Boogielander Build

[boogielander]

Great post man! Keep pushing and enjoy the little moments/victories. I could not imagine driving as much as you have alone. Maybe you will get a pup and have a travel companion some day?

driving alone was hard for the first few days but then I got used to it.
I downloaded tons of podcast to listen to while driving and that helps a lot.

A pup is in the plan, but that's not gonna happen until i get my own place!
Probably not a +1 though... too much work to get it work out (ie, finding a lady that share the same view on things, culture, and still enjoy doing things like these... and one that I can trust to pilot the truck.). Even if it's just a friend with a second truck it's hard because no one can set aside 2 months to do trips like these. A second person would be extremely helpful on this trip to help with filming though. I gave up on the video documentary because it is impossible to drive, film, sight see, fly drone, and do everything else at the same time.

 

[boogielander]

Yeah write a book, never thought I’d be this much invested into someone else’s adventure lmao. I come in here looking for Boogies update lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

hahahaha yeah i'm seriously considering that and getting notes down daily!
thats why i only post 10 pictures here with short description instead of doing 20 or more (i end the day with at least 180 pictures everyday) LOL

 

[boogielander]

Day 28 - Snow!
Today I left Inuvik early in the morning in hope of getting to Eagle Plains early to secure a hotel room in the only hotel there. I knew the day would be full of mud, and I was tired of dealing with the mud already.
After leaving Inuvik, I came across the first ferry ride. I had just missed it by 30 seconds.

Had I not stopped to take a leak, I'd have made it and saved myself a good 45 minutes of wait.
Weather wasn't good at the mountain passes before NWT and Yukon border; there were reports of snow and I was worried about ice on the trail. Luckily, there wasn't any ice and the trail condition was actually quite good.


It had snowed the night before, and the maintenance crew graded the trail quickly to clear the snow.

How it looked from driver seat.

At the summit overlooking the valley. This was fall above arctic circle.
For some reason, sky felt a lot closer to the ground there. The clouds were so low that it felt like I could just jump and touch the cloud.

After the NWT and Yukon border, it went from "winter" back to fall.

and I found more fall colors. I don't mind the brown on the truck, but I do mind the black mud. Those are the sticky mud while the brown colored were just dust.
I'm not gonna have a good time at car wash when I get off Dempster... I already know.

Got back to Arctic Circle Sign and made up for the missing photo on the way north.
It felt surreal... that I'm back already.

Back to Eagle Plains and tried to get a hotel room. Unfortunately, the hotel was sold out so... back to campground and deal with the mud.
I went to the restaurant and got myself a hot meal, because I didn't want to deal with cooking and mud. Food was pricy, but it is what it is.

Came back after dinner to find this guy claiming my GFC, then guy tried to chew the GFC latch.
I told him he can't park there and he just looked at me like I was some kind of stupid.

Well, I let the guy be and as soon as I opened the camper he flew away. Well, at least it didn't mess with my solar panels and Starlink.

 

[JamRam]

My wife is an unapologetic bird lover, but left up to her every crow would be shot!

They are mischievous beyond words and their cawing grates on all of our nerves. Lol

 

[boogielander]

Day 29 - GRIZZLEY!
Left Eagle Plains early in the AM to escape the snow and this time, I wasn't the last to leave.

The highway started out nice a dry, which allowed me to pick up the pace a bit.
The fall's really here in the north.

Found an opening on the side of highway that shows the creek running.
These were all green when I went up 4 days earlier.
As I was trying to get down to lower elevation to avoid getting snowed on, I saw something poking its head out from the bush next to the highway as I carried speed down the highway.
Initially, I thought it was a dog, then I realized there shouldn't be dogs in the wild where I was. So I thought it was a wolf, but then it was too rounded to be a wolf. I realized it was a bear, so I slammed my brake to stop, and positioned myself in the middle of the straight highway.

I was going to turn around to see it, but then this hauler showed up. Driver saw me stopped in the middle, so he slowed down and stopped just as the grizzly (i think it's a grizzly, it's brown) tried to cross the highway.
Why did the grizzly cross the road? I have no clue. But buddy crossed half of the highway, stopped, turned around and started heading toward the semi truck before realizing what it was doing and ran to the other side.
I'd like to think if I didn't stop and make myself visible, the semi would've ran over the bear.
One bear saved!

After the grizzly incident, I continued on. Pedal to the metal so I had some distance between me and the semi for me to poke around.
I found this dried creek, and decided to go explore. Someone had set up camp here before, and I can't imagine camping out here and in the middle of the night a bear appeared out of nowhere.
I'm gonna pass on that.

