As we prepare for the Dempster Highway, I spent the last two days getting gear into the tent camping mode. Meanwhile, Ray crafted some "radiator and headlight insurance" against the flying rocks of the northern gravel roads. Herewith is pictorial documentation of the arts and craft project. After creating a pattern, the metal work begins. And the finished project is a work of art!

Meanwhile, the glorious sunsets just minutes before midnight keep us up and snapping those

photos!

Tomorrow, the northward adventure begins...who knows when next there will be Internet and another blog? Till then....the FunFinder sleeps while we roll again.

Real photography On The Road

This is what Ray does when he's not driving the rig. Loading a couple of rolls of exposed film into the Nikor developing tank in the light-tight changing bag. Must be hard work, considering his grimace!

Four rolls of black & white film, 120, taken on an old Rolleiflex and his brand-new Holga plastic wonder.

First roll out on the road. Negatives from the Holga look better than expected, and these from the Rollei are excellent.

On closer inspection yet, there is much rejoicing! Negatives portend many happy hours in the winter darkroom (our bathroom) at home.

Mile 884 of the Alaska Highway, and our first destination.

Whitehorse, Yukon. Mountains and river. To quote an orientation film, "TheYukon takes the cotton out of your ears!" It sure does! Meanwhile, other destinations call, the road is open, and ahead lie many highways: the Dempster to Inuvik, the Klondike to Glacier Bay/Juneau/Skagway, the Cassiar to Stewart/Hyder, the Yellowhead to Jasper, Alberta, and all this in the days and months to come.

Along the road, at Teslin, we discovered the art of the Teslin Tlingit people--

And the sunset at 11;37 pm on summer solstice:

First Destination Achieved!

Arrived this afternoon in Whitehorse, Yukon, one day ahead of our arm-chair projections last March! Scenery along the road never quits--that is, if you enjoy the mountains and vast rivers and endless will roses blooming along the roadside.

Right off, we hurried into town to participate in Aboriginal Day, which is June 21, the Summer Solstice, and celebrated by eating bannock, the traditional bread rather like baking-powder biscuits. Maybe I should have titled this blog something to do with foodies along the road rather than roadies eating lots of food!

Although the mosquitoes haven't carried me off yet (thanks for asking, Dave!), we have some significant welts to show for our battles--hence the delight in finding the bumper sticker about the single mosquito--to read it, you might have to double-click the photo for an enlargement.

Beware of the Road!

Today is a rest day at Dawson Peaks Lodge and Campsite, (yikes..what happened?? Not a link!) so as we sit here in peaceful tranquility, I thought we'd give you a taste of the daily road. Talking about tastes, one of the biggest treats in years is the rhubarb pie baked at the lodge here! It is worth a stop, if you are a rhubarb pie lover as I am. Add a scoop of home-made ice-cream, and ahhhh!

Yesterday we traveled 150 miles from Watson Lake to Dawson Peaks. On the way were these signs warning us:

Steep Grades Ahead to 9%

Sudden S Curves

Road Narrows

Falling Rocks

Slow to 40K (25mph)

Buffalo Herd on Road (herd grazing peacefully)

Deer on Road

Caribou Herd

Horses....and

Frost Heaves

indicating road surface disrupted by permafrost (photo of ubiquitous signs of imminent "Heavee-Jeevies" as Ray calls them!) However, all driving is safe and slow.

Lazing at Muncho Lake and progressing on the Al-Can

Today we passed many milestones--2,500 since we left home, to be exact! Around noon we crossed the 60th North latitude, 23.5 degrees from home with 6.5 to go to reach the Arctic Circle. Then, around afternoon teatime we entered Yukon soon after seeing our first grizzly and caribou on the trip!

Before reaching Watson Lake, we spent four days at turquoise green Mucho Lake, surrounded by the Northern Canadian Rockies. Although the lake was just 56 degrees F. we dipped our toes in and enjoyed the chance--thanks to generous-hearted neighbors from Grand Prairie, to paddle around a little in their kayaks. Shared stories and campfire time and took more photos than would ever fit into a blog. Did I mention that we had to pump our water?

Enjoy the view!

On we roll! From Charlie Lake, so delightful that we spent four days there among the poplars and quaking (in Canada--trembling) aspens. After Fort St. John, the road took on what I call the "real feel" of what we imagined the Alaska Highway to be like--rolling grades lined with mixed conifer and deciduous forests, here a bear, there a moose, over there a coyote and way up there an eagle! The animal on the road sign seems to be a horse, but we've not seen one of those yet!

On the horizon loom the Northern Rockies, coming closer every day. Camped alongside the Sikanni River last night and saw sunrise around 4 am.