susanhaley1111

[susanhaley1111]

6/24 Tok to Glenallen 150 miles

This was an easy,uneventful drive, The smoke is much improved, and it rained on our way here, which is good.

Hello mosquitoes. Last night, i walked the dogs at 9:30, and they were pretty bad. We sat out by the creek earlier, and there were very few. We also brought in quite a few into the camper.

Another favorite campground. We are parallel to the Tolsona Creek, which is so pretty and sounds wonderful. Tomorrow, we stay put. Dana might do some river fishing.

I checked into an old rustic log building at the bar. It was built in the 40s and is one of the few roadhouses built back then that are still in use. It was dark and cozy, and the bartender, Karen, owns the place. Tomorrow, we might have some of their famous chili.

[susanhaley1111]

6/23/25 Tok, AK

The mosquitoes are not an issue at all yet. I suspect that will change soon. It was in the 50s today and finally rained a bit. At least it was not hot and dry like it has been. It is still very smoky. The 7-mile fire is better, but another small fire started on the eastern side of the road we will be traveling. The Tok cutoff or Glenn Highway goes to Valdez, and we hope it is clear by tomorrow.

Dana is going fishing from Valdez this weekend on Prince William Sound. He is looking forward to it. I think he is excited, but I'm not sure he would admit that. He found some waterproof suspenders to wear, as it will be messy. The dogs and I will stay home or wander a bit.

We got take out from a local Thai restaurant that is top of the list for all who come here. It is the Thai takeaway and espresso café and was very good. We will give it 5 stars to although my General Tso chicken was a bit hot. The owners home is under evacuation orders, so they are living at the restaurant. There are 3 levels of evacuation, ready, set, and go the later being mandatory. Fire season is normal here, and the state can let unpopulated areas burn, but they are working hard to save Tok.

Here is the local everything store. Groceries, hunting, fishing , and hardware. I heard they make regular trips to Costco.

On to Glenallen tomorrow with some salmon fishing on the way. There are 5 types of salmon up here. They are all farmed as well as caught here.

Ready to go

[susanhaley1111]

Tok 6/22/25 Tok

The smoke is pretty bad here tight now. Mix that with the dry dusty everything, and visibility is poor. The seven mile fire nearby is still uncontained, but the wind is low, and rain is in the forecast. I look forward to rain. The nearby fire could redirect us again if it starts to cross our next road south to Valdez.

We shopped but could not go to their famous visitors center because they are closed on Sunday. We got in some nice walks, and tomorrow, I will get some laundry done. The blankets and bedspread need it badly.

[susanhaley1111]

5/22/25 Haines Jct to Tok 290 miles

This was a long day on the road. The Alcan through Destruction Bay in Canada is a notoriously bad road, and it lived up to its name. Lots of washboards, lots of shaking. We wondered how things inside the camper would fare. The area we were in was sparsely populated. We went through 8 tiny towns on our 300-mile trip. Tok is the only town within 90 miles of the US border.

The road is so bad because of melting permafrost. This is an issue in lots of areas up here, and there are some sinkholes as a result. I read about it, and we saw several experimental areas of the road with an attempt to ventilate under the road bed to prevent defrosting the permafrost. Once we crossed into the US, the road was better. Miles are being reconstructed now.

It was cloudy and very smoky today. In fact, there is a fire 20 miles away from Tok with a large plume of smoke. We felt OK knowing that the firefighters concentrated on it because of this little town.

I love our campground, although I will have bear spray when walking the dogs. We have been in parking lots, some very tight for the last 2 weeks, so being in the woods is lovely. We are now on Alaska time, so 4 hours behind. The pictures of the camper were taken at 4 am. I actually love all is daylight since I am up so darn early.

There are some pretty wildflowers here. There are so many lupines, which I love. They are much smaller than ours.

We are slowing down now. We have 3 nights here. No more 1-nighters for a while.

Dana's arm is much better but still a bit swollen.

[susanhaley1111]

Friday 6/20/25 Skagway to Haines Junction, YT 200 miles

We are back to Pacific time. Skagway is in the Alaska time zone, but the Yukon is Pacific. We will be back in Alaska tomorrow, so there's no need to adapt. Sleep is weird now. Our bedroom is dark but it is light outside most of the night. From sunup to sundown is 16 hrs.

There is a fire in northern Yukon, and the smoke is obscuring the mountains. I don't know if this is an average fire season, but there have been quite a few. It has closed the Top of the World road for now. We were not going, so we are lucky.

We are in the Fasgas RV "park". It is more like a parking lot next to a gas station, but we have full hookups. It was 80 when we got here, so the AC is nice.

