North to Alaska: Washington & Southern B.C.

After a fantastic detour trip with Nick to the Owyhee we were anxious to get back on our path north.  I was especially curious of the road ahead given I had never been beyond Portland to the North.  Graham had been to Seattle some years before to visit Mike and Lelani when they lived there, but had not been beyond.  We decided to drive up the Olympic Peninsula and spend a couple days there visiting some sights and camping at some killer-sounding Washington Department of Natural Resources free campgrounds before visiting our friend Mick in Seattle and then heading over the border into Canada.

The Olympic Peninsula was incredible and absolutely green.  We were a bit blown away by the common sight of massive clear cuts on often steep slopes.  Some folks had mentioned that clear cuts are quite common on the private land throughout the peninsula even directly adjacent to the Olympic National Park boundary.  We had a lunch stop at Quinault Lake and then headed for the Hoh Rainforest where we planned to camp for the night.  We spent a few hours inside the National Park along the Hoh River enjoying a couple interpretive trails that lead right from the visitor’s center.  The forest of Spruce, Doug Fir, Big Leaf Maple, and Vine Maple were dripping with moss.  Colonnades (a collection of younger trees established in a line along dead decaying trees) were especially impressive.  The interpretive trails did an excellent job explaining the relationships between the age of river terraces and the forest ecology found on them.  We really enjoyed our camp spot that night on the Hoh River surrounded by blooming salmon berry bushes. No one in sight except for a few black slugs.  Here we learned we could use our gravity water filter to drain water straight into our on-board water tank… a great discovery.  

Colonnades

Who you gonna call?

Home on the Hoh River

The next day we decided to break out our new tandem inflatable kayak for its maiden voyage on the stunning crystal clear deep glacial Crescent Lake.  It was a great little paddle though we discovered the boat isn’t quite water tight.  Somehow water managed to seep in from some of the seams leaving Graham with a soggy bottom.  We have some improvement ideas to try next time.  We also realized it’s a little bit of a hassle to dry out the boat and gear before packing it up and storing it again inside the van.  You need sun for this, which up to this point had been limited on most of our journey thus far.  Luckily a break in the weather made for an easy dry time in the evening at our great free campsite along the Lyre River just north of Crescent Lake.

Maiden voyage on Crescent Lake

Drying out while prepping some broccoli slaw with cranberries and almonds

The following day we checked out Port Angeles and caught the ferry to Seattle.  It was a beautiful day and there were dolphins surfacing around the ferry.  We talked with a couple of crew on the ferry – nice guys that also owned VW Westfalias.  That evening we caught up with Mick at a new bouldering gym in Seattle.  He had just finished guiding a group up Mt. Ranier.  It was a demanding trip but all had gone well minus Micks’s run in with his ice axe.  Over the next few days we had the great chance to hang out with Mick at his stylish pad in Kirkland, run errands, and visit Seattle.  Mick’s guiding and teaching business KAF adventures (link) is thriving and has grown by leaps and bounds.  It was great to learn more about the creation, the development, and challenges of the business.  

Goldi on the ferry

Graham on the ferry

Morel mushroom breakfast at Micks's with his budy Stephen

Jake the dog...Mick's housemates dog

During that time Graham decided we should address a couple issues with our van, Goldi, before heading further North.  There was a continued leak in the fuel system that was making us nervous and our auxiliary battery had been draining more quickly than it should have.  Graham knew what needed to be done with the fuel system but needed some good driveway space and ramps to drive up on.  He put a post on The Samba (amazing online community and resource for VWs) asking if anyone in the area might have space and ramps.  In a matter of a couple hours he received a response from a fellow VW owner in the area offering what we needed and also the phone number for his highly recommended mechanic in case we needed parts or had questions.  We ended up calling his mechanic who offered for us to come to his shop and take a look at Goldi.  Turns out the mechanic, Kirk, owns and runs a shop called NorthWesty.  These guys specialize in Westfalia’s, especially synchros and Subaru engine conversions.  They also specialize in outfitting Westfalias for expedition journeys to places like South America and Alaska.  We were in luck!  This was just the place we needed to visit before venturing further north.  Kirk and his guys spent at least an hour looking over Goldi to see if there was anything else we should address.  Kirk and his fiancé had done the same trip to Alaska on the Cassiar Highway last summer and knew just what we would be in for.  When we arrived at the shop there was another VW Westfalia on the lift owned by a retired couple also planning to drive the same route to Alaska.  They were great folks who were also glad they has stumbled upon NorthWesty to get some last minute repairs and upgrades before hitting the rough roads that would soon follow.

