Alaska! We made it!!!

July 1 - Day 23

Leaving Whitehorse, YT behind, we drove on up to Haines Junction, YT, a small village of 840 people; 5 of whom worked at the Village Bakery.  After eating lunch at this delightful establishment, we looked around the village for "Our Lady of the Way" catholic mission, a church converted from a quanset hut left behind by the US Army during the construction of the Alaska Highway.

Haines Junction is on the eastern boundry of the Kluane (pronounced kloo-WA-nee) National Park, Reserve & Game Sanctuary.  On our way further north from Hanies Junction, we saw our first grizzly bear foraging along the highway.

We continued around Kluane Lake, the largest lake in the Yukon, to Congdon Creek Gov't Campground where we spend the night. It seems to be typical for the Canadian government campgrounds to have the campsites near the waters edge.  Here is a picture from our campsite showing the spectacular Kluane Range. Icefields cover the tops of many of these mountains, which are the highest peaks in Canada.

Now, some of you on this blog list know that Bonnie & I have a tradition of taking our anniversary picture with Bonnie in her original wedding dress, and me dressed for the current activity/occasion (which is often me looking like a slob; no comments on that statement please).  Her dress has been around the world and this trip is no exception. This picture was take at our campsite on the shore of the Kluane Lake with the Kluane Mountain Range in the background.

We did hit really rough road about the last forty miles of the Alaska Highway in the Yukon.  The road was so rough the posted speed limit was 30mph!  But we honored the speed limit and did not have any issues. When we got to the Alaska border, the highway improved immensely.

 I know the above picture does not show the highway; it is only to prove we made it!  The scenery is not any less spectacular in Alaska as it was in Canada.  This is the Wrangell Mountain range in the background.

We are now, Thursday, July 3rd, in Tok, AK, where we will spend the night before moving further north.  We may even spend the 4th of July in Tok since it is a holiday.

OBSERVATIONS:

1. The further north we go on the Alaska Highway, the more frost heaves in the pavement we encounter; understandably so. Other than that last forty miles, it was quite good.  To the blog readers in Ohio, the Alaska Highway is much like Middle Rowsburg Road with wider shoulders.  To the blog readers in Alabama, it is like Wall - Triana only ten feet wider and with wider shoulders.
2. All along the AK Highway, it is very evident of the number of people who tried to beat a living out of the traffic headed north to Alaska. But the reality is, there just is not enough traffic to sustain all of the businesses.  Now, many of the buildings are dilapidated, in disrepair, or abandoned and some of the other that are still in business have had their businesses for sale for some time.  Sadly, I would predict that if I made this same trip two years from now, some of the businesses that are open to today will be closed forever.