We saw a herd of wild horses beside the road. Some had collars with bells. They might not be too wild, but they have free range

Arctic ground squirrels. Related to prairie dogs. They hibernate for 8 months as they live in arctic and subarctic regions. They are very busy, chirp a lot and the dogs think they are great !!!

The very large opening to their tunnels

Customs was a breeze, although we had to wait in line.

Customs

Fasgas Rv park

[susanhaley1111]

Our Alaskan adventure kicked off bright and early at 8 AM as we departed Skagway Harbor. Our first stop was Haines, where we picked up more passengers. Despite low-hanging clouds obscuring the mountain peaks, at least it wasn't raining.

Haines, is a small village where 90% of its economy is driven by fishing, with Dungeness crab and halibut being the primary catches. The remaining 10% comes from tourism. Those we spoke with were smitten with this quaint, little town.

One striking aspect of this region is its self-sufficiency when it comes to power. Most towns, unlike typical communities, aren't connected to a central energy grid. In fact, you won't find power lines strung along the major roads between them. Instead, these communities predominantly rely on hydroelectric power, with diesel generators serving as backup. The water source? The seemingly endless Juneau icefield.

Near Juneau, the Mendenhall Glacier stretches 13 miles long and is an amazing 1,800 feet deep. Even more massive was the Taku Glacier, which covers 163 square miles, is 4,845 feet thick, and extends for 58 miles! We saw many waterfalls cascading down the south side of the inlet, their waters having been glacial ice just three hours prior. The Juneau icefield supplies a so far endless flow of water.

Getting around in this wild landscape presents unique challenges. Travel from Haines to Skagway by sea is a mere 19 but is 300+ miles by car.

The capital city of Juneau is only reached by sea or plane. There's been an ongoing debate about constructing a 48-mile road connecting Juneau to Skagway. This ambitious project, estimated at $500 million in 2017 hi, would involve extensive tunnels to navigate 22 avalanche-prone zones. While the last statewide vote on this initiative was split 50:50, it seems likely this vital road will eventually be built, further connecting these remote Alaskan communities.

Unique to this area is the lack of sand, only glacial silt – finely ground granite.

Just north of Juneau, in Auke Bay, a sight truly caught our eye: J.K. Rowling's massive yacht, flying a British flag. This $150 million vessel, of which she is the third owner, is a testament to her wealth from Harry Potter!

Our return from Juneau at 8:30 PM marked the end of a long, but incredibly fulfilling day. Back on shore, our dogs were happy and well-cared for, having been fed and walked twice. It turns out they could have joined us! We even saw a tiny poodle on board, an absolute angel, despite her slightly dizzy owners.

A highlight of our journey from Haines was chatting with a couple from White River Junction. Newly retired and married for an impressive 47 years, we shared stories and even offered us some Werther's Originals, which we also had with us thanks to Jobie!

Patsy Anne. A famous dog in Juneau who lived at the waterfront and greated every ship that arrived. She eventually lived in Longshormens Hall and was well cared for. The town donated money to license her once the licensing of dogs became mandatory. She was so beloved by everyone in town that they had this bronze statue erected.

[susanhaley1111]

6/18/25 Whitehorse to Skagway 200 miles

It was 48 this morning, but it heated up quickly. We got a late start because we went to breakfast, which was amazing, grocery shopped, showered, and finally got going by noon.

The ride to Skagway was absolutely gorgeous. The weather was perfect, and there was minimal haze or smoke. Our route was the Klondike highway, which went up to 3300 ft and back to sea level in the course of an hour. The temp also dropped from 75 to 60. The peak looked much like the tree line on Mt Washington with very short and windblown trees.

We crossed back into the US through customs and gained another hour, putting us 4 hrs behind home. U.S. Customs included an agricultural inspection. Poultry and eggs are not allowed from Canada. Our eggs were confiscated, and we had no poultry, so that was it. We had to show them the pet food bag. We think discouraging raw pet food might be the reason. They needed to see a special CDC form and rabies certificates for Millie and Jake.

5 other RVs were waiting to check into the park when we got here. It was a cluster. I had email confirmation of our site number, so Dana finagled his way around to pull into our site. The others decided to choose their sites but were moved when she finally arrived hours later.

Tomorrow, we will take the fast ferry to Juneau and back with a 4 hr layover in Juneau. We will be gone from 7am to 8 pm. I was able to find a pet sitter, which is great. Lisa lives in Skagway and does jobs that Mo Mountain Mutts can't handle. She sat on the couch, and both dogs sat with her immediately. It should be a good fit.

Next, we checked out the waterfront. There were 2 huge cruise ships in port and another anchored in the bay. The passengers must have been aboard as the town was empty.

