|
Merging of the Yukon and Klondike
Rivers. Dawson City,
Yukon. The Yukon is glacier fed hence the white in background.
At this point they are parallel, but separate. |
It was an adventurous
trek from the very first day,
with nine of the nineteen rigs' windshields being peppered with
stones from the heavily graveled roads of the Alaskan Highway.
They loved the Yukon, the scenery
and the people:
"Whitehorse is a growing
city and Skagway is great. Our time there was way too short.
We met people from all over the world. I was amazed that I mailed
a package from Skagway to New York and it arrived the next day.
Could have spent more time in Dawson City area. We were amazed
there were so very many people riding up on bikes up to Dawson
City.
We traveled over the Top of the
World Highway in Canada to the Alaska boundary. The Yukon side
was paved but not from the boundary to well beyond Chicken, Alaska,
and we sustained two blowouts on the front of our towed car.
Had to use a satellite phone to call for a tow to Tok, where
we spent a few days getting things handled. The wheels were a
mess, and the car was "totaled." While camped in Tok
a knock came on the door, and it was friends from Florida! Neither
of us knew the other was going to Alaska.
On to the rest of Alaska without
a car! We caught up to our group in Fairbanks and traveled to
Denali with them. Then our cat became ill, and we drove to Anchorage
with the RV for a veterinarian visit and the purchase of a new
car. Came home with an Alaska temporary tag and Florida license
plates with a Chicken, Alaska license plate on the front. (Chris's
joke over the old car).
The canola fields in Canada were
beautiful (they were in full bloom), as well as the fireweed
in the Yukon. Got to see the salmon spawning and lots of glaciers.
Even saw the Beluga whales in Turn Again Arm near Anchorage.
I hiked up on the black ice of the Matanuska Glacier but did
not make it onto
the blue. The weather was beautiful all the way, but the snow
was starting to chase us on the way home. We arrived in Prince
George, British Columbia and were there on September 11. On the
13th we crossed into Washington and began our trek home, meeting
people and stopping along the way. We did not see as many animals
as we had hoped except on the ranches. We saw mostly moose and
stone sheep with an occasional bear.
I loved the trip, but then I
was not doing the driving. Maybe some day we will go again as
there is lots more to see and do."
December 3, 2001. |
