Featuring: Cape Breton Highlands National Park & Meat Cove

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We were first on Cape Breton Island in 1996 (23 years ago) with Helen's parents. At that time, we were only here long enough for a quick drive around the Cabot Trail; we were on our way to Newfoundland. This was yet another beautiful region of Canada that they introduced us to ... thanks again, Mae and Earl.

Visiting National Historic and UNESCO Sites

Well, we're history buffs ... what can I say. 

We visit Canadian National Historic and UNESCO sites whenever we get an opportunity ... here's our most recent SIX stops. 

' If history doesn't interest you, do yourself a favour ... and stop reading now. 

Or, if it does ... click on the links for more information. '

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A Cautionary Tale: "A Lesson Learned On The Roads to Tuk"

We take responsibility for the unexpected repairs that occurred ...

A couple of photos of what LOAF looked like after our return drive on the Dempster and Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk highways in 2018. Your rig will take a beating ... washboard gravel roads will pound all suspension components; from tires through to the shock absorbers. Flying gravel from passing tractor trailers and other vehicles will pummel windshields, headlights and body panels.

Just outside Tuk ... heading south

CANOEING & KAYAKING: Temagami and Cross Lakes

" Paddling Irons the Wrinkles Out of the Soul. "  

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Temagami: A Brief History

(Source: Wikipedia)

The Anishnabai have been living in the area for at least 6,000 years after migrating from the east coast of North America. The land was divided into familial hunting and trapping territories.

Since the main east-west fur trade route bypassed Temagami to the south, settlement of this area by Europeans did not come until 1834. That year the Hudson's Bay Company built a store on Temagami Island, which later relocated to Bear Island. The town itself was founded by Dan O'Connor, who in 1903 formed the O'Connor Steamboat and Hotel Company on the lake and established its first store on the future townsite. By 1906, he had built three hotels on Lake Temagami: Hotel Ronnoco, Temagami Inn, and Lady Evelyn Hotel and by 1910 the company operated ten steamships on the lake including the Belle of Temagami.

The Forest Reserves Act of 1898 established the 15,000 km2 (5,800 sq mi) Temagami Forest Reserve. Because of this reserve, the region was home to the 'last Old-growth forests in Ontario'. Logging of the vast pine stands only began in the 1920s. Now just a few patches of old growth remain, including the White Bear Forest and 'the world's largest stand of old-growth red and white pine forest' - the Obabika Old-Growth Forest. 

The inspiration and wonder of the area were brought to millions around the world in 1907 when Grey Owl arrived in Temagami. He was employed by Keewaydin Canoe Camp as a guide, and later by the Ontario Department of Lands and Forests as a ranger. His subsequent books and extensive lecturing in Britain and the United States brought tremendous attention to northeastern Ontario and wildlife conservation. 

Impressions of ECUADOR

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'  The highlight of our travel here, has been the Ecuadorian people 
... sincere, proud, kind, generous, caring, friendly, helpful.  '

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Our main reason for travelling to Ecuador, had been to sail the Galapagos Islands ... it's always been a 'bucket list' trip for us. Fortunately, we were also able to include an additional 4.5 weeks into our schedule to 'get just a small taste' of Ecuador's mainland culture in a few select, geographic and demographic regions. 

We stayed in Quito, the countries historic and cultural capital; moved to the cloud forest at Maquipucuna for some hiking and birding, then onto Banos and Cuenca, both smaller cities that are building on their ecotourism potential with available access to the adjacent Amazon jungle and also ... the Pacific Coast beach towns of Olon and Puerto Lopez; a small village and a medium sized city, both with well established commercial fishing fleets that are now beginning to offer sport fishing charters.

This post features some of the wonderful folks we met on this adventure.

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' Journeymakers  are those people who elevate your travel experience with the passion and enthusiasm for the place they call home and for the interest and kindness they give you, the traveller. '
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Staying At ... Casa Hotel Las Plazas, QUITO 

Mario and Lucia

All staff were exceptional; unfortunately we didn't learn everyones name or get to take their photos.

