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the feeders immediately. They were Ruby
Throated, and probably had returned this year.
A new, young lady, Ranger had been assigned to
Robson this year, and she had also just arrived.
She was eager to take her first touring hike along
the river. We and several other campers obliged
her and met in the rain ready to go.
We wore our slickers, but they didn’t keep us dry.
The trail was a narrow path in dense underbrush.
We could hear the river as we approached it, but
not until we were right at its banks could we see
it.
The Fraser was flooding; the water was swirling
around a bend and threading to break over the
bank as it passed us. We retreated, as our young
guide found a pathway a little further away. By
this time we were all soaked, and our new path
was as wet and soggy as it was under water.
Several times we detoured around larger rivulets.
All along the hike the Ranger kept telling us
about the plants. There were ‘Elephant’ leaves,
several spring flowers, and the bark ripped off a
tree. The latter caught our attention because it
was fresh. We found another path that led us
over a hill and past another tree that Janet, the
ranger pointed out the hair on the trunk. It was
Moose hair, 8 inches long, brown with some
shorter white ones. Moose don’t shed like
buffalo and their white hairs are hallow. That’s
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what provides their insulation, from the cold and
the water.
We were heading back to camp as she told us
that black bears will follow pregnant cows until
they drop their calf. Then chase the mother
away. I wondered if this was some kind of
fireside horror story? First we came across the
bear markings and then the moose hair.
For a first hike, our ranger was pretty good and
we all had quite an adventure. She was pleased,
as we were not to have run into the bear that had
it’s morning meal of bark from that tree.
Folks believe that Colin Robson was the first
European to see Mt Robson, and that the highest
peak in Canada is named after him. No one
knows for sure, but the area was a hot spot for
the North West Company. It was a competitor
of the Hudson Bay Company in the fur trading
th
days of the late 18 century.
We will hear a bit more about the North West
Company, as among their owners was Simon
Fraser and Roderick Mackenzie. The Fraser
River is named for him. It’s headwaters are at the
foot of Mt Robson, and flows past us at the park,
and another 850 miles across British Columbia
into Vancouver.
Simon Fraser might have been one of the early
traders around Prince George, a timber town,
here in the northwest. We had to decide which
direction we would go out of town toward
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Alaska. I’ve said there are few and fewer roads as
we move west.
From the center of Prince George there were two
choices. We could take Canadian 16, which we’d
taken from Jasper and continue westward
toward Prince Rupert on the Pacific Coast. Then
turn north on BC’s Route 37 to Watson Lake,
and the Alaska Canadian Highway. That road
was reputed to be gravel. Gravel like large sharp
shards that eat tires.
The other choice was BC’s route 97 which runs
North and South. The northern direction is a
hard top highway that leads to Chetwynd and
Dawson Creek. Dawson Creek is the beginning
of the Alaskan Canadian Highway.
We put off our choice to do a little shopping for
supplies, as we didn’t know if we’d find another
spot further North.
Prince George is an industrial timber town, not
pretty, it’s rugged and beat up. Our first stop was
at the liquor store to load up on enough wine to
carry us onward. Outside the store we
encountered 8 men sitting and laying around.
They looked like First Nation people, and they
didn’t seem to have a care in the world. Arlene
and I decided quickly that it wasn’t just bears that
we should be mindful about. We bought several
bottles of red and white table wine from Chile
and left.
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Our second stop was at the grocery store. It was
the largest store in Prince George’s and had an
equally large parking lot. By this time we were
alert to some of the problems of unemployment
in the town. As we entered the parking lot we
noticed several men scattered across it, but not
going in or out of the store.
We took evasive action, or so we thought. We
parked among many other cars, most of which
were covered with dirt and grime, unlike ours,
and got out of the van, locked up and went into
the store. As soon as we got into the store I
went back out and circled the car. One of these
loiters had walked past and eyed it, but didn’t
stop.
Back in the store Arlene bought some fresh
vegetables and found what we would consider a
treasure from Canada. Canned RED SOUR
CHERRY JAM. Weird, because it was in a can,
but it was the best. We would search it out all
the rest of our trip.
