Day 9, 10 Yukon at Last

Mon. Aug 20  Yukon at last!

Smoke thickens.

From Liard Hotsprings to Watson Lake (250 km) we encounter the thickest smoke yet.  Visibility is minimal and there is no horizon for miles.  Surely this fire is closer than Telegraph Creek, 200 km to the west?  We monitor southbound traffic, wondering if our road will be blocked ahead in the gloom.  Then suddenly, climbing over a hill, we're in the clear.  Watson Lake, just ahead, is in sunlight.

We need some benefits of civilization, so despite the decidedly sparce amenities this will be our stop tonight.  First gas, then the grocery store and the Yukon visitors' centre for a full bag of new maps and brochures.  We check email, weather and road info, and it's here that we hear that a new fire has erupted and is rapidly advancing just south of us, along the highway we've so recently passed.  That explains why we smell like old campfire!

The RV park in town is one I remember well from five years ago.  Then I pronounced the ugly gravel yard 'the worst campsite we've ever seen.'  Now we pull in along the border of trees and scan the big rigs heading for Alaska who are lined up down the centre of the court, and I'm happy to be settled here tonight.  I know it's safe and quiet, the showers are clean, and there's wifi if I sit on a bench by the office.  Oh how our standards change with experience and necessity.

Caribou by the side of the road!

Tues Aug 21 Watson Lake to Whitehorse

Overnight with windows all open, we smell less like burnt wood, and we are clean and provisioned.  The air is miraculously clear as we hit the road north and the miles click by quickly.  Although this is a beautiful stretch with rivers and lakes nestled in verdant valleys, we decide to push on to Whitehorse, 430 km away.  Tuktoyaktuk calls and we need a good two week window to make it.  The weather looks clear and the seasons are changing, so it's time to cover some distance.

Although the days are longer here (the sun is setting an hour later than only a week ago), the nights are cold and the landscape is changing.  A mosaic of golden leaves litters the paths, piles of squirrel cached cones dot the forest floor.  The campsites are still busy, but most folk are heading south now.  Even some businesses are shut for the season.  Sadly, we've missed out on 'Mukluk Annie's Famous Salmon Bake' in Teslin!