Beaver's Creek to Dawson's Peak

On the highway

The next day I left Beaver’s Creek around 9 a.m. and I basically decided that that would be my new time to depart each morning, although it hasn’t quite worked like that. I packed up everything again and got on the Alaska Highway. I was on it and I would be on that highway for a very long time.

This was Carlitos' biggest kill, a butterfly.

Bumpy Road

One of the most annoying parts of the Alaska Highway. Actually let me rephrase that. The only annoying part of the Alaska Highway was the very massive dips on the road. Now they don’t last for the whole highway, but they are a big part of the first few hours in the Yukon. They are not these minor dips, no! They are huge, and constant. By the middle of the day my tummy was literally feeling sick. I was sick to my stomach, I actually felt nauseous. I thought it was because I hadn’t eaten, so I ate, only making it worse. Anyways, the worse dips were at the beginning of the Yukon AK Highway; after a few hours they began to get better and by the end of the day they were almost gone. I don’t know if you can really see one of them on the picture above, but that was as small as they got. Later on, a day later, the dips became hills, but those didn’t last long at all. It was just for a short time *Sigh* Oh well, part of the deal.

I grew to hate this sign

Pickhandle Lake

I would say that perhaps an hour into my trip I stopped at this rest area because I had to use the restroom and found myself in front of a beautiful lake, Pickhandle Lake. The beauty of Yukon is that any rest area could really be a beautiful stop that you just want to stay at for the rest of the day. This was one of them. I mean just beautiful. I do not know if it was because it was so early and the sun was shinning perfectly on it or what, but it was great. I stayed there for probably 15 minutes. I would of stayed longer, but more and more people were stopping and enjoying the lake. There was a couple with an RV and they were just having their coffee inside watching onto the lake, I was so envious. Honestly, in order to really take your time and enjoy the Alaska Highway you have to be in one of those RVs or those full blown buses. There is just no way around it. Grudgingly I left Pickhandle Lake and made my way to Whitehorse.

This buddy was totally interesting. I stalked him for a few minutes before he finally settled and let me take his picture.

Uhm so yeah, this is the only way to really travel the AK Highway. First time I was envious not to be on a bus for a long trip.

Kluane Lake and Haines Junction

On my way to Whitehorse I came across Kluane Lake which was an enormous and beautiful lake. The sun was up high and it just sparkled across the lake. This was one of the stops I wish I would of actually gotten off and taken time to take more pictures, but at this moment I was still thinking I was going to be spending my nights in motels. My mentality was still set on driving the most miles I could in a day. I regret not thinking about camping earlier. Nonetheless, I had a resplendent sight for about 30 minutes. I couldn’t of asked for a better drive.

A few minutes later I stopped at Haines Junction to take a couple of pictures of buildings. The town was very small. I stopped at the Our Lady of the Way Catholic Church because the priest in charge of this building used materials around him that the military had left behind to build this church. It is quite and interesting piece of architecture. I liked it a lot.

Whitehorse

There wasn’t really anything I found or liked about Whitehorse. I honestly don’t have much of a memory of it. So yeah.

Dawson’s Peak

Where I did want to stop was at Teslin because they have a Tlingit Native Heritage Center there that I wanted to stop and visit. Well I arrived at Teslin a little too late for that, so I knew I would have to spend the night there. I stopped at this RV park and motel. They only had one room left and it was $200 for the night. I of course wasn’t about to pay that. So, I got back on the road and thought about whether I should be staying in my car instead.

As I thought about that over in my head I decided to drive to Dawson’s Peak Cabins and Campground. Well I got there and asked for their prices on the cabins, $75.00, a little more in my area, but still couldn’t believe I was going to be spending so much money each night. I asked about their campgrounds and he said it was only $15.00. He gave me those two options and told me to go have a drive around the campground and cabins and come back telling him what I wanted. Well I couldn’t imagine sleeping in my car so when I came back I told him I would take the cabin. He was setting things up and then realized that the cabin was booked. He tried helping by phoning another motel, but it was a smoking room at $90.00. I declined and said I would stay in my car.

He felt bad about it that he gave me the spot for free. They were all very friendly people there. I got set up. I moved all my backseat belongings to the front and covered my back seat with blankets and my pillow. I took a walk around to their lake and it was just beautiful of course. I couldn’t believe people were paying $90.00 for a room in some highway, when you could just camp out in the beauty that was the Yukon. From that night I decided I would camp in my car. I slept the night there, waking up a couple of times, but mostly from getting used to it. As my eyes fell asleep to the surrounding trees, my second day came to an end.

I sat on a little dock they created and began my blog here. I couldn't believe I was just sitting there kicking back with a most beautiful sight in front of me. I went back to my car when something under me began rocking the dock. That was too much natury for me.