Yukon's Tarfu Lake and campsite was beautiful. Beavers and black bears aplenty. We met Aiden from Whitehorse and Vaden from Halifax, who were there to dirt bike and quad with their families. We had a great little paddle with the beavers. My solo morning kayak had a black bear eating berries on the hillside and many a slapping tail. Cody was pretty psyched about all the action in the water.
Whitehorse was our next stop. Great little town, carrying everything you could need, like goggles, water purification tablets, wifi and sooooo much more. Cody got his pic taken by many a tourist. I didn't have the heart to tell them he wasn't a local.
We stayed at Takhini Hot Springs next. The place has resident foxes that come through camp at dusk, stealing any food left out and digging through fire pits. I came face to face with a little thief as he rounded the car and just about ran into me. Very hard to catch them on camera though. The hotsprings were awesome. We snuck in at pre-bedtime and for an early morning soak before heading back out on the road.
Back through Whitehorse we visited the S.S.Klondike. This vessel is a national historic site, preserving one of the last few stern-wheelers that used to transport barges and goods up to Dawson City from Whitehorse. Its completely made of wood (except the fire box and boiler), which means the maintenance and preservation with the constant freezing and thawing in Whitehorse is huge.
From there we stopped just before Carcross for some "snuggling" (aka being used as teething toys) with Alaskan Husky puppies at the Caribou Crossing Trading Post. This place is a petting zoo, museum, and general store all rolled into one. Its huge but was empty of tourists as we arrived an hour before closing. We knocked off a few more stamps in our Yukon Gold Passports in downtown Carcross with the Visitor Info Centre and historic Post Office, then it was off to Skagway.
The highway from Carcross to Skagway is one of the most stunning and raw landscapes I've seen yet. The mountains are beaten and torn by the weather and snow. The scattered rocks and ponds become a lush setting for waterfalls and glaciers. I can't imagine a more perfect entry for our first time to Alaska.
At the end of the highway is Skagway. Arriving in the evening, the town was quiet and borderline sedate. Most businesses were closed; no vehicles were on the street and hardly any people were out. We camped at an RV park where we learned that, although there is no separation between sites, no one comes out of their RVs so it feels like you have the whole place to yourself.
By the next morning (and the arrival of 3 cruise ships), the entire setting changed to one of complete chaos. Thousands of people loaded on tour busses, trains and flooded the sidewalks and streets. Busses, shuttles and tours drive up and down Skagway. We tried to meet up with a friend arriving by cruise ship but it became apparent after watching and waiting for a couple of hours that it was pretty futile. We weren't allowed near the boat ramp and the tourists were all shuffled from boat to bus or train. Cody became a major focal point for these pet-starved tourists. Hundreds of people asked about, touched or took pictures of him. We learned to keep the bikes moving or face a crowd of Cody-fans. The ferry out of Skagway came with a big sigh of relief.
The Alaskan Marine Highway System is as unique as its setting. From Skagway to Haines they load the boat down a skinny ramp and into the side of the vessel. The vehicles are all reserved in advance and have to enter the ferry, turn around and back up into their appropriate lane. Its both a test of each vehicle's maneuverability as well as the driver's skill. Some moments were extremely entertaining, as clearly not everyone knows how to back up the vehicles they are driving.
From the Haines ferry terminal we went North to Chilkoot Campground. There were lots of kids to play with and Emma quickly joined the fray.
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