Soon, I saw Tombstone Park. Seeing that meant I wasn't far away from the end of Dempster, and also meant I got long stretches of very well graded dirt road to boogie.

Snow appeared on the peaks of mountains surrounding Tombstone Park Visitor Center... another reminder that summer was ending.

POV at the end of Dempster.

I got out of Dempster at around 4PM, went immediately to a car wash to rinse off the mud. I got gouged $16 CAD for 32 minutes of nothing but high pressure water, not even soap. But it is what it is... I had no choice.

Spent the night in Dawson City and walked around town to look at some historical buildings, and take mental notes on which souvenir shops to hit the next morning. The front desk at the hotel still remembered me, and gave me a bunch of coffee when I went out to smoke. Cool dude!

 

[boogielander]

Day 30 - Hot Spring Day
Today I left Dawson City behind and headed south.

Passed by Dempster again, and found the sign.
I was sad that I was done with the northern portion of the trip.

As I headed down Klondike Highway, I found this random pull off featuring some burnt trees.

So, knowing there'd be no chance to take photos between Dawson City and White Horse, I stopped to take some pictures.
That was also the last time the truck was "clean"

Passed by the lake while heading south. I was trying to get to White Horse by dinner time so I could have dinner and then have time for hot springs.

Everything went according to my plan and went for a soak before going to bed. That was a much needed relaxation after 30 days on the road.

Forgot to take picture of camp at night, so I took one before going back for a morning session.

I am glad I went. I was on the fence about it the whole time and finally decided to go. That turned out to be the right decision.
I slept like a baby that night.

 

[JamRam]

I slept like a baby that ninight.

If you slept well (which I'm sure is what you meant), you did NOT sleep like a baby.

Babies don't sleep!

Take it from me and the other daddios on here.

 

[boogielander]

If you slept well (which I'm sure is what you meant), you did NOT sleep like a baby.

Babies don't sleep!

Take it from me and the other daddios on here.

hahahahah oh snap you're right lollll

 

[boogielander]

Day 31 -
Today I went for another soak at the hot spring in the morning, then went to White Horse to look for some Alcan, TOTW, Klondike, and Dempster patches.
Then I went grocery shopping to restock the fridge.
I took my time, knowing that I only had about 5 hours of drive time ahead of me.

Bye bye White Horse, I will miss this small town, but not the traffic. No thank you.

Picked this up at Walmart. Never head this before so I gave it a shot.
Tasted decent and not sugary. I was skeptical but it did keep me awake for the drive to Watson Lake.

I was trying to find spots for photos, but no luck. I finally found a way to get under one of the bridges, and the photos were not as good as I'd like.

The road opened up after Teslin Junction. I should've made the detour to Carcross, now that I think of it.
Well, more for next time.

In a way I'm glad I didn't, because I forgot how early the sun sets here. I am no longer in the north, and sun sets around 9PM instead of past 10PM.
Crossing these many time zones in a month got my timing all messed up.
I got to Watson Lake at 9PM, well beyond my estimated time of arrival.

Because of that, I had to make up the campsite photo in the morning.

This was 3 days ago, and I miss White Horse and the North already.

 

[boogielander]

Day 32 - Sign Post Forrest
After packing up in the morning, I hopped over across the street to Sign Post Forest.


There sure are some funny signs people put up.

But of course, gotta position the truck.


After poking around and leaving my decals (i forgot to have the sign made... my fault lol), it was time to move on especially I wanted to get to the next site a bit earlier to enjoy another hot spring.

Then, I saw this little trail on Gaia GPS that ends right above a river, so I had to take it. The trail ended right at the river, but it got really muddy toward the end so I didn't want to mess with it.
Right before I got to campsite, I saw a sign pointing to a waterfall.
So of course I went for it.

Wow!

There were posted signs of beware of bears, so I snapped some pictures and got out. I didn't want to be bear food that day.

Soon, at around 4PM, I got to the campsite I booked for Liard Hot Spring.
Hot spring access is included in the campground reservation, so I went for a soak after setting up. Then, I came back to finish editing photos from the previous days. I had a few more campground neighbors interested in the truck, camper, starlink, and solar panel. Then, an older couple recommended western Kootenay over Banff, especially when Jasper is closed. So, I decided to skip Banff this time and save it for when Jasper opens.