Outside we decided to take the hardtop north
toward Chetwynd and Dawson Creek. We didn’t
want to encourage another flat tire before we
reached the great Al-Can highway. From Prince
Georges we had been traveling along remarkable
flatland. It wouldn’t be farmland, although it was
fenced, and lots of grass and woods.
Along one open area we came across a moose
cow and her calf. We’ve looked for moose all
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over the west and the best we’d seen was in the
‘Ass Kicking Good Food’ restaurant in Cody,
Wyoming. It was stuffed. We’d been moose
hunting in Banff, and Robson, but despite the
swampy terrain hadn’t seen any.
Here on this plain the two of them, both all legs,
had just crossed the highway and were searching
for a way over the barbed wire on the far side.
The Mother found a spot and stepped over. The
calf, although all legs wasn’t that tall yet, and
couldn’t make it. The mother had proceeded out
across the field, but turned back when
recognizing that the little one couldn’t make it
over the fence. She returned, stepped back over
the fence and proceeded down along it until it
came to a break. There both she and her calf
were able to cross. They then galloped across the
field and out of site. We were able to video
them, as we did with the bear cub, but unable to
transfer the pictures into single snap shots and
embed them here.
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Chetwynd was another fork in the road, which
would sidestep Dawson Creek. We stopped at
the visitor’s center where we met a man with
enormous hands. I called him ‘Ham Hocks’ they
were so large. We told him about the bears we’d
seen on the way and he replied with a story about
a black bear he’d watched during the spring.
The bear had been wandering around in a grassy
field, until it came upon a patch of spring
flowers. It sat down and with open arms
encircled the flower, biting off one at a time. It
didn’t eat the stem only the flower head.
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‘Ham Hocks’ opened his huge chest and arms
and surrounded an imaginary group of flowers.
My hands are 7 inches long; his must have been
15, and 10 inches wide. He cupped a single
flower and bent over to take a bite.
Wow! I was impressed. Even more with the size
of this mans hands than his interesting story.
We moved on, instead of taking the short cut,
heading for Dawson Creek and the beginning of
the ALCAN HIGHWAY. The roadside was
covered with dandelions and it attracted the
bears. We saw another two before reaching
Dawson Creek.
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APPENDIX
MAPS
Southern United States
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Western United States
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APPENDIX: PREPARATION
HOUSE
We’ve been leaving houses for some time now,
but never for several months. Florida’s weather
as well as the length of time caused us to prepare
a list for the house. By following these simple
guidelines we’d leave the house in good
condition. Each year we’d look for the list,
review it and add things. It grew over the years.
THINGS TO TURN OFF, ADJUST, CALL
ABOUT OR OTHERWISE DO
SOMETHING
Telephone: Leave only one hooked up
with the answering system.
Fans Clean all ceiling fans & turn off
AC Clean all filters or replace
AC Put 1 ½ cups of Clorox & water in
AC pipe
AC Set AC at 83 degrees
Dehumidifier Set at 65 degrees
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Sliding Doors Put wooden
sticks in doors.
Close & lock
screens &
doors, Close all
curtains on
doors
Lanai Remove
everything &
lock doors
Place Lanai
furniture in
dining and
living room.
Windows Close all
shutters & lock
windows
Water Turn off city
water at the side
of the house
Security Set alarm to ‘AWAY’
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SECURITY
ON: 1,2,3,4 AWAY
OFF: 1,2,3,4 OFF
It’s crazy but true, everyone on the block has
the same security code. That’s because the
installers set it up originally, and along with
the rest of our senior neighbors we are
forgetful. If we can’t remember the security
code all we need do is ask any neighbor.
Credit Cards Gather all credit
cards, food, &
gas cards for the
trip.
Bird Bath Remove & place
in kitchen
Car Port Empty and put
everything in the kitchen
Toilets Turn off the
water, and cover
all oilets with
plastic wrap.
We have had a
baby alligator
swimming in
our bowl.
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Fridge Empty and turn
off, pull the
plugs
Oven Pull plugs on
oven and
microwave
TV Turn off each
and pull the
plugs on all
electronics
RO Turn off and
remove filters
Lights Turn off all
lights
Neighbors Give keys, trip
itinerary, and
other
instructions.