At the doctor's office for a checkup

Well…just as you could guess, a small issue with the fuel line opened up a can of worms.  A week later we were back at the shop after needing to wait for parts to come in.  Turns out Goldi needed a bit more that we thought.  A crack in the J pipe meant a new exhaust system (minus the cat converter), new coolant lines (new ones would be stainless steel), rear brakes, rear wheel bearings, and a fuel tank re-seal and lines replaced. 

With a few days to wait for parts we took advantage of the time and drove into the Cascades just East of Seattle.   We visited lake Kachess, then headed for Leavenworth (Bavaria).  We did a beautiful hike to 8-mile Lake and camped at a great spot along 8-mile creek where we scored a good little batch of morel mushrooms (perfect for the next morning’s scramble).  The next day we did a little climbing and then went to Lake Wenatchee for the night.  There we discovered more morel mushrooms and enjoyed a fantastic morel mushroom pizza dinner.  At that point it was time to head back to the shop.  Kirk, the mechanic, graciously let us camp in his driveway along with two other folks getting work done on their VW vans.  The next morning Goldi was up on the lift.  Ten hours later she was in great shape more ready than ever for the roads to Alaska.  While this definitely put a damper on our tight budget, we were so relieved to have come across Kirk now knowing we would have had some major issues on the road most likely in some remote part of Canada or Alaska.  The guys at the shop hooked us up with all kinds of good info and also various spare parts they thought might be come in handy.

Hike to 8-mile Lake

8-mile Lake

Solar charged morel mushrooms growing in camp

Yum!

What a treat!

Morel scramble!

Wenatchee Lake looking toward Glacier Peak Wilderness

As for the battery, turns out underwiring has likely caused the battery to be severely undercharged over time.  Graham decided to install a Yandina to help get more juice to the auxillary by improving the wiring from the main battery.  To this day we’re still having trouble with it.  It’s possible that the severe undercharging has decreased the ability of the battery to hold a charge.  And, it’s possible we may have too many goodies connected for the battery to support.  We’re debating what to do next.  A new larger battery may be in store at some point down the road.

From Seattle we continued north to Vancouver where we visited Graham’s colleage Sara from DRI.  On the way we stopped in Bellingham for one last U.S. stock up on food and gas.  The Costco there was the busiest we have ever seen, mostly full of Canadians buying huge quantities of food and gas - understandably, given the prices here.  Sara had recently moved to Vancouver and gotten a job with the University.  Her husband Trent is finishing up his PhD at the University there.  She graciously allowed us to camp in front of their place.  We spent a day biking around amazing Vancouver and enjoyed dog-sitting Clohe and Carson one night.  Partial sun drew folks out in full force to recreate.  The beaches were teeming with volleyball players and sunbathers while the surrounding snow-capped mountain peaks glistened in the sun.  We especially enjoyed biking the perimeter of Stanley Park. 

Canadian border crossing at Peace Arch Park

Sara and friend Carolyn with Carson and Chloe

Beaches near Vancouver

Vancouver from Burrard Bridge

Vancouver waterfront

We began our drive from “Sea to Sky” (the highway route from Vancouver to Lillooet) by spending a couple days in the town of Squamish north of Vancouver.  We were hoping to do some climbing here at this renowned climbing spot, but it was raining.  We spent one day waiting out the wet weather by hiking the backside of “The Chief” at Stawamus Provinical Park.  The hike was a vertical challenge - quite steep with an amazing amount of trail infrastructure.   Huge granite and wooden stair cases, steep root lined climbs, chained routes, and ladders led us through the dense temperate rainforest to the breathtaking views atop Second Peak.  In the early 60s two local Canadians had made the first ascent of the shear face of “The Chief” putting Squamish on the map in the climbing world.  That night we camped in the parking area for Cat Lake - a beautiful little lake just outside of Squamish.

Cat Lake

Food cache system at Cat Lake

Hike on the Chief

Atop Second Peak on the Chief

Hiking off the back of the Chief - amazing trail we deemed shoots and ladders

By the next morning we could see the sun breaking through the clouds.  We decided to head for the Smoke Bluffs area to do some climbing.  We warmed up on the classic “Burgers and Fries” route and enjoyed a couple other climbs on that same wall.  We were the first to arrive at the crag that morning but soon after followed by a crowd of both locals and international folks.  We thought briefly about trying to sell Cliff Bars to the climbers in the lot that we had purchased at Costco in Washington after seeing the price of a Cliff Bar in the Canadian grocery store ($2.50 a pop!) but then thought better of it realizing we would probably need them ourselves.  After lunch we enjoyed a couple climbs on the Crack Wall.  Feeling like we had at least gotten a little taste of Squamish granite we headed for our trusty camp at Cat Lake before moving on the next day. 

