A little more about Whitehorse. One of my guidebooks said it has “an end of the world vibe.” That’s a pretty good description. It feels like from here you’re stepping off into the wilderness. Also, Whitehorse has Diamond Tooth Gertie’s. Gertie’s is the northernmost casino in the world. (But don’t confuse it with Vegas casino’s. It’s much smaller and simpler). It doesn’t open until 7:00 pm, and from then on it’s probably the busiest place in town. It’s got a great bar with a view of the casino floor and the thrice-nightly can-can show. And there’s no guilt – the profits from the casino go to charity.
Left Whitehorse this morning in a drizzle that lasted most of the day. There’s a local radio station in Dawson (actually, NPR), and they said it was snowing in Whitehorse.
The road from Dawson to Whitehorse is the Klondike Highway. As you can guess, it started as an Indian trail, then became a major road during the gold rush.
When I left this morning, I thought about taking the Campbell Highway out of Carmacks and going all the way to Watson Lake. But that would have meant a day of about 700 miles, and when I got to the Campbell and it was still raining, I decided to head on to Whitehorse. I’ll try to put in a long day tomorrow and get past Watson Lake. Either way, that will put me ahead of my original itinerary again.
Yesterday and today, the road would occasionally go through areas where there had been major fires. That apparently happens routinely here, and for the most part they let them burn. There are occasional signs that tell the year of the burn you’re seeing. One burn was from the 1950’s, and that forest was far from restored. An interpretive area for the 2005 Fox Lake fire said it burned through the summer, smoldered all winter, and was out by the following spring.
I stopped for gas in Carmacks, at 45 degrees, and a steady rain. I talked to a couple of guys on motorcycles who had left Whitehorse, heading for Dawson. They did not look like they were having fun. But they did fill up for cheaper than I did.
Left Whitehorse this morning in a drizzle that lasted most of the day. There’s a local radio station in Dawson (actually, NPR), and they said it was snowing in Whitehorse.
The road from Dawson to Whitehorse is the Klondike Highway. As you can guess, it started as an Indian trail, then became a major road during the gold rush.
When I left this morning, I thought about taking the Campbell Highway out of Carmacks and going all the way to Watson Lake. But that would have meant a day of about 700 miles, and when I got to the Campbell and it was still raining, I decided to head on to Whitehorse. I’ll try to put in a long day tomorrow and get past Watson Lake. Either way, that will put me ahead of my original itinerary again.
Yesterday and today, the road would occasionally go through areas where there had been major fires. That apparently happens routinely here, and for the most part they let them burn. There are occasional signs that tell the year of the burn you’re seeing. One burn was from the 1950’s, and that forest was far from restored. An interpretive area for the 2005 Fox Lake fire said it burned through the summer, smoldered all winter, and was out by the following spring.
I stopped for gas in Carmacks, at 45 degrees, and a steady rain. I talked to a couple of guys on motorcycles who had left Whitehorse, heading for Dawson. They did not look like they were having fun. But they did fill up for cheaper than I did.
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