Day 20 Headed to Tok

We left Haines this morning with some regret. It has been a wonderful visit but we have reservations on the ferry out of Valdez for Whittier early next Monday morning and want enough time to enjoy the drive to Valdez. That is the last reservation we have for this trip so we will travel or stay as the whim strikes after this. It did work out well as the weekly cruise ship visit started this morning so we missed the crowds! Leaving Haines we followed the Chilkat River north through the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. The drive winds alongside the river for 25 miles or so and then starts to climb slowly into the glaciers of the Coastal Mountain Range. At 39 miles we crossed the border into Canada again and continued climbing up to Chilkat Pass in British Columbia where we stopped for lunch at a rest area with another magnificent view. After passing into Yukon Terrirtory again we passed through the Kluane National Park which is a large preserve of Grizzlies (didn’t see any) and down into Haines Junction where we rejoined the Alaska Highway. As we started checking the map and Milepost for campgrounds we started running into rain showers and muddy construction sections of the road. While it was not as bad as going into Skagway last week Jeff has sworn off washing vehicles until we get to Valdez! There is a major widening and paving project along the west shore of Lake Kluane, the largest lake in Yukon, for 20 miles or so that really was messy. We finally settled on a site with a great view of the lake at the Burwash Landing Lodge & RV Park. After arriving we went in search of burl wood carvings, a favorite of Sue and our SIL Dan, visited another display of local wildlife, and then returned to the lodge for dinner. The view was to write home about, the food wasn’t. We are now sitting in the m/h looking out over the lake and enjoying a quiet evening at home. Tomorrow it is on to Tok, Alaska where we leave the Alaska Highway until we head back to the lower 48.