North to Carcross and Whitehorse!

August 12, Tuesday

     Amazing scenery as we climb the Summet to the peak between Alaska and Canada on the highway. Saying good-bye to Alaska, almost our last town to see and hello again to Canada. 

 Spent a few hours in Carcross, which was originally named Caribou Crossing because of all the herds traversing the narrows here between Bennett and Nares lakes.  In 1904, it was changed to Carcross because of confusion in mail services due to duplicate names in Alaska, BC and Klondike.

These 2 mosquitos were very interesting? 

Got into Whitehorse at the same RV park we stayed when coming on the way to Alaska.  Doesn’t seem like it’s been 2 months, but here we are going back thru, (sad face).  A few more stamps to finish up my Yukon gold passport and we are at 18 sites!! 

August 13, Wednesday

  Wanted to get number 19 stamped in my quest for Yukon gold, (20 stamps in different cities in the Yukon gets you in a drawing for 5 ounces of gold!) so we headed out to the Yukon Wildlife preserve in Whitehorse.  It is a bus trip thru the park, and we really enjoyed it.  Not just seeing all the animals, course that is a great treat, but the tour guide was wonderful.  We really had a great time.  As it was drizzly rain, we were the only ones there on the early am ride, so we had the tour to ourselves. 

  Woodland Bison, moose (1 lone moose, his mother died last year at 20), sheep, snowshoe hare in their summer coats,  Elk, Musk Ox, caribou, lynx and her babies, artic fox in its summer coat.  What a morning, just wish our driving in Canada and Alaska would be so full of wildlife!

  Packed up the RV and on to the next town on our trip back thru Canada.  From Whitehorse toward Watson lake, will be stopping a few miles prior to get a nice RV park on the Cassiar Highway cutoff.

  Had a nice evening outside with new neighbors on the road.  Love meeting new neighbors each night, with the evening lights still not getting dark till about 10:30, we stay up way too late.

August 14, Thursday

   Turned in our Yukon passport this am with all 20 sites stamped, the last one was the airport in Watson lake this am, the drawing for 5 ounces of gold is in September, so looking forward to seeing if we will, will be posting that one!

  Well, we’ve heard a few stories on this next road down the Cassiar Highway toward Stewart, BC and Hyder, AK.  Some say it’s the worse road every, some say if you take it slow you’ll be ok.  Our friends that left a few days ahead of us, started down it 50 miles, said it was so bad they turned around and went back.  So what are we going to do?? Take the highway!! 

  Well, it’s rough, lots of frost heaves, potholes and slow going for the first 53 miles.  They were right.  Its’ slow and the area around Dease lake where we decided to call it a day, was long stretches of muddy areas.  No wildlife so far, only beautiful scenery, but think we’ll stop early and get some rest before heading down to Stewart in the am.