Max the Travel Cat, guest blogger

Some people have asked us how Max has adjusted to traveling, so I thought I'd give him a chance to tell you himself. This is an excerpt from Max's journal about trailer life.

I even have my favorite lounger. (Stop taking my picture!)

I have my own room (sort of).

But they always seem to find me!

I have a secret hiding place under the futon.

They spoil me when we travel. I even get to lie on the bed.

My favorite pastime is looking out the window.

But it can get tiring!

I can't do this at home, but like I said, I'm spoiled when we travel.

Sometimes I have to help them with travel plans.

Don't tell me it's time to go in the truck again...Ugh!

I don't know what I'm complaining about. I have the whole back seat to myself....

and all the facilities of home.

Sometimes I have to come up front to complain about the bumps.

Yay, I'm going back inside! And the cycle continues.

The back door is open,  it must be time to get out. 

                                                                                                          

The Last Stretch to the Border

We left Whitehorse, YT on June 4th and headed for the Alaska border. After a brief overnight stop in Haines Junction, YT, we continued on the Alaska Highway as it paralleled the beautiful Kluane (Klu-WAN-ee) Mountain Range. The Kluane Range is the largest non-polar ice field in the world. We could see so many glaciers along the way.

There was one breath-taking scene after another!

After following the mountain range for many miles we came to the south end of Kluane Lake. 

The lake is enormous...45 miles long. We stopped to take a photo and were planning to stop at a visitor's center around the bend when we noticed something in the distance in a field at the edge of the lake. We couldn't make out what it was at first, but then it was clear....it was a grizzly!

Thank goodness for binoculars and telephoto lenses! We were able to get up close without getting up close!

When the grizzly wandered off, we continued on to the Tachel Dahl Visitor's Center which sits at the base of the Tachel Dahl (formerly known as Sheep Mountain). The southern slope of the mountain is the main winter and spring range and lambing area for the Dall sheep. The rams migrate out of the area in May, but females and lambs can be seen from May to early June. They spend the summer on the backside of the slope where it is greener. Then they return to the southern slope in August. Behind the visitor's center a telescope is set up for viewing. The top of the mountain is at 5,000 ft. 

Even with a telephoto lens, they're just white dots on top of the ridge.

Just beyond the visitor's center there was a trail that took us to Soldier's Summit where the original Alaska Canada Military Highway (the Alcan) was officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in November, 1942. This was the spot where the crews working from the north and south met.  Today the highway is simply called The Alaska Highway.

Road from the South

Road from the North (new road and lake in background)

Plaque commemorating the event

There was a great view of Kluane Lake from Soldier's Summit.

We stopped at a pull-off beside the lake to make some lunch.....one of the advantages of carrying your home with you! I had to take one last look back at the Kluane Mountain Range before continuing down the highway.

We thought we might make it to the border that day, but because of road conditions (that Lee mentioned on an earlier post) we made one last overnight stop in the Yukon in Beaver Creek. The next morning, we made it to the border! 

No, that's not our rig in the background.

One foot in each country!

 After all the photo ops, we passed through Customs with ease. Alaska here we come!

Whitehorse, Carcross and Miles Canyon

Whitehorse, capital of the Yukon Territory sits in a valley astride the Yukon River. Two thirds of the Yukon's population live in or around Whitehorse  The city is noted as having the least air pollution in the world.

The busy downtown area is attractive and well laid out.

We got in late and decided to have dinner in town. We asked for a recommendation from some fellow RV'ers and were directed to a pub in town. As luck would have it we found the street and location but went in the wrong door and ended up in a pizza/beer joint. We wanted burgers but lucked into Yukon Brewing Co. (Whitehorse) beer and a bison chorizo, grilled onion and pepperocini pizza. Yum! Some wrong turns work out for the best.

At the top of Two Mile Hill, the western exit of town, is a sculpture of  a horse collaborated on by a local sculptor and local welder. It's made up of scrap wires, cables, tools, appliances, wheels, gears, etc., etc.  At right, below, the lower leg is a 12" sizing plane.

                                                                                                                                                                

The horse sculpture is behind the fire department headquarters along with this unique "Fireman" complete with turnout gear and hose.  All the components of the "fireman" are used fire extinguishing gear, extinguishers, spray heads, regulators, etc. It even has footprints on the concrete base!

Later in the day we took a ride to Miles Canyon to see where the Whitehorse Rapids had once terrorized river travelers trying to get to the Klondike gold fields. The rapids were so dangerous that eventually only qualified boatmen were allowed to transport passengers and cargo. The Yukon was later dammed for hydroelectric power so the rapids no longer exist but the remaining canyon is beautiful.

There's a suspension bridge across the river for access to hiking/mountain biking trails.










These bridges are not Lynda's favorite places to be but...

...she was OK as long as I didn't make the bridge sway.

Another of Lynda's favorite activities is hiking a narrow trail along a cliff, NOT! It's about a 50' drop into the frigid Yukon. (We found mountain bike tire tracks on this trail. Yikes!)

The next day we took a ride toward Skagway and stopped in Carcross. Carcross' claims to fame are The Carcross Desert, also known as "The World's Smallest Desert", and the narrow gauge White Pass and Yukon Railroad. It was also a trade center for the Tlingit and Tagish Nations as well as a terminus of the Chilkoot Trail which brought gold seekers from Skagway.

The Carcross Desert is actually a series of dunes deposited in the area after the last Ice Age. Presently, prevailing winds off of Bennett Lake blow sand into the dunes replenishing them.

The locals use the dunes for sandboarding and, unfortunately, ATVing.

This Caribou welcomes you to Carcross, originally known as Caribou Crossing, until a Post Office screw up.

The Matthew Watson General Store is one of the original businesses/stores in town.

The train station serves passengers riding on the White Pass and Yukon Railroad going to Skagway or Whitehorse.

The old steel girder bridge takes the train over the river between Bennett Lake and Tagish Lake.

Emerald Lake is one of the incredibly green lakes along the road to Carcross.