Whitehorse and the Cassiar

Whitehorse, the vibrant historic city of the Klondike.   Remember you had to get to Whitehorse before you made it to Dawson. Whitehorse is the upper most sternwheeler navigation point on the Yukon.. above were rapids of the canyon and lakes beyond.

 

Whitehorse!

 

The Canyon, upper Yukon River.

 

                                     

 

The view point above.

 

 We departed Whitehorse and motored on to Watson Lake near the junction for the Cassiar Highway.

The next day we did not know our destination, just our route.. The Cassiar.  Gas stations were sparse and prices golden.  I filled the bike at the first stop of Dease Lake BC.  I gave the clerk a $20 and put in a bit more then 2.5 gallons the went to collect change of $.35.. Next station... Bell II, and even more remote..  When we arrived at Bell II, I was thinking about a soft bed... nope.. no rooms at the inn.. and no places for 200 miles of wild..  So I told Jack my support driver, I thought I could make it to the Highway Junction to Stewart with about 220 miles on the tank. The van was carrying spare gas for just this occasion.  The van has a long range tank.. so no problem with gas for the van.

On the way we passed a lot of new highway infrastructure projects to make BC a better place to live.
Highway improvement and electric transmission / power projects to get BC better situated to recover and develop the natural resources.  There is a  lot of effort going in the gas and oil industry as well as the mineral development industry.  Canada is seriously working at developing these resources for export through western terminals at Vancouver, Kitimat and Prince Rupert and maybe Kitsault.

Beautiful drive too, with little or no traffic.  Road way was rough chipnseal the first 100 miles and became progressively better maintained after Dease Lake.

 

Bear Glacier near Stewart BC

We made it to the Junction to Stewart BC and I was glad to add all 4 gallons of spare gas that had been carried since Haines, AK at the start of the journey.    Our trip was uneventful with exception of the most one day wild life viewing drive.. I counted 10 bears and 2 moose and numerous chipmunks trying to cross the road.  No collisions thankfully.
We arrived in Steward, after the longest day ride of the journey... no rain..either.  Sorry, no pics.
It was about making time before dark.

The next day we traveled on to Smithers to do some cabin projects and get Jack, the RFAR1 back to Prince Rupert and the ferry home to Ketchikan.   

So, that concludes 3000 miles over 6 week and 25 Rotary Club visits and some of the best of times with friends along the way.


I want to thanks my wife for her support and encouragement to do this project and the Rotary Clubs in Ketchikan for their support and the support of my special friends  Judith, Jack and Bruce for making the trip a success and allowing me to follow a dream.  Thank you all for following.

I am better for it. I think Rotary is too.

This is the end of the blog.

jrd

RFAR, Back to Whitehorse

We parked the bike in a secure place in Whitehorse above the highbanks of the Yukon River and headed for the driver switch in Skagway. 
Driver Judith was scheduled to catch a ferry and I was scheduled to pickup Jack for the final leg of the journey.  The drive to Skagway was in a word... the most spectacular scenery of the journey.
A little foggy in the pass and just some of the best travel scenery I have ever seen.

 

 

Upper reaches and headwaters of the Yukon River draining a big lake.

 

We arrived in Skagway and made the driver switch the drove back to Whitehorse.  The is was my final club visits for our Rotary District.  Rotary District 5010 is all of Alaska and Yukon, Canada.

 

I visited the three clubs at a group Saturday gathering picnic in the Rotary Peace Park.   I was the program speaker  at this social gathering of clubs.  We exchanged club banners and  I explained my mission and that this was the end of a personal project that started the winter of 2007 at a mountain ski cabin in Smithers BC.. which was our next destination by way of the Cassiar Highway.

 

Jack and I toured about Whitehorse and enjoyed the  history and culture of northern Canada.

 

Rotarians share the same goals across the District and World..

 

The mission of the Rotary Foundation:

 

ADVANCE WORLD UNDERSTANDING, GOODWILL, AND PEACE THROUGH THE IMPROVEMENT OF HEALTH, THE SUPPORT OF EDUCATION AND THE ALLEVIATION OF POVERTY.



After Anchorage.. North to Canada!

Judith McQuerry a longtime friend flew in to Anchorage on an afternoon flight and we joined up and headed out.  We took a break in Palmer and met up with Eric Christianson a former Rotary youth exchange student to Japan in years back.. now we share re builds of classic BMW Motorcycles.. He has just completed a Cafe Project.  Looks and sounds great Eric.
Our driving objective was to get to Whitehorse by Wednesday.  Sunday night we rode up a wet and cold Richardson Highway for a night stop at Glenn Allen, Alaska for dinner and a rest.

Stuffed Wolf at Glenn Allen

My second support driver.