Had early dinner that day. Since the CG has bear fence installed, I went a bit overboard with dinner. Steak and chicken skewers bought from Save-On-Food.
What a discovery I made for Save-On-Food... a lot more selection that Walmart "Superstore" in terms of food and drinks. Also has pre-made food available too. Store decorations are quite upscale as well. No more Walmart for me.

That night, I went for another soak until they close the gate. The boardwalk between CG and the hot spring didn't have bear fence, and that made walking back to CG at 10PM a very thrilling experience. I played music really loudly on my phone while I was on the boardwalk, hoping to scare away any bear or other animals. The last thing I want was turning around to find a bear following me... that would turn me into not-so-fast food for bear!

Day 32 was a really chill and relaxing day.

 

[Vulpes]

Day 32 - Sign Post Forrest
After packing up in the morning, I hopped over across the street to Sign Post Forest.
View attachment 189386
View attachment 189387
There sure are some funny signs people put up.
View attachment 189378
But of course, gotta position the truck.
View attachment 189379

After poking around and leaving my decals (i forgot to have the sign made... my fault lol), it was time to move on especially I wanted to get to the next site a bit earlier to enjoy another hot spring.
View attachment 189380
Then, I saw this little trail on Gaia GPS that ends right above a river, so I had to take it. The trail ended right at the river, but it got really muddy toward the end so I didn't want to mess with it.
Right before I got to campsite, I saw a sign pointing to a waterfall.
So of course I went for it.
View attachment 189381
Wow!
View attachment 189382
There were posted signs of beware of bears, so I snapped some pictures and got out. I didn't want to be bear food that day.
View attachment 189385
Soon, at around 4PM, I got to the campsite I booked for Liard Hot Spring.
Hot spring access is included in the campground reservation, so I went for a soak after setting up. Then, I came back to finish editing photos from the previous days. I had a few more campground neighbors interested in the truck, camper, starlink, and solar panel. Then, an older couple recommended western Kootenay over Banff, especially when Jasper is closed. So, I decided to skip Banff this time and save it for when Jasper opens.
View attachment 189383View attachment 189384
Had early dinner that day. Since the CG has bear fence installed, I went a bit overboard with dinner. Steak and chicken skewers bought from Save-On-Food.
What a discovery I made for Save-On-Food... a lot more selection that Walmart "Superstore" in terms of food and drinks. Also has pre-made food available too. Store decorations are quite upscale as well. No more Walmart for me.

That night, I went for another soak until they close the gate. The boardwalk between CG and the hot spring didn't have bear fence, and that made walking back to CG at 10PM a very thrilling experience. I played music really loudly on my phone while I was on the boardwalk, hoping to scare away any bear or other animals. The last thing I want was turning around to find a bear following me... that would turn me into not-so-fast food for bear!

Day 32 was a really chill and relaxing day.

Thank you for sharing your northern excursion with us! You'll have memories for a lifetime. I heard an old timer traveler/overlander talk about how important it is to go over a trip when one gets back home to cement it in the mind, but you've got a helluva head start with these posts. Great work!

 

[boogielander]

Thank you for sharing your northern excursion with us! You'll have memories for a lifetime. I heard an old timer traveler/overlander talk about how important it is to go over a trip when one gets back home to cement it in the mind, but you've got a helluva head start with these posts. Great work!

i figured instead of waiting till I get home and get that post-trip sadness to hit me all at once it'd be better if I spread it out lol

 

[boogielander]

Day 33 - WILDLIFE!!!
Today was probably the most rewarding day this entire trip regarding wildlife observations.
Shortly after leaving camp, I ran into this herd/ family of bison hanging out by the side of the highway.

I grabbed my tele-lens as the herd approached me.

That fur look fluffy!

First time seeing bison this up close and personal... all previous bison encounters were quite far away.

Then, I passed by Muncho Lake. Another great spot for camping, as there are sites just right next to the lake with direct lake access within steps.

Of course, gotta back the truck to the lake.
Also showed how bad the front end got. It was really nasty.

Then, found a road side pull out next to the lake. I wasn't brave enough to put the truck right next to the lake... fearing unstable ground.

Then, caught this family of 3 crossing the road. They were trying to cross but the cars kept coming, and I pulled over to the side with hazards on as I switched my camera lens, and an 18 wheeler just flew by me scaring these poor animals. They finally crossed after checking both ways for traffic and as I completed swapping lens.
I need donation for a second camera body... so i dont have to keep wasting time on swapping camera lenses. Need to get that OR (Only Rams) going...

