Dempster Highway, Tombstone Territorial Park, and Gwich'in Land

Friday, July 8 - Dempster Highway, Tombstone Territorial Park, and Gwich'in Land

Woke to see this determined pine across the street

Twice had to wait for pilot cars to guide us through road construction. Smoke is still heavy. Met a couple from Dusseldorf traveling with their two teens while waiting. 

Smoke obscures the view

Stopped at the Tombstone Territorial Park Interpretive Centre but, because of heavy rain, we made lunch but skipped hiking. 

Moose antler - grown new each year

Grizzly paw cast

Snow

Engineer Creek - iron oxide,  limestone,  gypsum,  salt- and sulfide- bearing sediments dissolve in rain water and color the creek.

Camped at old airstrip rest area 30 miles south of Eagle Plains.

Klondike Loop and Fire!

 Thurs, July 7  2020 - Whitehorse to Klondike Loop

Spent another night in the parking lot of the Real Canadian Super Store, yet again surrounded by an international assortment of RVs, vans, and car campers. Chatted with Dave from Newfoundland, a Venezuelan dad with his 7 year old son (who had been on the road his entire life), and with a Swiss couple in an RV modified for the wheelchair using husband, who have traveled all over the world. 

I'm envious though, as an American, I don't think we'd be welcome in some of these countries.

The internet was restored in the Yukon (and the Northwest Territories we later learned) so we stocked up on fresh produce and, hearing they were guiding passage through the fire with pilot cars when safe to do so, too our chances on the Klondike Loop.

Still relevant technology here

Stopped at the Braeburn Inn, home of the cinnamon buns claimed to be able to feed 4. 

It can.

It also has an airstrip - multiple use facilities are common here

It's also a checkpoint on the 1000 mile international dog sledding race Yukon Quest

and a support spot on the Yukon River Quest, a 444 mile paddle race, occurring now 

The Montague Roadhouse stagecoach/sled dog stop ruins

Stopped at Five Finger Rapids and walked down 219 stairs (I did half again for the forgotten bear spray - ugh) to the wooded walk to the Yukon River

 Found this fascinating

The mosquitoes were thick and relentless! We won't forget our bug suits again!

Beautiful hills

Yukon River

Moose cow with twins (we were a little slow with the camera)

Arrived about 8 pm at the line of vehicles waiting for the pilot car through the fires between Pelly Crossing and Stewart Crossing. Chatting with others in the line we heard that the passage would close for the night at 10pm. At 9:35 2 motorcyclists gave up and drove off. At 9:48 we were led across.

Fire

That's fire right behind that initial row of trees!

We  finally  got through the fire line and camped along the Stewart River rest stop, amongst the smoke.

Whitehorse and Delays

Tues & Wed, July 5 & 6, 2022  Whitehorse, Yukon Territory

Stopped to get fire updates and local advice at the visitor's center.

Headed to Alpine Organic Bakery where we indulged in a pesto and cheese bun, a leek and cheese bun, and a fabulous South African curry bun. We also got spruce tip shortbread to go. Definitely will return here!

Their pizza was beautiful!

While I caught up on all things internet related, Matthew explored the area

Lots of log buildings in the surrounding area

A statue to honor and remember the missing  and murdered indigenous women in Yukon and British Columbia 

The SS Klondike II riverboat

All the major cross walks are thus painted 💖

A sign of the times

As was this

Canada is much more explicit than the US

Stopped in at the Yukon Brewery to try a flight and engaged with some twenty-somethings playing Bananagrams. Beer was ok. Spent the night in the parking lot of the Real Canadian Superstore, since the road north is still closed due to fire.

Parked next to this behemoth, which is actually manufactured in Springfield, Missouri. I'm a little jealous of it's ability to go anywhere, wonder if they make smaller ones

Woke to find out that the fire wiped out a fiber optic tower and most of Yukon Territory is without internet. This means that transactions anywhere are in cash only! And also that there is no update on the fire north of us. Went to Winterlong Brewery and had a very tasty flight.

Filled water tanks at the visitor center, read books in the library, and returned to the same parking lot to make dinner and spend the night. Met Dave from Newfoundland who was also traveling to Tuk, a family from Argentina living in their van for the past 7 years with their almost 7 year old son, and two couples from Sweden who were also headed to Tuk. 

One of the Swedish couples had a wheelchair user and an accessible van. They had done this adventure in it in 2017! So jealous!

It is now Thursday morning, the 7th. Internet is up and we are going to take our chances heading north and see if we can get through.