May 29th, 2024 - Northern Yukon and Kluane Lake

We woke to a beautiful morning so off we went - heading north!

Past the plane weathervane:

Into the mountains:

The road was not too bad but there were some "bumpy" areas:

The St. Elias Mountain Range:

"The St. Elias Mountains are located on the border of Alaska and Canada and are part of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. The park is the largest unit of the U.S. National Park System and is known for its high peaks and glaciers. Mount St. Elias, the tallest peak in the St. Elias Mountains, is the second highest mountain in the United States and Canada and the fourth highest in North America."

We followed the range all day - absolutely beautiful scenery:

Remote farms:

Marshes:

ELK!!! - No we did not see any:

Sandy areas - almost desert like:

And then!:

It almost doesn't look real!  

We stopped here for a break and as soon as we got out of the RV, we looked at each other and said "We stopped here before".  LOL!

Canyon Creek Bridge:

"Millions of people have read “The Ballad of Sam McGee,” that famous poem of the Klondike Gold Rush written by Robert W. Service (sometimes called “the Bard of the Yukon”). However, most do not know that the real McGee (who outlived his fictional self) had strong connections to part of the Alaska Highway’s Yukon route.

McGee and his partner, Gilbert Skelly, were road builders as well as prospectors. In 1903, they built a wagon road between Whitehorse and Kluane Lake.  As part of the road building, they erected a simple wooden bridge over what was then known as Canyon Creek (today, the Aishihik River). The little wooden bridge withstood the ravages of nature and increasing traffic over the next 40 years.

The bridge was rebuilt in 1923 by the Jacquot brothers when they upgraded the road. In the 1940s, the crossing was incorporated into the Alaska Highway by the US Public Roads Administration (PRA) surveying crew. However, the US PRA decided to build a more permanent steel bridge nearby that could support heavier loads, leaving the original timber bridge in place. (This steel bridge was replaced in 1968 by the Department of Public Works Canada.)

The crossing at Canyon Creek itself became a convenient stopping place. By 1904, a roadhouse and store were built there to serve travelers on their way to the Kluane goldfields. A little community grew up near the roadhouse, which today has become the town of Canyon Creek, part of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations’ territory.

The Aishihik River/Canyon Creek Bridge was rebuilt in 1987 and refurbished in 2005 by the Yukon government. This popular tourist attraction retains a lot of original components from 1903."

https://www.explorenorth.com/campgrounds/canyon_creek_bridge.html

When we were here in 2007 and 2009, the bridge was open and we were able to walk across.  Sadly not anymore but I as so glad that they can keep this piece of history.

Here we are:

OH MY!:

At another stop, this little guy came to greet us:

So many lakes and ponds - we did see ducks and swans:

And the road goes on - as you can see we had very little traffic:

Coming to Kluane Lake:

There is an overlook at the southern end of the lake that has a sandy/rocky beach where folks camp.  We stopped and admired the view and took pictures.  Of course, I found more rocks.  The neat thing is that the beach was covered in mica and every where I looked it sparkled..  WOW!

Andy patiently waiting for me:

We continued our journey along the lake:

The lake is really down - this area was under water 15 years ago and now it is a dust bowl.

Not sure what these structures are but there were quite a few along this area:

Sheep mountain - our neighbors stopped there and did see sheep thru the telescopes - they just blend into the landscape:

Coming around the lake:

The wind was really picking up the dust here:

One of the items on my bucket list was to camp at Kluane Lake.  It is truly beautiful.  When we were here in 2007, it did not happen.  In 2009, we did camp at the Lake but it was still frozen.  I was so happy to see it clear and yes, we did camp at the Lake.

"From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kluane Lake is located in the southwest area of the Yukon. It is the largest lake contained entirely within Yukon at approximately 408 km² (158 sq mi), and 81 km (50 mi) long.

Kluane Lake is located approximately 60 km (37 mi) northwest of Haines Junction. The Alaska Highway follows most of the south side of Kluane Lake and offers lake views. The lake has a mean depth of 31 m (102 ft) and a maximum depth of 91 m (299 ft).

Until 2016,Kluane Lake was fed by the A'ay Chu (Slims River), which was composed of meltwater from the Kaskawulsh Glacier, located within Kluane National Park. Kluane Lake drains into the Kluane River, whose waters flow into the Donjek River, White River, Yukon River, and eventually the Bering Sea. The lake has a high density of large-bodied lake trout and whitefish and is known for its fishing.

In a startling case of climate change, over 4 days in May 2016, the Slims River suddenly disappeared, leaving windswept mud flats where the Alaska Highway crosses the diminished inlet. Voluminous glacial meltwaters were suddenly diverted from one side of North America to another — from the Bering Sea to the Gulf of Alaska. With its main water supply cut off, Kluane Lake will likely become an isolated basin within a few years, shrinking below its outlet (the Kluane River). Lack of inflow is rapidly changing the water chemistry and fish populations of Kluane Lake. Clouds of dust now frequently fill the formerly clear air.

For the last 300 years until 2016, abundant meltwater from the Kaskawulsh Glacier has been channeled by ice dams to drain via the 150-meter wide Slims River northwards into Kluane Lake. Between 1956 and 2007, the Kaskawulsh glacier retreated by 655 meters, which most scientists attribute to human-caused climate change. Meltwater flooding from accelerating retreat in 2016 carved a new channel through a large ice field, diverting most flows into the Kaskawulsh River, a tributary of the Alsek, which flows into the Gulf of Alaska."

So now we know why it is shrinking and I am so glad that we were able to see it while it still has water here.  So sad!

The Alaskan Highway skirts the edge of the Lake:

Yes, there is still some ice there:

We are staying at Congdon Campground - a Yukon Government Campground - right on the lake.  As we pulled in, look who greeted us:

He was BIG!:

We settled in our site and met Penny and Mike who pulled in right after us.  She is from Pennsylvania and they are now both living in Alabama.

Here is our site:

Our view:

There is a short trail (~ 30 feet) from our lot to the beach so I had to go and check it out (Yes, I did watch for bears.)  The ice was lining the shore and made a "tinkling/crushing" sound - it was cool!

Yes, there were some cool rocks here too and I picked up a few...

It was cold here - had to wear my winter coat - but the sun was warming.  We started an early fire and invited our neighbors, Penny and Mike, to join us. (Yukon Government Parks supply the campers with free wood.)  We had a great time chatting and getting to know one another.  Hopefully we will see each other along the way.

In 2009, we traveled this same route in April - lots of snow.  Here is that blog:

https://thehitzels.blogspot.com/2009/04/april-24-2009-alaskan-highway-part-4.html

Stats for today:

Miles Traveled: 156 Miles

Routes Traveled:

Yukon: YT-1(Alaskan Highway)

Tomorrow we continue our journey north.  We are told from here to Tok, Alaska, the roads are in bad shape so we will see.

Stayed tuned and enjoy today.