Canada 2022

As Canada had lifted its pre-flight testing requirements, other than completion of ArriveCAN with vaccination details, the pre-flight preparations for this trip were a lot less involved than that to the US in March. With a relaxed drive down to Heathrow on the day and a lot less chaos in the departureshall. We decided to take a walk in the tunnels from 5A to 5B, guessing we would depart from B or C gates and settled in the satellite Galleries Club lounge. The guess was correct, and we boarded our BA 777 (3 class, Club Suites) flight to Vancouver on time and for 9.5-hour flight after a short delay.

The flight was good even if service was not back to pre-covid type of service.

We still made an on-time arrival and passed through immigration and customs in record time for Vancouver airport! Potentially, there was the risk of random on arrival testing, but we were not selected.

We collected our bags after a short wait then walked over to the consolidated car rental facility to pick up our Avis ride for this trip. We had been preallocated an AWD Hyundai Santa Fe and there did not appear to be a huge amount of stock to choose from if you wanted something else. 

I did a quick pre-inspection (excess in Canada on LDW) and noticed the damage listed was not on the car? Then, it dawned it was glass damage, but it had been recorded wrongly! It included a long scratch on the windshield caused by the wiper at some stage. We decided to just go with it rather than spend more time and it was clear that the form was incorrect anyway.

A quick 5-minute drive to the hotel, and after a delay due to a fire alarm (had to use the service lifts!) and a drink from the bar, we retired about 9.30pm for a sleep before our early start and long day drive to follow next morning.                 

Km driven: 6km

We were awake at about 1.30am and realised that was it for rest. So, we got up got ready and repacked road trip style for a 4.30am departure. I had thought about going north via the sea to Sky Highway, but the forecast was for rain, and we decided the mountain views would not be great so the Trans-Canada Hwy 1 it was.

We had a bit of fun getting out of Vancouver due to roadworks and closures, but we were soon out of the city and stopped at Chilliwack for some snacks. The weather dried up a bit as we approached Lytton and by Cache Creek it had stopped raining. 

We topped up the tank and stopped at Hungry Herbie’s for breakfast.

Then it was basically just a get there day, with a quick driver for the Chasm viewpoint as we headed north up 97. Wildlife spots included a few deer, bald eagles and lots of raptors as we drove through the farmland in southern central BC.

We arrived at our Prince George hotel at around 2pm and after checking-in drove to Walmart for supplies, the liquor store for beer and a Subway for dinner.

Given we had another longish day ahead and no doubt an early start again, we had an early night.

Km driven: 791 (492 miles)

Today the trip would start properly as we knew the scenery and likely wildlife spotting would improve as we headed west and north on the Yellowhead Highway and joined the Stewart-Cassiar, Hwy 37 at Kitwanga.

The overnight one-man band on the hotel reception was great and he gave us some breakfast items before the official breakfast opening time. 

We left at 5am and for some reason the local gas stations were having problems with pay at pump transactions, and of course were not yet open. Fortunately, we had about half a tank and so just filled up in Vanderhoof.

We also got a surprise when our GPS, via our phones, told us the Cassiar Highway was closed between Stewart and the Yukon border!?..and we should divert via the Alcan and an extra 22 hours!  We consulted a few other resources, including ‘WhatsApp a friend’ and concluded that whilst there was an issue with flooding, that the road was not closed and the weather, although a bit mixed today, was improving. So, we decided to stick with plan A.

We stopped for a photo opportunity at Witset Canyon and again at New Hazelton VC (which was closed).

We got to Meziadin Junction before 1pm and turned onto the 37A to head into Stewart. A few photo stops for the mountains and glaciers but no bears to be spotted.

We got to Ripley Creek Inn at 1.30pm and after checking in went for a pizza lunch at Silverado Café and a walk in the sum along the boardwalks. Of course, I left the camera behind so the fantastic aerobatic display the a bird of prey just feet away remained unrecorded.

We decided to head back along the Glacier Highway to see if the bear situation had improved? And it had! Two back bears were spotted, the first of the trip between Stewart and Bear Glacier, one of which was very content to ‘munch on’ whilst being viewed. 

The rain returned and as we drove back into Stewart, we noticed a strange green haze, like something from a Sci-Fimovie being blown on the squall. It was pine tree pollen, something we had never seen before! 

We declined to go across the border into Hyder and Alaska,too much hassle with ArriveCAN and no bears at Fish Creek or easy access to Salmon Glacier.

We then had a pleasant evening watching more wildlife and weather sweep across the estuary from the Inn, a beer and pizza snack, before the very short night set in.

Which was interrupted at about 12.30am following a text, by a phone call from our bank about potential fraud on one of our credit cards! I won’t go into details, but it was eventually resolved after some inconvenience (we had back up anyway)as a misunderstanding, later in the trip.

Km driven: 772km (480 miles)

Another early start today, partly due to our call, readers will notice a pattern forming. We checked on the status of the Stewart-Cassiar, flooded but open near the Yukon border, so we were committed.

I had gassed up and we had some breakfast snacks, so we were on our way at 05.00am. We were hoping that we might catch a few more bears along the Glacier Highway and we did four more Black Bears although these were a lot shyer than the one yesterday.

We turned on to the 37 and noticed a lot more snow along the verges and surrounds the further we got north and a lot of snow-covered frozen lakes.

Near to Mehan Lake we spotted out first Brown Bear - Grizzly, as it ran across the road. It was a young bear, maybe its first year on its own, and it stood up on its hind legs and watched us through the vegetation as we slowed to go past it.

