Day 7 Whitehorse Yukon Territory

June 29

Sunrise 4:33  Sunset 11:35

Whitehorse, Yukon  population over 25,000, elevation 2,200 - 5,584, surrounded by mountains, a quaint downtown of murals and buildings built to look like the 1,800's.  We met a 9 this morning for a chartered bus tour of the area, our first stop was the S.S. Klondike, a restored National Historic Site sitting beside the Yukon River surrounded by a lovely park and walking path.  It was the largest stern wheeler on the upper Yukon River, built in Whitehorse in 1929 as an ore hauler and continued in service until 1955 when  the highways made river travel unnecessary.   It took 1.5 days  to travel downriver to Dawson City but over 7 to get back to Whitehorse, stopping  at communities along the way delivering goods, mail and people.  The average pay was $25. a month for most of the deckhands but  the person who "chucked" the wood into the firebox made $75., he had to put wood in every 30 second.  You'll see in the pictures how big the logs were!  First class passengers were treated royally but non 1st class made do, sometimes putting cots in the steerage area.   We drove through downtown to our next stop the Yukon Dam and salmon ladder, the salmon swim from the Bering Sea to past the dam, over 2,000 miles.   We drove out to Miles Canyon to an overlook, such a beautiful area.  At water level there is a park with a pedestrian bridge that you can walk over to the "islands", it would have been great to take advantage of the trails but the weather was a bit cool.  After lunch it started raining again, bummer.  Gary and I did go back to the Riverwalk with Luci and checked out the town.  

That's it for today, enjoy the pic's.

TTFN

Gary and Pam 

Lining up for the bus

S.S.Klondike

Fire box guys had to throw in a log every 30 seconds

Size of logs they had to throw in fire box

Besides Ore they carried much needed supplies and passengers

Yukon River

Kitchen

1st Class Passengers  dining

Everyone else

Yukon River Dam

Long fish ladder

Miles Canyon overlooking Yukon  River

Pedestrian bridge across to miles of trails

A DC3 put to use as a wind vane No Kidding!

Luci and I along Riverwalk

Totem Pole by the Klondike

We found this along Riverwalk - a book exchange

 

Day 6 Whitehorse, Yukon Territory

June 28

Sunrise 4:32 Sunset 11:35

Today was a long travel day, we left Watson Lake at 8:00 and got to Pioneer RV Park in Whitehorse at 4:30.  At 6:30 our neighbor beside us woke us up closing cabinet doors, etc., we were sound asleep. We normally set the alarm for 6.  Oh my we had to scurry around, record time only 90 minutes from bed to highway.   We crossed the border between Yukon Territory and BC 7 times, up and down mountains and crossed the Continental Divide at 3,214 feet.  Around 10:30 we saw Dan and Becky partially pulled off the side of the road with emergency flashers on, we pulled in behind them to see what the problem was.  They were having a coolant problem, problem being, they had a leak.  He filled radiator with water and limped to the next rest area a couple of miles down the road.  It seems he has a hole in a pipe that they were having trouble taping with any success.  They would drive 10 miles or so, fill with water and fill again.  In Teslin they bought a clamp, that and lots of tape they slowed it down for the final 60 miles.  They ordered a part from Freightliner, will arrive on Tuesday, have an appointment here in Whitehorse for the repair.  They will miss at least one day of the tour but in the scheme of things it could have been MUCH worse.  Beautiful scenery today, blue sky and sunshine makes everything better.  Gary saw a moose (I missed it) and we saw a fox.  That's all the wildlife we saw.  

We have  a full day tomorrow with a Whitehorse Bus Tour and  a tour of MukTuk Sled Dog Kennel.

That's it for today, enjoy the pic's,

TTFN

Gary and Pam 

Beautiful mountains and lots of forest along the way

Oh no!  A leak in radiator

Swan on lake by rest area we saw 5

More construction, bridge has steel deck scary!

Day 5 Watson Lake, Yukon Territory

June 27

Sunrise 4:13 Sunset 11:02

The sun is shining!  

There were two buffalo grazing in the park this morning  just before we left.  People nearby did not seem to bother them at all.

We left at 8:45, drove about 30 miles before fueling up.  We got 1.2701 litres @ $1.789 totaling $227.23.  Another short drive today only 133 miles.  Our very first patch of gravel on the trip, a pick up truck coming fast from the other way threw a rock into our windshield (that thankfully hadn't been replaced) left a quarter size chip almost in Gary's line of sight.  Oh well, in Whitehorse there are repairmen that come to the park for any kind of repairs.  

We saw more bears and buffalo along the way, still haven't seen any moose.  We were stopped by construction a few times but we still made it to Watson Lake by 12:45, we are within walking distance to the Sign Forest.  We all went over to hang the Fantasy Caravan 2018 sign and to take a group picture (as the mosquitoes buzzed us)  and to hang our  personal ones.  We had our drivers meeting at 5:30 followed by a campground dinner cooked by our WagonMaster and TailGunner, walking tacos and fruit cups with whip cream.  Delish!  

After dinner we walked across the street to the Northern Lights Space and Science Centre to watch a presentation about the Aurora borealis.  We just leaned back and enjoyed the video on the domed ceiling.  Someday I'd love to see the lights...another bucket list?

We have a long drive tomorrow to Whitehorse, departure time between 7 and 9,  it's 10:45 now and still daylight.

