1019 August 22, 2023 On The Road Again

We woke up this morning very hopeful that today would be the day that the parts came.  We behaved as if this was true.  I got laundry going first thing.  We had some errands we wanted to accomplish before leaving Whitehorse.  Tim rode his bike into town.  I went to get fresh drinking water and while I was there, filling our 5-gallon jug, Reid texted.  “Great news!  Your parts are here.”  I called Tim and picked him up at the park.  We met Reid at the campground where he spent the first hour installing the new DEF injector and all the associated gaskets and seals.  The second hour, he ran the computer on the RV to check for any codes. All was clear! 

We were elated!  Within 30 minutes, we were ready to roll.  We left Whitehorse at 3:15pm. 

So being stuck in Whitehorse wasn’t so bad.  We found something to do each day.  We enjoyed the hiking and biking and walking opportunities.  There were nice restaurants and there was a great grocery store.  We loved the Community Market and we found a very nice produce stand.  I know that there were day trips we might have enjoyed and there is live theater and a movie cinema as well.  Above all, we were able to find someone to repair the RV.  We were actually quite lucky to be “stuck” in Whitehorse.

We made a stop in Teslin at the machine shop.  The mechanic there was the first one to help us a week and a half ago when the check engine light came on.  We wanted to stop and say thank you and we took him a blueberry pie!

All was well for the first 150 miles; then, the check engine light came on…again…

Tim stopped to check to see if there were any loose pieces on the repair.  He could find nothing.  We had no cell service so we couldn’t call the mechanic. 

We stopped for the night in a large gravel turnout by the Swift River.   We discussed our options.  We decided that in the morning, we would just get up and keep driving south, toward Edmonton.  No matter what happens next, we will figure it out.   There is no way to go but through it!

1018 August 21, 2023 Yukon Discovery Day

I had a hard time being motivated this morning.  Some days are just like that.  I did finally go out and walk.

Tim took his bike and rode from the campground into town.  While he was gone, I was able to vacuum and wash floors. 

I drove the Jeep into town and started to bike along the river.  Tim met me and we tooled around for a while.  I was happy to be cycling and enjoyed the beautiful day.

We had to check on the progress at the building site.  Today, the rodbusters were putting up props to support the second layer of the rebar mat.

This evening, we took our dinner back to the bench by the river.

Afterward, we drove to the dam and looked at the fish ladder.  So far this season, 49 chinook or have climbed the ladder that bypasses the dam.

Today was Yukon Discovery Day.  This holiday commemorates the discovery of gold in this region.  There were no celebrations in Whitehorse.  We did learn that in Dawson City there were festivities but that is a long way away from here!

1017 August 20, 2023 Still Discovering Whitehorse

I drove to town and walked the river path.  I am still finding new things to enjoy.

I love these trashcans decorated by local students.

This afternoon, we took the bikes into Whitehorse.  We took the Millenium Trail across a footbridge and into Bert Law Park.  The path was narrow and muddy in places so we pushed our bikes.  This was a pretty little island in the Yukon River.  Migrating birds will stop on their way south to feed on the multitude of berries that thrive here.

We took the Centennial Bridge across the river. 

There was a person in a tiny kayak practicing maneuvers in the rapids.  She was fun to watch.

We cycled along the river and then into downtown. 

We checked the progress at the Hyatt site.  The rodbusters have been here again, laying more rebar.

We stopped to get some blackberries at a nice produce market.

We spotted an eagle. I’m not certain if this is a juvenile bald eagle or a golden eagle.

We biked about 6 miles.  Neither of us was good about keeping track of our mileage.  It doesn’t really matter!  It was a great day to be outside and moving.

This evening, we took our dinner back to the river. 

1016 August 19, 2023 Hidden Lakes Hiking Trail

I took just a short walk around the campground this morning.  I was saving my legs for the hike we planned later in the day. 

We started at Long Lake.  It was pretty there but we couldn’t find the trailhead.

We went back to Hidden Lakes.  It was so chilly and wet the other day that we didn’t hike here.  Today was a perfect day to be outside.  The sky was blue and the sunshine was warm.  This was a nice hike.  Lots of hills up and down around the lakes. 

Slogging it up a long hill.

We found a bench where we sat and enjoyed the view.

We saw a kayaker.  The water was calm and it was a nice day to be on the water.

We could hear the loons calling.  Soon, it will be time for them to leave.

Evidence of beaver activity.

We hiked a little more than 3 miles.

We went back into town to do a couple of errands.

The rest of the day was spent quietly…still no word on when we can expect the parts for the RV.  They apparently left Fort Saint John on Wednesday.  Everything takes longer here. 

1015 August 18, 2023 Transportation Museum

It was another chilly morning walk.  The fireweed has lost its blossoms and the leaves are turning.

Today we visited the Yukon Transportation Museum.  Because of the harsh winter weather.  The Yukon has a variety of transportation modes that are uncommon where we come from.

Snowshoes.

Sleighs.

Whitehorse is the site for the Yukon Quest.  This is a 1,000-mile sled dog race on the frozen Yukon River.                                                                                                                                                      

The first snowmobile, the Fluffy Cat.

This is the story of a couple stranded for 49 days after the crash of their bush plane.

The first transit bus.

A truck used in the construction of the Alcan Highway.

An old red truck.

Planes are important in the transport of supplies to remote regions.

Trains were an essential part of the settlements that formed in the Yukon.

This is a birch bark canoe.  These were crafted by the First Nation Peoples that inhabited this area. These were also used by trappers and hunters.

Seal skin kayaks or qayaqs.

