It was in the low forties overnight. This morning, it was 50 degrees and raw and raining and windy. I took a short walk until it began to rain harder. I spent time cleaning cupboards and drawers and the fridge and the bathroom.
After lunch, we drove into Whitehorse to the Visitor Center. A very nice lady who reminded Tim of my mom a lot, helped us. She told us about things to see in the area. We left with maps and restaurant suggestions.
We stopped at the grocery store for produce.
We drove Miles Canyon Road. We stopped at the overlook to take pictures. We walked only a little way before we decided that it was just too nasty to be outside.
We have cable television. Tim simultaneously watched Toronto baseball and took a nap.
We took the opportunity to get laundry done.
We made reservations at Sanchez Cantina after a recommendation by the lady from the Visitor Center. The owner cooks everything herself and the food was fresh and delicious.
After dinner it was nice enough outside to walk through town. There were two powerful exhibits acknowledging Canada’s history of placing indigenous children in Mission schools.
Other art and statues are scattered throughout town and highlight the history of Whitehorse.
This store looks like it has had some trouble with theft.
We drove to the Yukon Energy Whitehorse Dam.
The fish hatchery and salmon ladder were adjacent but was closed for the evening.
The day started nicely enough. It was a beautiful morning for a walk in a great park. I walked to Marsh Lake.
We planned to do more driving today. The Alcan was in good condition and we were making good time.
We crossed the Teslin River.
Shortly after that, the RV check engine light came on. Tim pulled into a rest area and checked the oil. Everything looked ok. The engine temperature was normal.
We made it to the town of Teslin. Attached to the gas station was a small garage. The guy there was a mechanic whose responsibility it was to take care of all the trucks and equipment being utilized to build the new bridge. He was gracious enough to come out to the RV and plug his computer in to check the codes. It was the exhaust system. It was showing a moderately severe leak. This guy wasn’t able to help us. He did advise that Fort St. John would be a good place to get service. That was about 700 miles away. We knew that earlier in the trip when we had a problem with the exhaust system, the rig began derating. We were concerned that this would begin to happen before we could travel another 700 miles. Our only other option was to return to Whitehorse. It was 90 miles back to town. We called New North Truck and Equipment, a Cummins Certified Shop, and the old man that answered the phone told us to come on back and they would take good care of us and get us back on the road again.
We turned back and fervently hoped that we could make it back to Whitehorse on our own power. We were grateful when we finally pulled in at New North. Unfortunately, when we arrived, the owner we talked to earlier was gone. John was there. John said that he couldn’t possibly help us until at least Monday. He gave us another shop to try. Inland Truck was great. They helped us to get the codes and printed out the information we needed but they could not help us for two weeks.
We spent the next two hours driving from one shop to another trying to find someone who could help us. In the end, we called John at New North. He agreed that he would see us Monday morning at 8:30.
It was after 5pm on a Friday evening. We found an RV site at Hi Country for the weekend.
We were tired and frustrated. One good thing is that this is fixable. Another good thing is that this did not happen while Kyle and Allison were here. So, we will wait until Monday and see what our next options are. In the meantime, we will make the best of being here. We have never explored the area. Usually, we have used the resources here to resupply. We will see what we can find to do!
The morning was clear and chilly and perfect for a nice walk in the campground.
The light was beautiful on the mountains as went.
The Kluane Range Icefields in are the largest non-polar icefields in North America.
We stopped at the Kluane River Overlook. In a couple of weeks, the chum salmon will have traveled more than 1,500 miles from the mouth of the Yukon River. The eagles and bears will be hunting here in mid-September!
The Kluane First Nation People continue to preserve their culture here; hunting, fishing and gathering as they have for eons.
After Destruction Bay, the road conditions improved tremendously.
The mountains around Kluane Lake were imposing and gorgeous and not able to be photographed in their full glory…but I took pictures anyway!
We stopped at the Thachal Dhal Visitor Center.
This is a lambing area for Dall sheep. The ranger counted more than 60 sheep high on the mountainside this morning. He had an excellent scope for viewing and we could see mamas and babies grazing on the steep slope.
