Builds Ozzi, 2000 HZJ78 in Canada - travel/maintenance/build (3 Viewers)

[janyyc]

Here's some photographic evidence of our mounting of the caribou antler onto our roof rack (beyond the awning, MaxTrax's, shower arm mount, and bottle opener, we don't really use the roof rack!).

Since we had run out of Whitehorse bagels, I was now required to prepare the naan bread. Over the next days, I got quite good at it, figuring out that the water temperature couldn't be ice-cold, and adjusting the proportions a little bit.

On the drive back, I wanted to stop at the airport near Sheldon Lake, having missed it on the way there.

The runway was only mildly overgrown. As usual, there were lots of fuel drums stockpiled - some of them full of Jet A1. Emergency resupply for an IDI diesel for sure! I also found a moose antler to add to my collection!

 

[Rigster]

Here's some photographic evidence of our mounting of the caribou antler onto our roof rack (beyond the awning, MaxTrax's, shower arm mount, and bottle opener, we don't really use the roof rack!).

View attachment 3436584

Since we had run out of Whitehorse bagels, I was now required to prepare the naan bread. Over the next days, I got quite good at it, figuring out that the water temperature couldn't be ice-cold, and adjusting the proportions a little bit.

View attachment 3436585

On the drive back, I wanted to stop at the airport near Sheldon Lake, having missed it on the way there.

View attachment 3436586

The runway was only mildly overgrown. As usual, there were lots of fuel drums stockpiled - some of them full of Jet A1. Emergency resupply for an IDI diesel for sure! I also found a moose antler to add to my collection!

View attachment 3436587

That's a nice rack on your rack! Great pics Jan! The expanse of nothingness is awe-inspiring. The troopy looks right at home out there.

 

[janyyc]

We drove back to "civilization" at Ross River, happy to arrive in town since we were in need of a few items to resupply. Most importantly, we needed ice. But the chest was empty... and the lady in the shop confirmed they were out. Oh no!
The post office was also already closed, but I heard some noise in the back and knocked on the door and managed to kindly request for my postcards to be postmarked - another beautiful pictorial cancellation!

Then we turned onto the Robert Campbell Highway, a lesser-used highway that was derided when built for being pointless. The first few kilometres were beautiful, with the road quite literally weaving along the shores of lakes.

We stopped along a few potential campsites, but decided against them for various reasons, finally stopping at a beautiful lakeside site about 500 meters from the highway. During the whole time we were parked there overnight, we heard five vehicles passing by on the highway. We went for a little dip in the lake, collected firewood, and cooked dinner.

 

[janyyc]

Sitting by the fire, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset, blood-orange as a result of the wildfire smoke.

The next morning, breakfast was served - fresh naan bread, banana pancakes, bacon, fresh veggies. Living the good life!

 

[janyyc]

We continued driving south, stopping at the well-maintained Frances Lake campsite along the way to Watson Lake.

A little while later, we encountered a brown bear standing dead center in the highway. We stopped, at which point the bear went to the side, and two cubs came out. Mom helped the cubs across the road, at which point they scampered up a tree while she calmly continued foraging.

We were thinking of driving the Nahani Range Road, another road leading to a mine and crossing briefly into the NWT, but because of the haze, we decided not to - sometimes it is best to leave some things for "next time".
In Watson Lake, we stopped at the famous signpost forest and explored some of the many worldwide signs posted.

This was also the first - and only - place we encountered some so-called "overlanders"...

WA state Delica and France-plated motorbike:

 

[janyyc]

We stayed at the Watson Lake territorial campground, made a great steak for dinner and kept warm by the fire.

I then followed a little trail directly behind our campsite, and ended up finding a lot of mushrooms, including one porcini.

For dessert, fresh blueberries and pudding.

Cell service at the campground was almost non-existent, but was significantly better at the lakeshore, so we went to the dock to connect with home.

 

[janyyc]

Breakfast was made with the foraged mushrooms - so delicious, the taste and smell always remind me of my childhood summers.

Along the Alaska Highway, there are old gas stations, completely stuck in time. Usually the distributors are from the previous century, and there's a lean-to that used to serve as a garage back when cars were not nearly as reliable as today. They are scenic, memorable, and worth visiting!

 

[janyyc]

For a few kilometres, the highway weaves in and out of British Columbia, but finally at the last bend, there's the famous, weathered, sticker-plastered "Welcome to Yukon" sign, where every traveller must stop and pose - us included, of course.

Shortly afterwards we encountered a fairly substantial bison herd crossing the highway.

We turned off the highway to find our camp for the night - I wanted to explore a long-abandoned military airfield that was used to refuel planes back when the range was much smaller. The track was narrow and technically unmaintained, though a few years ago another remediation project was conducted at the old airfield and likely the road was cleaned up to allow the heavy machinery to pass. However, it was clear the track was quite unused and we were once again "exploring".

 

[janyyc]

At the top of a hill, suddenly the track had many arteries. We followed our instincts and came across the runway, a long, flat expanse mostly overgrown with small shrubs and trees. Exploring a bit at one end, we came across the remnants of the old military camp. Only a few structures were still standing, and large cast-iron furnaces were the only indications of where some buildings once stood.