Finally, after 8 hours of driving (due to my miscalculation of driving time and spending way too much time watching bison and at the lake...) I got to camp right as it got dark.
Took the campsite photo the next morning.

 

[Jedi9]

Very nice. thanks for providing us with beautiful pics that you worked hard for but we can enjoy.

 

[JamRam]

View attachment 189447
First time seeing bison this up close and personal...

I never knew, until I was today years old, that bison udders were different from regular cow udders.

I mean it makes sense, since they have to outrun predators on the daily, but I thought they'd be similar since bison are just glorified cows.

Good on ya Mr Boogieman for teaching me something today.

 

[boogielander]

I never knew, until I was today years old, that bison udders were different from regular cow udders.

I mean it makes sense, since they have to outrun predators on the daily, but I thought they'd be similar since bison are just glorified cows.

Good on ya Mr Boogieman for teaching me something today.

i thought they were just buff cows too LOL

 

[boogielander]

Day 34 - End of Alaska Highway
Today was a sad day. Today marked the official end of Alaska Highway leg for me.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Knowing I only had about 2.5 hours of drive time today, I took my time packing up and drove slowly to savor every moment of the drive (while looking for more animals). Unfortunately, after Pink Mountain, this portion of Alaska Highway became too populated for wild animals. I'm talking about farms, ranches, towns, oil fields, etc.

Then, I arrived at Historic Kiskatinaw Bridge, the ONLY original bridge of Alaska Highway that's still standing. Unfortunately, I was 4 years too late to drive it. BC government closed the bridge to vehicular traffic in 2020, but walking across it is still permitted.

There's something about wooden bridges for me. The north and south access roads are the original Alaska Highway routes, but they are falling apart, especially the northern side.
While walking on the bridge, I saw some fecal matters from unknown animals. Those could be from bears, moose, or something else. I wasn't gonna find out though, so I made my presence clear with noises hoping to scare away the unknown animal just in case it was indeed bears.
Like, I'm ok to see bears from inside the truck, but I am NOT ok to see bears waving at me from the other side of the bridge.

While on the bridge, I noticed a road on the other side that offers good view of the entire bridge. So I went for it. Turned out, this was the northern portion, aka the portion of the original route that's falling apart.

I drove all the way down to the bridge, but found no good photograph opportunities. So I went back to the "overlook"
Of course, switched over to the tele-lens.

Poked around the bridge for about an hour or so, then I moved on.
On to Dawson Creek, or the beginning of Alaska Highway.


Met a full time couple from FL there. Their windshield got hit and were on the phone with insurance company. I offered to take a look at it to see if I can repair it, but that damage was way too big to be repaired. We exchanged travel stories and recommended places for each other to go see, since we came from opposite directions, before wishing safe travels. I wanted to ask them how to do this full time, but felt that could be a more personal question. Maybe one day when I meet another couple and they'll be willing to share the "how-to."
Don't get me wrong, I do love my jobs right now, but being able to full time is such a dream for me. Just be on the road all the time, seeing different things everyday and be at different places.

This was quite a big moment for me. After 9000 miles and 34 days, I got to the end (or the beginning, if going the other way).
Emotion was quite high, and I sat there for a while reflecting on the past 34 days:
I started out not entirely sure if I could pull this off, then got used to this nomadic lifestyle, then fallen in love with it.
I started out not knowing what to expect, then started to have certain expectations, then got more than what I expected - glaciers, northern lights, animals.
I started out not knowing if my build would make it, then got to stretch the trucks legs multiple times, and now, I am confident in what I've built.
I hit almost every bucket list items on this trip, but while doing so, I've added more.
I dealt with heat, rain, mud, and traffic, and now I'm here.

This is the actual Mile 0 of Alaska Highway. They moved the big sign to its current location due to tourist activities.

As I sat there, I couldn't help but wonder: what's next? Where do I go after this?
I mean, after washing the truck to get rid of the messy front end, that is

Where do I go after this? That's a legitimate question, because my preplanned route ended at Dawson Creek. I was avoiding planning the routes after Dawson Creek because subconsciously, I didn't want it to end.

But I got to the end, where to next?

 

[Idahoktm]

Day 34 - End of Alaska Highway
Today was a sad day. Today marked the official end of Alaska Highway leg for me.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Knowing I only had about 2.5 hours of drive time today, I took my time packing up and drove slowly to savor every moment of the drive (while looking for more animals). Unfortunately, after Pink Mountain, this portion of Alaska Highway became too populated for wild animals. I'm talking about farms, ranches, towns, oil fields, etc.