Ask them to
pickup our mail,
and to let Larry
spray the bugs
inside & out.
Bugs Make
arrangements
with Larry to
spray for bugs
every other
month. Have
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neighbors let
him in on
specific dates.
Mail Make
arrangements
for neighbors to
collect and save
the mail
Pictures Put all pictures
& paintings in
the closets
Shelves Put all things on
the floor.
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PACKING LIST
This list of personal items changes every
time we leave home.
Clothing shorts
Long pants
Short shirts
Long shirts
Flannel shirt
Coats
Hats, gloves & scarves
Under clothes
Socks
Hiking & walking
shoes
PJ’s, summer & winter
Sweaters
Micro pull over
Rain coats
Bedding Sheets
Pillows
Blankets
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Sleeping bags
Towels & wash cloths
Toiletries Tooth paste & brushes
Shampoo &
conditioner
Soap
Razors
Alarm clock
Deodorant
Hand cleaner
Manicure kit & hair
brush
Sunscreen & sun
glasses
Q-tips
Toilet paper
Paper towels
Sewing kit
Administrative
Diary
Note paper, pens &
pencils
Calendar
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Maps & tour books
Telephone & address
book
Bills & accounting
papers
Reading material
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AUTO
Each night we decide if we’ll sleep in the
tent or in the Van. Under those
circumstances we will travel light and
hopefully be able to get to, and out of the
way of things.
Overhead Tent
Lantern & stove
Blankets
Winter clothes
Axe, saw, some tools,
bungi cords, duct tape
Fluids for the Van, oil,
transmission, steering etc
Astro Shield for
waxing Van
Clothes
Electronics 5” Battery TV
Radio with Batteries
Laptop & cables
Cell phone & charger
Binoculars, cameras &
chargers
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Extra film
Calculator
Inside Tent poles
Sleeping bags & air
mattresses
Port-a-potty
Mostly all the
electronics
Foldable ice chest
Not-a-chairs
These ingenious
tangle of straps
are really
comfortable
when wrapped
around you.
They provide
great back
support when
sitting on a
picnic table.
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GOLDEN AGE PASSPORT
This is it! A passport for camper’s to visit
the United States Federally managed lands
and campgrounds at discounted rates.
The only caveat is when these lands are
managed by a contractor. In that case the
Federal Government can and does dodge
this legislation. It does that by leaving it
up to the contractor to discount or not.
Several National Parks have contracted
their campground services. The outcome
is a disgrace to the 1965 legislation, in
terms of discounting fees, and in terms of
campsite development and maintenance.
This ‘loophole’ has served the Department
of Interior and other U.S. administrative
departments with the where-with-all to
drastically reduce their responsibilities in
staff and support of our National lands.
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The following is a transcription of the back of
the Golden Age Passport.
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‘This passport is issued to any citizen of, or
domiciled, in the United States sixty-two years of
age or older. It shall entitle the permittee and any
persons accompanying him in a single, private,
non-commercial vehicle, or alternatively, the
permittee and his spouse and children
accompanying him where entry is by any means
other than private, non-commercial vehicle, to
enter any designated entrance fee area of the
National Park System administered by the
National Park Service, Department of the
Interior, or any other Federal entrance fee area
designated pursuant to the Land and Water
Conservation Fund Act of 1965, as amended.
The permittee is also entitled to use any
designated recreation sites, facilities, equipment,
or services provided
at any Federal outdoor recreation area, excluding
those provided by concessioners or other
contractors, at the rate of 50 percent of the
established recreation use fees. This passport
does not cover any special recreation permit fee.
The passport is non-transferable.’
‘Authorized by the Land and Water Conservation
Fund Act of 1965, as amended. An official
program of the United States Government and
coordinated by the U.S. Department of the
Interior.’
‘Agencies administering Federal Recreation Areas
where the Golden Age Passport is honored.’
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‘Bureau of Land Management
Fish and Wildlife Service
Bureau of Reclamation
Army Corp of Engineers
Tennessee Valley Authority
National Park Service
Forest Service ‘
It’s still a bargain and at $10.00 for a lifetime of
serves for senior citizens. Buy it, use it, and enjoy
our beautiful lands.
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