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Thursday, June 2, Haines Junction, Yukon Territory Happy Birthday Christopher! Starting mileage is 8725 with temperature at 55 degrees and very overcast, cool.
Just as we pulled out of our camping space, 2 Roadtrekkers went by in front of us. We recognized one of the rigs as the other family from Georgia that had a real late start due to attending a family wedding. I think we are now at the tail end of the group since we chose to spend 4 days off the Alcan and on the Marine Highway instead.
After driving through forests of almost ugly trees came to the Kluane Lake, the largest lake in the Yukon. We drove along three sides of the lake and saw NO birds or anything around this lake. It is real silty. The glacial action has ground the soil into fine silt that is washed down into this lake. We also saw where it would blow around as signs were posted about dusty conditions.
At Sheep Mountain, on one side of the lake, we visited the tiny nature center there. They have telescopes set up on their deck for you to view the Dall sheep on the sides of the mountain. We were lucky we could see at least 12 of them, as they were late moving out of sight to their summer grazing area. The Guide there said that last year’s census taken by helicopter was over 200 head.
Road conditions began to show signs of frost heaves after the community of Destruction Bay named that by the military because it had been destroyed by a storm from across the lake. The permafrost melts and causes the road to drop in spots/sections—they call it frost heaves. So for the next 200 miles to the American border the road was bumpy and pot marked and in places gravel. Each major “bad spot” was marked by red flags on the roadside. Valerie couldn’t drive much more than 25 miles per hour and that was too fast many times going over some of the dips and bumps.
The landscape is stunted trees and many, many small glacial lakes where we could spot a pair of swans here and there. We did begin to see some wild flowers blooming mostly lupine. Got a couple liters of gas a Beaver Creek as it is 1.668 a liter and just want enough to get to the US border. Mileage is 8913.
Thanks goodness the road got sooooo much better when we crossed into Alaska. Border Patrol guy was really very serious in his questioning wanting to know how long we had been in Canada---who knows? would not have been a good answer. We stopped at the first RV place we could find which was called “Border Crossing RV park”. There were the Andersons and another Roadtrek set up also.
June 3, 2011 Border Crossing RV Park, Alaska Raining and 50 degrees at 11:30. Mileage to start 8937.
Didn’t sleep well last night as up and down all night coughing, so slept in late. Got 2 gals of gas since it was $4.59 per galleon. Headed toward Tok about 100 miles north where we planned to stop and rest a bit. We thought it to be a larger town and would be cheaper to get some groceries and fill up the gas tank.
Road had stretches of really rough mixed with some in fairly good condition. You can see where construction work is being done all along this part of the road to try and fix the roadbed, but it is hard going fighting natural freeze and thaw cycles. The telephone poles aren’t able to stand straight through this area for the same reason. The only wildlife we saw today was a man on his bicycle pulling two little “wagons” behind him. Obviously, there is no bike path nor does he have protection from the weather nor from bears, wolves, bison, and other creatures.
Pulled into Tok and then into the Sourdough Campground that others had recommended. Had lunch and went down for a nap. Got up and have been working on this blog to try and catch up. Will head for bed early tonight. After a bit of sunshine it is now raining again and we have lots of mosquitoes.
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