City of lights

Our drive through the Yukon Territory started precariously. The freezing and thawing of the tundra cause the roadway to undulate like a rickety roller coaster. This turbulent stretch of potholed pavement is known as the frost heaves. We almost didn't make it into Canada because of the fiercely entrenched battle my brother had with the Canadian border agent. The conversation went like this-

Agent: What's the nature of your visit?

Josh: We're here to mind our own business. Why? What's the nature of your job?

Agent: Do you have any alcohol and tobacco in your vehicle?

Josh: We might have some of it left, but we had a really hearty breakfast. You looking for a fix?

Agent: Do you have any firearms in your possession?

Josh: Just these two babies (kissing his biceps)

Agent: Are you planning on leaving anything behind in Canada?

Josh: Yep! A ton of garbage!

I don't know if that's exactly how the conversation went, but that's how I remember it. Fortunately, the border guard was kind enough to let us through. Although the car shook from the seismic road shocks, the scenery was as spectacular as the Tok Cutoff. Further south on the Alcan highway, the frostline moves deeper underground. At this latitude, trees can extend their roots and grow taller than their northern counterparts. During this section of the trip, we also spotted an elk herd, a porcupine, a fox, arctic swan, and two black bears.







Known as tribal herds, the elk in this region are numerous. They officially belong to the indigenous peoples:






The highlight of the drive was the bears. We hoped to see some, although several natives we spoke to said they had never see a bear.

By the time we reached Whitehorse, it was nearly midnight. Although some daylight lingered, it was too late to setup camp, sleep soundly, and wake up refreshed for another day's drive. The section of Whitehorse along the Alcan highway looks like every other wayside rest stop we had seen for miles. Our chances of finding a clean motel seemed bleak. However, the travel guide listed multiple hotels, including a West Mark and a Best Western. We decided to explore "downtown". We turned off of the highway and ventured about two miles. Darkness had fallen as we came around a final curve. Nestled in the valley was a city of lights- Whitehorse- an oasis on the edge of a vast virgin land. This was a welcome sight to weary travels. We quickly found a place to rest a bit and wake up as all civilized men should, to Tim Horton's double double and a strawberry vanilla donut.









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Location:Alcan Highway, Alaskan border to Whitehorse