Saturday, May 31, 2014

Post # 44 Whitehorse to Alaska border.--Deadmans Lake

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Another long day of traveling. We spent the night in a Walmart parking lot  in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada , along with about 10-12 other motor homes, fifth wheels and campers.. Sure is nice of them to let us do that. But, we do go shopping there so it sorta makes up for the hospitality. Engine ran good all day, no overheating and transmission stayed cool. Thank you LORD for the blessing. HE fixed it for us.


There were some good photo scenic areas that we really enjoyed. The mountains with glaciers on top and a beautiful Lake Kluane  that was a bit obscured due to a sand storm from the dry beds of the lake.


Some Majestic Mountains. Drove around them all day. Some have glaciers

There were some good photo scenic areas that we really enjoyed. The mountains with glaciers on top and a beautiful Lake Kluane  that was a bit obscured due to a sand storm from the dry beds of the lake. Nita got some rock samples and we took a few photos.



Along the way was the roughest highway I think I’ve ever driven on. They call it “frost heaves”. The pavement buckled over the thawed permafrost and we had to do a lot of zig-zagging to miss the bad parts. Couldn’t drive over 30mph most of the time. I followed a guy who had experience driving that route. He said he did it twice a year to pick up trailers and deliver them back to Anchorage, AK. He said he usually blows a tire or two each trip so I should slow down to 20-30 if needed. I didn’t need a blown tire, that’s for sure. Our two hundred mile trip took us eight hours to drive. 

Just a sample. Most was much, much worse and had to zig-zag for almost 100 miles at 20-30 mph




                                          Dust storm on Kluane (kloo-WA-nee) Lake. couldn't see across bridge


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Nita gathering rocks on the beach at gorgeous Lake Kluane -the largest in the mountains
Lake Kluane






We saw the glacier ice mountains and they were beautiful. We stopped in Haines Junction, which is on the eastern boundary of Kluane ( pronounced kloo-WA-nee) National Park and Preserve. And went to  a local bakery (Village Bakery) and enjoyed the most delicious Quiche made with salmon, eggs, veggies and spices. Nita had a most delicious Almond  Cheese  Danish along with her coffee and we bought a Russian/German Sandwich called a TOG ? To go. We’re having it for lunch or dinner tomorrow.







We saw and took a picture of a quaint Catholic Church built from a Quonset Hut left over by the  Alaska Canadian highway road crew in 1942.  It is reported to be the most photographed church in the Yukon.




Instead of wildlife we came upon seven wild horses along the highway. Couldn't tell what bloodline they were except one looked like  a pinto (or paint) and one looked like a Roan. He had a beautiful coat that just shined.


                                                    Beautiful coat
                                                  Paint or Pinto?


Didn’t have time to try it. LOL







Border Crossing into Alaska from the Yukon was easy. No hassle, just a few questions, showed passports and vehicle registration and that was it. Just as easy as coming into Canada. The stretch of higghway between the border station and Haines Junction is supposed to be the most challenging to the road companies. the deep bed lies on top of glacier permafrost (hundreds of feet deep) and is a real challenge to maintain. So, the US and Canada (since it was a US highway built by the US) it is a joint venture to design a way to create a solid foundation to prevent the permafrost buckling and cracking/freezing that occurs. The picture below is an experiment to create cool air underneath the pavement in hopes of maintining a constant
tempature.

                                       .
                                                    Customs at the Alaska Border


The vent extends underneath and  across to the other side

Thermometer recorder






Alaska's Aboriginie

A sample of an Aleut (Alaska’s Aborigine) in olden days.  A very accurate statue of the Alaskan Indian butchering the hindquarter of a caribou.

The highway cuts through several of these sand dunes.  The sand originally was part of the volcanic mountain range to the south.  Prevailing winds moved the sand across the valley floor forming the dunes, now stabilized by plants.  A distinct layer of volcanic ash is also found here, evidence of a volcanic eruption in the St. Elias Range some 1,400 years ago.



                                              Sand Dunes from millions of years ago


The Tetlin National Wildlife Reserve has been recognized internationally because of its habitat for birds.  The area is an important breeding ground for the nesting trumpeter swans and migrating sandhill cranes and more than 126 other nesting species and  64 other migrating species.

Nita and Boomer at Deadman Lake Campground in the Tetlin Refuge. All such are free and most have picnic tables and fire pits but no services. You can even sleep over in a highway pull off parking area.   We were told that anywhere you can safely pull off the highway, it’s ok to park overnight (unless signs say otherwise).



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