Haines Junction to Haines

King's Throne on Kathleen Lake

I'd really like to do this trip justice, but I'm afraid if I wait that long, I'll never finish. So, since I'm not a perfectionist...here we go.

Saturday morning we left Haines Junction early but first we stopped at the combined Library / Liquor store. Daddy X used to say there are two things to do in Alaska in the winter: read or drink. The Yukon is so efficient, they made it a one stop shop.

Then we swung past the Senior Drop-in Center which used to be the weigh station and winter check-in station. Back in 1963 the Haines road opened for the winter for the first time. Travelers would stop at check-in stations with their name and information. Their information was passed on to the next station and if you didn't arrive in a reasonable amount of time, the mounties would come looking for you.

Our next stop was Kathleen Lake. We had heard there was a beautiful hike here up to the King's throne. It was a lovely morning so we took a little stroll. Mr. X and I will have to come back to finish the hike.

Next we stopped near Lake Dezadeash for a quick walk up to the rock glacier. This is a rock/gravel formation left over from a dead glacier. It was pretty amazing how it was shaped...and the view breathtaking.

It was another nice little hike. I spotted some big tracks in the leaves, but we didn't see any other signs of bears in the area.

Million Dollar Falls

Can you tell we are approaching tideland? The sky got progressively dark as we drove along. But the fall colors came back in brilliance. This place is buried under yards of snow in the winter - and is perfect for snowmobiling. Not that I know anything about that.

We decended out of the mountains and re-entered the United States. Mr. X was in the driver's seat so he had the pleasure of answering the agent's questions -- he and Mom gave the guy our travelogue. The guy had recently transferred from Skagway so he pretended to be interested in our Golden Circle trip.

Again we forgot about the time change going back to Alaska; we had an extra hour to kill.

We stopped at this lake to take pictures of trumpeter swans.

Went out of our way to stop at Mosquito Lake

Saved a drowning dragon fly.

Hung out with birdwatchers at the Bald Eagle Preserve.

Then we headed into town, and to the Chilkat lake where everyone and their brother were out fly fishing with really long poles. One guy stood on the edge of the road and had his pole over his shoulder while watching other anglers. He didn't realize his pole was so long it was blocking the entire road. I politely meep-meeped (with my voice) and he laughed at his faux pas.

We checked in at the ferry and they told us we could leave for another hour since the boat wasn't in yet. We headed back to Haines to see the old fort - we didn't find much - the hammer museum, library, and the IGA. Finally we found a place with ice cream! It was even reasonably priced. Mom had abandoned her cane so Mr. X took off running down the street with it like some pompous gentlemen, but it sure stopped traffic. Nobody wanted to run down the poor fool.

We boarded the Malaspina and ate dinner. The Malaspina is the sister-ship to the Taku which is the boat that Mr. X's dad rode while he lived in SE Alaska in the 60's. Both ships were inaugurated in 1963 and are still in service.

Although it's only a 4h30m hour trip back to Juneau, we got a stateroom so we could stretch out and catch some zzz (before 9 am church). We knew we were back in Juneau when we landed at midnight - it was raining cats and dogs.

Kluane Wildlife Sanctuary

Friday we finally hit paydirt...well at least several bears obliged us and crossed the highway. We'd had plenty fall colors and gray jays - finally wildlife. 

Not too far out of Haines Junction we found two bear digging for roots on the roadside. They noticed us and appeared to be bothered, so they crossed the road and we left them in peace.

We drove and drove, winding around Kluane Lake and heading for Destruction bay and Burwash landing. Mr. X spotted this bear in the road side ditch. We paused to watch him cross the road.

In Destruction Bay, they take their speed limit seriously. This is the RCMP cutout they have to remind you to slow down. Made me look twice, but we were quite careful about our speed on this trip anyway.

This bear wasn't crossing the road, she was walking along it.

As she approached the car, Mom lamented, I guess we probably can't have Sarah roll down the window. Yeah, probably not! Photo quality is not that important.  

We had looked all over for a short hike, but the book Mr. X had used was old and the "2.3 km walk from the hotel" left us mystified since there was no hotel anywhere. We eventually found another trailhead for the Soldier's Summit.

Definitely worth the half hour out of the car. The weather was perfect, the view spectacular - check out that silt line on Lake Kluane - and the history interesting. Fortunately we didn't need our bear spray since we had left it at the B and B.

There had been a call to build a road from the end of the rail belt in Edmonton to Alaska for some time. After Pearl Harbor it became a priority. The idea was presented and passed in one day in March 1942. Canadian and US engineers worked tirelessly for the next eight months and met at this location, Soldier's Summit, to open the road on November 20, 1942. The original road was a haul road, not something permanent. It was also a military road and not open to civilians until 1948. The road was rerouted and improved over the years and today the new highway bears little resemblance to the original Alcan highway (much like the old highways throughout the lower 48 that were replaced by the interstate system).

