Happy Canada Day!

One month on the road with the Little Guy

How appropriate to return to Canada on Canada Day (July1), which is also our one month on the road anniversary (four weeks). And, we haven't killed each other yet.

Welcome (back) to Canada!

Wait, why are we going to Canada? 

The only way to drive requires a passport 

We haven't finished with Alaska yet. Well, even though Alaska is contiguous, there are not roads connecting all the parts. To get to Haines, you have to leave the country, drive through Canada and re-enter Alaska. But, let me back up. Before we got to the border, we had some Alaska to drive through. 

We left Glenallen with overcast, but the day eventually brightened up. 

A stunning view

We passed by those gorgeous Wrangell-St. Elias views we had seen two nights before, this time in bright sunlight.

A glacier descending into the valley

We drove to Tok ...

A quick stop for gas and a bite to eat

... and picked up the portion of the Alaska Highway we didn't take because of our decision to take the Top of the World Highway. I gotta say, this leg is MUCH prettier. 

So, so much more dramatic

Mountains, lakes, trees. I didn't get many photos because we didn't stop too often. Scott didn't like the light and we didn't see many animals.

The road, unfortunately, is in terrible condition on both sides of the border; lots of frost heaves, many long gravel stretches and very difficult driving.

This is what we imagined the drive would be like

There isn't much traffic, though. And, law enforcement isn't seen often.

Maybe the "pretend" police car is a deterrent

We did finally see wildlife – a Moose very far away ...

But, a pretty good bull

... and a Black Bear (with an injured nose) very close up ...

Poor baby

We did finally reach scenery (and light) Scott felt it worth stopping to photograph.

 

Driving toward something spectacular

Kluane Lake in Kluane National Park is startlingly turquoise. 

Kluane Lake

It reminds one of Hawaii and is not what you would expect in the Yukon. 

The glacial lake has significantly different colors depending on depth and silt

Of course it faces some pretty tall mountains: 16,000+, 17,000+, 19,000+ feet (take that, Colorado!). 

Gorgeous mountains

We stopped in Haines Junction before going on to spend the next two days in Haines before getting on a ferry. 

The wildflowers say summer!

So, we have left mainland Alaska and are heading for the Southeast and the water, whales and glaciers. 

The next day, we would cross back into Alaska. And, the summer weather was looking so good

A couple of words about the Alaska Highway: picnic tables are hard to come by; accommodations are sketchy and many are not open; and, RV parks are really yucky. It makes camping tougher than we expected. When we reached Haines Junction, we were dismayed until we found a cute (and cheap) little cabin.

A nice place to sleep before going back to Alaska

Trip date: June 3-July 20, 2013