In the morning we pushed on with the objective of getting to Beaver Creek on Monday nite.. then on to Whitehorse on Tuesday.  When we arrived in Whitehorse, the accommodations were sparse and I was able to get Judith into a 8X8 trapper cabin.  The pictures are on facebook.   It worked and so we were off the next day to Skagway and to meet up with Jack Hovden.    The drive to Skagway was spectacular.

This lake was an prehistoric sea bed.  Small sea shells form the sand on the bottom of the lake. This area of Canada is about  60 miles from  Whitehorse on the highway to Skagway.

Cariboo Crossing Anglican Church.

Anchorage Gateway Club #22

Anchorage is all covered with RFAR.  I have visited and met so many kind and friendly Rotarians.  This morning at the Gateway Club they were talking about a Rotary Water project for Kalskag Alaska and partnering with other Rotary Clubs to provide clean drinking water to a  community on the Kuskokwim River.  One of the sponsors from the Gateway Club is a cousin with origins in Aniak, Alaska.  What a great surprise to be connected to a cousin Rotarian.

I was able to present a 1st City Rotary banner and  make a presentation on the RFAR Project.  The club meets at Denny's on Debarr Road on Friday's at noon.   Very much a fun club, and they did not claim it either.

This is the last of the Anchorage clubs.. Have visited and presented at 22 Rotary meetings in the last 31 days.  Seriously, into Rotary!

The Tourist.

Here are some pictures of places around Anchorage.  Alyeska the Ski Resort.

Anchorage II

There are a lot of Rotary Clubs in Anchorage..

Wednesday I visited Anchorage East... sorry... the pictures did not turn out.  The program was on  the new news station in Anchorage.. and all the biggies from Channel 11 News were there and presented a very interesting program..  I did get my opportunity to present the the Club Banner and  talk about the Foundation and my trip.  This club is also pretty big and is really active.  Was able to touch base with a couple of members that I have worked with in the past.  Ventus Plumme from the old days of Youth Exchange and Paul McGuire the M/C at past conferences.  Also saw PDG Caroline Jones.

Wednesday evening I met up with the Mid-Town Club at Chilkoot Charlies... interesting place to have a meeting.. the club is small and informal.  Here is a picture.  I was invited to do the program.

Next, I headed for Girdwood Rotary, they meet in the Alyeska Hotel.  Nice digs..
Small group and an interesting program on a south Sudan Health Clinic Rotary partners project.

Banner Exchange with Girdwood.

Girdwood makes the 21 club visits on the Alaska Campaign.   Every Rotary Club has been welcoming and warm and all clubs have given me time to expain what I am doing and allowing me time to campaign for the Rotary Foundation.
Today at the Anchorage South meeting  Rotarians were presented to  program on the Providence Hospital Services and Health System.  The morning meeting had a program on Club Membership and Retention.
Today was a full day with three club visits.   I visit my last Anchorage Club tomorrow at the Gateway Club.

I have had a chance to explore the Anchorage area.. I must say it is a very easy town to navigate.  Wide street and many one way with lots of parks and parking is pretty easy and acessable.

Sunny Ride to the Beach

Had some spare time, so I took a ride to the beach.

                                                                First were tall buildings..

Then the Anchorage beach.. looking  West.

Then looking East up Turnagain Arm.

Bird Point Lookout.

The Ski Hill.. Aleyeska.

Sunshine Returns, Russian Jack and Downtown Anchorage

Tuesday am at 7.. off to the meeting and seeing or Alaska Senator visiting and presenting the Club program at the Russian Jack Club.. A small club that meets at the Westmark Hotel in Anchorage.  We exchanged banners and of course listened carefully to or Senator for Alaska in Washington, D.C.

Our Alaska Senator presents to the Russian Jack morniing Rotary Club.

Banner Exchange at Downtown Rotary Club

"Saving Lives and Alleviating Poverty, Thank you for your 

generous support of the Rotary Foundation".

So, I got to eat lunch with notables and was warmly welcomed into the biggest Rotary Club in Alaska.. also  biggest in every way.  It was a most interesting Rotary experience... I was also (by accident) sitting at the 'O.F' table per the Sargent At Arms.

Anchorage...Rain.. finally..

So, next week is all the rest of the Anchorage clubs and Girdwood.  I will run out of time and will not be able to get to the Peninsula Clubs.. Seward, Kenai, Soldotna and Homer..  I will be visiting 8 clubs between Tuesday and Friday. By the end of next week, I will top out at a total of 22 clubs.  Three on schedule in White Horse, Yukon by August 24.

I changed out the front tire on the motorcycle as it was getting a bit thin.  I have not experienced much rain.. and mostly am now driving around Anchorage in the van, with the bike safely tucked in Linda's garage.