Wild animals adapt to their surroundings pretty well. We see bear, moose, deer, and elk in town on a regular basis. Some of them will walk right up to your front door, into your garage, or through the crosswalk in the middle of town.

 

[HSKR R/T]

Day 34 - End of Alaska Highway
Today was a sad day. Today marked the official end of Alaska Highway leg for me.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Knowing I only had about 2.5 hours of drive time today, I took my time packing up and drove slowly to savor every moment of the drive (while looking for more animals). Unfortunately, after Pink Mountain, this portion of Alaska Highway became too populated for wild animals. I'm talking about farms, ranches, towns, oil fields, etc.

Then, I arrived at Historic Kiskatinaw Bridge, the ONLY original bridge of Alaska Highway that's still standing. Unfortunately, I was 4 years too late to drive it. BC government closed the bridge to vehicular traffic in 2020, but walking across it is still permitted.
View attachment 189508
There's something about wooden bridges for me. The north and south access roads are the original Alaska Highway routes, but they are falling apart, especially the northern side.
While walking on the bridge, I saw some fecal matters from unknown animals. Those could be from bears, moose, or something else. I wasn't gonna find out though, so I made my presence clear with noises hoping to scare away the unknown animal just in case it was indeed bears.
Like, I'm ok to see bears from inside the truck, but I am NOT ok to see bears waving at me from the other side of the bridge.
View attachment 189509
While on the bridge, I noticed a road on the other side that offers good view of the entire bridge. So I went for it. Turned out, this was the northern portion, aka the portion of the original route that's falling apart.
View attachment 189510
I drove all the way down to the bridge, but found no good photograph opportunities. So I went back to the "overlook"
Of course, switched over to the tele-lens.
View attachment 189511
Poked around the bridge for about an hour or so, then I moved on.
On to Dawson Creek, or the beginning of Alaska Highway.
View attachment 189512
View attachment 189513
Met a full time couple from FL there. Their windshield got hit and were on the phone with insurance company. I offered to take a look at it to see if I can repair it, but that damage was way too big to be repaired. We exchanged travel stories and recommended places for each other to go see, since we came from opposite directions, before wishing safe travels. I wanted to ask them how to do this full time, but felt that could be a more personal question. Maybe one day when I meet another couple and they'll be willing to share the "how-to."
Don't get me wrong, I do love my jobs right now, but being able to full time is such a dream for me. Just be on the road all the time, seeing different things everyday and be at different places.
View attachment 189514
This was quite a big moment for me. After 9000 miles and 34 days, I got to the end (or the beginning, if going the other way).
Emotion was quite high, and I sat there for a while reflecting on the past 34 days:
I started out not entirely sure if I could pull this off, then got used to this nomadic lifestyle, then fallen in love with it.
I started out not knowing what to expect, then started to have certain expectations, then got more than what I expected - glaciers, northern lights, animals.
I started out not knowing if my build would make it, then got to stretch the trucks legs multiple times, and now, I am confident in what I've built.
I hit almost every bucket list items on this trip, but while doing so, I've added more.
I dealt with heat, rain, mud, and traffic, and now I'm here.
View attachment 189515
This is the actual Mile 0 of Alaska Highway. They moved the big sign to its current location due to tourist activities.

As I sat there, I couldn't help but wonder: what's next? Where do I go after this?
I mean, after washing the truck to get rid of the messy front end, that is

Where do I go after this? That's a legitimate question, because my preplanned route ended at Dawson Creek. I was avoiding planning the routes after Dawson Creek because subconsciously, I didn't want it to end.

But I got to the end, where to next?

I feel you have an irrational fear of animals and bears in general. They will try to avoid conflict just as much as you. Only when they feel threatened, or in some cases extremely hungry, will they attack. Especially if it's a mother with her cubs

 

[boogielander]

I feel you have an irrational fear of animals and bears in general. They will try to avoid conflict just as much as you. Only when they feel threatened, or in some cases extremely hungry, will they attack. Especially if it's a mother with her cubs

i do have irrational fear of bears. others are ok.
i think that fear came from all the bear videos I've seen (thanks to my friend who kept sending them to me lol... i had to tell him if he sends me one more bear video I'm gonna smack him with my cast iron when I get back)

i do admit that i've been a city boy my entire life and places we go for camping and wheeling we didn't really have to worry about animals. We usually are in groups of 2 or more, and there are always pewpews around. Being inn unfamiliar wildlife territories and not having my guns with me also plays a part in that fear too.