There were so many waterfalls on the route.

Check out videos of Mo Mountain Muts driving a small bus and picking up dogs that she takes on unleashed walks. It is so darn cute seeing how excited they are to get on the bus.

[susanhaley1111]

Tuesday 6/17/25. Watson Lake to Whitehorse, capital of the Yukon 265 miles

So far the Alcan has been a good road with plenty of warning before rough spots. They love to do pilot cars instead of flag people. I guess it is much more comfortable for them.

The day had a drizzly start, but it became a beautiful, clear day as we drove further west. The mountains are tall and snow-capped as we are still in the Rockies. Tomorrow, we go to Skagway in Alaska and will see how the border crossing goes.

Dana's arm is swollen this evening, but it is not nearly as painful. It is always a challenge to get the truth out of him as he usually just says he is fine.

We are in a very tight campground. I could touch the next camper from the window. This is the norm for now. It does not matter to us at all. It is too chilly to sit outside anyway.

[susanhaley1111]

Monday 6/15/25 Liard Hot Springs

Dana's arm is so much better. Some swelling but much less pain.

We walked through the famous sign forest. It began in 1942 when a soldier working on Alcan put up a sign with his hometown and distance from it on a pole. Others continued, and the town continued to put up poles to add to it. There are at least 80,000 signs.

We took a 2 hr ride to go to these springs. It was on my list, and we missed it by taking the Cassiar. It was a perfect day, and it felt amazing. The temperature can be 125, but they cool it down to 107ish. The temperature felt so good. The air temperature was 72, so it was great.There were only 8 people in the pools, which was fine. Dana even went.

The Alcan is finally open. I bet we will see many more people now, plus kids are about out of school.

On to Whitehorse tomorrow and then Skagway and Juneau.

On our way to and from Liard, we saw a grizzly, 9 black bears, 2 baby bears, and 2 herds of buffalo.

[susanhaley1111]

6/15/25 Watson Lake, YT

We moved into a 50-amp spot. Unfortunately, while doing so, Dana's left arm was between the camper and the truck when the camper rolled back and caught his arm. Thankfully, the camper slid back enough that his arm dislodged very quickly. It was crushed enough to hurt him terribly, but not enough to break anything. It became swollen and hurt like hell, but he should be OK. He iced it the rest of the day, and the swelling is not too bad.

The rest of the day was rainy, so we did very little. I did go to the little and only grocery store in town. They had a really nice bakery with the requisite cinnamon rolls. It seems cinnamon rolls are a thing on the Alcan, with many towns boasting they have the best. The store had mostly non-American goods. This may have been the norm, but it might be related to DT. Ther

e is a lot of Canadian pride.

I found a boardwalk to the lake across the street, and the dogs and I had a nice, long walk once the rain stopped. The fires are under better control, and the smoke has subsided. We will see if Dana wants to go to the hot springs tomorrow. He must keep his arm out of the water, or we will cover it well.

This is a bear-proof trash can. They are bolted down to a concrete pad and seem to work. It was almost Sue-proof, but I figured it out years ago at Yellowstone.

[susanhaley1111]

Saturday 6/14/25 Iskut to Watson Lake 250 miles

We had a very drizzly day today. This and future travel days were not easy on Dana. He had to avoid dips and holes and get over far enough for truck drivers to pass going very fast. As a result, we will keep the mileage low. We saw 2 bears up close beside the road. We have seen a few others but too far away for pictures.

We went through a burned section of forest. Fires can happen anywhere in Canada. I guess they need to "sweep the forests "to prevent them.

We are in the Yukon province and on the Alaska-Canadian highway. We had several options for camping, and I made reservations but clearly chose the wrong one. We arrived at one, and I was told that this was the wrong place. I needed to go back to Tags. I made reservations at Watson Lake RV park but went to Downtown RV park. The guy was nice but frustrated as he had redirected many people already. He intimated that we could come back if we were not happy.

Tags, AKA Watson Lake RV park, was terrible. Dana got into our assigned spot it was way too tight. I went inside and canceled, and we went back to the original place. Archie was a good guy, found us a spot, and we can move to 50 amps tomorrow. This allows us to to laundry without fear of tripping the breaker.

We are next door to the famous "sign forest" and will check it out tomorrow.

[susanhaley1111]

Friday 6/13/25 Ksan to Iskut 280 miles about 6 hrs.

It stopped raining, but the clouds are very low, with minimal visibility of the mountains. They peeked out and must be beautiful in clear weather. We had the choice of 2 campgrounds at a distance we wanted. One had very bad reviews about their attitude. The other had 3 stars, so we opted for Red Goat Campground.