This was followed by a Black Bear grazing and a Bald Eagle enjoying a frozen meal at Lower Gnat Lake as we approached Dease Lake. We did notice a lot of the campgrounds and recreation areas we had stopped at on previous visits were still snowbound and closed. 

Just before Dease lake we spotted our first Caribou we have seen in Canada. We have always been too late before on our spring visits.

We stopped and filled our tank in Dease Lake. Most expensive gas so far at C$ 2.35/l but still cheaper than back home.

Between Dease Lake and the border we spotted our first Moose of the trip, and by the time we got to the junction with the Alaska Highway (Alcan) we had seen a couple more and a fox.

We had also successfully navigated the flooded section, single file with a pilot vehicle.

We turned east onto the Alcan and drove the few miles to Watson Lake and our stop for the night, arriving about 1.30pm. We checked into our cabin, and I went for a walk to the visitor centre, the signpost forest, and a hardware store to scout out a task for the way back and to get the necessary supplies.

A few places, including the restaurant we used, had closedsince our last visit so we walked across the road to Andrea’s Hotel for an early dinner. What can I say? All things considered it was the worst meal we had on this trip both from a cost and quality perspective. But pickings are slim at present in Watson Lake.

The lack of sleep and early starts had caught up with us and we had an early night, thank goodness for blackout curtains!

Km driven: 646km (404 miles)

We could tell we had moved further north this morning when we were greeted by a sharp frost that covered Scratch (the car’s nickname for obvious reasons).

We had been given a breakfast basket by our hosts as they were still not serving a hot one, so we ate that as we got ready and were on the road at 4.40 am. A quick stop so Liz could approve my Signpost Forest reccy, and we set off north along the Alcan.

We made a couple of stops and noticed again how much snow was still in the surrounds and that some campsites and stops were still snowbound. We stopped for gas at Teslin and spotted fox, deer and a moose, before we reached Jakes Corner and turned onto the Tagish Road towards Tagish, Carcross and Atlin.

Right on the junction we spotted a couple of caribou, first time we have ever seen members of the Carcross herd.

We had plenty of time so we decided we would take a trip down the South Klondike to the BC border at Fraser and back (we would see a lot of that route on this trip).

Another moose was spotted just on the outskirts of Tagish and once we reached Carcross we turned north for a quick look at a frozen Emerald Lake, not so emerald on this occasion!

Then back to Carcross and a walk around a bit of the desert before completing the drive to Fraser and back. Lots of snow at higher elevations and frozen lakes. We spotted a couple of black bears along Tutshi lake, one of which was a little too friendly and appeared to be thinking of hitching a ride when we drove past it. The usual crop of Mountain goats was on the side of Mt Racine near the Yukon border sign.

At Carcross, we turned back onto the Tagish Road and spotted a grizzly bear a couple of miles outside of Tagish and the other usual crop of Mountain Goats on White Mountain along the Atlin road by Little Atlin Lake, which is actually prettybig!

A few more Caribou at the BC border and we arrived at Atlin around 3pm to be greeted by large flock of snow geese grazing outside our accommodation.

Things close early in Atlin (4pm) so we took a quick stroll then headed to the Mountain Shack for an early dinner. It was very good, simple but good, and satisfied we did a bit more exploring including a drive down towards the warm springs and Grotto before spending the evening with a beer watching the view across the lake.

Km driven: 716 km (448 miles)

We were up early again, woken by a power cut that fortunately was resolved quickly as it meant no light, no water no etc. We decided to get going and I made sure everybody else in Atlin was awake early when I set the alarm off on Scratch by mistake at 4am! As was a hummingbird on the hotel feeders.

We left at 5.00am and immediately noticed the TPMS was showing an issue with the rear right tire! It was not flat but had lost about 10psi overnight and it was not that cold. So, we called at the local gas station/garage services, but the pressure hose was not switched on and they did not open till 7am.

I did not think it was a puncture, but I had noticed that tire value had no dust cap and guessed the valve was full of dirt.So, we decided to risk it and pump it up when we got a chance…which was not to be at the other gas location just outside town or Jake’s Corner back at the Tagish Road turn. 

On route we had spotted a couple of foxes, three moose and rabbit but not the Grizzly sow and cubs we had heard the locals mention. And between Tagish and Carcross, where I knew there was an air hose, we saw a caribou and a coyote.

The tire had hardly lost any more pressure so I cleaned out the valve (no caps in the gas station shop) and pumped it up, hoping that was the end of it. We then headed north towards Whitehorse and then west on the Alcan towards Haines junction. 

On the way the spots were another fox and the wild horses.

We arrived at Haines Junction very early but were allowed to check into the Ravens Rest and then went to the Village Bakery to spend our $20 voucher (in lieu of breakfast at the hotel) on provisions. It was very good and would become a regular stop in the next two days!

Then we set off north on the Alcan to Kluane Lake and Destruction Bay. The Thechal Dhal Visitors Center was not open yet for the season, and there were no Dhal sheep in view on Sheep Mountain.

We turned round at Destruction Bay and returned the way we had come, stopping to investigate the beach for bears and other tracks and spotted a grizzly bear high up on the slopes of Mt Wallace and a moose on the way back.

We decided to have dinner at Mile 1016 Pub, (guess why it’scalled that?), and enjoyed a couple of burgers with Canada’s national dish, a salad and some very nice local beer. We also had a chat with a local, which started ok but took a bit of a bizarre turn when they brought up their opinions on Covid and Canada’s response!

Km driven:  591 km (369 miles)