7/21/15 HERE WE GO AGAIN....DESTRUCTION BAY 2.0

The day started off with a frustrated husband not being able to get cell service on his ATT go-phone in the Capital of the Yukon.  All coverage maps show this is an area for which we should have reliable communication.  Needless to say, ATT locked our on-line account, transferred us to multiple agencies in the on-line chat, and finally told us we would have to find a pay phone to call a "toll-free" number that was given to us.  3 hours later, still no luck or progress, except for delaying our start of the day.  Feeling frustrated in Canada.

We left High Country RV Park at 9:00 AM heading north on the Alaska Highway toward Destruction Bay where we will be camping at Discovery RV Park.  As soon as we departed Whitehorse we began to notice significant frost heaves in the pavement.  Frost heaves are similar to waves or swells in the ocean.  We managed to travel about 45-50mph in this area and watched as an impatient 5th wheeler passed us and we could see daylight under the rear tires as he bounced over the frost heaves.  The mountains in the Takhini River Valley were pretty.    

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The Canyon Creek bridge rest area is one of our favorite stops.  It has a nice open area for us to maneuver our rig around, walk the dogs and see a historic site where the Army Engineers built an bridge that crosses the creek in a small canyon.  This is also the beginning of the Kluane National Park which has one of the most picturesque mountain ranges in North America and is a significant Canadian National Park.  Kluane National Park of Canada abuts the Wrangell St Elias National Park in Alaska which is the largest National Park in the United States. 

Taking pictures going down the road is sometimes difficult when you have to work around the dead bugs that have sacrificed themselves on our windshield.

Haines Junction is a fork in the road.  The road south takes you to Haines, AK which is just north of Juneau by way of ferry and the road north takes you to Tok, AK which takes you either to Dawson City, Fairbanks or Anchorage.  We stopped at a bakery in Haines Junction that we had read about in the RV forums.  It was off the beaten path, but well worth the detour.  We got some cinnamon rolls and other pastries to tide us over until we get to Anchorage.

One we turned the corner at Haines Junction, the mountain ranges began looking spectacular.  Last year it was foggy and rainy when we went through this area, so it's a nice treat to see it on a clear day.  Many of the mountain tops are above the clouds.  This mountain range holds some of the tallest mountain peaks in Canada.

We encountered numerous gravel sections and frost heaves.  We thought the section from Fort Nelson to Liard Springs was bad, but this part of the highway (for extended lengths) is all but destroyed.  As we expected, this is absolutely the worst road conditions on the Alaska Highway.  While stopped waiting on the pilot car, we shared an ice cream bar with the flag-girl and visited with other parked travelers.

Discovery RV Park, which is approximately 50 miles south east of the Alaska border and half-way through the roughest sections of the Alaska Highway was a great place to find respite from the road.  This campground also had cabins and a grass runway for fly-in travelers needing a place to stay.  Meeting the other campers from North America and Europe around the campfire was a great way to spend the evening.

We opened the hood of the toad upon arrival at the campground and found the engine compartment had been filled with loose gravel, grit, and dirt.  We turned the hose loose on the engine in an attempt to clean it off and prevent damage to the car.  The dolly shared the grit and mud experience.

Tomorrow we arrive in Telsona, AK.  Getting closer to seeing my grandson.