Kusawa Ridge, Kluane Plateau, Yukon Territory, Canada (8-16-22)

Days 17 & 18 of Lupe’s 2nd Summer of 2022 Dingo Vacation to Canada & Alaska!

8-15-22, 12:40 PM, 64ºF – After an early constitutional along the ridge overlooking the N end of Atlin Lake, Lupe spent the rest of the morning snoozing peacefully on her pink blanket in the RAV4.  Tiring of the trip journal, SPHP put it away.  Enough of that!  Time to move on.

Cloudy and cooler today, so not much was in the works.  Driving N on Hwy No. 7, SPHP eventually turned W on the Alaska Highway.  After a couple of stops for supplies and fuel ($1.859 CAN/liter) in Whitehorse, Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs was next.

I’m hungry, SPHP!  Can you at least give me something good to eat before you treat only yourself to the hot springs?

Hah!  You’re in luck, Loop!  Picked up a barbecued chicken in Whitehorse.  Let’s do it some damage before I go get cleaned up.

I’ll gladly help you with that chicken, SPHP!  Say, this place looks vaguely familiar.  Have we been here before?

Yes, several times.  Used to be Takhini Hot Springs, but since we were last here a few years ago, they tore that facility down.  Their fancy schmancy brand new one is open now with its glittery new name.

After hiring the water taxi to take us to Birch Mountain (6,765 ft.), can you still afford it, SPHP?  Looks pretty ritzy.

Hope so.  If not, I’ll be back sooner than you think, Looper.

Splurge, if you have to, SPHP.  Removing a few layers of that topsoil you’re wearing wouldn’t hurt a thing!

SPHP did splurge.  Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs was now quite a swanky joint compared to the old Takhini Hot Springs.  Sadly, prices reflected this change, but management clearly had a considerable investment to recoup.  SPHP spent the better part of an hour soaking in the largest of 3 hot pools to choose from.  Medium hot, it was the clear favorite of today’s guests.

How was it, SPHP?  I must say, you do sniff a lot better now!

Very relaxing, Loop.  Enjoyed it!  Best to get here early in the day, though, if you want to save money.  Paid the $29 CAN afternoon price.  Only $19 CAN in the morning, $39 CAN in the evening.  That’s my hot pool, hot tip of the day for Whitehorse travelers!

Felt fantastic to be clean again!  Returning to the Alaska Highway, SPHP continued the drive W.

8-15-22, 8:41 PM – The turn S off the Alaska Highway came 65 km W of Whitehorse on a wide gravel road 2 km past a rest area.  The RAV4 was now close to 20 km in, parked on a bluff overlooking Kusawa Lake.  The sky was still gray and glum, but Lupe was in fine spirits.

Wow!  We get to stay here tonight, SPHP?  Look at how close we are to the lake!

Yup!  Kusawa Lake is a lot bigger than it looks, too, Loop.  We’re not far from where the Takhini River flows out the N end, so we only see a small fraction of it here.  Kusawa Lake is one of these unbelievably long, skinny Canadian lakes that winds for miles back into the mountains.

Oh!  Are we going to take another water taxi tomorrow then, SPHP?

Nope.  Weather permitting, the plan is to climb Kusawa Ridge (5,085 ft.).  It’s a popular hike only a few km from here to get to a big view of the lake from on high.  Actually hoping we’ll be able to go on to Peak 6400+, too.  Should be some great alpine territory to roam, if we can get that far.

I love the alpine tundra, SPHP!

I know!  Me, too, Loop.  Ready for dinner yet?  With this S breeze coming off the lake, don’t think it makes sense to try to heat anything up.  We could polish off the rest of the barbeque chicken, though.

If I must, I must, SPHP.  Bring it on!

8-16-22 – Morning didn’t bring much of a change.  Beneath an overcast sky, the air was cool, a chilly breeze still sweeping across Kusawa Lake.  By 11:00 AM, though, the day was starting to brighten and warm up.  Sick of writing, SPHP stashed the trip journal again.

Sort of a late start, Looper, but maybe now’s our chance!  Kusawa Ridge?

The American Dingo was all for it.