There was a First Nation Kluane woman educating visitors about the animals in the area and the importance of utilizing natural resources as a matter of survival for her people. Thachal Dhal means “skin scraper mountain.” The indigenous people used the stone from this particular mountain to tan hides for clothes and shoes and blankets and rugs. This stone was important to the survival of the tribe. There is only one other place in the region to collect this type of rock.
This was such a pretty ride!
80 miles from Whitehorse and we could see storm clouds gathering.
Tim saw what he thought was a small crack in the windshield in the lower driver’s side. I thought it was a bug…but it was definitely a ding.
We found a place, All West Glass, that could repair the chip in the morning. Avtar who worked in the shop said that he did after hours mobile repair and would be happy to meet us after 5pm and fix our window. We drove to a nearby parking lot to wait. In the meantime, we were able to accomplish a couple of errands.
Avtar got to us a little after 7pm. It took him only about 15 minutes to professionally and efficiently repair the crack!
We stopped to fill our containers with fresh drinking water at Canadian Tire. We filled the RV with diesel and we were finally on our way again after 8pm.
We went to Wolf Creek Yukon Government Campground but it was full. The ranger told us that we might find a site at Marsh Creek another 20 minutes to the south. The evening light was soft and pretty.
We thought about camping at the Marsh Lake Dam but there were No Camping signs posted.
We traveled on and as we did, we saw the most vivid rainbow that we have ever see. Pictures do not capture the brilliance of the colors. I felt such giddy joy! It was simply breathtaking!
Then, as I was snapping pictures, another fainter rainbow appeared to the left.
The rainbow began to arc across the sky.
Then it began to disappear.
The chip in the window was unfortunate…but fixable! We had another good day on the road; filled with lovely views, Dall sheep, and rainbows!
Last night we had dousing rain. We woke to find the RV surrounded by huge muddy puddles.
I walked across the street to the Visitor Center and used the WIFI to post yesterday’s blog.
There was a stuffed wolf on display that looked exactly like the one I saw in the woods on Nebesna Road a couple of weeks ago.
So today is our least favorite part of the drive. We began at 10:15am. This is the portion of the Alcan from Tok to Destruction Bay. The road conditions were rough on the way here. Driving today would be tedious and took lots of time and patience. There were several places where we had to pull over to allow other faster, more impatient drivers to pass.
As we drove, the smoke and haze dissipated and the sun started to peek out from dramatic clouds.
We took a break at the boundary to the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge. There was an exhibit there that talked about the 2002 earthquake that left 12-foot-deep cracks in the Glenn Highway. That wasn’t all that long ago!
We had a 30-mile stretch of roadwork. For much of it, we waited for and followed a pilot car along with a long stream of other RV’s all heading out of Alaska. We have noticed small signs of fall and little changes in leaf color. It is time to go home!
We stopped at the Tetlin Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center.
I loved this quote:
This wildlife refuge is recognized as a Globally Important Bird Area. Thousands of trumpeter swans and tens of thousands of sandhill cranes fly through here on their way to nesting grounds in Western Alaska and Siberia. They are travelers just like us!
We took a short hike down to the trapper’s cabin.
For a short while before the US Customs Station, the road was brand new and smooth. As soon as we crossed the border into Canada, the road was immediately rough; heaving and falling in waves. 20 miles later, we went through Border Patrol and we were officially in Yukon, Canada. Back to kilometers, liters, and loonies!
We passed Snag Junction where the coldest temperature in Canada was recorded in 1947. It was -81.4 degrees Fahrenheit…OUCH!
As we bounced and bebopped along, there were lots of lakes and trees and the mountains were still pretty.
There was a pair of nesting swans in almost every pond.
The road conditions made traveling very slow. Tim said it gave me more opportunity to appreciate the scenery. 😊
The gravel washboard sections were the worst.
We crossed the bridge over the White River. Volcanic ash is responsible for its color.
At 4pm, we were tired. We found the Lake Creek Yukon Government Campground.
We got a peaceful site on the water and it was the perfect thing after such a long day of driving. The firewood was free and we had a nice campfire. We drank some wine and relaxed. Eggs for dinner and an evening walk and then good night!
We got up very early and I had clothes in the washer by 5:30am.
I spent the morning cleaning and organizing. The tanks are both full and empty. We have plenty of groceries and supplies. It is time to begin the long trek toward home.
