On the Road Again, August 21, 2007

On Sunday, we drove up over White Pass, sight-seeing and trying to get a glimpse of the “Dead Horse Trail”, used by the Klondike stampeders. The drive was beautiful, climbing up from sea level to over 5,000 feet in a space of 12 to 15 miles. The road parallels the old trail for the first 5 or 6 miles, and then diverges. We could also get a good view of the narrow gauge railroad bed across the valley.

Once on top of the mountain, on the other side of the pass the country was wild and rough looking tundra, with lots of little ponds and brooks.

On Monday, we broke camp. And again climbed the mountain, and went through the pass eventually to the Yukon Territory. We passed through indescribably beautiful countryside. First, we saw large mountain lakes, five to ten miles long, and a quarter to three quarters miles long, nestled in valleys between high rocky mountains with shear cliffs. As we progressed, the terrain remained the same --- lakes in the shadows of mountains, but the forest of spruce instead of tundra.

Monday night, we are camped in a Provincial Campground, in the woods by a lake. It was beautiful and pleasant to get out in the country away from crowded RV, side by side as we had in the last few campgrounds.

Tuesday we continued down the Alaska Highway to a campground near the Cassiar Highway. The Cassiar Highway is the other road north through British Colombia, to the Yukon Territory, connecting up with the Akaka Highway near the BC-YT border. It runs west of the Alaska Highway, and has a reputation for not being as well maintained. Much of it was gravel until recently, and there is still a 50 mile length of gravel road I hear. We are somewhat apprehensive, as there have been reports that the highway has collapsed in landslides in several places. Local reports are that those have mostly been repaired, and in any event the highway is open all the way.

The Cassiar Highway is said to pass through wild forest and mountains, and we anticipate an adventurous ride, with lots of beautiful scenery.

Fall here is definably in the air. The leaves on shrubs and grass on the side of the road have turned to a golden color. The air is crisp, and evenings are pretty chilly. Pretty soon, Florida is going to sound pretty nice!