ROF= Ring of fire Odyssey MEF-H = Marine Expeditionary Force- Hargus
AK= ALaska journey
Sunday August 20, 2017
White Pass Yukon. We've already reached Bingo fuel, the furthest point at Homer, ALaska a few weeks ago and it’s now time to head back to the world.
On the way out of Alaska we drove down to Haines, ALaska, camping in The Yukon Territory UNESCO World Heritage site Kluane` National Park. The Wrangell, Saint Elias Mountains are a whole another separate post.
A few days in Haines for some last chance salmon fishing before heading inland.
Boarded the MV Fairweather, Alaska Marine Highway Ferry at Haines for passage to Skagway Alaska.
On the fantail of MV Fairweather
On the fantail of MV Fairweather
Skagway, AK
Skagway, Alaska is the gateway to the Klondike Gold Rush goldfields with a fantastic history of the 1896 Klondike Gold Rush.
We camped at DYEA, THE trailhead of the famous Chilkoot Trail up into the Klondike gold fields in the Yukon at Dawson. The Chilkoot Pass is the iconic picture of the prospector's hiking up the pass holding onto the pack of the person in front.
What they don't tell you about Skagway is that 2 days of the week Tuesday and Friday/ Saturday there are two to four cruise ships dock with anywhere from 7 to 10,000 Tourists walking around.
A couple hours to see Skagway and fend off the hordes of tourists shopping for crap made in China... and I said let's get out of here so we packed up Lock, Stock, and Tomahawk and headed north to Whitehorse, Yukon.
The cruise ships sell a train ride up to Carcross Yukon on the White Pass and Yukon Railroad for $330 a ticket.
Heading North on Hwy 2, driving the road that goes up the same valley- The White Pass Trail- (to Whitehorse, The Yukon Territory and Dawson) to the same places the RR train passed. We stopped several places and took pictures. Very picturesque.
The first 20+ miles going up this valley had some very beautiful views and you could see the train tracks on the other side of the the canyon.
And we come to White Pass and it is maybe one of the prettiest Serene places I've been. It reminded me, was very similar to the Snowy Range mountains and Wyoming.
Glacial lakes temperatures 36- 37 degrees, wind 20 miles an hour gusts 25. It's cold city Johnson here.
What I really like about here is... there's nobody else out here. This is pristine. Something this unique and serene, pictures don't begin to capture how good this is. The view from the edge suits me fine.
Snow capped glacier mountains, 1,500’+ mountains above pristine glacial lakes, stunningly beautiful. surreal. almost Beyond description.
There's some Cloud Banks on the mountains of this Glacial Valley. The snow caps are actual glaciers on most of the mountains, permanent ice there been there for years decades- ions of time. What I liked was we were out there by ourselves no one was there. Maybe half a dozen cars for most of the day until we got up to carcross.
White Pass Yukon it’s just amazingly peaceful. You get chilled cold but you almost can't tear away from it.
At Fraser pass by the train depot outpost. 100 yards ahead cross over into the Yukon, into Canada, by a customs agent at the Border checkpoint.
I wanted to just sit on the ledge of The Rock for a few hours and look and take it in. it is that powerful of a view.
I'm glad they take a train ride through here and don't let the Tourists get off except at Carcross. I would not want this beautiful place trashed by tourist.
this is one of my top 10 drives of all time.
You never drink twice from the same stream.
Just because you wander doesn't mean you're lost.
Uncle Hargus: Last of the Independents
Have Bear,
Will Travel
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