 Portion of the original road bed, current highway below.

 Site of the highway opening and dedication ceremony. Based on the photos, the US soldiers wore whatever was warm - baggy, furlined parkas and pants. The Canadians wore their dress uniforms - poor saps or tough chaps?

We ate our lunch on the edge of the Kluane lake and then headed back to Haines Junction. We were looking for another hike but never found it. We did find these two bears again. There must have been some really good roots right there since 6 hours later they were back in the same spot as in the morning.

At the Green sprout we had dinner and then reclined on the third floor balcony with our books. The birch rustled in the wind and the mountains towering above us. Mom and I made berry smoothies for our late night snack.

Whitehorse (again) and Haines Junction

Thursday afternoon we headed back into town. Well, first we had to wait for Mr. X to change his pants and for he and Mom to de-fur their clothes and clean their shoes. Apparently, the dogs in the yard, were very excited to see them. Not sure how I got off so easy.

We bought Subway for lunch and although the wind was still blowing, it was warm, so we sat in the Peace park and then walked along the Yukon river, near the SS Klondike.

We also got the car washed. After driving the Atlin road, the car was pretty gross. I don't mind dust but the road crew had sprayed an anti-dust salt so the car was really grimey. Oh, and I had read about tranplanting invasive species by not frequently washing you car along the Alaska hwy. At the car wash I finally spent my Canadian money. Mr. X had given me C$10 nine years ago for Christmas because he know I was (supposed to be) going to Victoria with my mom; we took a different trip, so I'd been holding onto the cash for nearly a decade.

We also watched the Visitor Center movie and took Mr. X to Canadian Tire. For whatever reason that was the priority on his travel checklist. He was about as excited about it as REI or Cabelas. We had looked for short list Breyers at the grocery store and walmart and it was nowhere to be found. Disappointed, we went to McDonald's and were told their ice cream machine was broken -- on a day that was 75 degrees and everyone was out in tank tops!

In the late afternoon we took to the highway for the two hour drive to Haines Junction. This was probably the least scenic area that we drove through. Where before we felt like we were driving into an oil painting, this area was a little less inspiring - until we glimpsed the Kluane range.

Two elk herds are supposed to reside in this area, but we didn't see any. The only wildlife we spotted were a couple of ground squirrels.

When we arrived in Haines Junction, we found the Kluane Green Sprout easily enough, but we couldn't get in to the B&B. Our cell phones wouldn't work here. Fortunately, there was still a working pay phone at the defunct grocery store and we were able get ahold of the caretaker and get a code to get in the door.

The Kluane Green Sprout is a beautiful, modern building. The bottom floor of the building appears to be an aparment, the second floor houses a granite tile entry, bathroom with washer and dryer and two comfortable bedrooms (one queen, one full). We were glad for the washer and dryer. Our dog clothes needed a double rinse.

On the third floor is a full kitchen stocked with all the utencils needed for cooking, plus cereals, muffin mixes, spices, oils, coffee, teas, peanut butter, jams, popcorn. In the fridge we found fruit for smoothies, eggs, and the next day we received fresh bread, creamer, and juice.

In the living room, the top of the wall is cut out and a "picture window" installed; this window perfectly frames the mountains towering over town. They provided plenty of magazines as well as some Kluane hiking guides which Mr. X used to plan our next two days.

Whitehorse - Lake Laberge - Muktuk Kennels

Wednesday I got up early and ran along the Atlin road. It was another gloriously beautiful morning. After breakfast we packed up and checked out - headed for the (official) Alaska Hwy and Whitehorse.

On our way we stopped at Marsh lake and the Swan Haven. As soon as I turned off the car, two labs greeted us, so although there weren't any birds around, Mr. X still got his "wildlife" fix. Swan haven was lovely, on the edge of Marsh lake, thousands of swans come here in the spring on their way north to nest.

We then stopped in Whitehorse, but the wind was blowing, so after we took a quick tour of the library, bought some fresh groceries, and were accosted by homeless men we got back on the Klondike Hwy to Lake Laberge.

You know the place. Where Cap cremated Sam McGee according to Robert Service. We stood on the marge of lake Labarge. Mr. X and Mom took pictures while I just wanted to get back in the car. It was a beautiful drive, but man that wind was chilly.

I just about hit this doe and her sister on the road back to the highway.

Wednesday night we stayed at Muktuk Kennels; the home of Yukon Quest champion Frank Turner. We drove past our cabin thinking "surely we aren't staying there"! But we were. Beautiful accomodations. Shilo's Chalet gets two thumbs up from me.

We had a view overlooking the valley and river.

At sunset the dogs set up a racket. They probably were being fed, but it was pretty eery hearing them all howling at the sky. We were glad our cabin was not immediately adjacent to the dog yard.

