Last night, Cousin Bill and I discussed sitting down this morning to go over our itineraries since we are splitting up for a couple of days...and heading into areas without cell phone or Wi-Fi service. But, as I'm enjoying my first cup of coffee, Bill drives by...all ready to drive the "Top of the World Highway". He says we'll talk by phone in a couple of days...maybe meet up in Haines Junction...or Tok...or Fairbanks. And then, he's off.
I check out of the campground around 10:30, stop for groceries, and fill up with gas (2/3 of a tank...$80.00...ouch!). About 24 miles out of Dawson, I turn north on the Dempster Highway. This road runs past Tombstone, Eagle Plains, the Arctic Circle...terminating in the arctic village of Inuvik.
Fortunately, I'm only taking it for 44 miles to the Park. It's a tough and unforgiving road...gravel, potholes, "washboards". It's a lot like the Labrador Highway that I drove a few years ago.
It takes me an hour and a half to go those last 44 miles. But, as I get closer to the Park, I remember why I have ofter called this my "favorite" park. The mountains are sharp and angular from the wind and rain. The land here is "sub-arctic tundra"...only a few trees ans lots of vegetation that's about waist deep. In the fall (late August here), that vegetation turns colors like the leaves on our trees at home...and there's a long valley, flanked by mountains, that becomes awash in a sea of colors. That's when I first saw and photographed it back in 2008. On this trip, though, I'm early...everything is still pretty green.
I stop at the new Visitor's Center and get bad news on backpacking. There's only one trail for that...twenty miles to the first "campsite", several thousand foot gain in elevation, and rated "very strenuous". I do know my limitations, and that's WAY beyond them.
So...I head to the campground and set up camp. It never really gets warm at this Park...the high today is only 54 degrees. One thing that I learned from my last visit is that a campfire is a necessity to stay warm at night, rather than a luxury. Accordingly, I stop at the free firewood bins and load up on the few pieces of split wood available (most are big "logs"). Then I set about roaming the campground in search of kindling and tinder...a piece here and a piece there.
I hike for an hour or so close to the campsite before returning for dinner. I have my afternoon Manhattan...grill a flank steak and serve that on a "Spring Greens" salad...enjoy a great bottle of Shiraz.
It's cold and drizzly out, but this makes for a few good photos. I watch the clouds hit the top of a range of mountain peaks...then spill down over the front like milk from a pitcher...very cool.
As the sun sets over the mountains, the temperature drops rapidly (it will get down to the low, very, 30's tonight. So, I dump the coals from my grill in the firepit, put in my tinder and kindling, and top all of that with several pieces of the split wood. In ten minutes or so, I've got a roaring fire. I sit back and enjoy that with a couple of glasses of CatDaddy White Whiskey. It's mighty cold out, but the fire keeps me warm until bedtime.
It's cold in the camper when I climb in...but under my nice down comforter, I'm soon nice and warm.
Lights out.
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