Saturday July 23 - Whitehorse, Yukon to Dease Lake, British Columbia

The day started off with a visit to the Berengia Museum  in Whitehorse.   Berengia is the name for the lands in Siberia, Alaska and Yukon Canada that were fertile plains of grass and untouched by glaciers.   All sorts of animals flourished there like wooly mammoths, horses, camels, bison, caribou, muskox, deer, dire wolves, sabre-tooth cats, dall sheep, saiga antelope, yak, moose, flying squirrels, lynx, lion, giant beavers, dogs, river otters, ferrets, huge short faced bears, jaguars, lemmings, mice and voles, fox, rabbits, and wolverines.    The museum had full skeletons of a Wooly Mammoth, Giant Sloth, Saber Tooth Cat, Giant Beaver and more.   The exhibit was well worth the $5 admission and they  also had a number of interactive programs and a movie.

Would love to spend more time in Whitehorse as there is plenty to see and do but home is calling me.   Eastward bound on the Alaska Highway towards Watson Lake and my turn south at Junction 37 just over 200 miles away.    It rained off and on all day but the drive was still nice.    I could really make good time if nature didn't put animals and landscapes in my face to take pictures of but it is what it is and I take a lot of pictures   Over 20,000 since we left Phoenix July 1st and today will be no different as by the end of the day the count will be around 1000 for the day.

The Alaska Hwy part of the trip had me taking pictures of some of the same things on our way to Alaska,  I realized that after I recognized some of the names.    After taking an easy afternoon driving I reached Junction 37 where I filled up with gas.   The lady at the station told me there were about 6 stops in the entire 400+ miles of Rte 37 and all of them would be closed by the time I got to the 1st one.    That meant that I could go about 250 miles or use my reserves on the roof and and go another 100+.     Not that it mattered much as I seemed to stop more that I was moving taking pictures of new things and bears,  lots of bears!

Talked to John and Tommy on the SAT phone this afternoon, they had just made it to Whitehorse and were having dinner at the same place we ate on the way up, nice!    They are about a day behind me right now.  Russ is on the ferry to Vancouver, Kevin is in Vancouver and Woody and Carol are still in Alaska and will be taking the ferry to Seattle later this week.

The sun set tonight around 2235hrs and it did get dark after a while,  by 0030 I had made it to Dease Lake where everything was closed so a night in the Jeep was in order.  

Am off of the original schedule now by a day or about 400 miles.     Will try to make up some of that on Sunday.

Hi Country Campground in Whitehorse,  one of the nicest of the whole trip

A different menu than McDs in the US

Stopped for a re-supply at the supermarket in Whitehorse.   Shopping carts are locked and it costs $1 for 1

Berengia Center in Whitehorse

This guy was moving on his roller contraptions and ski poles

A few last scenes from the Alaska Highway

Continental Divide along the Alaskan Highway

At Route 37 and the start of the next southern leg to the US

 Scenes from along Rt 37

A quick dinner