8-16-22 – Driving S past a campground, the main road came to a “T”.  Consulting directions, SPHP turned R (W).  After going around a bend, the road continued S.  An ancient cabin soon appeared on the L (E), just before a bridge over a good-sized stream.  SPHP parked the RAV4 in an empty spot big enough for several vehicles opposite the cabin.

Lupe leapt out.  No signage at all, but, sure enough, a wide path headed W into the forest.

8-16-22, 12:03 PM, 61ºF, Kusawa Ridge trailhead – The sun was trying to break through the cloud cover as Lupe set off.   Happily, just enough of a breeze here to keep the bugs away.  The Carolina Dog barely got started on the broad, smooth path when she came to a small, sandy clearing with a stone campfire ring.

The level path went right on past the campfire ring, and the American Dingo did, too.  Lupe hadn’t gone much farther when the path began veering N (R).  Seemed a bit odd, since the route to Kusawa Ridge was supposed to follow the stream off to the S.  However, the path was clear and wide, and SPHP hadn’t noticed any other.

Anticipating this jog N was temporary, SPHP expected the trail to curve SW back toward the stream at any moment.  Instead, it persisted in its course N.  When Lupe got so far that the stream couldn’t be heard any more, SPHP became suspicious.

Hang on, Loop!  This can’t be right!  We’re going the wrong way.

We’re lost already, SPHP?  We’ve barely started!

I know, but I just assumed this big, wide path was the way to go.  Instead, we’re heading directly away from the stream we’re supposed to follow.

Well, what about this path, SPHP?  Maybe this is the way, or would you rather go back to the stream?

For the first time, SPHP noticed a side trail Lupe had spotted that headed WSW off the main one.

Never mind!  This must be the way, Loop!  Glad you saw it!

Taking the faint side trail, it wound mostly W or SW through an open forest full of scattered boulders and a fair amount of deadfall.  Gradually gaining elevation, the terrain was interesting, allowing Lupe to explore a series of small ridges and valleys.  At times the trail nearly faded away completely, but with careful examination, it was always found again.

Something still wasn’t right!  The Kusawa Ridge route was supposed to start off following the stream for 1.6 km, but the trail went on and on, and Lupe still couldn’t even hear it.  Well, no matter.  Sooner or later, she’d either have to run into the stream, or Kusawa Ridge itself.

Sure enough, the American Dingo finally did reach a steep bank, nearly a cliff, overlooking the stream.  There was a much clearer trail here.

Alright, think we’re back on track now, SPHP!

Yeah, we must have messed up somehow way back near the start, Loop.  Think the faint route we followed here must be the way other lost souls have gone, too.  Maybe we can figure it all out on the way back?

No worries, SPHP!  The way we went was fine.  I enjoyed it!  Onward!

Turned out, Lupe had rediscovered the main trail only a short distance from the base of Kusawa Ridge.  Here, a gritty path started up a very steep slope.  After an initial climb, things got easier, improving further as the Carolina Dog reached young aspens up on the broad ridge.

The Kusawa Ridge trail featured a few level stretches, but most of the time, Lupe climbed at a good clip as the trail wound through the aspens past scenic boulders of moderate size.  Curiously enough, the trail itself wasn’t particularly rocky.

The day was now sunny and warm.  SPHP was shedding layers.  Loop soon felt overheated in her fur coat, too, and began pawing SPHP’s legs wanting to stop.  Coming to a slab of bedrock in the shade of a spruce tree, a short break was taken.  While SPHP finished stripping down to a T-shirt, Lupe had a drink of water, followed up with some Taste of the Wild.  SPHP munched on trail mix.

No one had been at the trailhead, and Lupe hadn’t seen anyone since then, either, but soon voices could be heard below.  Apparently a nice, sunny day meant company.  Setting off again before anyone appeared, Lupe continued up the ridge.

The climb up Kusawa Ridge (5,085 ft.) was straightforward.  Beneath a bright blue sky and puffy white clouds, Lupe followed the trail NNW, steadily gaining elevation.  Two big knobs were soon visible ahead.  As the American Dingo continued higher, Peak 6400+ came into view past the deep valley the creek went up.