Graham on Burgers and Fries

Repel on the Crack Wall

The drive from Squamish through Whistler, Pemberton, and Lillooet was fantastic!  Easy to see where the “Sea to Sky” highway derives its name.  The views were absolutely stunning - glacier clad peaks, green forests, gushing creeks and rivers, and alpine lakes.  We saw our first black bear sow and cubs on the side of the highway.  It was interesting to see the highly developed Whistler resort area, reminding us of much of Tahoe.  Beyond Whistler we climbed to Pemberton and then out of the Cayoosh Valley into the Cayoosh Range of the Coast Mountains.  We stopped at Joffre Lakes Provincial Park for a quick jaunt to an alpine lake surrounded by towering glacial peaks.  From there we transitioned over the range dropping down to Seton Lake and Lillooet at the confluence of Lillooet Creek and the might Fraser River.  The Fraser River is truly massive, supporting one of the largest salmon runs in the world.   The rainshadow effect was quite stark.  Suddenly the views changed to rugged, steep dry mountains, with sparse vegetation.  

Amazing views of Tantalus Provincial Park

Joffre Lakes Provincial Park and the Mattier Glacier

Seton Lake

We caught highway 97 north and headed into cowboy country where immense rangeland supports an extensive, historic livestock industry.  Driving through the towns of Clinton, 100 Mile House, Williams Lake, and Quesnel we caught glimpses of the ag culture but also could see evidence of local economies driven by the forest industry and tourism promoting the vast outdoor recreation opportunities.  After settling in for a goodnight sleep at our fantastic free Forest Service camp along Blue Lake, we drove the next morning onto Prince George, our last major supply stop before heading for the Cassiar Highway...

Home on Blue Lake

North to Alaska: Oregon

After the excitement of Europe and visiting many friends and family who we don’t get to see very often, we were happy to have a little “home” time back in Meadow Valley. Before departing northward for Alaska, it was great to relax for a week at Kristen’s folks place for several reasons. First, I needed the rest since I had picked up a nasty head/respiratory bug that was probably the consequence of spending a lousy night at Newark airport. Second, we needed to switch out some gear and prepare the shuttle for launch. Goldi, our faithful 1990 Westfalia, had been sitting for six weeks, and needed only minor mechanical maintenance before departing (tire rotation, oil change, fix reverse lights). Most importantly, we needed to load her up with some trip goodies: mountain bikes, climbing gear, and a new inflatable tandem kayak! We were a little pressed for time… as much as one can feel that when taking a year off, but we were anxious to get headed north for Alaska!

Goldi ready for launch; Spanish Peak in the background

We headed first to visit our friends Lawrence and Melanie in Bend, Oregon. As with visiting friends in southern California a few months earlier, we came to realize that we were getting to the outer fringe of our “roaming range” that we visit regularly. We had not seen either of them since our wedding a year and a half before. Unfortunately, it was raining and cold when we arrived, and stayed that way through most of our visit. Not much outdoor activity was had, aside from walking their friendly dogs Rio and Miles. Perhaps that was better so, as Mel had just had a bike accident and wasn’t feeling like doing much of anything but trying to recover. So we left after three days, heading west for Eugene, and eventually on to Portland.

Visiting with Lawrence and Melanie in Bend.

The drive over to Eugene was as beautiful as I remember from my time in Oregon getting my Masters at UO. A late spring full of snow on top of a heavy winter had left much of the Cascades clad in white. We were hoping it was not an omen for our trip further north. After spending a nice night outside of Cougar Hot Springs, we had a great day in Eugene. Enjoying a deliciously gooey cinnamon role at one of my favorite bakeries (Sweet Life) and a short visit with my thesis advisor Pat McDowell were notable highlights. We also had arranged for a rideshare (who happened to be a playwrite from New York) up to Portland through Craigslist, which ended up both helping with gas and providing good conversation en route.

 

We stayed several days in Portland with Kristen’s cousins, Julie and Melissa Schmidt. The weather had taken a turn for the better, which made Portland even more bikeable than usual. We spent time at the famously colorful Saturday market, and procured a few more small items for the trip north. We were joined by Blake, Melissa’s boyfriend, and Dan, Julie’s boyfriend, for several satiating evening meals at the Schmidt house both in terms of food and great conversation… and a few sips of whiskey.

