Yukon

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Never Again

The Whitehorse Walmart is officially the worst overnight stop, free or  pay, that I have encountered in my cross-country journey. While my previous night here wasn’t too bad, last night was an amplified repeat of last year. There was a tractor ‘cleaning’ the parking lot for five hours last night, from ten to three AM. It was five hours of ‘whee, whee, whee, beeeep, beeeeeep, beeeeeeeep, whee, *scraaaaaaaaape*, bang, whee, beeeeep.’ Forget sleep. Even the cats couldn’t get past the noise.

The Walmart is a great location because you can walk to everywhere of consequence from it, even the Super Store, but this fall I’ll pay the $18 (or whatever it’s at by then) to dry camp at the only RV park within city limits (and that’s a stretch).

I had to be up early this morning to move the rig before I got pegged in by customer cars, so I got about two hours of interrupted sleep. Gah.

The propane place should be open by the time I finish my coffee, so I’ll head there, gas up, and then get the heck out of dodge. Whitehorse has once again failed to charm me. 🙂

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Toad Gymnastics Ahead

I pulled into the Walmart in Whitehorse and was about to unhook when ‘something’ told me not to. As it turned out, the toad would not start, something I discovered when the key fob wouldn’t lock the doors.

It seems like the battery is completely depleted. How I did that between Watson and Whitehorse is beyond me, but, then again, the car hasn’t run in a week other than when I unhooked and moved it around in Prince George and at Nugget City.

At any rate, I knew I wasn’t going to get a moment’s rest tonight unless I confirmed that the issue was a dead battery that would be solved with a boost. It made no sense to go through all the trouble of unhooking, jockeying the RV in position to boost the toad, doing a boost, and then manoeuvring the RV to rehook up when the battery wouldn’t really be recharged until I ran it a good long while. So, I flagged down a good samaritan who took five minutes out of her day to do the test and that confirmed it.

As it turns out, the campground I want to stay at is opening tomorrow (!!!) and it apparently has some pull throughs. So, I will go there, pull through a site, unhook, boost the toad, leave the toad running while I move the RV into another site, and then recharge en route to where I’m heading.

In other news, there’s a circa 1986 Royal Classic sharing the Walmart parking lot with me tonight! The owner came by to see how I like mine and asked if I had the same battery set up as him and, if so, if I had any tips for him. Unfortunately no, and no.

Since I’m here with walking access to both a Walmart and a Canadian Tire I went through my list of stuff I need to bring and realised that I was missing something vital!!! I bought a new water hose and a new water pressure regulator, but forgot to grab the third key component to my fresh water system. I ran out last week in Campbell River. This item costs all of sixty-nine cents (plus tax) and is, of course, Teflon. 🙂

While at the CDN Tire I ran into my cousin’s boyfriend, how funny is that?! We’ll be meeting up in July when I make a run back down to Whitehorse for a supply top up.

Last, but not least, I decided that, really, I hadn’t bought enough toilet paper and I went to stock up. Rationing the stuff is no fun and it is outrageously expensive in Dawson! 😀

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Watson Lake to Whitehorse, With a Nugget City Stopover

After pausing in Watson Lake yesterday to check the status of my online stuff, I gassed up at the Tags in front of the Sign Post Forest and then rolled into Nugget City, twenty minutes north of town, for the night.

I was a week earlier than last year, so the owners hadn’t arrived yet, but Dave the Chef winters there as does Rog the woodworker and mechanic, so I still got a warm welcome. I was invited to plug in behind the restaurant since the RV park isn’t open yet and gladly did so for the chance to top up the batteries even though I hadn’t intended to unhook.

Since I had free power for the night and knew I’d have coffee and toast for the asking in the morning, I treated myself to dinner, which included Dave’s awesome fries. We caught up a bit and I took some time to walk around the property and see how my paint jobs have weathered the winter (not bad!).

Two other rigs pulled in and plugged in beside me for the night and people came and went to get food. Nugget City is a happening place with a good reputation, and it is favoured by many who travel back and forth along that stretch of the Alaska highway. It really does feel like home and I got more than an odd stare from guests when I’d pop into the kitchen to get a glass of water or drop off a dirty dish.

I ran one oil heater on low last night and was super comfortable, sleeping in just shorts and a tee-shirt instead of long johns and socks! I wanted a reasonably early start today and Rog promised to show me what he’d been up to all winter so I dragged my butt out of bed at 8. Ms. Tabitha was not pleased. 🙂

Rog’s big winter project really impressed me. He rebuilt a VW ‘bug’ from scratch! I couldn’t believe it; that thing had been an empty shell last fall and now it was a car! He added several personalized details for the recipient, one of the owners’ daughters. That is going to be a very sweet ride for her!

I rolled out of Nugget City at 9:30 and took it nice and easy to Whitehorse. It felt weird to just roll through Teslin, but I did stop at the rest area just west of town for the first time in order to have lunch.

