Surprised Ourselves Today
We thought we would drive about 300 miles today but were able to get in about 400. A 400 mile day in the lower 48 is very doable but it’s always a gamble on these roads. The winter wreaks havoc on them. There are frost heaves and potholes everywhere. Those weren’t too bad today until we got west of Whitehorse. There was a ten mile stretch west of Whitehorse that felt like a roller coaster ride. After that, heaves and potholes were marked pretty well with warning signs and orange cones and flags. Good thing because they can sneak up on you and destroy your suspension in a hurry!
We crossed the border between Yukon and British Columbia a couple times today before finally turning north toward central Yukon. There wasn’t much wildlife near the roads at all today. Not like yesterday’s show at all. We only saw one red fox.
It has rained most of the day today. That complicated things a bit because potholes can fill up with water and look like puddles. We had to really keep an eye out for the orange cones and flags in those areas.
We stopped for lunch in a rest area at the Marsh Lake Dam. It was a real pretty, quiet area next to the highway and lake.
Our initial plan was to stop for the night in Haines Junction but the “RV park” there was a parking lot at a gas station. We stopped in at the Village Bakery to pick up another Alaska Highway cinnamon roll. Sadly, they were sold out. I asked someone in the bakery about RV parks down the road. They suggested the Talbot Arm Hotel in Destruction Bay, about 90 minutes away. We decided to give it a shot. We drove through Burwash Landing on the way there. The clouds were really low, just touching the tops of the trees.
We ended up there for the night. It’s another loose definition of an RV park. It’s a dirt parking lot next to the hotel. Dirt would be fine except it’s raining, so it’s mud. Not the end of the world, just a little messy with two dogs.
We will cross the border into Alaska tomorrow. We aren’t sure how far we will get but know we are heading toward Fairbanks after we reach Tok. I have read online that the road from here to Tok, Alaska is pretty rough. I’m sure the rain won’t help that tomorrow. We were going to take the Denali Highway to Denali National Park after entering Alaska. It’s a 130 mile long gravel road. It would be a nightmare with all this rain so we decided to take the paved road to Fairbanks instead. It’s a bit longer that way but will be better for the RV..and our dental work. We are on retiree time anyway so, what’s a few extra miles? I’ll check back in tomorrow and let you know how far we got.
Marsh Lake Dam
Our lunch spot at the picnic area next to the Marsh Lake Dam.
I’m not sure what kind of wildflower this is but they are everywhere. They give the sides of the road a beautiful purple color.
Super low clouds at Burwash Landing
Kluane Lake is absolutely beautiful and HUGE. The picture isn’t the greatest because it was raining. We drove completely around the lake, following the base of the mountains you see in the distance to get to Destruction Bay. The mountains are hard to see because of the clouds and rain. It was a beautiful drive despite the rain.
