Haines Jct to Tok

Haines Jct, Yukon Territory to Tok AK

Again we are in large wide valleys surrounded by high mountains (some of them over 17,000 ft.) The mountains during the first part of the drive are covered with glaciers and snow. Later as we leave the area where the clouds have left their precipitation the mountains are just solid granite faces.
The vegetation changes also from forests of tall Spruce pine, White Birch and other types of trees to tundra with stunted Spruce pine that can only survive within the permafrost and a thin layer of soil that is not frozen.
We have encountered Moose, and beaver lodges and ducks and trumpeter swans today. These are some of the largest of the flying birds weighing up to 40 lbs. They mate for life and can usually be found in pairs but ours was alone with its mate probably on the nest. Moose to are found usually in the shallow lakes feeding on the underwater grasses.

Today was a day for encountering northern roads and frost heaves. When building a road in these climates you build it on top of the permafrost and when the layer below melts it creates a dip in the road (dip is more like a canyon). This leads the driver of an RV to experience a roller coaster ride that is something to have happen to you with Bev saying “don’t you think we should slow down” and you are only going 25 mph. In Canada they do not always repair these but put flags beside the road telling you where they are. The problem is that you don’t know if it’s a small across the road one, a large middle of the road frost heave or a series of undulating heaves. Thus the traveler must always beware.

Road construction was also encountered. I Canada the crews do not work on Sundays and you encounter endless small patches of gravel where they are repairing the road. In AK they work on Sunday but when the sign says road work next 47 miles you can truly say that there will be road work for the next 47 miles. Perhaps, 300 feet of paved road, 300 feet of frost heaved pavement and then 400 feet of gravel for the next 47 miles and there will be delays as they ferry you in convoy thru some of the larger stretches of road construction. I do believe that they repair 1/3 of the road each year in 300 foot sections so that after 3 years they can start the process all over again. It took over 2 hours to drive that 47 miles.

But, the scenery was just tremendous and we stopped at lookout sites and interpretive centers all along the way.
We are now going to drive the Tok Cutoff and then the Richardson Hwy to Valdez.
If you think of it Dr. E go to AAA and get a map of AK and you can plot our course for those interested.
Bye for now
Lorne