OUR EPIC JOURNEY from FINLAND to ALASKA has startedy...
- Thread starter Spinner1
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Did you stop at Laird hot Springs? It is one of my favorite stops. I think it was in 1974 that the road was washed out and I spent a week there.
I fugued it out once and in the since 1971 when I first hitch-hiked to Alaska I have spent over four months of on the Al-Can. I had not been over it in 15 years
when last summer I flew out and drove our two grown daughters and 10 grandchildren home in a 15 passenger van. It was a great trip. We stopped in northern Alberta and saw the homestead that my grandparents established over 100 years ago.
This road is a part of my life. It is not as much of an adventure but I like it better now. I think there seems to be more wildlife.
Thank you for sharing your trip.
Chuck
I fugued it out once and in the since 1971 when I first hitch-hiked to Alaska I have spent over four months of on the Al-Can. I had not been over it in 15 years
when last summer I flew out and drove our two grown daughters and 10 grandchildren home in a 15 passenger van. It was a great trip. We stopped in northern Alberta and saw the homestead that my grandparents established over 100 years ago.
This road is a part of my life. It is not as much of an adventure but I like it better now. I think there seems to be more wildlife.
Thank you for sharing your trip.
Chuck
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Hi Chuck,
I too love to stop at Liard hot springs. They are wonderfully relaxing and the next day you feel so invigorated. I've experienced the "healing power" of it's water.
The springs are a bit different now.....and you have to pay $5.00 to enter....and you can not park there overnight....yet, it's worth the money to get in.
I'll post some pixs when we get there...
Wow, what an adventurous trip you must have had with your two grown daughters and 10 grandchildren in a 15 passenger van.
Did it ever feel a bit crowded?
No, -seriously, how wonderful for you and the children, to have a road trip with their Grandpa and Dad. I'm sure this was a trip they will always remember...
I'd love to see pictures of the homestead your grandparents established over 100 years ago. If you have some, you are welcome to post them here and tell us about the place and it's history. I look forward to it.
Kind regards, Spinner
.
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It seemed like the road was endless, but what a constant view...and the remoteness of the country is unbelievable. No-one anywhere....
BTW, there was a lot of smoke in the air. The forest was burning somewhere, but we didn't know where...
Two little side roads here...
Those two little roads were a place called Toad River...
It amazed me to see that way more than half of the places with gas stations were closed. I made sure my tank was filled
often as I never knew if the next place was open....and the paces were FAR APART to start with.
Just gone past Toad River.
BTW, there was a lot of smoke in the air. The forest was burning somewhere, but we didn't know where...
Two little side roads here...
Those two little roads were a place called Toad River...
It amazed me to see that way more than half of the places with gas stations were closed. I made sure my tank was filled
often as I never knew if the next place was open....and the paces were FAR APART to start with.
Just gone past Toad River.
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There was a big fire near Liard hot springs. Vehicles were stopped on the road. We were here...
and would you believe, we were only 200 meters from the entrance to the springs....it was on the
right past the vehicles in front of me...
Lot of smoke in the air....
A man in a pickup truck came towards us. I had my window down and elbow resting outside the window.
We smiled at eachother as he stopped next to me.
After some pleasantries he asked if we had plans to go to the hot-springs. I uttered an emphatic YES with a smile.
He told me to pull out and pass the vehicles in front of me and drive right into the springs camping area.
He said we can stay there, free of charge, for the night as the road is closed about 25-30 kilometers ahead.
I thanked him and pulled my rig out and then to the parking area... We got an easy spot to park and settled in.
Pretty soon the parking area was full....
Getting ready to pull around..
and would you believe, we were only 200 meters from the entrance to the springs....it was on the
right past the vehicles in front of me...
Lot of smoke in the air....
A man in a pickup truck came towards us. I had my window down and elbow resting outside the window.
We smiled at eachother as he stopped next to me.
After some pleasantries he asked if we had plans to go to the hot-springs. I uttered an emphatic YES with a smile.
He told me to pull out and pass the vehicles in front of me and drive right into the springs camping area.
He said we can stay there, free of charge, for the night as the road is closed about 25-30 kilometers ahead.
I thanked him and pulled my rig out and then to the parking area... We got an easy spot to park and settled in.
Pretty soon the parking area was full....
Getting ready to pull around..
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From the Coachman window....The spot we parked in...
Cass and I walked the mile or so and went into the lovely 105-110 degree water....
