Sue:  The Yukon River has its beginnings near the bridge that Malcolm showed the contrasting pictures of the 1967 crossing and the 2010 crossing.  During our stay in Whitehorse we went on a boat trip on the Yukon River through a section called the Miles Canyon.  When the “stampeders”  (gold fevered miners) of 1898 had climbed the Chilkoot Pass from Skagway  they reached the Yukon River, built rafts to float down the river (this river flows North to the Bering Sea) to Dawson City where the highest amount of gold was being discovered.  They were then faced with this canyon with bad rapids and whirlpools where many men drowned.  A dam built in later years deepened the water and eliminated the rapids.  We also saw tied up floatplanes which are the favorite mode of transportation here in the Yukon and Alaska.

Our second boat trip was aboard the Klondike Spirit Paddle-wheeler which was also a dinner cruise in the evening,  The weather was perfect: warm and no rain.  We were given the choice of salmon or chicken which was delicious as was the rest of the meal. One of the waitresses spoke to us about life in Dawson City and about the First Nation inhabitants.  We rode down the river to view the village of the First Nation called Moose- hide and then back up to view the remains of paddle wheelers that were abandoned when the road and bridges spelled the end of river traffic.

On Tuesday we boarded a bus in Whitehorse, YT and went to Fraser, right on the Alaskan border. From there we took a White Pass & Yukon train down to Skagway. We boarded the train and rode about 27 miles up over White pass and down into Skagway, Alaska. The White Pass is a narrow gage (3 feet), it was built this way to allow tighter radius turns on the steep mountain tracks: it was also much less expensive. Built during the Klondike gold rush of 1897 to helped get miners and supplies to the Dawson City gold fields. Because of the high rocky terrain 450 tons of dynamite was used in the construction. Going through Customs was unique, it consisted of a customs agent walking slowly through the car while we all flashed our passports at her. The ride down was fantastic with, snow, tunnels, trestles and sheer drops to the valley below. Chuck, Ken( a former Port Authority director in NYC) and I spent most of the ride on the outside platform between cars, where the ride was scenic and cold….we learned very quickly not to lean out in tunnels ( where are the rocks?).After about 2 and one half  action packed hours we arrived in Skagway. On the way back (bus) we stopped in a small Native People’s town called Carcross….its old name was caribou crossing because it is on a major caribou migration route.

The Nisutlin Bay bridge crosses the Teslin River were it forms a bay, as it flows into Teslin Lake. Teslin Lake is 86 miles long and averages 2 miles across. The Bridge is over 1,900 ft long, the longest on the Alaskan Highway.  Teslin means long and narrow in Native people’s language.  The Yukon River bridge spans the river at Milepost 867. The 2010 picture was taken at exactly the same  spot as the 1967 picture. Notice the the Landrover fender it the lower left of the picture. The road leading up the hill beyond the bridge is gravel, two narrow lanes in 1967. In 2010  it is , counting a turn and climbing lanes,

4 lanes paved.

In 1942 a homesick GI, working on the highway, posted a sign giving the milage back to his hometown in the states. Ever since then people passing through Watson Lake have added their own signs. In 1967, when we were there, there was about 3000 signs. Now, 2010, there are over 69,000. We added a sign for the caravan and one of our own.

Pictures were taken along the Alaskan Highway traveling North to Whitehorse

Yukon Territories.

Saturday, July 17… Today was a “free day” which translates into do whatever you want; or nothing at all. We’re rarely interested in “nothing at all” so we decided to go 4 wheeling. We turned off the Alaskan Highway onto Nonda Creek Road an unmaintained gravel “road”. Seventy minutes later we were on the summit of a mountain. Leaving the highway we were at 2400 feet…on the mountain top 5200. The view was spectacular in all directions…endless mountain ranges disappearing into the distance hundreds of miles away ( some with snow). The air was clean and cool. On the way up we saw; moose, ptarmigan (the Alaskan state bird), and a huge beaver dam. No evidence of  people was apparent, except the massive microwave tower that shared the mountain top with us…..

Sue:  Going back a bit to Fort Nelson .  We, along with Chuck and Margaret and two other couples, were given the pleasure of providing a cookout (with caravan money) for 70 hungry caravaners so we had all planned to do the shopping here as there were two (!) grocery stores.  However, I heard over the CB that ladies were going to a quilt shop in the morning,  Maggie and I decided that we would not be needed if six other people were shopping.  Six quilters went up a dirt road thinking the shop would be in someone’s house but found a three bay garage filled with the latest fabrics and a long arm.  The fabric was good quality but most were $15.99 a meter. I did find some $5 sale material and all Christmas fabric was 50% off.  We were there about two hours.Sue:The cookout was a great success because we made a dinner that we had made before with the unit: haystack.  All four couples had varying amounts of hamburger to fry and assorted items to chop up.  At one point we called Claire to be sure we had all the right ingredients and she told us to go to Sam’s at which point our laughter could be heard several trailers away.  Everything is so far away and we haven’t been near a Walmart for days. Everything came together well and the weather cooperated for outdoor eating.  The dessert was nanamio bars which are made from a box mix.  Delicious!  Since then we have had them twice when they were the dessert at caravan dinners. Sue: Traveling from campground to campground we’ve learned so much about how the people live.  The quilt lady said if they hadn’t opened the quilt shop they would have to go to Edmondton, AB for material,about 500 miles.  This was also true of a lady whose gas station and campground offered bison burgers but had none and it would take three days to get more.

Marl Brown is an elderly Canadian who has collected and restored cars his entire life. He is also an inventor. He has worked with the local historical society to create an awesome museum. The museum explains every facet of early life in British Columbia and his car collection traces the early transportation. The best part is ….Marl is usually there to answer questions….as he was on the day we visited. Nearly all of the cars in the museum are driven. He has a 1908 Buick. In 2008 when the car turned 100 years old he ran it up the Alaskan Highway to Whitehorse, YT  a distance of over 1000 miles.

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