Day 7 Frost Heaves and Dips, rain, wind, and Autumn?

Autumn!

Long title for a very challenging 268 mile day- Whitehorse Yukon to Snag Junction campground. It rained all night and well into the day. I couldn’t find my way out of Whitehorse because the signs weren’t clear on getting back on to the highway. The Guide to the Alaska Highway warned about the confusion and I got totally sucked into it! I earlier wrote about the highway being a metaphor/simile for life and today took a dramatic turn. I nearly just stopped- dead- no more- too scared. The roads today were mostly

awful. It doesn’t appear that they crown them so they drain the rain from the driving lanes. In one area where the rain was steadily coming down the truck and trailer started hydroplaning both toward the center of the road and toward the shoulder. Fortunately I kept my head and didn’t panic. Took the foot off the gas, ignored the cop behind me, and put the truck in 4wd. Then white –knuckled it for several miles. It scared me so bad I wanted to stop, just top. Problem is, I was in the middle of nowhere. I arrived at Haines Junction and visited the Kluane National Park and Reserve Visitor Center/Da Ku "Our House" Cultural Center and calmed the anxiety by breathing and a little crying. 

The view of the mountains.

It didn’t get much better down the road with excessive frost heaves and dips and miles of construction driving on wet slick muddy gravel (4wd again although it seems to be having issues). Between these two challenges the wind kicked up so hard the truck and trailer was bucking all over the place. Did I mention wind? Might be another reason I’m only getting 14mpg because it’s either a head wind or a cross wind. Why oh why can't I get a good tail wind!

My weight equals...

Here's the thing, you can stop and get out of this life but it’s better to ride it out watch the change, be a part of the change, embrace the change. Why? Well, once I got closer to tonight's destination the sun shone and the autumn colors dazzled! Besides I saw 15 Dall sheep on Sheep Mountain in Kluane National Park eating sage! Can’t beat that.

Kluane National Park Yukon

Sheep Mountain Kluane National Park

I should have known, though, that the day would be challenging when I went to buy some groceries this morning and found you have to pay to use a shopping cart. I lugged the water, ice, and few groceries around because paying is just weird. Besides it builds muscle!

The clouds and rain have hidden the mountains and icefields yet I’ve still seen amazing views of massive mountains arising from the land many covered in all shades of yellow and a little pink here and there. Apparently what I thought were cottonwoods are balsam polar (similar species). The tamaracks are bright yellow on the mountains as are the aspen and other shrubs and trees I’m not familiar with. In many ways it is already autumn here.

Wildlife today- sharp-shinned hawk, goshawk, ground squirrel, kestrel, red-tailed hawk.

Snag Junction Camp site.

Stopped tonight at Snag Junction government campground just south of Beaver Creek. It’s located on a lake so I’m hoping for loons calling. Yes, I’ll go out in the morning and look for the elusive moose. Then off to cross the Yukon-Alaska border. After that, we’ll see how the drive to Tok goes and then south towards Valdez to Wrangell St. Elias National Park. There’s a wayside camp spot four miles from the visitor center. Looks like I’ll have some great views of the pipeline. (update: never did see the ugly thing along this highway).

The end of the day has been taken up by drinking tea and meditative contemplation picking grass awns out of Templeton’s fur.

Lesson #7 Good tires, good brakes, and good sense will save you every time.