One of the “current events” of the long history of Alaska has been the building and maintaining of the Alcan Highway, built in the 1940’s. More recent is the “haul road”, the Dalton Highway built for the construction of the Alaskan Pipeline in the 70’s, In June we complete the Alcan Hwy.to Delta Junction and later in the month, drive a portion of the mostly unpaved haul road (in the Jeeps) to the Artic circle. As our journey continues north the days are getting longer.
Started the month in Toad River, BC. resting a few days by the pond. Washed the RV and it rained the next day. An overnight stop at Liard Hot Springs and then cross into Yukon Territory for a stop in Watson Lake. Tomorrow we’ll tag our sign in the “sign post forest” with a date stamp for 2012. Linda walked right to the sign (put up in 2008) out of 65,000 signs, amazing! Soon my sister and brother in law will be in Skagway on a cruise, we’ll try to meet them for dinner. After a stop in Rancheria Falls Recreation area, the rivers and streams are swollen with snow melt and rain. South with a side trip to Atlin, BC. checking out the still active mining town and electrical problems in Donny’s rig. Four days by Como Lake was great even with light rain for two days. While in town at the visitors center we learn the roads are washed out behind us at Rancheria, and just north of Whitehorse at Klune Lake, also south on the road into Skagway. This 100 mile triangle has Whitehorse (and us) trapped in the middle and Whitehorse store shelves are emptied in one day. Luckily they repaired the washout to Skagway the next day and the drive down is cold and rainy, but beautiful. Dinner for 8 turned out to be 5, Donny and Jill, Linda and I, and sister Linda. Ed was quarantined in the stateroom with the flu and their neighbor couple got lost. We leave the restaurant and the sun is still out. The next morning it’s on to Whitehorse for housekeeping and supplies, the grocery shelves are just now being restocked. A rest area on beautiful Klune Lake, at the mud slide, is our next stop before entering Alaska, the skies are clearing and the Dahl Sheep are on the mountain. It’s a easy drive to Tetlin Junction, were back in the USA, camp near the Tanana River and have breakfast in Tok. A day later the Gerstle river crosses the Alcan Hwy, we camp under the 8 span bridge along its bank. It’s sunny, the wind has calmed, we stay for two days. It’s summer solstice, barely dusk at midnight. In the morning a moose walks through camp.
Fairbanks! We finish the Alaska-Canada highway in Delta Junction and turn north to Fairbanks to look up Rod and Joni. We met them in Yuma, Az. two winters ago flying the Alaska state flag. They just returned from Salmon fishing on the Copper River and had 2 large filets on the BBQ grille. It was a feast. We now have 22 hours of daylight (with sun) and 2 hours of dusk. One day around noon we leave for the Artic Circle and returned at 9PM, more driving than were used to but a good ride. Changed one flat tire for a research group from UA Fairbanks but had no trouble ourselves.
After returning to Fairbanks a side trip to Chena Hot Spring brings us to the end of the month. We camp 4 days by a lake and enjoy some good weather and moose in the lake. Next month Denali National park and the mountain.
No comments:
Post a Comment