I am staying with a sailor friend in her beautiful lake side home.  This has to be the most beautiful home I have ever been in in my experience.. totally way way way out nice and the  very best of everything.  It is nice to have sailors as friends.. I have now stayed with three friends that are all gifts from my racing experiences.
Racing creates a special bond like no other in life.  I am so thankful for the good supportive friends.

My bedroom view.   Great Place.

It is raining a bit now.

Wasilla

We arrived in Wasilla in the prior week..  and the goal for the week was to visit all Three Wasilla Clubs, one Eagle River Club and one Palmer Club.. and.... get to one Anchorage Club by Friday.

Job done.. I made all the meetings and all claimed to be "the" Fun".. Club.   Hey, they were all good fun and all focused on community project and programs and they all were gratious and kind.  They all were best at the "business of doing good" and most important to me was they all very much support the Foundation and the Polio Plus campaign.  During the week we had one new Paul Harris Fellow and two PHF +1 awards.

All the clubs gave me time to present my thoughts and meet with the Club Foundation Chairman and I was able to provide guides and facts for later programs.

Dinner Club in Wasilla.. Susitna Mat-Su.  There was also aWasilla noon Club and Sunrisers Club.

I visited and spoke at all.  The club cultures are interesting and everyone is different.. but all Rotary Clubs in the business of doing good in the world.

Eagle River, Alaska a short drive from Anchorage.

Eagle River Morning "SatiliteClub" An up coming District Governor is in this club. (2left)

Palmer.. I could move there..but I love SE way to much.

Pres LeMarr with banner exchange.. Palmer Rotary Club

Ketchikan Visiting Rotarians at  Anchorage International.

Cathy Gucker 1st Visit as a Visiting Rotarian

Exchanging Banners.. Pres Gary O'Keefe 

Cathy Gucker , 1st City Rotary and Pres Gary exchange the Banner.

Fairbanks to Wasilla

We  left Fairbanks and checked out of Sven's Base Camp.  Definely a fun place.  It is a camping, hostel, and escape from the regular.  Sugar had 4 dogs to play with.  The aussie shepard left a  lot of nips on her neck.but a tongue dragging day, everyday.. got to swim in the Chena River and hang out with a bunch of Europeans and  Canadians.. great group.. I posted pictures on the facebook page.

Yes, alternative accomodations at Sven's Base Camp.. he came in 14th in this years Iditarod Dog Sled Race.  The owner, a genuine dog person and musher. He is Swiss.  It was an adventure sleeping in a yurt/teepee/trail tent.   I liked the sharing part too. Common showers, toilets, and kitchen.

It was sunny and nice the whole time there..  anyway now off to

Nenana City.. the Ice Classic Town.  My Mom always would buy a ticket!

the annual poster

  

Parks Highway.. big sky.

We drove on.. and could not find any accommodation near the Park... so we drove on..and on.. I did not plan to ride that far.

We finally, at the end of a long day on the road ended at Wasilla.. we checked Cantwell, Huston, Talkeetna.. no rooms at the inn.  

It is great weather and everyone is on vacation.. we check in Wasilla and we were alerted to a beach cottage

if it was acceptable.. we took and and it is totally great..  Tomarrow, we head to Anchorage.. and it looks good for me to accomplish the Wasilla, Palmer and Eagle River Clubs this week.

On to Fairbanks

We caught a motel in Haines Junction and then went on towards the Alaska border in the morning. Clear and warm.  As we drove towards the border the road condition was rough and washboarded. due to frost heaving from the winter.  The pavement was un-even and had cracks and so careful riding was in order.
Haines Junction was very quiet and there was an abundance of accomodations available.

The trip was from the border to Delta Junction then on to Tok Junction for the evening.

Johnson Crossing

Entering Fairbanks area.

North Pole Rotary Club

At Downtown Rotary.  100% PHF Club.

Fairbanks SunRisers Rotary

Then, I traveled on to Nenana where the ICE Classic is home.

Juneau to Haines to Fairbanks

We  caught the ferry Malispina and up Lynne Canal to Haines.. big mountains to the water and a beautiful day. A smooth ferry ride we arrived in Haines Alaska before noon.  Followed the pavement to the Canadian Border.. about 40 miles our following a rive all the way.

Waiting in the ferry line-up Juneau to Haines

Glacial River from Canada to Haines Alaska. Grand views and no traffic.

Sugar Rae on a stone bear.

The Summit. In a Canada.. BC on the way to the Yukon.

The border to Yukon Territory.  "Larger then Life"

Wide Valleys and big Lakes..no bugs for the most part.
Great roads.

Somewhere behind the brush.

Kluane Lake and very little traffic.

Heading for the Alaska Border.

Juneau pictures...

wet Juneau.

                                              The office

Post Office across from Juneau.