Right now, I’m parked at the day use area just east of town. I’ll stay here for a few hours and get some work done, then move to the Walmart. I’m doing it this way because I intended to spend two nights at the Walmart since I’m going day tripping with the toad tomorrow to scratch another item off my bucket list. I had thought to move to a Territorial campground that would have enabled me to scratch yet another thing off my bucket list, but I forgot that I’m too early for those campgrounds!

There isn’t much for me to do in Whitehorse. I already have all the supplies I need for the first half of my Dawson summer, or at least as many as I can carry! I will top up the onboard propane tank, though. I didn’t do that last year and ended up having to fill up my little tank at a usurious rate. I would love to head up with both tanks filled, but I don’t like the idea of having a full propane tank in the trunk of the car, even if it’s apparently ‘okay’ because I have a hatchback.

I can’t believe that this time a week ago I was en route to Nanaimo! I had no idea I’d be in Whitehorse this quickly! The weather has cooperated, that’s for sure! I’m definitely taking my detour tomorrow and am considering another toad road trip in a couple of days, but am not stuck on that idea. I’ll see when I get nearer to the junction to that road.

It’s good to be back. 🙂

standing in the Baby Nugget RV park, looking up to the back of the restaurant; you can see Miranda if you squint

standing in the Baby Nugget RV park, looking up to the back of the restaurant; you can see Miranda if you squint

I love this mini-chasm in the middle of the RV park!

I love this mini-chasm in the middle of the RV park!

the steeple was just about ready to be installed when I left last fall

the steeple was just about ready to be installed when I left last fall

site no. 2 is 'mine' and I love it!

site no. 2 is ‘mine’ and I love it!

this is the set up behind the restaurant

this is the set up behind the restaurant

closeup of the hookups (not sure what that coiled up black wire is for)

closeup of the hookups (not sure what that coiled up black wire is for)

caribous that darted across the highway

caribous that darted across the highway

heading west, before Teslin

heading west, before Teslin

Teslin Lake

Teslin Lake

Teslin Lake

Teslin Lake

Teslin Lake

Teslin Lake

Miranda still looks pretty good for all I've put her through :) (at Teslin Lake)

Miranda still looks pretty good for all I’ve put her through 🙂 (at Teslin Lake)

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Sawtooth Mountains to Watson Lake (!)

The rig was cozy this morning, belying how bloody cold it was outside. The day promised to warm up, though, and the sun was shining brightly. I refused to be rushed, enjoying a leisurely breakfast and reading for a couple of hours with Tabitha happily curled up on my lap.

When I did hit the road, finally, it was with excitement at the treat that waited for me an hour or so down the road, a soak in the hot springs!

As I did that final mountainous stretch, with grades reaching 9% and curves hugging Muncho Lake nearing ninety degrees I realised with a shock that somewhere between Hope and Summit Lake I went from being a novice full-timer wannabe to a seasoned RVer. I could do longer and more difficult stretches now because I was comfortable at the wheel of my rig and confident in my abilities. Even the boondocking thing has improved over last year as I’ve learned how to manage my batteries.

With this realisation came the fact that I am out of that grey zone where I was no longer housebound but not yet firmly rooted to my  nomadic existence.  I belong to the road now and my destiny is in the wind at my back. Second star to the right and straight on till morning, and all that.

Liard Hot Springs hasn’t opened for the summer season yet, so admission was free! I had a leisurely soak in Beta Pool and was just about to float off into a nap when a fish thought it would be funny to come tickle my armpit! I didn’t even know there are fish in the hot springs! Needless to say, my torpor was broken and I decided it was time to head out. The fish’s timing was pretty good since a couple approached Beta Pool just as I headed out.

It was an easy drive to Watson Lake after with very few grades or curves. I drove down the main drag until I saw a spot in front of the defunct Chinese restaurant where I felt I could stop for a couple of hours if I could get online, which I obviously am. 🙂 I’ll be pulling out shortly, will get gas, and then will complete the final schlep to Nugget City for the night.

Most of the following pictures are of buffalo, my obsession with which I discussed in depth last year. 🙂

approaching Muncho Lake

approaching Muncho Lake

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that black bear darted across the highway faster than you can say lickety split!

that black bear darted across the highway faster than you can say lickety split!

red light just shy of Watson Lake

red light just shy of Watson Lake

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And… They’re Home!

Croft and Norma are home safe and sound. Their winter in Mexico has left them tan and trim while my winter in Campbell River has left me pasty and mushy. Guess where I’d rather be next year. 😀

The driveway is packed solid with two cars and two 31′ motorhomes, but it won’t be that way for long. I am definitely leaving on Friday!

Weather forecast for Campbell River for the next few days: rain and heavy clouds with temps in the low to mid-teens.

Weather forecast for Dawson City for the next few days: sunny with temps in the mid to high teens.

I might have been laughing at the Dawsonites in January, but they’re laughing now!