The local quilters guild created this quilt of the Alaska Highway.  It was gorgeous.

A well-crafted replica of the SS Klondike, an old steam powered paddlewheeler.

 The 16^th edition of the Milepost.  This has been our guide as we travel through Alaska and Canada.  Our book is the 75^th edition and is 656 pages.  There have been a lot of changes in the intervening years

This US Army truck was used to transport supplies in difficult terrain.

I wasn’t sure I would enjoy this place but it was extremely well-done and informative.  It was worth the trip!

This evening, we drove downtown.  We walked first through town.  There was live music in the town square.

There was more progress at the hotel building site.

We returned to Shipyards Park where we enjoyed a picnic dinner.  It was 65 degrees and sunny and it was nice to be outside and warm enough!

Yukon Workers’ Memorial at Shipyards Park. The five pillars represent workers, employers, governance, health care, and community.

1014 August 17, 2023 The Wilderness City

It was chilly and rainy and raw this morning.  I tried to walk in the campground and I lasted only a short time after the spitting rain started.

The other day at the Beringia Museum, I picked up “A Guide to Our Natural Areas – Wildlife in Whitehorse.”  Today we decided to follow the map and explore some of the trails just outside the city.  We packed lunch and away we went.

We drove to Hidden Lakes.  Many of the surrounding lakes are kettle lakes.  These lakes were the result of depressions left by glaciers, the melting ice then filled the depressions and lovely lakes were left behind.

We traveled to Chadburn Lake.  There were lots of places to get out and look around.  There were also lots of hiking trails.  It continued to be damp and nasty.  It was 43 degrees at lunchtime.  We declined the hiking opportunities.

We took the road to Grey Mountain.  It started as a paved road and then a nicely maintained gravel road and then the fun part was 3 miles of rough and bumpy.   The ride was incredible even on this gloomy day! 

We took the road to the end where it stopped at the cell phone and communication towers at the summit at an elevation of 4,250 feet.

The views of the Yukon River Valley were expansive.

We got back to RV just before the soaking rain began.

We had a quiet afternoon.  At 5pm the rain had stopped.  We drove downtown to the Fireweed Community Market.  There were all kinds of food and produce and craft vendors.  We found some orange zest sourdough bread, a small loaf of Danish rye, fresh greens, and some peach melba jam.

The Shipyards Park has an amazing playground…two boys I know would love it here!

We purchased California chicken sandwiches from a food truck.

We got some veggie and elk empanadas for dinner tomorrow.  I love a good market!

On our way through Whitehorse, we stopped to look at the progress at the hotel building site.  They placed some of the rebar today.

We had a great day in spite of the weather!

1013 August 16, 2023 Beringia

I began the day with a great walk along the Yukon River.

On my way back to the Jeep, I watched eagles and ravens sparring in the sky above the ridge.

We moved the RV from the truck stop to a real campground where we will wait to hear from the mechanic.

This afternoon, we visited the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre.  During the last Ice Age, much of Canada was covered by glacial ice.  The area from East Siberia into Alaska and Yukon was protected by mountains.  This area received very little moisture…no snow…no glaciers.  Instead, the sea water levels decreased and the Continental Shelf was exposed.  This region was then covered with grasses.  Grazing animals migrated across the Bering Strait; most notably musk oxen and wooly mammoths, bison and sheep.  Predators including short nosed giant bears and lions also came.  Eventually at the end of the Ice Age, people began to walk into this area.

This museum explains the history and culture of this portion of the world.  Lots of fossils have been preserved in the permafrost and as they are uncovered, discoveries are made about the life and survival of the inhabitants of Beringia.  We spent a couple of hours wandering through the exhibits and then watching a film about the mammoths…always learning and always more to learn!

1012 August 15, 2023 Progress!

Happy 7^th Birthday sweet Oliver!!!

Yesterday was frustrating.  Today was much better.

We waited all day at New North on Monday and didn’t learn until late in the day that the guy we needed to do the diagnostic work on our engine had not come to work. 

In the meantime, we had received a call from a mobile certified Cummins diesel mechanic.  We had gotten his contact information on Friday and because he was out of cell service range, we hadn’t heard from him yet.  He said that he could see us Tuesday morning if we still needed help.

We met Reid at the Airport Chalet Truck Stop.  He was professional and knowledgeable.  It took him awhile to get his software working but he was able to figure out the problem.  He ordered the new DEF injector and all the seals and gaskets to install it.  In this part of the world, things happen much more slowly.  Overnight shipping means 4-5 days.  Hopefully, he will get stuff in by the end of the week.  Monday is a Yukon holiday, Discovery Day, and so it may be Tuesday before we can get fixed.  After the repair, Reid will have to run the software again to make sure no other codes crop up.  If they don’t, we can be on our way…if they do…we will see what next steps we have to take.

The weather here is cool and rainy.  It feels like Autumn.

This evening, we went into town.  We walked around and through some shops. 

We had to stop at this hotel construction site.  I know Tim was wondering what comes next and how things will be laid out.

We found a small place called La Cara for our dinner.  The food was really good.  It rained as we tried walking along the river and so we are back in the RV, safe and warm.

1011 August 14, 2023 No Progress

No progress today. That’s all!

1010 August 13, 2023 Miles Canyon Rim Trail

I drove to Whitehorse and parked along the Yukon River.  I walked from there into town.

This afternoon, Tim and I took the Jeep back to Miles Canyon.  We hiked the Rim Trail.

We have our appointment at New North Truck and Equipment and we are hopeful that they will be able to help us.

The campground WIFI was completely down. We drove to the Visitor Center in Whitehorse so that I could get caught up!