ! Yikes- a six pack and a 12 pack = $65 Canadian. We won’t be buying anymore beer in the Yukon.

`So we packed up Ruby, and headed out of town. If you haven’t noticed cities are not our thing. We like to get in and get out and back out into the wilds of the highway. Next stop-Skagway, Alaska

Happy Trails and safe travels to my friends-I my have to start a go fund me page for beer money ! LOL.