Alaska '08 day 20, Whitehorse to Dawson City

Tue July 1, 2008

Canada Day

We headed into Whitehorse this morning to do some quick shopping but everything was closed for Canada Day (we thought it was yesterday).

So we set out at 11:30 for Dawson City.

The road (320mi) was narrow and rough. Shoulders are sharp and soft so you really need to pay attention. Not too many grades or turns, mostly flat and straight. About an hour into the drive it started to rain and it rained all day. My picture at 5 finger rapids north of Carmacks is really grey.


We stopped at Braeburn Lodge (about 50 miles up) for a cinnamon role, about the size of a small round loaf of bread. No critters, not much to see. Not too many cities; Carmacks, Pelly Crossing (really small) and Stewart Crossing. Minto looks to just be an active mine. No lumbering up through here, pines are too small and scraggly (most of Yukon is that way) and more birch than pine. We passed a slide-in that went into the ditch maybe 30 minutes before we got there. Couldn't tell what happened, maybe got off onto the soft/sharp shoulder and pulled it into the ditch. The whole rig was totalled, truck and camper. You really need to be careful on this road.

We got into Dawson City around 8:30 and it is pouring rain. We'll wait for better weather tomorrow to go into town.

352 miles today.

4357 miles so far.

- Jon