We stopped for a break at this pretty little lake.
There was a bald eagle sitting in a treetop.
Pretty scenery with wispy, drifting clouds.
We said goodbye to Matanuska Glacier.
As we approached Glenallen, the Wrangell Mountains started to appear.
We had lunch at the Gulkana River.
Later in the afternoon, we began to notice haze. We could smell smoke.
About 20 miles from Tok, we saw a she-moose and her calf along the edge of the dense trees.
We arrived in Tok around 4pm. It started to rain as soon as I got dressed and ready to walk. I carried an umbrella and went to the post office. Next, I headed to the Visitor Center. The ranger there told me that the smoke was coming from wildfires in the north. He said that we would likely drive out of it shortly after crossing the border into Canada.
Tim and I went into the grocery store and picked up a few things. We didn’t really need anything but it was right nest door to our camping spot and it was our evening entertainment.
We will be traveling on the Alcan Highway and may not have enough service to post for the next several days. We will write when we can!
This was our last morning together. We took one more walk.
By 9am, we were on the road, driving toward Anchorage. It rained most of the way but we did see this rainbow.
We grilled bison burgers and had our last picnic together.
We drove to Anchorage to the airport with partly sunny skies and rain showers.
We had to say goodbye.
This week had been so much fun. We have seen lots of beautiful places. We have had some amazing wildlife encounters. Watching glaciers calve was high on everyone’s list of favorite moments. We have walked and hiked and shared good food. The memories we have made will last for a long time. We love sharing our adventures with the people we love and we are sad to see Kyle and Allison go.
We then spent the day packing the Jeep and preparing for a rooftop tent/Jeep camping experience.
We drove the Denali Highway stopping along the way to appreciate the scenery. I love this drive!
After crossing the Susitna River, we found the perfect campsite sitting atop a gravel esker and overlooking the river with mountain views. This is the same place we camped with Kyle 5 years ago.
We found that we were in the midst of a bear buffet. The blueberries were ripe.
We actually picked and ate some.
There were also plenty of rosehips and pinecones.
We stretched dinner into several courses and passed a quiet evening by the campfire.
Tim and I slept in the rooftop tent. Kyle and Allison made a nest in the back of the Jeep.
In the morning, it was cool and rainy. When the rain subsided, we packed our gear and headed back to Cantwell.
The rain was persistent on Sunday. It was grey and gloomy. We all needed a recovery day and so we read and relaxed.
We made delicious shrimp and scallop piccata with grilled asparagus and roasted garlic clove bread. It was so yummy!
I was able to spend several hours using the campground’s limited WIFI to publish a few blog posts. We will gradually get caught up!
Today we took the Jeep and drove the 30 miles from Cantwell to Denali National Park. We spent some time in the Visitor Center.
Tim and I walked a trail through the woods.
We took the green transit bus into the park.
We saw caribou.
We passed the Savage River.
More gorgeous scenery.
The Sanctuary River.
More mountains.
We passed Teklanika River. This is where the bus stopped. Two years ago, the park road was closed beyond this point because of the deterioration and landslide along the road. The road is expected to be repaired by 2026.
We got off the bus and hiked in the riverbed.
All day, we had been hearing about the grizzlies in the park. We found evidence as we walked.
Kyle and Allison had sat down by one of the small sections of the river. Kyle had his shoes and socks off and had his feet in the river. They saw a caribou running toward them. It passed about 10 yards from them. What a sighting!
We could see the same animal far across the riverbed.
We got back on the bus and saw more pretty mountains.
We heard from the bus driver that there was a mama grizzly and three cubs up the road a piece. The bears were high, near the ridge. What a special thing to see!
We also go to see a moose. This female was alone, without a calf. Most calves don’t survive past the first year. It would be unusual for a healthy female not to give birth.
What a great trip! We got back to the Jeep and drove another 11 miles north to Healy. We had a delicious dinner at 49th State Brewing Company.
The bus is a replica of the shelter for Chris McCandless and sits on this property. Chris’ story is told in the book “Into the Wild.” If you haven’t read it, it is an incredible tale.
It was a very long day but we all had a good time and it was worth it!
