Reunion Journey, Days 6-9 Dawson City to Watson Lake

The first leg of our journey took us from Dawson City to Whitehorse along the Klondike Highway. The weather since Fairbanks has been warm and sunny, a major improvement over the past month in Alaska. We were given an article from the Anchorage newspaper which noted that this is a La Nina year, which supposedly accounts for the markedly colder and wetter Alaskan weather this summer.

A Sunny Day Southbound on the Klondike Highway

So what’s a La Nina, you may ask? It is a periodic, transient 2 to 4 degree cooling of the southern Pacific waters off the coast of Peru. La Nina is the opposite end of the El Nino cycle, which is a periodic, transient warming of the same waters. The El Nino brings wet and stormy weather to southern California, while it’s La Nina counterpart brings nice weather to the southwest and @%^#$% weather to Alaska.

Meteorological explanations notwithstanding, the weather has finally turned nice, at least for a few days, and we are reveling in the dry, sunny skies as we travel south on the Klondike Highway.

The Klondike Highway is a paved road that is narrow and winding, particularly the northern half. Shortly after leaving Dawson Creek we had a serious construction detour onto a dirt road. Fortunately, the detour was only a few miles. We suspect that it followed an earlier generation of the current highway.

Back on the paved road, we passed huge and endless piles of brush cutting and burnings. They are cutting the trees back about 50 feet from the pavement. We are not sure why this is done. One major benefit is that it removes the cover for large animals, so they cannot lurk unseen at the edge of the pavement, ready to dart out when spooked by an approaching vehicle.

Brush Piles Waiting to be Burned

We stopped at Carmacks Hotel and RV Park for the night. We were treated to a pretty good meal at the Gold Panner Restaurant (3COWS). Kathy had pierogi; not as good as moms, but pretty good for the outback. Keith had a decent burger and fries.

Early the next morning we continued on to Whitehorse. The road improved as we drove south toward civilization. It became less winding, with fewer construction breaks. Shortly after setting out, one companion coaches experienced a serious flat tire on his tow vehicle. We saw them pull over and called on the CB, but receiving no response, we assumed they were off for a comfort break and drove on by. We felt chagrined, and apologize profoundly.

South of Carmacks the Road Improves

We stopped at Brae burn Lodge and purchased two of their world famous cinnamon rolls (2.5COWS) with a hefty price tag of $17.00. We met former caravaners, Bob and Marilyn, who were finishing their breakfast there.

Home of the $8.50 Cinnamon Roll

On the way into Whitehorse we passed Lake Labarge in the distance. Unfortunately it was too far away to take a good photograph. This body of water figures prominently in the Robert Service poetry about Dan McGrew, who is “cremated on the marge of Lake Labarge”.

We spent 2 days in Whitehorse at the Hi Country RV Park. It was a pleasant interlude and most of our group would have liked another day there. Whitehorse was an R & R stop for us. We shopped, did laundry and had a couple of good meals.

Keith was craving Asian cuisine so we lunched at the Asia Restaurant. The lunch buffet was small but tasty (2.5 COWS). As we were eating Keith remembered this was the same restaurant he had dined at with his sister on a previous trip in 1998.

We also dined with a group of 9 at the Klondike Salmon and BBQ Restaurant. I will give this restaurant 4COWS. It was a bit pricey but the food was excellent and the menu selections diverse. Kathy had Musk Ox Stroganoff. The meat was sweet and the sauce a rich sour cream and brandy concoction poured over garlic mashed potatoes. Keith had seafood fettuccini. A generous portion of seafood in a buttery sauce. The menu also offered bison, caribou and Canadian Alberta prime rib, as well as Alaska Crab and Char.

It was here in Whitehorse we said farewell to a former caravaner, Mary Ellen and er faithful companion Henri. While not one the original 5 coaches which left Fairbanks together, she joined us intermittently on our trek from Dawson City to Whitehorse. We were always glad to see her. Unfortunately, she got a flat tire on the way to Carmacks and was not able to purchase a replacement tire in Whitehorse for her Rialta. She was compelled to wait in Whitehorse for a replacement tire, which could take up to two weeks. We are wishing her the best of luck in remedying her plight.

