18 Chapleau

Thursday, October 17, 2024
Bee Happy Family Campground, Ontario, Canada
After leaving Quetico Provincial Park (PP) we shopped in Thunder Bay after losing an hour due to time change; we didn't let Yukon know so we could sleep a little longer in the mornings. We camped at Neys PP for the night and got to watch the sunset plus shower in the morning. Although it was cold and windy, Yukon loves chasing sticks on the beach.
Off again in the morning, we drove past the Wawa Canada Goose then through Chapleau and into the Crown Game Preserve (CGP). We arrived at “Bogie Lake” with fingers crossed and the campsite was all ours. As a bonus, the Summer campers left us a four day cache of wood to saw and split. Our first forays were wood hunts so we can cook the Turkey plus stay warm over the next week; the temperature was below freezing almost every night and any water left outside had a good layer of ice on top every morning.
On our first trip to town we spotted three Wolves beside the road; what magnificent animals these canines are. Our GameCam also captured a Fox and Moose. We kept a close eye on Hurricane Milton as it progressed towards Tampa and luckily, Amanda and Danny's two houses in Tampa survived with little damage; Hurricane Helena also missed their North Carolina abode. Besides Squirrels, Beavers are the only real wildlife at the moment; in fact, it is really surprising not seeing any Black Bears while in the Preserve.
Our fresh, small Canadian Turkey (minus legs) fit snuggly in our Dutch Oven and we had lots of wood to keep it cooking. We used the truck to block the wind and a tarpaulin tied to the canoe to protect us from the snow and rain while roasting our bird. Since the nighttime temperatures are well below freezing, I had to winterize the trailer which is better than bursting a pipe.
On our last morning while we hooked up the trailer it was -5C/23F. We left lots of firewood for new arrivals plus hid some in the bush for our eventual return. The next stop was Bobbers Motel in Bruce Mines where Yukon gets lots of space for chasing balls. From there, we drove to the Bee Happy Campground for a week plus so I can see the dentist, renew my prescriptions for Florida, see family and hopefully finish up with Mom's estate distribution.
Trip Highlights:
  • Drove to the Arctic Ocean (Tuktoyaktuk) meeting my primary goal
  • Had a wonderful time in the Yukon, especially random camping 
  • Shared some of Alaska with Zach (Cindy's son), Shari, Iris and Dahlia
  • Found my other Great Uncle’s gravesite (Albert Buttle) in Saskatchewan
  • Canoe/camping in Quetico PP
  • Snowed early in the trip (Waterton) and late (Chapleau)
Trip Lowlights:
  • Animals rarely seen this Summer 
  • Truck aging (>230,000km) and needed brakes in Anchorage
  • Summer happened in Quetico; cold all Summer in the Yukon
  • Gas, especially in the boondocks, expensive ($2/L)
  • Time progresses too quickly - need to spend more time in good places
Tidbits:
  • Bears 21:8 Moose – Bears win again!
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Comments

tracy
2024-10-24

Wow. Great videos, and beautiful scenery.

2025-02-06

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