The first part of the highway is focused on oil and gas exploration with oil field camps off on gravel side roads. Occasionally, there will be an open camp providing lodging for oil workers traveling to or from the fields.
It's a long road, sometimes straight, sometimes curvy, mostly paved but sometimes covered with chip seal which appears as gravel. It is like tar with stones placed on top which turns into a hard surface after traveled upon. This process takes time and can be very dusty until the loose stones are embedded or bounced aside.
Seeing Black Bears feeding on new grass is a common sight. Getting one to lift its head away from feeding, to allow for a good shot, does not often happen. We can pull to the shoulder and sit, viewing bears for a long time without them ever lifting their heads to look at us.
Relics along the road include motels and service centers needed by travelers when the road first opened to the public in 1948. Travelers on the then gravel AK Highway, needed food, lodging, fuel and vehicle repair services. Now, as more and more people travel this paved highway in fast cars or in modern self -contained RVs like ours there is little need to stop. More modern service centers are available, but they are many miles apart.
Stone Mountain Provincial Park always provides us with Stone Sheep to look at. They are usually noticed standing majestically against the sky on top of the rocky cliffs in which they live.
When not looking down curiously from their high perch, they can be found walking dangerously in the middle of this very narrow road winding along the base of the rocky hills. They spend time licking the pavement enjoying the minerals or whatever it is that they find there.
Fisher's eyes lit up when she saw this delicate morsel! We spent quite a lot of time pulled onto the shoulder of the road, craning our necks watching these very nimble animals. Little guys like this one, make it hard to move on. We were unable to capture a decent shot of the large ram that we saw standing above the others and never venturing near the highway. His horns were heavy and well curled.
From sheep viewing to Bison. We saw herds of Bison laying in dust bowls and in the grass along the highway. They appeared to be in heavy slumber brought on by the unusual heat found here for this time of year. The temperatures were in the high eighties which had us running our AC to keep us comfortable and to keep Fisher from panting and subsequently drooling on our shoulders, a most unpleasant feeling !
Watson Lake is known for its Signpost Forest which makes for interesting viewing.
Leaving Watson Lake we entered Muncho Lake Provincial Park with its incredible scenery.
The wildflowers growing along the roadside make the shoulders appear carpeted in color.
Kluane Lake surrounded by snow covered high peaks makes this part of the Yukon as beautiful as any we have seen. Kluane Lake is the largest lake in the Yukon, but is not a great fishery.
Kluane Lake
Yet another head hanging bear more focused on eating than having his picture taken.
I love this old cabin that we pass each year, particularly the sod roof.
At the end of Kluane Lake we were met with a stretch of very rough road. Here where permafrost exists, the road rises up and down in huge heaves. We pass by several small hamlets before reaching the larger although still very small town of Beaver Creek. This trip we would to get to know this town in an unexpected way! (to be continued)