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Rose River to Lapie Lake on the South Canol Road
15 August 2010 - Sunday
Lazy people this morning, didn't get on the road until 10 a.m. However, the plan was to drive 30 km to another
favourite spot: Lapie Lake. The north half of the South Canol is
a
favorite drive of ours as it is scenic and mountainous.
km 139 on the South Canol Road in Yukon
Along the way I noted some spots suitable for camping so we had some options if the two spots at Lapie Lake were occupied. We stopped at Rose River #5 to take a look at the side roads.
The Rose River crosses the South Canol in many places. This is
crossing #5.
It would have been possible to camp at Rose River #5 crossing. It is now waypointed in the GPS as a good spot to camp if Lapie Lake is occupied.
Upper Sheep Creek at km 152 looking to the east
The valley with the Lapie Lakes and Rose Lake is lovely on a clear day!
km 153 northbound on the South Canol
At km 156 there was a side road leading to Rose Lake. We parked near the Canol Road and explored on foot to determine whether we could drive to the lake. A few hundred metres in there was a large open area with camp spots and some picnic tables. The truck and fifth wheel could easily make this spot but it wasn't lakeside and didn't have lake views.
Continuing on the road, it became very rough, narrow and steep. The road led to the lakeshore where we encountered numerous people enjoying the sunny day and a weekend of camping.
Rose Lake - look closely to see the kayakers on the left side of the
image
Hiked back up the hill and decided to carry on knowing this would be a good spot to return to if there was nothing available at Lapie Lake. Took some shots of the South Canol before heading out.
Looking towards the south from our stop at Rose Lake - km 156 on the
South Canol
Finally arrived at our favorite spot - Lapie Lake. BUT both campsite were occupied. Sigh.
Decided to have some lunch. Then poked around a bit. While we were debating our options, one of the campers pulled out! Yippee! And it was a favoured site too!
Our campsite at the Lapie Lake recreation site
The lake was calm as we set up and Steve could not wait to get on the water.
Looking southward at the Lapie Lakes on the South Canol
Steve headed off in the kayak. When Steve returned, two conservation officers pulled in. Wow! COs in the middle of nowhere checking for paperwork! Steve showed his non-resident fishing licence and we chatted. Learned that the Taylor Highway (Dawson City to Tok) was still closed to larger rigs, so we decided to route ourselves at Carmacks towards Whitehorse.