We found the track headed to our campsite - an official BC Recreation Site - and quickly came across a Jeep on the side of the road.

 

[janyyc]

Not much left, but unmistakable for what it was.

There was a steep hill descending into the campsite, and the few online comments I had found about it mentioned that it was unsuitable for 4x4's, only for ATV's. Much ado about nothing of course... The site was in a beautiful setting, and it had a picnic table (which was falling apart), an outhouse, and a spectacular view.

 

[janyyc]

Dinner was served with a Yukon Brewing IPA.

The lake was beautiful but not suited for swimming, as the bottom was silty and quite shallow. However, near shore I spotted some litter and decided to try to fish it out, nearly losing my Crocs in the process. A very old bottle (still sealed, and with beer inside!!), and a Coca-Cola can from back when barcodes and tabs were not standard - according to my research around 1960. The part which was submerged in silt still had the colours intact!

There was also some wildlife around, with a beaver swimming back and forth between our shore and his lodge on the other side of the lake.

 

[janyyc]

I took out my binoculars, since I thought I saw something resembling a stone monument clear across the lake, perched halfway up the hill. Well, not only was there a monument, but an eagle posed gracefully on top of it. Unfortunately it would have been near-impossible to get there by foot (and I do not have a drone), so what exactly was up there will have to remain a secret. Picture taken through binoculars with iPhone.

The evening brought some thunderstorms. The thunderstorms in the North remind me a little of tropical ones, with seemingly endless rumbles stretching out into the distance.



Though there had been plenty of mushrooms on the plateau near the airfield, down near camp I only found a few which served to supplement our morning eggs.

Driving out of camp was no problem, of course.



After retracing our route from the previous day, we soon arrived back onto pavement and resumed our southernly track on the Alaska Highway.

 

[janyyc]

We passed Muncho Lake, a very large body of water and beautiful section of road.

An awesome micro Post Office which also doubled as the public toilets.

The interior was unchanged from the 1960's.

 

[janyyc]

Our predicted camp for the night was the Sikanni Chief Falls. There's a recreation site and a trail that leads to the fall. We were quite discouraged driving the road - it was incredibly industrial, rutted, muddy, and that impression continued when we reached the recreation site.

So I pulled out the saved GPS maps and we followed some cuts in the forest until we reached a clearing. It wasn't the most spectacular site (and there was no water), but we were completely alone and at peace with nature.

Dinner... with condiments just for @Gun Runner 5.

Not bad for camp cooking:

After a good nights' sleep, we prepared the usual breakfast before heading back to the recreation site to get closer to the falls.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

There’s nothing better than Heinz Ketchup along with that cheap yellow stuff.

 

[janyyc]

The trail to the falls was quick and easy, and the falls were beautiful, too.

We then continued down the Alaska Highway until its beginning in Dawson Creek, BC.

Stopping at Costco in Grande Prairie to resupply and refuel, we decided to press on longer than usual - we were close to home, it was a long weekend (meaning lots of people around), and honestly there always comes a point in the trip when you want to move onto the next thing. We drove through some industrial areas (the worst area was actually north of Dawson Creek - lots of gas plants, dirty tanker trucks, crazily-driven pickups), some beautiful areas, but started to be concerned about camping - lots of people with their toys (ATVs, dirt bikes, etc.) and generally every little corner and flat spot was occupied.

Anyways, of course my concerns were needless. We came to a relatively quiet and nice campsite, but with a few families already spread out. However, I pulled out the trusty satellite maps, and followed a narrow, rutted, bumpy track to an area I thought might be suitable for camping. Indeed, it was perfect - completely flat, with green grass, and right on the ledge of the river flowing alongside.

 

[janyyc]

We positioned the Troopy for camping, and prepared dinner right before sunset.

Of course we had collected, cut, and split plenty of firewood, enough to keep us warm the following morning at breakfast as well.

 

[janyyc]

Another unusually long day of driving, but we made it home, super happy and with plenty of memories.

Of course the next day we went to the car wash - wow, that was quite some cleaning! $30 in the self-serve wash and it still wasn't 100% clean.

Next up - some actual tech - attacking the wiring (finally).

 

[coldtaco]

$30.00 is also what I usually spend, and still not totally clean since it’s impossible to clean certain areas with the wash broom thing.

 

[janyyc]

As promised, some tech! Let's start with the electrical. As you can see above, the positive terminal was quite a mess. However, it was actually the main battery negative terminal which caused me to urgently start addressing the issues... With the amount of grounds coming off the terminal, it was actually loose on the battery post. Keep this in mind as we go along, please.

I started first by removing the secondary battery, for multiple reasons:

- replace with a new AGM
- repaint the TJM battery holder which had been corroded on its base
- decipher the battery isolator system.

Treating and painting the battery tray with POR-15:

Final product:

Battery isolator - a very basic solenoid-based system but it seems to work.

Then I pulled off some of the terrible and crumbling wiring. Here's the haul of what I replaced:

Of course I cleaned and then re-greased the fusible link, and replaced that rats nest with a busbar connected with a 1 gauge cable to the main battery.