That's it for today, enjoy the pic's,

TTFN,

Gary and Pam 

Stopped for construction

Welcome to Yukon sign

Gary and Luci one foot in BC one in Yukon

Historic sign and cairn

Sign as we entered Watson Lake

Our sign & Group's sign

Wagonmaster Dale hanging Caravan sign

Original sign put up by lonely hwy construction worker 1942

Lining up for dinner

Walking tacos

Northern Lights Centre

Part of sign forest

 

Day 4 Liard Hot Springs

June 26

Sunrise 4:10 Sunset 10:45

We woke up to another rainy day, not too cold.   Our Wagon Master left at 8 - we made it out by 8:25.  We spotted a couple of bears by the side of the road along the highway.  We couldn't see the beautiful Northern Rocky mountains they were all covered by clouds.  At the summit (4,250 highest point on AlCan) we saw the most beautiful colored lake "Summit Lake" the color I can only describe as icy green.  I'd like to find out what creates that color.  The clouds cleared enough later we were able to see the peaks of Stone Mountain Provincial Park, beautiful waterfalls, the river flowing full and fast.  We stopped at the town of Toad River, population 50, e at the Toad River Lodge (shared another sticky bun, this has to stop), the ceiling has at last count over 11,000 caps of all kinds on the ceiling.  Further down the road we past Muncho Lake, it's also green but more of an emerald green even with the gray sky,  looks like a great place for fishing.  Just before we got to Liard Springs RV park there were about 30 buffalo on both sides of the road, including a nursing baby.    We got to the park about 1:30 got settled and went to the Hot Springs.  The pool fills naturally with water that that has been heated at the earth's core-it can reach up to 126 degrees.  The bottom rock is like a pea gravel and round river rock.  There is a 1/4 mile long boardwalk across marshy ground, normally thick with mosquitoes but with the drizzle there weren't any.  We stayed in 30-40 minutes, oh man it felt so good, a little stinky but worth it.  We are really in the middle of nowhere, our power is sketchy, it runs by a generator plant in the park.  Absolutely no wi-fi or even satellite radio.  

Tomorrow we leave for Watson Lake, Yukon Territory known for it's sign forest.  During the construction of the Alcan Hwy, a lonely soldier put up a sign on a tree, Danville, Ilinois 2,835 miles, since then it has grown to over 80,000 signs.  

I couldn't post last night due to no service, enjoy the pic's.

TTFN,

Gary and Pam

Glimpses of the Northern Rockies

Waterfalls

More waterfalls

Fast moving river

Muncho Lake

Liard River Bridge

Wagon Master Linda assigns sites, we usually don't arrive all at once

Walk way to hot springs

Our group

Buffalo joined us for breakfast in park

 

Day 3 Caravan - June 25

It started raining yesterday afternoon about 4 and basically hasn't stopped since.  In spite of the rain it was a good travel day - straight roads, a few steep grades but nothing to stressful.  

Every evening there is a driver's meeting, telling you when the Wagon  master  is leaving, what time the Tail gunner will be leaving and other pertinent information.  This morning the WG left at 7 and the TG at 9, we have the choice of what time to leave between the two.  We left about 7:30, fueled up then as we drove past the RV park we radioed we were on the road.  This morning we put in 140.656 liters @ $1.330 for a total of $188.34.  The trip log every day starts at 0, as you travel along the log tells you of hazards, pull-outs, fuel stops, landmarks and other facts you should be aware at what mile number  (Steep grades etc).  No surprises.  Our drive was 284 miles, stopping only once for a sticky bun (we shared) and coffee about half way.  When we arrived at Fort Nelson we filled up again, 122.70 Liters @ $1.38 $169.33.  Next February when we get our cash back we'll be happy.  Only another mile down the road was Triple G RV park.  It's fun pulling into the RV park and we don't have to pay!  The Wagon Master wants us to travel on the top half of our tank.  We didn't see any wildlife, one couple (behind us) saw a moose and a bear along side the road.  

The RV life always seems to offer up "challenges" and this time it wasn't our turn!  Dennis and Kim from Florida have a new Itasca - the windshield leaked all day in the steady rain.  When they got here they tried to (in the rain) caulk and cover up with plastic.  Oh man!

Ft. Nelson lies in the western slope of the northern Rockies along the AlCan Highway, MP 300, 3,900 residents at an elevation of 1,410 feet.  I am surprised it's not  higher elevation.  

Gary visited the Fort Nelson Heritage Museum (I hunkered down with the heat on).  A gentleman started collecting cast-offs from the construction of the highway, he must be a hoarder because he had so much "stuff" he had to open a museum. He's 86 now and is at the museum every day.   It seems there is everything from a white moose to an extensive  British car exhibit.  After our driver's meeting we had the buffet here at the RV park, not too bad, I'm generally not a "hog line" fan but since we missed lunch it sounded like a good idea.  We shared a table  with a couple from Tennessee, both Navy vets, the guy even spent some time in the Lexington out of Kingsville, Tx.  That gave Gary a lot to talk about.  Fun people. They aren't on the caravan, after they leave Anchorage they are going to take a 2 week tent camping trip to the Arctic Circle. Not my idea of fun but they're both excited.  

Tomorrow we head to Liard Hot Springs, just a short drive of 148 miles, hope the rain quits before then.  

That's it for today, enjoy the pic's.

TTFN,

Gary and Pam

Museum sign and "stuff"

Just the beginning

White moose

Lot of "dead" animals

See what I mean about him being a hoarder

Not too sure what this is about

Many many many many cars

Birch tree burls