In Whitehorse we did meet up with former Wagon master Carol, who is traveling with her mother and her niece Nicole. She will be traveling with our group to Prince George

After leaving Whitehorse, we retraced our northbound route through the Cassier Mountains along the Alaska Highway to Watson Lake. The southbound trip was a totally different drive, as the sun shone brightly and there was no fog , rain or mud.

Approaching the Cassier Mountains

on the Alcan South of Whitehorse

Along the Alcan south of Whitehorse, we passed a couple of visually striking bridges on our way to Watson Lake. Keith is fascinated with the structural aspects of bridges. There are a multitude of ways to span and carry loads across an obstacle such as a river. Keith likes to look at bridge structures, and try to figure out how the design engineer configured it to most efficiently fulfill it’s design intent.

The simplest bridge, emerging from antiquity, is a tree trunk laid over a creek. The log functions as a simple beam. It supports the load in bending, with compression (pushing) force in it’s upper fibers, tensilon (stretching) force in it’s lower fibers, and shear in the center of the log. These forces distribute the load from the middle of the log to the creek banks.

Recent improvements to the simple beam bridge include replacing wood with much stronger steel, and changing the form of the beam to place most of the structural material at the upper and lower surfaces, where the compression and tensile loads are greatest. These upper and lower flanges are joined by a relatively thin web, which ties the upper and lower load carrying members together. This form is sometimes known as an “I” beam, or a girder. The steel beam, or girder bridge is the simplest and most widely seen of all bridge forms.

A more sophisticated elaboration of the simple beam is the truss bridge, where the upper and lower load carrying members are more widely separated, and are joined together with a filigree of connecting struts that tie the primary upper and lower load bearing members together. The truss structure may be located either above or below the roadway; in either case, the truss functions structurally as a simple, but highly efficient beam. Being more structurally efficient, trusses can span substantially greater distances than a simple “I” beam, without collapsing under their own weight.

A beautiful example of a multiple-span truss bridge crosses Nisutlin Bay at MP 776 on the Alcan. The forces experienced by the primary upper and lower structural members are illustrated in the accompanying photograph. In this form of truss bridge, the roadbed is supported by the lower truss members, which are loaded in tension. The Nisutlin Bay bridge is the longest water span on the Alaska Highway at 1917 ft. The multiple trusses span this distance much more efficiently than would simple “I” beams, which would be shorter and require many more pilings in the riverbed.

Multiple Span Truss Bridge Crossing Nisutlin Bay

at MP 776 on the Alaska Highway

Scenic View of Teslin Lake

South of the Teslin River Bridge

Another very striking bridge crosses the Teslin River north of Nisutlin Bay at MP 808.6. This bridge is a hybrid of two bridge forms. The center span is a steel arch assembly. The arch form was used extensively by the Romans. It functions primarily in compression, so is amenable to construction from brittle materials which do not gracefully carry tensile loads, such as stone. When fabricated from steel, the arch bridge is strong enough to span greater distances than the beam or truss, and is used where it is undesirable to place a bridge pier in the main channel. The photo below illustrates the compressive forces in the primary arch structure, and shows how they are reacted at the base of the arch.

The bridge segments which join the arch to the riverbank are trusses, similar in principle to those in the Nistulin Bay bridge, except that they are located below rather than above the roadbed. These truss segments serve two functions. First, they carry the primary load in their respective sections of the bridge. Second, they react the horizontal thrust component of the force from the central arch, and transmit this force to the bridge abutments. In this respect, they function similarly to the flying buttresses found on many medieval cathedrals.

Combination Underdeck Truss and Steel Arch Bridge

Spans the Teslin River at MP 806.6 on the Alaska Highway

Interestingly, the I35 bridge, which collapsed last year in Minneapolis, was very similar to the Teslin River bridge. The central arch form was used to avoid a mid-steam pier, which would have interfered with navigation on the Mississippi. Where structural forms such as the arch are fabricated of multiple structural elements, rather than being a monolithic structure, it is essential that the elements be rigidly tied together to function as a unit. In the case of the I35 bridge, the gussets which tied together the elements of the arch were undersize, and eventually distorted, causing the bridge to collapse.

