Whitehorse & South Klondike Highway, Yukon Territory - 7/15 &16/2004 (Re-run)

 We visited Whitehorse on our way north and found it to be both scenic and interesting, so it was no surprise that we wanted to spend time there on our way south.  One of the more interesting attractions was the Beringia Interpretive Centre.  Beringia is the name that has been given to the land mass that connected Asia and North America during the last ice age.  For nearly two million years, most of the Northern Hemisphere was cover by glacial ice, causing sea levels to drop several hundred feet.  Even during an ice age, warm periods occurred and allowed plants to thrive on the exposed land.  This attracted animals, and in turn humans, to cross between the continents.  Archeological digs have found fossilized remains of mammals from that period, such as mastodon, giant beaver, and saber-toothed cat.

We also checked out some of the local plants that grow so well here, despite the short growing season.

The South Klondike highway leaves the Alaskan Highway near Whitehorse and terminates at Skagway, AK, where most of the prospectors arrived during the 1898 gold rush.  This highway is among the most scenic places we encountered on this trip, although smoke from nearby forest fires did spoil the views somewhat.  The light green color in this lake is caused by a white marl in the lake bed, the result of glaciers.

Many of the lakes in this region are fed by glaciers and have a distinct coloring caused by silt from the glaciers.

There were many majestic waterfalls along the highway.

Notice the different color where the glacial stream enters the river.

There are actually two lakes here, one fed by glacier while the other is created by a non-glacial river.  They are separated by a narrow sand bar.

Haines Junction, Yukon Territory to Haines, Alaska - July 12 & 13, 2004 (Re-run)

 Haines Junction is a small village in the Yukon Territory, population around 600.  It started as a construction camp for the Alaskan Highway, then the Haines Highway, and has somehow hung on as a minor tourist stop.  

Two churches demonstrate common construction techniques in the area.  Quonset huts were used by the military during WW II and became readily available to the public when bases shut down.  Log structures are simply a matter of accessible building materials.

The Haines Highway is 150 miles long, ending at the port city of Haines, and is a significant supply line.  Having seen Haines briefly during an Alaskan Cruise years earlier, we thought the 300 mile round trip would be worth it to get a better feel for the town.  It turned out that the scenery along the highway was ample justification for the long drive.  Like most of coastal Alaska, summers are almost perpetually cloudy and rainy.

Haines itself was originally a Tlingit Indian village that became a trading center when Europeans arrived.  It grew as a result of establishment of U.S. Army base William H. Seward.  Following closure of the base, the population declined and is now about 1700.  Fishing and tourism are important to the economy, supported by the Alaska Ferry System and several cruise lines that stop here.  In the winter, Haines is a major gathering site for bald eagles and many people come to view them.

A popular museum features numerous stuffed animals from the surrounding area.

There is still a significant Tlingit population in Haines that stages historical presentations and salmon dinners.

The Seward army base has been preserved by private interests and has a Historical Landmark designation.

Plants do very well here due to the mild climate and lots of rain.

Richardson, Denali & Alaskan Highways, Alaska - July 10-12, 2004 (Re-run)

 From Valdez, we headed for the Alaska Highway via the Richardson Highway.  We had driven the northern part of this road on our way into Alaska, so we knew it was very scenic.  Further, Denali Highway connects the Richardson Highway to Denali National Park, and this road had been recommended by friends.  

We also passed Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the largest park in the system at more than 13 million acres.  This is over six times as large as Yellowstone N P, and bigger than the entire country of Switzerland.  The park contains some of the highest mountains in North America, many of which are volcanoes.  Access to the park is rather limited, with one main road more than 100 miles long.  The distant view is pretty good, so we didn't drive very far into the park.

One of the most interesting things we saw along the way was a strange looking bus from Germany providing a grand tour of North America for twelve people.  The bus came across the ocean aboard a cargo ship with its passengers inside.  In addition to their seats, each passenger had a sleeping berth in the rear section.  I wondered what this trip might have cost, but did not want to ask such a personal question.

 Richardson Highway did not disappoint with its scenery.  Mountains, glaciers, lakes and waterfalls were almost everywhere we looked.  The Worthington Glacier was definitely one of the most spectacular of the trip.

Denali Highway is 120 miles long, but only about twenty miles are paved, while the rest of it is pretty rough.  The paved section did have gorgeous scenery, and I'm sure the remainder was also beautiful.  I just couldn't bring myself to drive the full distance and then backtrack.

This part of the Alaskan Highway was new to us, as we had bypassed it on our way to Alaska, knowing we would see it on the way out.  As expected, we did spot some wildlife along the way. 

I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving to start the holiday season.