Mario is a professional musician who once played pan flute in a group that travelled internationally. He made a copy of some of his groups music for us ... Muchas gracias Mario! He retired home to Ecuador after has first child was born. 

Lucia 'owned' the kitchen; our breakfasts were always well-prepared, too bountiful and beautifully presented, often with explanations of the different foods we were eating. She would bring us hielo (ice) for our wine. She would caution us about where we might be heading on our daily walks ... ' wear your packs on the front ' and 'don't stay out too late'. 

Luis, who manned the front desk, learned of our interest in ethnic music and made us a sample copy of Ecuador's 'pasillo' music ... a wonderful addition to our music library.  

We had an early departure on our last day and awoke to sounds of Lucia and Mario in the kitchen (an hour early), ensuring we had another wonderful Ecuadorian breakfast before leaving  ... they sent us on our way with mucho hugs. 

Puerto Lopez

The 43 km, coastal drive from Olon to Puerto Lopez was through one small fishing village after another with a few lodge styled resorts scattered between.

Olon

' We Survived a 5.9 Earthquake ... The Good News ? ... A Tsunami Is Not Predicted!'

We'll spend our final two weeks in Ecuador, equally divided between the Pacific Coast beach towns 
... of Olon and Puerto Lopez. 

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OLON

Most townsfolk here, speak limited English, but are friendly and helpful.

The village appeals to the young surfing crowd and is quickly becoming a popular international destination, for that reason. The flat, dark sand, 3 km beach here is also good for walking. 

Quito to Banos (plus Puyo and Rio Verde) to Cuenca to Olon

We'll base ourselves out of Banos for a few days and do some 'touristy' stuff. 

From Banos (south and then westerly) it's mostly just a scenic drive, with a private driver / guide. 

We'll cross over the Andes Mountains and end this drive at the beach town of  Olon ... we will explore here for a week.  Our last move will be, further north along the coast to Puerto Lopez and our final week in Ecuador.

We were very satisfied with the professional driving service provided by Fredy, (owner of Servi Taxi Banos). 

Many tourist drivers like Fredy,  stop at the frequent San Cristobal shrines to donate a small sum and ask for safe travel.

It's much less expensive to make this drive by bus ... however, that travel mode has multiple stops to pick up passengers, the commercial bus drivers really don't want to stop for viewpoints or photographs and don't share the amount of cultural and historical information that our driver Fredy did. 

This is a 910 km drive over some of the highest passes in the Ecuadorian Andes;  it's a twisty road with many hairpin curves, mud-slides, wash-outs and on-going road repair.

Galapagos Islands: The Wildlife

Charles Robert Darwin was an English naturalist, geologist and biologist, best known for his contributions to the science of evolution. His proposition that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors is now widely accepted, and considered a foundational concept in science. In a joint publication with Alfred Russel Wallace, he introduced his scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection, in which the struggle for existence has a similar effect to the artificial selection involved in selective breeding. (Source: Wikipedia) 

The data compiled from time spent in the Galapagos Islands were critical to his analysis and research.

Galapagos Islands: Sailing and Hiking

' For Us ... A Bucket List Trip '

Located over 1000 km from the South American continent, the Galapagos Islands (officially named the Archipelago of Colon) are a dynamic region constantly changing with volcanic eruptions, new lava fields forming and islands eroding and expanding.

Maquipucuna

The taxi shuttle from Quito to the Maquipucuna Cloud Forest Reserve & Ecolodge is a little more than 2 hours, but as the crow flies it's only a 35 km distance. Very slow traffic at times to escape the central part of the city, followed by several long, slow ascents and finally multiple drives and switchbacks around the base of mountains and through a couple of small villages. All the while our driver dealt with passenger buses, slow-moving trucks hauling an assortment of aggregates and aggressive drivers passing on blind, steep curves ... but visibility was mostly clear and it was all very exciting! 