In the morning we headed over to the lodge to take our self-guided tour. We managed to pet all 100 dogs and enjoyed watching the puppies run in the jumbo sized gerbil wheel.

Before breakfast this team raced by. You can tell they're loving their run.

We met Frank Turner which was fun; he's a great host. He took time to talk to us even we hadn't scheduled a tour and he had several projects he was working on (we didn't try to bug him, he just went out of his way to make us welcome.)

Many (if not all) of Frank's volunteers are German speakers - even the Irishman responded to German directions from the dog yard manager. This just added to the fun I had with the Swiss German at Little Atlin.

Muktuk is off the grid, so Mark (from Denmark) came over the cabin and started the generator with Mr. X and showed us how everything worked. We had a comfortable sofa in the living room, woodstove, fantastic gas range, lights and indoor plumbing. They had some games and many magazines. A small small fridge provided, but they don't like to plug in because it is an electricity sucker. They provided me with ice packs which was sufficient for us. I think they'd probably allow you to use the fridge if you needed to (i.e. refrigerated medicine), but you'd have to run the generator repeatedly.

The stairs here were not as steep as Little Atlin which was good. The BBQ was not as nice, nor was the kitchen as well stocked and organized. It was fine, but I couldn't find a measuring cup anywhere so our rice was quite sticky.

The front porch was perfect with nice chairs and to the side of the cabin was a large fire pit, perfect for bonfires. Mr. X had some fun splitting wood and replenishing the kindling pile.

Again, another place I would recommend for an extended trip. I think I could handle a week here.

White Mountain and Atlin

Monday night, Mr. X read about a short mountain hike just across the highway from the lodge. Tuesday morning we left Mom in bed and set off for our little hike. We walked up to a generator station and found the trailhead. Then we climbed up and up the mountain until we had a view of Little Atlin Lake, and Tagish lake. It was a beautiful, frosty morning. We had gotten a late start so we didn't hike all the way up the mountain and later found a better trail.

We returned to the cabin and packed for a day trip to the town of Atlin. We drove the partially paved road for 55 miles and saw the beautiful mountains of Atlin. The wind was blowing off the lake, though, so it was cold.

After seeing the paddle boat, museum, church and RCMP, we went out the Warm Bay road to look for the glacier. Atlin lake is the largest lake in British Columbia* and the headwaters for some of the rivers in Juneau.

We ate lunch on the way back to the Lodge - well some of us ate. I forgot to pack Mr. X's lunch so he just went hungry.

Back at the cabin we relaxed in the evening. I spent the time reading in front of the wood stove.

*Little Atlin Lodge is in Yukon territory, but Atlin is in BC. One of the magazines I read said that Atlin-ites are happy to celebrate BC province holidays, but really they're more Yukon-ers than British Columbians.

Little Atlin Lodge

When I first started planning this trip, we planned to camp. But then Mr. X's mom retired and said she was available to come with us in September for the fall colors, so I started looking for accomodations a little more comfortable than tenting.

Our first stop was with Andri, Rahel and Lukas at the Little Atlin Lodge. This family relocated to the Yukon from Switzerland 15 years ago. Their 'guesthouses' show some of their Swiss German culture - which I absolutely loved. And judging by the notes in the guest book, more than half of their visitors are German speakers (there is a non-stop flight to Whitehorse from Frankfurt in the summer).

The lodge is located right on Little Atlin Lake. We were in the Pine cabin where we had comfortable seating, running water, propane lighting and refrigerator. Mr. X made us a fire in the woodstove Tuesday morning and evening (Monday was warm). He also cooked up his chicken on the excellent grill on the covered deck. The kitchen was well stocked with everything you could want from measuring cups to champagne glasses to eggs benedict cups. I cannot say enough about how clean, and well organized the kitchen was.

Rahel provided a plate of homemade brownies for us. They were filled with homemade strawberry preserves and dusted with powdered sugar.

The lodge has a green house where they grow quite a bit of produce. Sometimes they have food for sale - we had plenty of our own so we didn't inquire, but they appeared to have tomatoes and lettuce.

They also offer canoes and motor boats for rent. There's supposed to be good fishing in the lake.

There is a driveway to the cabin so you don't have to haul your gear too far.

The stairs to the second story are a little steep, so Mr. X's mom chose to sleep downstairs. Rahel came down to the cabin and made up the futon in the living room - which was very nice - I didn't have to lift a finger.  In addition to the bedding change, we did have a couple requests for the Andri and Rahel which they attended to immediately (the carbon monoxide detector went off Monday night, the pilot light on the fridge went out). We appreciated their attentiveness and friendliness.

I would recommend the lodge for a longer trip. We were there too short a time to truly enjoy the area. I would have liked to eat outside one meal and have a bonfire in the fire pit. Mr. X wants to go canoeing and fishing next time. And we both would like to do a little more hiking on White Mountain.

These opinions are my own. I was not compensated...in fact I paid quite lot of money to form these opinons.