Into the Yukon

June 30

We’ve moved along and are now about 1/4 of the way along the Al-Can.  We’re spending 2 nights in Laird Hot Springs.  The hot springs are in a Provincial Park but it was full for camping so we’re at a commercial park across the road.  We’ll still be able to access the hot springs but will just have to pay a day use fee.  Aside from a place to park and a small lodge there’s nothing here, not wifi, no TV, no radio, no phone service.  Thank goodness for our collection of DVDs.

We left Ft Nelson yesterday morning. The Milepost (Alaskan highway guide book) advises rough and improved road for the next 138 miles. We have the 2008 version but it was still applicable. Pretty bumpy and uneven road most of the way, several patches done and none of it is smoothly blended. The drive was through mountainous areas, passes and canyons, very scenic. Some of the highlights were a stop at the Cinnamon Bun Center of the Galactic Cluster, Testa River camp, for hot fresh cinnamon buns. In the middle of nowhere, this RV camp and lodge makes fresh bread and cinnamon buns daily and everybody stops. They were very large and extra gooey. We ate 2 there and took 2 to go for another breakfast!

And today for the first time, all the warning signs about wildlife came true. We hit the bonanza on seeing animals. Stone sheep, looks like a mountain goat but somewhat darker, small like a sheep, were all over the road and just eating on the shoulders. A couple of deer along side the road, some caribou and for some reason bison live up here. This is not prairie country so go figure. We saw 1 along the road but then a ranger car herded it, police lights included, across the road and into the woods. We only saw it being chased away.  No doubt making it a safer road for the people in a hurry.   A road sign at our current stop promises animals ahead. But we still want/need to see the moose and more bears.  Actually, we had some excitement in the park as a resident bison sauntered in to munch some grass.  Apparently, we're told, this particular fellow likes to charge people.  So, for excitement we got to get a couple of photos and then the locals started scaring him away with explosives (?)  Actually, it sounded like gun shots but I really don't think anyone was trying to hurt him.  It just seemed funny the way the people were scurrying around trying to protect the tourists. 

Being at the Laird Hot Springs meant we had to take a dip, of course. A 1/4 mile boardwalk took us through the warm water swamps and forest to a pool built around the hot springs. It flows out of the hill like a river and is very hot, about 110. There are two pools so it cools farther downstream. The walk back was a fight with the mosquitoes.

We followed lots of rivers, easiest path for the highway builders to follow, one side of the divide they were very muddy and the other pretty clear, but turquoise. And boy are the mosquitoes out in force, and HUGE. This is good preparation for when we get to Alaska and have to combat the really, really huge ones.  We lather daily now with our special Australian repellent and carry OFF in the car for stops. It’s pretty annoying.

Sign forest Watson Lake

July 1, Happy Canada day

On the road again.  Left Laird this morning at our usual time (10:00 am) and headed toward a campground about half way to Whitehorse.  We really had another animal bonanza today as we saw lots of buffalo and quite a few black bears just hangin' out and munchin' along the road.  It was a good day.

Yukon

I was quite concerned about the condition of the road but so far have  been pleasantly surprised.  Sure, we do run into bad patches where we have to slow down to 35 or so but for the most part the roads are good enough for us to maintain 50-55 (thats miles per hour for our kilometer based friends).   Today, we had a long stretch that was being rebuilt and they had it down to a gravel road base.  We had to follow a pilot car for part of the way and it was very dusty, and of course the dust gets through the slide seals  and all over the inside of the trailer.  A nice white coating. After we got through the dust, we hit a hard rain storm so now we're completely coated with mud.  Hopefully, in Whitehorse, the park will have a wash bay. A thorough inside cleaning will have to wait till we are done.