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Maquipucuna is a 6,000 hectare (14,820 acre) cloud forest reserve in Ecuador. Located in the Pichincha Province, it is the closest pristine rainforest to Quito, Ecuador's capital. The reserve consists of primary and secondary montane rain forest and cloud forest.

Quito

We moved into a 'mostly' finished new home in late March of this year. We only had enough time to unpack some boxes, settle in somewhat and then prepare for a 3 month road trip that would take us as far north as Tuktoyaktuk on Canada's Arctic coast. When we returned in late September, much of the home's unfinished exterior work, (that was the developer's responsibility), had been completed. We spent most of the following 3 months finishing some landscaping and decking, in addition to minor improvements and detailing of the home's interior. 

So now, we're eager for a new adventure!  

Let's begin this one at ... 

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' The Second Highest Capital City in the World '

Neighbours shuttled us 30 kilometres to our nearest bus station. From there, we travelled to Toronto, spent the night and the next morning boarded a flight to Panama City, PANAMA then to Quito, ECUADOR.

The aircraft approach, (close to an hour of descent) through the Andes Mountains and the landing at Aeropuerto Internacional de Quito is quite spectacular. We were fortunate to fly on a day with quite clear visibility. If you look closely you can see a portion of the landing strip in the upper left section of the photo. (The following 3 stock photos are much better than any I took from the plane's window)

BACKYARD 10.19.18 ... "Cooking In 'The County' - Part 3"

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Part 7 in the Series, Exploring Our Backyard

... a Five Course Tasting Workshop ...

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Last spring I was very fortunate to attend a 'Pasta 101' Class  with  Angelo Bean, Artisan sausage maker and Italian Cooking Studio.   I enjoyed the class and time with Angelo so much that I knew I would return. I convinced Crusty it would be a good idea to attend Angelo's Five Course Tasking Workshop.  We would do a bit of cooking, some wine tasting and lots of eating!  Do yourself a 'flavour favour' and attend this workshop ... wear 'stretchy' pants and cancel any dinner reservations!

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TRAVEL SNAPSHOT: 92 Days In 2018

We began the year with our annual SCUBA and snorkeling trip to Cozumel, MEXICO in March; only one week though ... it overlapped too closely with our move into a new townhouse condominium. In late June we left on what became, an 82 day road trip westerly across CANADA and as far north as Tuktoyaktuk NT on the Arctic Ocean. LOAF has now visited all three Canadian ocean coasts. That trip included two major adventures; a canoe trip on the Teslin and Yukon Rivers and an overland drive on the Dempster Highway in Yukon Territory (YT) and Northwest Territories (NT) and also on the new Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway NT. 

We returned home mid-September; later in the month we'll attend a Canadian Truck Camper Owners rally at a campground near our home in Wellington. In October sometime, we'll join the rest of our Teslin and Yukon Rivers paddling group for a debrief and get-together. 

What's Next? ... ECUADOR early 2019, then MEXICO, then Atlantic CANADA ... stay tuned! 

The map below is interactive. To view our route in detail you will need to begin by clicking on [  ] (top right corner) for full screen. Use the hand to pan and +/- to zoom and reduce, as needed. 

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"Long Ago Peoples Place" - A Yukon MUST STOP Along the ALCAN (Alaska) Highway

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' Journeymakers  are those people who elevate your travel experience with the passion and enthusiasm for the place they call home and for the interest and kindness they give you, the traveller. '

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In 2000 we made a stop at "Long Ago Peoples Place" during our van shuttle to the Tatshenshini/Alsek River(s) put-in for a rafting trip. We enjoyed that visit so much we decided it was time to return there and see what had changed.  ... the answer was lots had! 

We met Harold Johnson there ... Harold is a Journeymaker!