Great food and company at Melissa and Julie's place in Portland

With the nice weather, Nick Fisher had invited us for a quick afternoon raft trip down the Sandy River east of Portland. Nick’s a family friend from Santa Cruz, and it was great to see him. We gladly took him up on his offer and had a blast! He had the next week off and had been planning a raft trip down the Owyhee River in southeastern Oregon, but most of his trip mates had to move the trip dates back and could not make it. So Nick invited us on the trip, and after thinking it over for a night, we gladly accepted his generous offer. Neither Kristen nor I have much experience rafting, but it was an incredible opportunity to see a very remote part of Oregon that we could not pass up. In addition, Nick was going to bring a new HD camera from his work at Oregon Public Broadcasting to shoot some of the incredible landscapes that we would be seeing… and he promised to make us movie stars!

Rafting down the scenic Sandy River outside of Portland

We spent the night before departing at Nick’s house in southeast Portland. Although another storm had rolled in from the Pacific, the drive across Oregon was simply stunning. The wet western Cascades gave way to a windy, but mostly dry, central and eastern Oregon. As we headed further east, cities shrank to towns, towns shrank to villages, and villages shrank to settlements. We made camp in a cold Alvord Desert the first night. The Alvord showed all the signs of a very wet spring: a large lake in the playa, deep snow on Steens Mountain 5,000’ above, a recent road wash out, green hills, and water everywhere! The hot springs were great relief once we realized we had forgotten a crucial piece of gear, without which our stove would not work! Doh!

Checking the water at Alvord Hotsprings

Water, water everywhere!

The next morning was frosty cold as we tried in vain to find the stove part in the bustling metropolis of Fields. Fields is a one shop town - the post office, general store, gas station, and café are all located in the same building. Talk about one-stop shopping! We were able to check the weather forecast, which called for a day of sun, and then another strong storm. Uncertain of the conditions we might face on the river, we filled up on gas, but left empty-handed headed across the desert for Whitehorse Hotsprings, and eventually Rome, the put-in for the Owyhee River. Whitehorse Hotsprings lies on a remote dirt/gravel road about 50 miles from Fields. It was even more beautiful than I remembered it from ten years earlier… partly because of the lovely new addition of numerous beaver dams on the adjacent Willow Creek. The beaver dams had created an immense network of wetland habitat that supported an array of birds and waterfowl and filled the night air with the songs of a thousand frogs.

Panorama of Willow Creek wetlands and beaver dams

Beaver lodge

Whitehorse Hotsprings

The winds began to buffet our tent and increased through the night in advance of the oncoming storm. It was relatively warm the next morning, but the wind howled as we headed for Rome. Lacking the crucial stove part, we had resorted to cooking over an open fire: a task made more difficult by the gusty winds. We decided to take a short detour to another settlement in the area, Basque, where I was locked up in the “city” jail for a brief period. Heading further into Owyhee country, we stopped at Rome to check out the put-in. The weather seemed warm enough… a high of about 55 degrees. But the winds continued unabated, and the dark clouds gathered in the west. We decided that given the forecast and our lack of river gear such as drysuits (not to mention the basics like a working stove!!!), we should forgo the river run and check out some of Owyhee country. So we struck out for Leslie Gulch on Lake Owyhee, arriving late in the afternoon, just as the storm unleashed its fury on the desert. One of our neighbors emerged from his RV shortly after we arrived and asked “Were you here for the hurricane?”

"But really, I'm innocent!"

It rained and hailed for much of the afternoon and evening. But the beauty of the area was beginning to sink in as we cooked a basic meal over the fire and watched Bighorn Sheep scramble up the ridge, silhouetted against the evening light. Kristen and I planned to do a 10 mile rugged hike to a hot spring the next day, while Nick went exploring. The hot spring hike was incredibly scenic, although it was every bit of 10 rugged, mostly trail-less miles. The next day we returned with Nick to the area he had explored, a honeycombed area of golden yellow and rust-colored welded tuff (similar to Smith Rock) full of spires and slot canyons reminiscent of Utah. Nick did some filming and audio recording… I hope the HD camera can do it justice!

Hiking to the hotspring from Leslie Gulch

Amazing rock formations and scenery on the way

Worth every bit of the rugged 10 mile hike

The desert was in full bloom

Amazing honeycomb rock formations and spires

Hard to leave, but must press on northward!

After two nights at Leslie Gulch, we decided to head home. It had been raining off and mostly on through the night, and had transformed all the secondary roads into mud wallows. Sticking to the pavement, we drove over into Idaho and enjoyed the freedom of pumping our own gas, and watched thunderstorm clouds unleash hell over the areas we had just been. We were fairly certain one cell in particular would spawn a tornado – instead it gave Nick’s truck a nice wash. We made it back to Portland after a long drive. Determined to continue our northward trajectory, we thanked Nick and bid him farewell the next day. Although we were determined to head north towards Alaska, it was great to have the ability to be flexible and spontaneous, make the most out of whatever great opportunities came our way.