"And the Road Goes Ever On and On

Down From the Door Where it Began"

In Watson Lake we stayed overnight at the Baby Nugget Campground. After our arrival Kathy started preparations for a large pot of her world famous spaghetti sauce. She made enough that we were able to host supper for 10, with enough left over for a couple of meals. Keith gives Kathy’s sauce 4COWS, an she does not argue.

Spagetti Fest at Watson Lake

Hand Carved Door on Gift Shop

at Baby Nugget Campground in Watson Lake

Our next couple of days will be a drive southward along the Cassier Highway to the twin towns of Stewart BC and Hyder, AK, where bears may sometimes be seen fishing in Fish Creek. Stay tuned!

Alaskan Idyll, Days 6,7 -Whitehorse, YT

Whitehorse was founded during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898, when thousands of prospectors descended upon the area in search of gold. Today Whitehorse retains much of its historic flavor and has many museums, restaurants, and entertainment opportunities. We were there only 3 days, which is much too short a time to enjoy Whitehorse to its fullest.

Winnebago Goddess Seen in Whitehorse

On Tuesday our group was treated to a 2 hour narrated tour on the Yukon River through Miles Canyon aboard the MV Schwatka. The Yukon was the primary transportation corridor for miners stampeeding to the 1898 gold rush. Miles canyon was the site of dangerous rapids until it was flooded by constructon of a dam in the 20th century. The weather was perfect and we saw a golden eagle as well as a grizzly bear running up the riverbank.

Miles Canyon, Flooded by the Whitehorse Power Dam

Golden Eagle Spotted in Miles Canyon

Bird Houses in Miles Canyon Riverbank

Docked on the lake adjacent to the MV Schwatka were a number of float planes, which are a popular form of local transportation to remote regions in the Yukon and Alaska.

Local Transportation

After our cruise we enjoyed a 3-hour bus tour of Whitehorse, which included stops at SS Klondike II and the Whitehorse Fish way. The SS Klondike II is one of the largest stern-wheelers to have sailed on the Yukon River. It has been fully restored and a guided tour as well as a video is offered.

SS Klondike II

Our stop at the Whitehorse Fish way was less than impressive, as there were no fish climbing the fish ladder.

Whitehorse Fish Ladder, With Power Generating Facilities in the Background

Wednesday was a free day so Keith and I shopped (Wal Mart, grocery store, hardware store) and toured 2 excellent museums.

The first museum we visited was called the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre. Beringia was an area of the Yukon, Alaska and Siberia never covered by glaciers during the last ice age. It was a land bridge that allowed people and animals from Asia to migrate to the North American continent. This land bridge emerged as sea level dropped over 300 feet during the last ice age. The center contains many fossils of wooly mammoths, scimitar cats, giant beavers and other animals. The exhibits are well done. We both enjoyed the museum very much.

Globe Showing Beringia Land Bridge (Dark Green)

Beringia Museum Diorama

Our second museum of the afternoon was the Yukon Transportation Museum. This museum focuses on how transportation opened up the Yukon. The museum includes exhibits on the construction of the Alaska Highway and the White Pass and Yukon Railway. We enjoyed this museum very much.

Agressive Driver Spotted at the Whitehorse Transportation Museum

Original Alaska Highway Construction Vehicle

Adjacent to these two museums, at the entrance to the Whitehorse International Airport, is a unique wind vane. It is an old airplane (DC-3?) mounted on a pivot post, which rotates in the breeze. We were told that any wind over 7 miles per hour will turn this aircraft.

Whitehorse International Airport Wind Vane

There is another excellent museum in downtown Whitehorse called the Mcbride, which includes exhibits on the gold rush, First Nations relics, and mining displays. Keith toured this museum in 1998, but we missed it this trip because we ran out of time (and energy).

We were fed two dinners at the campground, one excellent and the other not so good. The excellent meal included a really good grilled steak, baked potato, salad, and Nanaimo bars for dessert. The latter are a tasty northwest specialty; they include layers of chocolate and graham cracker crust, with a crème filling. 3-1/2 COWS for this meal. The other feed was roast beef, mashed potatoes & gravy, peas, carrots, corn, salad, and various desserts. All of this stuff was very good except the beef, which was tasty but completely un-chewable. Overall meal 3 COWs; beef ½ COW.