This little waterfall felt wonderful coming down on your shoulders and back, if you sat on the bench below it.
Cass and I walked the mile or so and went into the lovely 105-110 degree water....
This little waterfall felt wonderful coming down on your shoulders and back, if you sat on the bench below it.
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These pictures are of the springs a couple of months later when my husband and I went there. I'm posting them here so you can see more of the springs...
First there is this sign...
The upper pool is much hotter than the lower one.
The mouth of the pool on this far end is REALLY HOT... You kind of develop a technique to get there
by fanning your hands near the surface of the water. This stirs the water so the HOT water on the top mixes with
the SUPER HOT water below the surface...
Not many people in here......
...and so far none in the HOT pool... The pool is deep enough to swim in. There is a nice bench, you can see here....
First there is this sign...
The upper pool is much hotter than the lower one.
The mouth of the pool on this far end is REALLY HOT...
You kind of develop a technique to get there by fanning your hands near the surface of the water. This stirs the water so the HOT water on the top mixes with
the SUPER HOT water below the surface...
Not many people in here......
...and so far none in the HOT pool... The pool is deep enough to swim in. There is a nice bench, you can see here....
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Next morning we continued... It had rained pretty hard all night and the firefighters had also been on the job.
We were told that the row of stopped vehicles, most of them truckers, had been fifteen miles long. I wonder where they all spent their night...
The first animals we saw weren't far...
Here they are...
We were told that the row of stopped vehicles, most of them truckers, had been fifteen miles long. I wonder where they all spent their night...
The first animals we saw weren't far...
Here they are...
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As we headed out, the morning was pretty clear and crisp.
It didn't take many miles before this was all we saw....burnt forest everywhere...
The burnt trees continued for miles and MILES...
There were little portable "pool" for water...like this one.... They were scattered a few miles apart...
Smoldering here.....
Firemen parked on the side of the road...
It didn't take many miles before this was all we saw....burnt forest everywhere...
The burnt trees continued for miles and MILES...
There were little portable "pool" for water...like this one.... They were scattered a few miles apart...
Smoldering here.....
Firemen parked on the side of the road...
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I can't find the pictures of the next area.......
....so here are some pictures of Watson Lake and other areas that R.I.Singer, a friend had taken during his motorcycle journey. Words are his also.....
....so here are some pictures of Watson Lake and other areas that R.I.Singer, a friend had taken during his motorcycle journey. Words are his also.....
This is Watson Lake's sign forest circa 1994 ,it is probably larger by noe.It started out during the building of the Al-Can .Some lonely soldiers put up signs pointing to there homes and how many miles ,inspiration for the the M.A.S.H. series,and it grew to thousands of signs from all over the world.
From there there is miles and miles of scenery
Till you see water ahead.
and you arrive at Kluane .Destruction Bay (population 50) is half way along this 40 -+ mile glacier fed lake with some interesting history.The reversal of the water flow.
http://www.yukonheritage.com/Sign/southern/alaska/kluane-lake.html.
Beautiful glacier water is a distinct color
A few hundred miles more and your in Alaska.But Canada..Oh
Canada
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Toad River...Check out this bike...actually all the things they are carrying
From the looks of the people, they looked like father and daughter...Did you notice the little plush toy. They are doing a long distance cruise....
Here is an another side view....
From the looks of the people, they looked like father and daughter...Did you notice the little plush toy. They are doing a long distance cruise....
Here is an another side view....
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Thank you, so very nice of you.
I'll finish this thread before driving to California and sailing/motoring to Alaska from there.
Kind regards, -Spinner
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great thread and images, it makes me miss Alaska
Thanks
I take you have been here before? REMOTE COLD, but beautiful.Kind regards, -Spinner
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Thanks
Kind regards, -Spinner
My wife is Alaskan
not too cold, I like cooler temps to warm...plus thousands of miles of wilderness to explore and piles of halibut to consume!!! alas we're in the lower 48 now to be closer to family.Do you intend to goto Homer on the Kenai peninsular?
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My wife is Alaskan
Do you intend to goto Homer on the Kenai peninsular?
Hope you and Wife let me know when you come to Alaska. Maybe we all can meet for coffee or lunch if you get near where we live...
We love halibut and hunting is good here too. Not much need to buy meat...
Added after I saw where you are:
Oh, darn, you are in Australia....too far to come to Alaska