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!

1009 August 12, 2023 Rainy Day

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.

1008 August 11, 2023 Back To Whitehorse

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!

1007 August 10, 2023 Chasing Rainbows

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!

1006 August 9, 2023 Goodbye Alaska

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!

1005 August 8, 2023 Heading South

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!