Haines in 2 days! (Some serious driving to do)

Recorded July 4, 2009

This was a driving day Friday the 2nd. The trip over the Tok cut included gravel stretches, killer frost heaves plus pot holes. All in all it was the worst stretch we have experienced but things can always get worse. Once we were able to rejoin the Alaskan Highway at Tok the road improved a little & only for a short time. The whole area is plagued by frost heaves because of the permafrost and the road department just can’t keep up. The ground is mush or at least too soft to adequately support the road in the summer and when the ground freezes in the winter the road rises up just like the ice in a tray thus frost heaves. We turned south on the Alaskan Highway and briefly entered Canada where we arrived with our grumpy husbands and spent the night in Beaver Creek in the Yukon Territory. The guys were really over the roads for one day.

In the morning we got an early start and did it all again. This time it was even a bit worse. The tiny southwestern corner of the Yukon Territory we were passing through was all frost heaves and gravel stretches. We passed through the famous Destruction Bay. The boys had their heads around the picture after the prior days growling, took it all in stride. By the time we got to Haines Junction, where we turn west, the road improved and we had a glorious 100 mile ride into Haines on the Haines Highway AKA the Dalton Trail as in Jack Dalton. It was picture perfect. We even saw 2 moose as we came close to town along side the road. It was nearly an 8 hour day of driving so we found the Haines Hitch-Up RV Park on the edge of town to settle into. It turns out to be one of the nicest parks we have been to since we left the lower 48, which is a good thing as we would be here for the next week. Yippee a week in one place!!!

What a beautiful little place to spend the 4th of July. We are really thrilled to still be in the USA for the 4th and not n Canada. After tomorrow Sunday the 4th of July, Linda & Bill will be off on the ferry to Sitka and Juneau for a few days but we will be holding down the fort here as we have the dog & are overdue for some R&R. They are real go getters!