Trip back to Tok, Alaska and on to Haines Junction, Canada

August 4, Monday

   Leaving Valdez in the rain, hoping for some lighter skies…blue skies, smiling on me, nothing but blue skies, do I want to see! (love Willie!)

   Almost to the Tok turnoff, the skies are smiling on us, we find a wonderful turnoff on the river, red salmon fishing is allowed and a huge parking area away from the road. 

Lots of “moose-squitoes” but a little spray to fend them off and we are sitting by the river fishing.  Hoping for so more fish for the freezer, but it’s not to be.  The guys had a good time fishing, though.  We drove around to see if we can see some wildlife, did see a few bald eagles, trumpeter swans but no moose. 

August 5, Tuesday

    Driving to Tok today, got up and the saga of the broken appliances continues…the chest freezer with all the fish is not working this morning.  Tried it on electric with the generator its ok, but not the battery.  So drive to Tok, we have an RV park there, so we think it will be ok.  Got to Tok, but now the freezer is not working at all.  Thought we get some dry ice and put on top and just keep it closed.  No dry ice anywhere in a 200 mile radius.  Some in Fairbanks over 200 miles north.  We are getting worried as they are telling, even to get another freezer is back in Fairbanks or back in Valdez.  Nothing ahead either in Haines.  Finally found a small freezer in the small grocery store in town!! SAVED the fish!!  Its’ all plugged in, filled up with fish and now we have 2 freezers sitting in our RV living room.  A little tight, but at least we didn’t lose any fish. 

  Cleaning clothes, eating Thai food at the place we had food in when we came thru here before, went to the Visitor Center, saw this funny looking RV?  It's all beds in the back, group from Germany getting groceries for their stay in alaska.  Now off to bed.  Looking forward to heading south towards Haines and hoping to see some Moose.

August 6, Wednesday

   What a wonderful drive today from Tok, back into Canada and on the Alaskan highway back toward Haines Junction.  Wanted to stop a few places and get pictures again.  Stopped at the World’s largest gold pan, but no gold for us…then looking for a place to spend the night. 

Noticed a funny glint outside the rear view window on the side of the RV and stopped to investigate.  Apparently on the road out of Tok, it was all rocks and lots of road construction for about 100 miles, a truck threw a rock and busted out one of our windows.  So we spent an hour knocking out the remainder of the glass to even it out and give us the ability to cover it with screen and tape.  So Lin tells us while fixing it, that this is how they fix windows on the planes when they are busted out and he has had to do that to get a plane out of a country that was shooting bullets at them!!  Now that is not information I really wanted to know, thank you very much!!

Did stop at an RV park to spend the night, but they only have 15 amp service and still charge $35 a night.  Decided to go on down the road a piece and see what we can find as a turnout and just use the Generator to run for the ice chest of fish. Wow, did we luck out!!  Stopped at a few, now in Canada’s Yukon, that usually have signs no overnight 

camping.  Finally found one that had no sign (at least we didn’t see any).  It is right on the Kluane Lake, absolutely stunning view of the mountains, the lake waters lapping on the beach and the sunset was just going over the mountain.  Had to get at least a few pics of this and then off to bed, as we head down to Haines Junction and then Haines in the morning.