A little detour into the hills to find some sun
I’m not getting out much anymore, but decided to go into town and get a few groceries yesterday. It’s been dark, cloudy and dreary lately, but despite there being no good weather forecast, I wondered if perhaps the Fish Lake Road might climb up into better weather. Did it ever! The 20 photos that follow tell the story…
Heading up my driveway at 10:17, which was 14 minutes before sunrise.
People everywhere complain about snowplows filling the ends of their driveways with snow that they then have to clear by shovel. Every few trips, the road grader here brings a skidsteer or loader, and they clear those driveway berms for us. We pay high taxes and don’t get water, sewer, or garbage service, but the snow-clearing is excellent 🙂
At 11:05 my grocery shopping was done and we were heading up Fish Lake Road. “We” because I had Bella and Tucker with me.
It’s just a short drive. Open an interactive map here.
We very soon broke out of what proved to be a thick fog layer in the valley. The next photo was shot at 11:14. I took a photo with my phone and posted it to Facebook with the comment: “It’s another dreary day at home and in Whitehorse, but as I had hoped, the Fish Lake Road climbs above it. It’s gorgeous up here!”
Just before reaching the lake, I was startled to meet a moose standing right beside the road. He/she ran off into the forest too quickly to get a photo, but the encounter sure woke Bella and Tucker up! Just a few seconds later, TWO moose walking down the road! I got a few photos of them (through the windshield) before they, too, walked off into the forest. This is a cow and calf.
Tucker was so excited he couldn’t stand it – eyes as big as saucers, panting, making funny squeaky noises. Then I just got to the lakeshore parking area when half a dozen sled dogs teams went racing by! OMG I thought Tucker’s head was going to explode!! Bella was excited, too, but MrT was the crazy one.
Just after 11:30 the morning light was lovely and I shot a few photos facing northwest, away from the lake.
The mushers were going to join up with another large group out in the middle of Fish Lake. This wasn’t a race, just folks out with teams from Sky High Wilderness Ranch.
We didn’t stay long at the lake. Normally I’d let the dogs out for a while, but with both sled dogs and moose nearby, that would be tempting fate.
It was certainly great to see Sky High so busy after some rough years when covid hit.
I probably have quite a few photos of these cabins – they’re very photogenic 🙂
By noon we were nearing the fog again 🙁
The road up Haeckel Hill to the north of Fish Lake Road has been closed for a year or so as they build new wind turbines.
The fog certainly makes great hoar frost, which then makes snow stick better to everything.
Hoar frost and fog. I don’t know what caused that ghost to the left of the next photos. I’ll probably delete the photos – they’re okay for this post but won’t be useable for anything else.
I initially drove past McIntyre Marsh, but then went back a couple of hundred feet and got some shots.
We were on the Fish Lake Road for a total of an hour and 10 minutes – what a great little detour in Whitehorse, The Wilderness City. By 1:00 we were home and Tucker and I were in bed. Which is where I’m going again now…
A few hours later: I just noticed when I added this post to the archives that it’s post #1,500 since the first one on April 25, 2006 🙂
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1500 posts! Fantastic effort… I have enjoyed so many of these over the years, … hoping for MANY more… !
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it’s been a few years and I lost both your name and that of your blog. I’m so glad you are back and taking some amazing photos again.
Great little adventure and what a treat to see the dog sleds out for a good run on the lake. Nice photos there and of the fog and sun contrasts. We spent many years in Yosemite NP country in California. The town had the slogan, “Above the Fog, below the Snow”, of the high Sierra mountains and the great central valley Thule fogs. Good to see you out and about.
I love the pictures of your adventure. Beautiful textures and light. Thanks.
Gorgeous Photos. You’re making me homesick.
Beautiful country photos. I’m sitting on my patio here in WPB, Florida, it’s 56 degrees, and I’m freezing. I don’t think I have enough clothes in my closet to keep me warm in locations you posted! You truly are in “Gods Country” thank you for sharing.
Beautiful wintery photo work , moose, sled doggies and hoar frost, there’s a start for a Yukon county song performed by the one and only, Mr Hank Carrrrrrrr , thanks murrster