Road Trippin'

I love road trips.  I especially love solo road trips.  Just me and the open road.  Audiobooks, real books, music and wandering.  Quite simply, there is nothing i’d rather do.  

Road trips give me time to reflect, to roam and play.  Over the years, the adventures I've enjoyed most are the ones i’ve planned the least.  I’ve learned that it’s so important to give yourself room to listen to your intuition and change course or stay put whenever the moment strikes.

“The only real valuable thing is intuition”

— Albert Einstein

One of the reasons I’ve always loved road trips is that it gives me the opportunity to step out of my daily life.  This gives me the much needed clarity that gets lost when I’m knee deep-deep in the thick of it at the studio.  Doing this gives me the opportunity to assess how things are going in life and if I have the right priorities, values, goals, etc..

So with that being said, here's a little tribute to the open road!  

Death Valley, California

Death Valley, California

Mojave Desert, California

The Yukon, Canada

Northern British Columbia

Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

Banff, Alberta

Jasper, Alberta

Ireland

Texas

Salt Flats, Utah

Vancouver to Whitehorse and Back Again

As a Canadian, I take pride in having been to almost all parts of this vast country.  But one glaring omission for me is the west coast.  For whatever reason, in my 35 years of existence, i’ve never been out there.  So I figured it was just about time I do something about that.  

So here's the plan - fly in to Vancouver and drive north to Whitehorse, Yukon, then turn around and come back again... in 8 days.  I figured it would be tight with long days of driving, but it had been a while since i’d done a proper road trip and I was super excited to do this.

The entire trip turned out to be 5637km of driving through gorgeous BC and Yukon. Here is the entire journey in chronological order.  I hope you enjoy the trip!

The Route - what the map doesn't show is how I came back.  From Watson Lake I took highway 97 instead of coming back down 37.

My trusty steed just outside of Whistler.  This simple rental car took a beating on this trip.

The passenger seat - maps, Canon 5D MKIII with 24-70mm 2.8 Lens & one of my favourite books - Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

---

Seton Lake

Heading out from Vancouver my first real stop was at Seton Lake.  The turquoise tones in this body of water are incredible.  

Seton Lake, BC - Canon 5DMKIII 24mm - f5.6 @ 1/800, ISO 100

Seton Lake, BC - Canon 5DMKIII 21mm - 1/1600 @ f4, ISO 100

---

Lillooet

One of the things that surprised me was how quickly the landscape changes after heading out from the wet, lush coast.  After passing through the mountains you end up in Lillooet. A hot and dry, almost arid small town of 2322 people. 

Lillooet, BC - Canon 5DMKIII 23mm - 1/1250 @ f4.5, ISO 100

Lillooet - Canon 5DMKIII 70mm - 1/400 @ f8, ISO 100

The main drag.  Lillooet, BC - Canon 5DMKIII 17mm - 1/640 @ f4.5, ISO 100

Lillooet, BC - Canon 5DMKIII 28mm - 1/1000 @ f4.5, ISO 100

Lillooet, BC - Canon 5DMKIII 31mm - 1/400 @ f8, ISO 100

---

New Hazelton

From Lillooet, I headed straight north up highway 97 through the city of  Prince George - known as the ‘Gateway to the North.’ This is northern BC’s largest city with a population of 88,043.

At this point I hop onto the TransCanada highway and head west.  Getting back towards the coast, the landscape changes again and becomes more lush with thick dense forests.  

I stopped in New Hazelton and did a bit of hiking.  Being there in early May with the smell of the spring growth was amazing. Everything was so fresh and green as if the whole forest had just sprung to life within the past couple weeks.  I'll never forget the smell of that dense, lush forest.

New Hazelton, BC - Canon 5KMKIII 28mm - 1/200 @f4, ISO 320

New Hazelton, BC - Canon 5DMKIII 70mm - 1/250 @f4, ISO 250

New Hazelton, BC - Canon 5KMKIII 47mm - 1/80 @f4, ISO 320

---

Terrace to Prince Rupert

Next up is the 143km drive from Terrace to Prince Rupert.  This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.  The road winds along the Skeena River through the mountains all the way out to Prince Rupert on the coast.

Between Terrace and Prince Rupert, BC - Canon 5DMKIII 33mm - 1/4000 @f5, ISO 400

Between Terrace and Prince Rupert, BC - Canon 5KMKIII 185mm - 1/8000 @ f2.8, ISO 800

Between Terrace and Prince Rupert, BC - Canon 5DMKIII 39mm - 1/250 @ f4, ISO 100

---

Highway 37 - The Mountains

Heading north up highway 37 is where you start to get a true sense of the glory and grandeur of northern BC.  It is so vast and unbelievably beautiful with snow covered mountains everywhere you look. Towns are spread out several hours apart so you really have to pay attention to your gas gauge or you could be in serious trouble.   