Called Kwäday Dän Kenji in Southern Tutchone; the Long Ago Peoples Place is an outdoor museum of traditional Southern Tutchone culture located outside of Whitehorse, near the community of Champagne. 

Harold calls this special place ... 'His Vision'. He grew up in the bush here, near Champagne; his peoples Crow and Wolf Clans claim this land. We spent over two hours with him and listened to his stories handed down from 'The Elders'. He described how ancient shelters were built, how tools were created, how animals and fish were trapped/caught and smoked, how his people lived.

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Hunting   Trapping   Fishing

Harold demonstrates how an Atlatl (or throwing stick) is used to throw an arrow.

Driving to the Arctic Ocean

This is our eighth drive on the DEMPSTER Highway 

It will be our first drive on the new INUVIK to TUKTOYAKTUK Highway

Engineers Creek

Helen's parents first introduced us to the Dempster Highway on a road trip in 1988. We were enamored with the landscape and remoteness of the region then and we still are today ... thanks Mae and Earl!  

SS Klondike National Historic Site of Canada

We paddled past the remains of the Klondike I on our recent Teslin / Yukon Rivers canoe trip. 

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Even at very low water there is not much to see. In 2012 when we paddled by the hull was completely submerged. 

Klondike I, August 02, 2018

Klondike I was built in 1929 and had the distinction of having 50% more capacity than a regular stern-wheeler, while still having the shallow draft and meeting the size requirements in order to travel down the Yukon River. Klondike I had a cargo capacity of 270 metric tonnes without having to push a barge.




Klondike I ran aground in June 1936 in 'The Thirty Mile' section of the Yukon River (at 61.6713°N 134.8728°W). The British-Yukon Navigation Company (a subsidiary of the White Pass and Yukon Route railway company) salvaged much of the ship and cannibalized the wreckage to build Klondike II the following year.

Canoeing the Teslin and Yukon Rivers YT CANADA

With    Team    FOUR    DEGREES

The Final PADDLERS Briefing
Clockwise: Katherine  Boyd  Peggy  Tom  Dann Helen  DM  Bryan (Photo: Waitress)

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Post Updated: August 11, 2019
Click on the links for additional detail
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Some Northern Demographics

Over a 30 year period we have driven nearly every roadway in the 

Yukon and Northwest Territories and Alaska. 

All three jurisdictions are large but for most travelers much of each is only reachable by road. I realize there are other ways to reach the back-country. In the past, we have completed paddling, hiking and backpacking trips into the Canadian Territories.

This post is an observation on road tripping!

Stock photo

Dawson City, Yukon Territory

A   Walking   Tour   of   Dawson   City

We were last here in 2012 ... 

... join us as we revisit the streets, the scenes and recall some of the history.

Click on the links for more information.

 

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Parks Canada is investing an unprecedented $3 billion dollars over 5 years to support infrastructure work to heritage, visitor, waterway and highway assets located within national historic sites, national parks, and national marine conservation areas across Canada. These investments represent the largest federal infrastructure plan in the history of Parks Canada. 

Currently, Dawson City is benefiting from those monies. Roadways and infrastructure are being improved and modernized and a number of the historic sites located in town are under significant renovation. Unfortunately, during our walking tour, entry to some of those sites were closed to the public.

Under the guidance of Parks Canada, town administration has made a conscious effort to retain as much of Dawson's' pioneer spirit as possible. Front Street (that runs through town) is paved, however all other streets are unpaved and feature wooden boardwalks instead of sidewalks. The architecture of buildings and the materials used are very much in keeping with the authenticity of this Canadian Klondike Gold Rush Town. 

Design Guidelines for Historic Dawson City

" ... in order to achieve a sensitive re-creation of the character of early Dawson City in at least a visual sense, an awareness of the historic design features is essential. Although alterations to existing buildings and new buildings for modern uses are necessary, the traditional building forms and materials must be respected. Also such characteristic principles as proportion, symmetry, and design elements must be maintained. "

Front Street