Leaving Skagway, Alaska and heading to Haines Junction, Yukon

Leaving Skagway, Alaska and heading to Haines Junction, Yukon

We always know when it time to move on.  After 4 days in Skagway, it is time to move on to Haines Junction and then to Tok, Alaska.  The drive out of Skagway was even more interesting and more beautiful as we drove up the mountain.  It is about 8 miles up we gaining about 3200 feet in elevation. The views were everywhere.  Just one great view after another. It was a very windy day and the rivers and lakes were a vibrant blue with a good chop on the water. The white caps and wave were clearly visible. The bright sunny day was a great way to leave. When we asked local people about the overcast weather, they all agreed it was normal and most liked it that way.  The reason is the sun heats up these valleys and they get hot. A record was set the week prior to our visit at 83 degrees.  Juneau is mostly overcast with some days with light rain. The walk out to Mendenhall Glacier is considered a rain forest.   Juneau is landlocked.  We knew if we didn’t get there, this time, it would be unlikely we would get back here soon. Most people get here by boat or air. There are no roads to Juneau. There are about 130 miles of roads that go nowhere. So you can’t get there from here.

The ride up the Alaskan Highway took us by Whitehorse again and the road got better, then worse and worse, then better again and worse.  Just as we were driving out of Whitehorse, at the last light on the Alaska Highway, we hit a horrible, horrible dip in the road going thru the light northbound.  It was one of the worse knocking about we have had this trip. It certainly was not expected since we were still so close to Whitehorse.  It must have looked really bad, since a driver behind us caught up with us at a fuel station about a mile down the road to let us know the bikes on the back of the rig were jerking and flopping around like an out-of-control marionette.  He stopped just to let us know.  That was very kind of him and we thanked him.  We tried to secure them better, however, without much hope.  These bikes, on this rack, have traveled over 50,000 miles between this rig and our previous Montana.  We are crossing our fingers for the trip North on the Alaska Highway.

So, speaking of the drive North on the Alaska Highway—— after the Whitehorse thing!!!  The ride to Haines Junction, Yukon Canada was off and on slow going with the effects of winter’s permafrost on the road.  Workers were in various places busily repairing the dips, ditches, potholes and cracks.  At times, we had to wait for a pilot car to escort a whole line of us thru the construction area.  This work has to be done as time is of the essence.

The scenery is absolutely stunning.  We so enjoy the wildness of the Yukon.  Cathy always the camera in her hands in the event of a great shot comes into view or an animal.  We had not seen any animals this day.  We had been keeping an eagle eye out.  We no sooner mentioned to each other a rabbit started across the road heading into our lane.  He quickly turned around and practically flew back into the ravine.  We laughed at this, as it seemed someone heard us, looked around and said “Where is the Moose?, buffalo? stone sheep? elk?—- when they are needed.  All we have is a prop rabbit— you, get out there for the tourist” The timing could not have been better.  We are easily entertained.