Highway 37, BC - Canon 5DMKIII 50mm - 1/400 @ f8, ISO 100

Mountains looming large over the roads.  Highway 37, BC - Canon 5DMKIII 53mm - 1/1000 @ f5.6, ISO 100

Highway 37, BC - Canon 5DMKIII 70mm - 1/1600 @ f5.6. ISO 100

Highway 37, BC - Canon 5DMKIII 70mm - 1/800 @ f5.6, ISO 100

Lot's of these guys on road.  Highway 37, BC - Canon 5DMKIII 61mm - 1/1600 @ f7.1, ISO 200

Highway 37, BC - Canon 5DMKIII 26mm - 1/200 @ f8, ISO 100

Side road off of Highway 37, BC - Canon 5DMKIII 55mm - 1/125 @ f8, ISO 100

Iskut BC, Canon 5DMKIII 45mm, 1/200 @ f8, ISO 100

Highway 37, BC very close to the Yukon border - Canon 5DMKIII 70mm - 1/320 @ f8, ISO 200

---

Forest Fires

I came across a lot of these - non actively burning - but several sites where there had been seemingly recent burns.  It’s quite an odd feeling to stand in these charred forests and to hear absolute silence.  It’s definitely something I’ll remember for a long time. 

Canon 5DMKIII 16mm - 1/1250 @ f 3.2, ISO 100

Canon 5DMKIII 16mm - 1/2500 @ f3.2, ISO 100

Canon 5DMKIII 35mm - 1/800 @ f5.6, ISO 200

---

Yukon and the Alaska Highway

The drive from the Yukon border to Whitehorse is unbelievable.  Majestic mountains and pristine wilderness the whole way through.

Crossing into the Yukon.  Canon 5DMKIII 29mm - 1/125 @ f5.6, ISO 100

The Alaska Highway, Yukon - Canon 5DMKIII 150mm - 1/1600 @ f 6.3, ISO 400

Alaska Highway, Yukon - Canon 5DMKIII 35mm - 1/5000 @ f6.3, ISO 400

Love these two little peaks.  Alaska Highway, Yukon - Canon 5DMKIII 155mm - 1/2000 @ f5.6, ISO 200

The glorious mountains of the Yukon.  Alaska Highway, Yukon - Canon 5DMKIII 155mm, 1/3200 @ f4.5, ISO 400

---

“It is better to travel than to arrive.”

— Robert Louis Stephenson

Whitehorse and Long Days

On day five I made it to Whitehorse.  After driving through such incredible landscape, no disrespect to Whitehorse, but I have to agree with the saying “It is better to travel than to arrive." 

Because of how much driving I had to do I didn’t have to much time to explore the city of Whitehorse.  It seems like a nice enough small city - it’s actually the capital and largest city of Yukon with a population of 27,889.  

At the time of year that I was there, May, it didn’t get dark until 10 o’clock with the sun rising at 4:30am.  Shooting from sunrise to sunset made for some very, very long days.  

Time to turn around and head back to Vancouver.

Just outside of Whitehorse, Yukon.  Canon 5DMKIII - 

Whitehorse, Yukon.  Canon 5DMKIII 35mm - 1/1000 @ f4, ISO 400

9:45pm Whitehorse, Yukon. Canon 5DMKIII 24mm - 1/2000 @ f4, ISO 400

My motel room in norther BC 10pm - Canon 5DMKIII 24mm - 1/500 @ f2.8, ISO 1600

My hotel room in Whitehorse around 10pm - Canon 5DMKIII 29mm - 1/400 @ f2.8, ISO 1600

---

Where the Buffalo Roam

Heading back down south after crossing back into northern BC and hopping onto highway 97, I ran through a few areas that had lots of wild bison.  They are such remarkably stoic beasts.

So many of these beautiful beasts roaming the landscape.  The Alaska Highway, North BC - Canon 5DMKIII 39mm - 1/800 @ f4, ISO 160

The Alaska Highway, north BC - Canon 5DMKIII 31mm - 1/1600 @ f3.5, ISO 250

The Alaska Highway, north BC - Canon 5DMKIII 70mm - 1/400 @ f5.6, ISO 200

The Alaska Highway, north BC - Canon 5DMKIII 45mm - 1/1000 @ f5.6, ISO 160

---

Frozen Lakes

Doing the road trip in May and being as far north as I was, many of the lakes were still frozen solid. 

