Today the Yukon, Tomorrow Alaska

Watson Lake was a quaint town. The people were friendly, the campground was nice and they even had a free RV wash. We must have removed five pounds of bugs from the windshield, grill, and upper portion of the motor home. It looks shiny clean now. It will be short lived, as we will meet new bugs today on our windshield and travel through more gravel areas. Dennis took a picture of a serene lake that was located behind the campground.

As we approached this sleepy town last evening, we actually traveled back and forth between British Columbia and the Yukon Territory six times. The road winds back and forth. When we left in the morning, we stopped and photographed what the Watson Lake folks call Signpost Forest. It is a small piece of land at the north end of town completely devoted to markers that travelers have left. At last count in September 2006, there were 61,298 signs. They are from all over the world. The closest one we recognized from our hometown was Cass City, Michigan. Over the years, travelers have brought stolen town signs, homemade signs and other memorabilia as they head north into Alaska. Had we only known…

Quick trivia question: Who was Sergeant Preston and where did he work?

We continue traveling in a westerly direction, following the Rancheria River. Over the years, road construction has improved and has cut off a number of miles from the old Alaskan Highway. You see remnants of it as you travel. According the Milepost guide, since we started in Dawson Creek, we have traveled over 700 miles on the Alaskan Highway. The route we are traveling has shaved an additional 26 miles off the old route. We also see a number of abandoned airstrips from World War II. These airstrips were used as World War II pilots moved equipment and supplies to Russia. They traveled with limited maps and so there were a number of mishaps during that time.

We have an opportunity to take a trail that leads us to Rancheria Falls. The trail takes us through another boreal forest. We are rewarded with a picturesque waterfall. We also see mushroom, lichen and other small forest plants. Just steps away from the Alaskan Highway, this is a quiet retreat for those seeking a change of pace from the mountains.

We cross the Canadian Continental Divide. At this point, water flowing to the east eventually pours into the Arctic Ocean. Water flowing west empties into the Bering Sea. We also temporarily move back into British Columbia. After 42 miles we will return to the Yukon.

The animals must know it is Saturday and have taken the weekend off from work. We have yet to see any signs of wildlife, save the occasional crow and gull.

We enter the town of Teslin, population 411. This mostly Native population offers gift shopping, a heritage center and other tourist type traps. One interesting sight, however was a string of totem poles found outside the Heritage Centre. They are standing erect like sentinels.
The photographer, George Johnston, inhabited this town at one point. He brought the first car, a 1928 Chevrolet to the town. At that time, there was no Alaskan Highway. Johnston constructed a three-mile strip and drove his car, calling it the Teslin Taxi. In the wintertime, he drove the car across Teslin Lake. The lake is 86 miles long and averages two miles wide. It is 194 feet deep. That’s a lot of ice to freeze to make a solid surface for driving.

It is a relatively quiet day. We did cross a bridge that was under reconstruction. Less than half the width of the bridge was available for one-way travel. A pilot led a string of cars across the bridge. There was a 10-foot width clearance. Most motor homes are 8 feet wide. Fortunately for us, our RV is 7 feet wide. Not a problem for us, but we did see an Rver pull over after the crossing, inspecting a spot he had scraped on his blind side. Ouch.

One of our last views of the drive time was of Marsh Lake. Located 35 minutes from our final destination of Whitehorse, the lake boasts a well-appointed inn called, Inn on the Lake. Apparently, Martha Stewart stayed there and filmed one of her programs from the location. Yawn.

Once in Whitehorse, we plan to photograph the Government Building and S.S. Klondike (a historical, drydocked paddle wheel boat). Whitehorse is the capital of the Yukon. There is a theme going on here: Winnipeg, Regina, Edmonton and now Whitehorse. We’ll be catching a few more on our trip. Did you know that there are 30,000 people in the ENTIRE Yukon Territory and 20,000 of them live in Whitehorse? That makes a lot of available land. Whitehorse has an incredible fish ladder located at its hydroelectric power plant. This operation truly shows the power of water. The controlled water flow creates a wonderful lake for recreational purposes. We also have an opportunity to drive around Schwatka Lake, where visitors may take airplane rides and boat cruises.

Tomorrow, 350 miles to Tok Alaska.

Answer to the trivia question: Sergeant Preston was a character in a show by the same name that aired in the mid 50’s. He was a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer, serving in the Yukon Territory. His shows were always based on “good vs. evil”. His was of the Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet, Hopalong Cassidy, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry genre. One of his favorite phrases was, “I arrest you in the name of the Crown.”