Back to the Dempster 2011 – Part 17

Left Moose Creek Territorial Campground in the morning…

saw a large flock of Sandhill Cranes heading south as we neared Pelly Crossing.  Once we reached Carmack’s we had to make the decision of exploring new territory by taking highway #4 to Ross River and then south to Watson Lake, or going back to Whitehorse.  We had heard conflicting reports on highway #4…some said it was a great road, comparable to or better than the Dempster, while others said it was awful…unfortunately our choice had been made in the morning by the dogs eyes being worse, and the regulator for the propane tanks acting up off and on all night…Whitehorse it would be.

We later heard from a ‘local’ in Watson Lake that the road from Ross River to Watson Lake was in deplorable condition -  the worst he had ever seen – so I guess we made the right decision.

Stopped at the Tatchun Creek campground for lunch.  We had stayed here during our 2009 trip.  Were sitting having lunch in the sun when we spotted these Common Mergansers on the creek….

there appeared to be a couple of females with probably a blended family of this years young, not quite ready to fly…

you don’t often get this close to Common Mergansers so I’m posting a few pictures – the sun was in the wrong place for really good shots…but the group of them were determined to swim up river which meant going right past us – very cautiously!

here is another look…

and another as they hugged the safety of the far shore as soon as they could reach it…

only other item of note here were these Shaggy Mane Mushrooms….

It was a long day but we reached Whitehorse late in the afternoon and headed to the nearest vet clinic.  They were booked solid but said they could see us in the morning….so headed out to Wolf Creek Territorial Campground which is just a few kilometers east of the city…

In the evening took a walk that over looks the Yukon River… (Ernie took the above picture earlier in the afternoon)

This shot shows it is a long way down to the river…

this is looking back the other way towards Whitehorse…

Only really notable item was this Hairy Woodpecker.  Notice how crisp and white it is compared to the ones we are used to here on the coast.  Ours are less ‘crisp’ with the white having a yellowish cast.

We would spend the night listening to the ‘tick’ of the propane tanks regulator then next day headed back into Whitehorse to the vet…got the dogs eyes checked and medication for them.  Fraser Way RV was almost right next to the vet clinic so we stopped in and the regulator obliged by acting up when the technician came to take a look.  They very graciously fit us in and installed a new regulator.  Then onto Super Store to stock up on groceries.  That pretty much used up the entire day – so back to Wolf Creek where we would spend another night before continuing on.

Back to the Dempster 2011 – Part 16

We would leave Dawson City that morning, after doing some shopping…and start heading south…

stopped at Gravel Lake for lunch.  I spent a futile 15 min. or so chasing a Common Yellowthroat through the bushes – I had been surprised to see them this far north…although after checking my ‘Sibleys’ I found that they do belong even further north during breeding season.

there were a pair of Moose at the far end of the lake – too bad they were so far away as these ones definitely had a good set of antlers…

Pulled into Moose Creek Campground in the early afternoon.  It was sunny and warm.  We had stopped at this campground on our trip in 2009 – at that time it was very beautiful with flowering lupines' and wild roses – but had also been very buggy.  No bugs this time.

Gray Jays were here to greet us…

we took a path that circled back and around…that would be ‘Moose Creek’ down there

back in ‘mushroom’ country – I think these are ‘Blackening Russela’ growing among the bog cranberry

 

here is a ground level shot…

there were quite a few young Swainson’s Thrush in the campground..

I amused myself trying to get some decent pictures of them

Ernie went for a walk and found this Red Squirrel eating a mushroom…

but his most exciting find was this White-tailed Ptarmigan….of course by the time he got back and told me about it and I got to the spot – it was long gone!

I had to be content with taking this picture behind our campsite.   

Back to the Dempster 2011 – Part 15

On this morning, the 29th of August 2011, we would reluctantly leave Tombstone Territorial Park..

after a cool night, it promised to be a nice day.  We stopped at the Beaver Pond as it looks from the highway..

there is the Beaver Lodge….

and Ernie wanted a nice close picture to show the skim of ice that had formed overnight.

We then traveled back to the Klondike Highway and headed back to Dawson City.  This ‘Cross Fox’ was walking along the side of the road.  I gather there are ‘Red Foxes’ (we had seen lots of those on our previous trip but none this trip) and ‘Arctic Foxes’ which is what we saw this trip at Ogilvie Lookout…when these two species ‘cross’ – you apparently get this ‘Cross Fox’..

we pulled over and watched it but it just wasn’t terribly co-operative for pictures..

the first order of business upon arriving at Dawson City was visiting a car wash!

Next we stopped at the river front park to give the dogs a walk as we were heading to the Prospector RV park and we knew from past experience there wasn’t much space between units so Shantz would have to be on a very short tie out.  It was also getting very warm – mid twenties….

That is looking down river on the Yukon River as it flows past Dawson City..

Ernie later went back and took some more pictures…this would be looking up river…

this paddle wheeler does tours on the river, something that would be interesting to do if you weren’t tied down with dogs – it was just too hot to leave them shut up in the truck.

These were actually taken the next morning when it had cooled and was showering…these are some of the stores that line the river front street – we did some early Christmas Shopping in that Outfitter store..

there is another section…and the ‘town square’ I guess…

and one more.  Staying at the RV park had been a necessity in order to have internet and do some laundry…

You recall the mini minor/travel trailer combination that had been at the Arctic Circle (and was later at Tombstone with us)…that was the ‘small’ – this was the extreme opposite!  This is about the biggest RV we have ever seen…mind you they had 7 children so I guess it was needed…

So we will pick this up again the next day when we start the homeward journey…’home’ being still a couple of weeks away.

Back to the Dempster 2011 – Part 15b

Today I’ll finish up our last day at Tombstone Territorial park, and hence on the Dempster highway, with miscellaneous pictures taken that day, which would have been August 28th, 2011

Here is another Mountain, or Alpine Harebell picture – this one taken by Ernie – his little old Panasonic camera does take great macro shots!

This is the start of the Klondike trail…you can branch off and do a loop which is what I’m going to do, or you can walk about as far as you want to back up into the mountains…

all the bushes were absolutely alive with birds…but photographing them was another thing!  Here was an Orange-crowned Warbler on the left and a Boreal Chickadee on the right…

Shantz was still with us…blending into the fall colours very nicely…

while April preferred to blend into the bed – we’re still dealing with eye issues here…

Speaking of blending in….here is another of those Orange-crowned Warblers…

this one, a pretty obvious ‘Ruby crowned Kinglet’ – you can even see the ‘ruby’

another Orange-crowned Warbler – there were lots!!!

a slate coloured Dark-eyed Junco – not being terribly co-operative…in fact none of the birds were terribly co-operative…too busy preparing to migrate I imagine…

a Wilson Warbler here…

and up over the ridge – another type of ‘bird’ entirely! – Yup they have those things up here too.

back to the real birds – Yellow-rump Warblers…

and another attempt at a Boreal Chickadee…

Evening…and Ernie is preparing to head out for a walk with Shantz…

not much later a little shower moved in…

next a down pour!

ending with a rainbow!  And of course they got soaked.

Tomorrow we’ll be heading to Dawson City and then starting south…