Alaska Highway, north BC - Canon 5DMKIII 55mm - 1/640 @ f5.6, ISO 200

Alaska Highway, north BC - Canon 5DMKIII 70mm - 1/1600 @ f5.6, ISO 160

Alaska Highway, north BC - Canon 5DMKIII 70mm - 1/640 @ f5.6, ISO 100

Alaska Highway, north BC - Canon 5DMKIII 1/1000 @ f5.6, ISO 160

---

Heading South and Warming Up

As I continued to head further south, things started to warm up and the lakes thawed out.

Highway 97, BC - Canon 5DMKIII 33mm - 1/1000 @ f5.6, ISO 160

Highway 97, BC - Canon 5DMKIII 57mm - 1/500 @ f5.6, ISO 160

One of the many black bears I saw on this trip - Canon 5DMKIII 70mm - 1/800 @ f3.2, ISO 640

Highway 97, BC - Canon 5DMKIII 70mm - i/1250 @ f5.6, ISO 160

---

The Fraser Valley

As I drove all the down the valley, I was amazed at the scale of the Fraser Canyon, it’s just massive. Looking down into the canyon, the trees and railroad tracks are so tiny.This is a beautiful drive from Lillooet to Hope. The road follows the Fraser River down and down and down.  When I drove it the temperature continued to rise the further down I got, it must have been at least 6 or 7 degrees warmer at the bottom of canyon in Hope compared to Lillooet. 

The Fraser Valley, BC - Canon 5DMKIII 35mm - 1/640 @ f5, ISO 100

Looking down on the Fraser Valley - the sense of scale is incredible.  Canon 5DMKIII 70mm - 1/400 @ f5, ISO 100

Down and down and down along the valley.  Canon 5DMKIII 31mm - 1/3200 @ f4, ISO 100

Fraser Valley, BC - Canon 5DMKIII 44mm - 1/800 @f5, ISO 100

Massive pine cones.  Canon 5DMKIII 59mm - 1/125 @f2.8, ISO 100

Hell's Gate Tunnel, BC - Canon 5DMKIII 47mm - 1/640 @ f5.6, ISO 100

---

Wrapping Up

On the final day I pulled into Chilliwack a short drive from Vancouver where I would catch my flight home to Toronto the next morning.

This road trip was such an incredible experience.  The vastness and beauty of BC and Yukon were breathtaking. I tried my best to capture some of that but often the challenge with something so massive is that when you try to put a frame on it, it disappears.

The thing about travelling like this is, it just makes you want to see and experience more and more.  I’m already thinking about my next trip - perhaps a continuation of this journey….Whitehorse to Yellowknife?  Whitehorse to Anchorage?  Who knows, but it’s certainly fun to think of what’s next :)

Chilliwack, BC - Canon 5DMKIII 41mm - 1/2000 @f4, ISO 400

5000km of bug spatter.

Chilliwack, BC - Canon 5DMKIII 39mm - 1/5000 @ f9, ISO 400

Heading home.

Labrador

"What are you doing here?" "We just wanted to see what's going on up here." "There is nothing going on up here"

This was the gist of our conversations with people we encountered on our 2700km drive from Toronto, through Quebec and the interior of Labrador, up to Cartwright.

Once we passed into northern Quebec the dirt roads kicked in. And when I say kick in, I mean kick your car's ass. Cracked windshield, tires shot, something funky going on with the suspension, amongst other minor things. dirt road dust the local northern Quebec airport

1500km of mostly dirt/gravel roads is quite the experience. You eventually get used to the loud, droning sound of your tires on the loose gravel. What you don't get used to is the feeling of your car sliding out dangerously close to the road's shoulder which frequently have 10ft drop offs where you are certain to roll your car if you get too close to the edge.

too close to the edge the locals bomb down these roads

this wreck has apparently been there for almost 2 years

The drive from Baie-Comeau to Labrador City to Churchill falls to Happy Valley-Goose Bay to Cartwright is one of huge expanses of pure wilderness. It's 4-9 hours between any of the towns. You can see the occasional marks on the land from mining and logging companies, but for the most part it is just pure, dense Boreal Forest. It often feels like there is a barrier between the road and the wild. Any ventures beyond the road into the woods within steps results in soakers from the soft spongy ground followed by a ferocious horde of black flies that seems to increase in size exponentially.

motel

a couple we helped out with a flat tire

Having said all of that, the interior of Labrador is one of the most beautiful, remote locations I've ever seen. The stars at night along with the northern lights are truly humbling. It feels like you're in another world.

Talking to a resident (a huge Toronto Maple Leaf fan) of our final destination in Cartwright, I found it kind of charming that one of the main concerns for the town of 500 is that the emergence of cable tv and internet has really started to have a negative impact on the turnout at the monthly dance at the town hall.

So yes, there isn't much of anything going on up here, but that seems to be the allure of this great expanse called Labrador.

a memorial for a person who died on the recently completed road from Happy Valley/Goose Bay to Cartwright