Alaska–Day 91

Yukon Territory is huge. On a provincial park sign we saw the slogan, “Yukon, Larger than Life.”  We spent seven days in Yukon on our way to Alaska and we will drive through the province for three days on our way to Haines.  There is a vast expanse of wilderness, covered with forest and lakes.  We tried very hard to take it all in today.  After our drive tomorrow, we may never come through here again. 

This is a long and daunting journey with a 36-foot 5th wheel trailer, especially at our age.  I don’t know that I would want to go through it again.  In addition, we both feel we have seen and experienced everything we ever wanted to see here.  It has been wonderful.  But we are full, and tired, and ready for the familiar and for staying in one place for weeks at a time.

What did we relish during our trip today?  There were numerous ponds and small lakes.  This country, which often sits on permafrost, has innumerable such ponds.  Often they are smooth and reflect the surroundings. This first picture shows a trumpeter swan floating on the lake, though I don’t know if you can make it out.  A little later, we saw two of these swans flying overhead.  How cool is that?  Where else could we see that?

The road today was rugged most of the way, with frost heave and pot holes.  But the ride was worth it.  We saw the beautiful St. Elias Mountains.  We had seen the other side of this range three days ago, driving north from Glennallen to Tok.  These mountains are part of the Wrangell and St. Elias National Park in Alaska and Kluane National Park in Canada.

We saw colorful mountains that make us wonder what the early settlers could mine there.

And our eyes feasted on Kluane Lake with its miles of shoreline and many acres of deep blue water.

We have seen 30 bear during this trip, 14 in Canada on our way to Alaska, 16 in Alaska.  We hoped to see more today.  We did.  Number 31.  As we drove along Kluane Lake, we saw this fat grizzly bear crossing the road.  I took several pictures, including this one as he walked down to the lake’s shore.  It was icing on the cake as we savored our last days in Canada.

This photograph shows you what I mean when I talk about a vast wilderness.  It seems to go on and on, almost forever.

Finally, the valley spread out to include these open fields with pretty yellow flowers and rail fences.  We wondered where the cattle or wheat fields were.  Do they have them here?

We have been so blessed to have the time, the finances, the proper transportation and the good health to make this trip.  We have seen such beauty.  And I have over 5,000 pictures on my computer to help us remember it in the years to come.