After our diner on Day 7 we boarded a bus for downtown Whitehorse to see a performance of the “Frantic Follies”, which is a vaudeville revue from the Gold Rush era, complete with Can Can dancers. One of us thought the show was quite funny and entertaining, while the other sat out in the lobby for the second half of the show, after the dancers were finished.

Where it Happens in Whitehorse

We returned to our coach after 11 pm, in full daylight. Tomorrow morning at 9am we head out to Skagway. Stay tuned.

Midnite Sun in Whitehorse

Alaskan Idyll Day 5 - Gas Pains in Whitehorse, YT

Well folks, today was another first. When we arrived at the campground in Whitehorse, YT and filled our gas tank, and the bill was over $200.00! This is the first time we have put that much in our gas tank. As a matter of policy, we try to drive on the top half of the tank on remote highways such as the Alcan. It is not at all uncommon for business such as gas stations to be closed, so we fill up at every opportunity. On today's drive, we were sure we could buy gas in Whitehorse, so we let the tank go down below half, creating an expensive fill-up at $1.44/liter (about 5.50/US gallon).

Our stay in Watson Lake was short and wet, but pleasant nonetheless. The campground, named Baby Nugget, is owned and operated by a husband and wife team, and has been in business since the mid nineties. The campsites are all pull-throughs with electric and water, and are very spacious by commercial park standards, especially on the Alcan. The complex includes a meeting hall (named the “ore house”), a restaurant, a filling station, and, of course, a gift shop. Being about 10 miles west of Watson Lake, the owners have managed to have the business site incorporated as Yukon Town named Nugget. A tasty spaghetti dinner was included in our stay. After dinner the owner told us a little bit about their development of the park, the difficulties of operating a business in such a remote location, and some of her personal history as the only female truck driver on the Cassier Highway in the 1980’s, and her prowess as a backwoods huntress. One of their employees is a woodcarver, and has created an elaborately carved front door for the gift shop. Because of the rain, we did not take out the camera, so we have no pictures of this door.

We left Watson Lake during a drizzly rain and proceeded onward toward Whitehorse. All of the wild animals must have taken the day off, as we saw not one.

Raindrops Keep Falling on My Windshield

The road between Watson Lake and Whitehorse crosses the Cassier Mountains, a relatively low range which forms the continental divide. Rain which falls on the east side of this divide eventually makes it’s way to the Atlantic Ocean; rain on the west side flows to the Pacific. We had pleanty of rain on both sides of the divide this trip. Keith wanted to deposit some filtered coffee on the Divide, but Kathy restrained him.

A Rainy Day in the Cassier Mountains

Continental Divide

Teslin Lake

Nisutlin Bay Bridge, Longest on the Alcan

Past the Divide we stopped for an early lunch at Dawson’s Peak. We remembered stopping here during our last trip to Alaska. Their specialty is rhubarb pie as well as other home-cooked dishes. We both had beef stew and bumble berry pie, topped with ice cream. (3.5 COWS). Bumble berry pie is a very tasty combination of rhubarb, apple, strawberry and berries. Just your basic 43 dollar lunch.

After lunch the rain stopped and we had glimpses of the sun for the rest of our ride. We arrived in Whitehorse about 3pm .We are staying at the Pioneer RV Park, which is the same park that we stayed at in 2005. Unlike the Baby Nugget, the sites at Pioneer are not spacious or scenic. We are warehoused in with less than 10 feet between coaches. However, we do have full services, including electric, water, sewer, and cable TV. Our satellite TV stopped working in Dawson Creek, and Keith had it suspended for two months, until we are back in the states, so the cable is appreciated. We also have no cell phone service in Whitehorse, which we find somewhat surprising. Our Canadian tail gunners have working service from Canadian Bell. We are surprised that Verizon does not connect through this network. We should have service Skagway, our next stop, which is in the USA.

Stacked Like Cord Wood in Whitehorse

Kathy is especially looking forward to Whitehorse because the last time we were here she had a tooth extracted and missed all of the touring. This evening we were treated to a roast beef dinner at the campground. (2 COWS). The meat was tasty but tough and many of us had a difficult time chewing and digesting it.

Tomorrow we begin to explore Whitehorse; stay tuned.