Day Seven - Watson Lake to Whitehorse, YT

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Only fifteen minutes late on our 9:30 departure time this morning. Not horrible. And it wasn't me who caused it this time.

According to Weatherman Mike and his weather app there's still a smoke advisory for the area, but the skies are clear and the sun is shining. It's a great day to be driving (I can say that because all I do is sit in the passenger seat and take pictures). We have bright blue skies with puffy, white clouds; happy little clouds.

A favorite pastime of people who drive this stretch of the Alaska Highway seems to be writing your name on the hillside using some of the many rocks made available to you by the annual snowmelt. Some have taken the time to paint their chosen rocks to make them stand out against the earth tones, but most are content to choose larger rocks or write in bold letters by laying their rocks two or three abreast.

At 11:30 we arrived at the Continental Divide. I've crossed the Divide once before. In 2006 we traveled to Colorado with the kids and crossed the Continental Divide. I don't recall where exactly we crossed and neither can Mike, but there was a very large sign marking the place. As we neared the Divide, a sign posted off the shoulder told us it was 2km ahead at a rest area. Anticipating a momentous photo op, we pulled into the rest area. It was such a letdown. The indicator of where you were was nothing more than an information sign at the rest area along with three others describing the flora and fauna of the surroundings. There was definitely no photo op to be had. Charlie made his opinion known at the base of the signpost.

There were quite a few large crows and three of them made themselves at home in the shade of the trailer. One of them tested the nutrition value of the whiskers on the sidewall of one of the tires. Another pecked at the mud on the frame of the steps. Sorry guys, there's nothing there for you. In addition to the crows, there was an overabundance of flies! It was impossible to leave without a few hitchhikers. I had to roll my window down more than once to let them out after we got back on the road.

Heading down the other side, the gray-brown filter was back and I could smell the fire smoke again. It wasn't nearly as bad as it's been and I was grateful for that.

Both Teri and Dave and Mike and I brought a set of walkie-talkies in case we were in areas with no cell service so we'd still have a way to communicate. We decided the other day to use them regardless because it was easier and faster than tapping out a text on the phone. At noon Teri calls out on the walkie, "Bear! Bear! Bear!" They were a ways ahead of us and had disappeared around a curve. We rounded the bend and saw they were pulled onto the shoulder where a black bear was snacking. We pulled in behind them and managed to not scare off our target. This time the bear wasn't on its way into the woods. It stayed long enough for us to get some picture proof, then ambled into the brush. Our photo shoot was finished. We finally managed to add a bear to the photo album.

We changed our originally planned route so we would be continuing on the Alaska Highway. Our original route took us up to Dawson City, YT through Faro, YT. Our new route takes us to Dawson City through Whitehorse, YT. Going this way, the road dropped us back down into BC for a while. The light haze had cleared, the bright colors were back and we were breathing fresh air again. Ahhh!

Charlie is becoming more accustomed to riding on the Muppet Shelf and no longer spends his time with his chin on the back of the seat between Mike and me. He's now comfortable enough to curl up on his bed or blanket for a short nap. When he rouses from his rest, the routine is always the same. He'll stand between us, front paws on the seat back, look around out the windows a bit (looking to see where we are?), then give himself a good wake-up shake. This is followed by a big yawn, a full-body stretch and a lick of my face.

Just after 1:00 we had a second bear sighting. This one was working its way up the tall incline to the safety of the forest. I was able to snap one picture before it ducked into the bushes.

As we neared the village of Teslin, there were signs we were back in civilization. There were power lines, RV parks, a few more roads off the highway ... and cell service!

The last leg of our drive today was alongside Marsh Lake; a very large lake. Mike said he wouldn't want to kayak it. I agreed. You would definitely need provisions and quite possibly a sleeping bag and some sort of shelter. Halfway across you would need to drop anchor for the night. I would put one of those tall orange bicycle flags on the back of my 'yak so other boaters could see me and not run me over!

The temperatures are definitely cooler here. It's also more cloudy. I wonder if we'll be able to see the Aurora Borealis tonight. I think it's the last night it will be visible.

Getting closer to Whitehorse we see an electronic readerboard again with a warning. This time it's a travel advisory warning travelers of wildfire activity km 1472 to km 1440. We will drive through there tomorrow on our way up to Dawson City. We may have to plan an alternate route (again). How's that for a cliffhanger?!

Yesterday Mike did the research and chose a campground for us in Whitehorse. Upon arrival we decide he did a great job. This is the nicest campground we've stayed in so far. The sites are spacious, the grounds are well-kept, there are trees throughout to offer a bit of shade, and the park is quite large. We're all a bit disappointed we're here for only one night.

After making camp we headed to the nearby Walmart for provisions. Teri and Dave needed to replenish their produce stock (especially apples!) and Mike and I needed a new toaster and frying pan. Our toaster bit the dust a few days ago and our frying pan had too many scratches to be usable any longer. There was no point bringing it with us so we just left it somewhere.

I'm going to upload photos of the day and post this so I can get ready to hopefully watch the light show in a couple hours. It's currently 10:20 pm and outside looks like 7:30 at home. Dusk is only beginning.

Chat with you later.

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