Talk about attitude!!. I went to check in and met Mitch first, in the yard. Mitch had a big belly, 2 teeth, and a dirty white T-shirt. He was very jolly at first but delved into politics right away. He is a Trumper and proud of it. He had colorful words about Newsom and others. I let him know my thoughts, but he continued on. Once I got into the house/office, I met his wife, who said she did not like him to meet customers. He followed me in and continued to tease me. I actually enjoyed the banter, as did he.

The campground was in a beautiful spot on a lake, surrounded by tall, snow-capped mountains. The lake's name was fifteen letters long. Though the sites weren't clearly marked (except, apparently, in the owner's head), we found a perfect spot for our long rig with a 30-amp hookup. The only other option was a 15-amp site, and most US RVs need 50 amps to run everything without tripping a breaker. Dana, of course, maneuvered our rig into the site perfectly. After plugging in and setting up, I walked and fed the dogs, taking a good look at the grounds. If it weren't for the old machines, dilapidated RVs, and crumbling small buildings, I'd give it five stars. All in all, we'd definitely go back.

This lake is 750 ft deep in places and has lots of fish.

[susanhaley1111]

Thursday 6/12/25 all day in Hazelton, BC

It is finally raining here, but not east of us, which it needed. Dana slept in, and we relaxed. I got other stuff done, including a fresh, clean bed. I love this. Having the washer-dryer is so nice.

The dogs and I got some walks in when the rain slowed.

The road into the campground requires a one-lane bridge, the Hagwllet bridge. It is 260 ft above a canyon, which is a bit scary for both of us. The snowy mountains were not visible at all.

We paid $1.69 / liter or $4.72/gal, which is higher than the $1.30 we paid previously. The price will continue to go up as we go further north.

We sent the Hazelton sign pic to Hazel.

[susanhaley1111]

Wednesday 6/11/25 Prince George to K'san,BC 285 miles

https://ksancampground.ca/

The smoke has come in this morning. It really obscures minor things compared with what others are dealing with. The Alcan is still closed south of Fort Nelson. Last night, they were letting some through. An RVer posted a video of going through at night, which looked very scary.

After a few wrong turns, we found the campground. It is right on a very fast-moving river with beautiful views of snow-capped mountains. Today was exhausting for Dana. We will spend another night which makes me very happy.

We are on a land owned by 5 different native nations. We have seen many native towns and people along our journey. It appears that Canada is aware and responsive to their native population.

Tomorrow, we will check out some museums with information about these people.

This is our view with awesome paths near the river.

[susanhaley1111]

Monday, Tuesday 6/9--10 Grande Prairie, AB

Monday was another day waiting to see what the fire behavior was going to be. More fires and road closures continued to develop, so we opted to go southwest and take the alternate route, The Caspiar Highway. If Alcan was open, it would have been 680 miles to Watson Lake. With this detour, it is 1100 miles to rejoin the Alcan at Watson Lake. There is a great Facebook group of RVs headed to Alaska. Many are stuck between fires with no way to turn around. Some have been there for days already. We are very fortunate.

To get on the Caspiar, we headed southwest and are currently in Prince George, BC. We are now in the Pacific time zone. We will head northeast tomorrow.

Prince George is a rather large city with 76,000 residents. I found a campground just before the city, The Hartway RV park. The owner is very nice but the place is a bit rundown. There are lots of flower gardens and hanging pots. There are only 36 sites, but we fit nicely. We have a few more stops until Alaska.

It surprises me how many apparent full-time "campers" live so far north. The units are insulated often with foam sheets taped together, but it is still very far north. I guess it is what they can afford.

I just read about a couple recently trying to cross into Canada, and they would not allow the husband in. He had a conviction of reckless driving 9 years ago. She is pleading to have someone drive with her to Alaska while he flies. Many wrote discouraging her from having a stranger help her drive.

[susanhaley1111]

Sunday 6/8/25

Another warm and very windy day. It hit 86. I never would have guessed that way up here. I am sorry you continue to have rain, but you do not have fires. A new fire is on another section of the Alcan a bit further north. The road is now closed in 2 spots. I am so happy to be away from those fires. It may rain this Thursday for a few days, so we may stay put.

We went to Canadian Tire, which is a combo of tractor supply and an auto parts store. I went to the Real Canadian Superstore. It is a larger version of Walmart with a larger selection and more items in bulk.

Canadian news is fun to watch. They have much pride in their country, thanks to DT. We will look into staying here for now or maybe Edmonton. The locals are Oilers fans. I'm not sure we can go near that place with the Staley cup finals.

[susanhaley1111]

More pictures from the nice camera we borrowed from Jenny. Thank you