Monday, June 25, 2012

Dease Lake BC to Watson Lake Yukon

Baloo tired from planning today's trip to Watson Lake

Dease Lake goes on for ever and ever.....huge!

Mountains all the way up North.




amazing roads for travellers




We stopped at Jade City a small town totally devoted to the Jade industry. Most of the World's Jade has been depleted and now 95 % of the World's supply comes from Northern BC and most of it from the Cassiar Mountain.

Not long out of Jade City we saw this Red Fox sitting on the side of the road. Thinking this was a National geographic moment we stopped and got our cameras primed. The little guy appeared totally relaxed and came round to my side of the car when I opened my window. This was quite obviously his sneaky way of getting treats.....he was so calm he didn't even run away when I shooed him away. Anyways the pics were good.


more bear

at a recreation site we saw a bunch of Morrells drying

A big forest fire that threatened Watson Lake last year had created the ideal conditions for Morrells to fruit and there were hundreds of pickers in the forest......we bought a big stash of shrooms from one of the guys.


A pretty church just near Watson Lake





I bought a dehydrator to dry the shrooms

these motels in Watson Lake are dumps but charge the Earth since they are the only game in town.

who is responsible for the decor?



Watson Lake has stunning Aurora in the Winter but since it was the Summer Solstice we had 24 hours of light...very odd to experience that.


The main attraction in Watson Lake is the signpost park

They always seem to get their message of doom and gloom in somewhere.

Telegraph Creek


This was our cabin in Glenora....the end of the road down the Stikine River.
It is on a property owned by a couple who homesteaded here 40 years ago. They cleared the bush and built their house with wood from their trees. They leave the valley a few times a year to stock up on stuff . All the electricity is from solar panels and the heat is firewood. The water comes by gravity feed from the mountain behind them. They grow all their veges and trade these with the natives for Salmon.     

The garden is a lot of carrots and other stuff. Rick the owner goes out hunting and brings back Moose for the pantry. They have to be very careful of many black bear and big Grizzlies. 

This is the hot water system Rick has rigged up for the cabin.

The town of Telegraph Creek consists of the old town that is essentially falling apart and the new town where most of the Indian Band live. 
Many of the folk that have made this their home are end of the road types and once again religion soothes many of their souls.





At the top of the hill above town is an interesting graveyard with the best views in town. 

The old town of Telegraph Creek.


This carved bear head is on the other side of the white building in the picture above.

This was a very touching headstone. I'm sure the story behind this could be a novel.



The Coastal Mountains leading through the Great Bear Rainforest  down to Wrangell in Alaska and the sea.

A more recent grave.