From Haines Junction to Tok

May 19

At Haines Junction we have connected with the Alaska Highway and continue north. We must be part of the early run of tourists because we continue to find that venues are either just open or not open yet.

The Kluane NP Visitor Center in Haines Junction had only been open a couple days. Further along we stop at the Sheep Mountain Visitor Center and it also had only been open 2 days. The rangers said they counted 60 Dall Sheep on the mountain this morning. The tiny white spots on the mountain are sheep. I tried taking some shots as close as I could get my camera to focus and on the big lap top screen you can tell they are white animals.

William at Sheep Mountain. A few sheep are the white specks.

Closeup of the sheep

cropped picture of sheep

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It is cold and windy here. The wind blows off of the glacier that is just around the bend in this flat glaciated valley at the bottom of Kluane Lake. Sometimes the wind blows up the glacial dust, loess, enveloping the whole place in a dust storm.

Last night we landed in Burwash Landing on Kluane Lake, Yukon, Canada. After looking at the menu at the Lodge restaurant we decide to try breakfast in the morning.

We hook up right next to the lake. I think the lake comes closer when the snow finishes melting.

Frozen Kluane Lake

After dinner we try the walking tour around Burwash Landing.

 Picture  of me and the Josephine 

William out on an old pier

Much of this town seems to now be First Nation. 

The Catholic Church probably has mass about as often as the church in Sawyers Bar, once a month.

 The Our Lady of Kluane shrine.

The museum was open, just.

 A picture of me with a stuffed Dall Sheep.

We also climb a bank to find the first spring flowers, crocus, have sprung open here.

 Crocus

We walked on a sort of path along the top of the bank. This was fine until the coming down part. As usual my foot slipped. Luckily I did not land in the mud.

May 20
We started out the morning with a hearty breakfast. William had the Burwash Landing Special. Two large pancakes, two eggs and two pieces of bacon. I had an egg sandwich. One egg, one piece of bacon in two pieces of toast.

The Alaska Highway is rough in spots here in the Yukon. Little red flags mark the spots they are thinking about repairing. Bump signs mark the spots they have given up on. A bit of the road was washboard gravel.

We stop at most everyplace with interpretive sign boards.

 This was Pick Handle Lake about 63 miles from Burwash Landing.

The road gets much better after we leave Canada and get back into Alaska.

We are spending the night at the Sourdough Campground in Tok, Alaska. Before we came over here we stopped at a couple of shops in town. One was the Burnt Paw which advertized itself as having sled dog outfitting gear and husky puppies. No puppies. The owner had just sold the last one. She said it was getting hard to keep puppies around as prices were high for feed and the breeders did not breed as many. I asked what she was selling the pups for and she said $300. I suggested she ought to double the price. Make it really hurt for those tourists who would buy those cold weather pups and take them to Florida.

The Sourdough Campground does not have all their popular entertainments up and running yet. No pancake throw. No buffet pancake breakfast with entertainment. But the mosquitoes are up and running. William says they are twice the size of those at home. Personally I try to avoid mosquitoes everywhere. The wifi is strong only right next to the office. So I will try to upload this in the AM if the Mosquitoes have settled down.