People were now visible coming up the trail, but Lupe maintained her lead.  The first knob turned out to be merely a flatter region wider than the rest of the ridge.  Looked like there might be some nice viewpoints overlooking Kusawa Lake off to the E, but the Carolina Dog didn’t check them out.  Most of the trail already offered great views of the lake.

Continuing toward the second knob, the trail crossed an unusual region of exposed bedrock before starting to climb more steeply again.  By now, blue sky was vanishing, and the breeze suddenly felt colder and stronger with each step.  No longer T-shirt weather, SPHP began layering up.

Approaching the second knob, the terrain got steeper and rockier, Lupe made good progress climbing a grassier slope W of rock formations.  It began to look like the American Dingo would reach the top any minute now, but higher ground kept appearing ahead.

By now the trail was only intermittent.  There was no top to the second knob.  It was all an illusion!  Lupe kept climbing from one false summit to the next.  Continuing to gain strength, the wind felt colder and colder.  Loopster finally reached a flat region.  A depression surrounded by tall vegetation appeared to be the dried up remnant of a small tarn.

Although it was tempting to seek shelter from the wind here, Loop kept going, skirting around the E side of the depression without entering it.

The depression was nearly the end.  Climbing the hill beyond it among dark rocks, the terrain then began to flatten out, the rate of climb greatly diminished.  Lupe reached a series of minor false summits.  A top was now visible ahead.  Two of them, actually, but the American Dingo didn’t need to get to HP5949, the much higher and more distant one.  She was already nearly to the region considered the high point of Kusawa Ridge.

8-16-22, 3:15 PM, 46ºF, Kusawa Ridge (5,085 ft.) – The wind was 30-35 mph out of the SW as Lupe reached a cairn.  The absolute high point of this region was still a few minutes farther, but the wind was so chilly and annoying, the Carolina Dog didn’t go all the way to it right away.

Instead, after paying the cairn a brief visit, she headed over to the E side of the ridge, descending a little bit to escape the worst of the wind.  This was where the best views of Kusawa Lake were, anyway.

While taking a short break here, a boy or 8 or 9 arrived at the cairn with his father.  Spotting Lupe, the boy came running over wanting to pet her, an act of kindness the Carolina Dog was happy to oblige.  The boy and his father soon left, though, after a few quick photos.  Lupe and SPHP were alone again in the wild breeze beneath a dark sky.

The views were impressive, although perhaps not at their finest on such a gloomy day.  Lupe could see the entire 9 mile long N section of Kusawa Lake, all the way S from where the Takhini River left it at the N end clear down to where the lake curved out of sight behind the mountains.

Hard to believe we’re only seeing a fraction of the lake from here, SPHP!

True enough, though, Loop!  This is only about a third of Kusawa Lake.

Still say we need a water taxi to really explore it then, SPHP.

Would be fun, Loop, but don’t believe there are any water taxis here.

As soon as the short rest break was over, Lupe continued NNW to tag the true summit of Kusawa Ridge.

8-16-22, 3:44 PM, 46ºF, Kusawa Ridge – The true summit proved to be a minor rise of exposed bedrock with a small cairn and other loose rocks on it.  A huge, light gray boulder sitting farther N near the E edge bore a cairn, too, and was almost as high.  Lupe visited both, requiring a boost from SPHP to get up onto the boulder.

The views from the boulder were marvelous, but nearly identical to those at the break spot back near the first big cairn.  After spending only a minute or two enjoying them, Lupe leapt down.  One more high spot to visit!  A short stroll W got her to a slightly elevated region of tundra and scattered rocks.  No cairns, but this area was in contention for the title of true summit, too.

Having little prominence, none of these Kusawa Ridge high points really meant much.  Lupe stood on this last one facing W.  Across a deep valley, Peak 6400+ was more than 1,300 feet higher than where she was now.

Not a tree or bush in sight!  Peak 6400+ was just a big rounded hill.  Lupe surveyed a vast region of open tundra that swept around to it, and even way beyond to other big hills.  It was all just the sort of fabulous alpine territory the American Dingo would ordinarily love to explore.

That had been the plan when the day was sunny and warm.  Venture on from Kusawa Ridge to the big saddle SW of HP5949, then head up Peak 6400+’s long NW slope clear to the summit.  Getting there would be a breeze, and Loopster would have such fun!

A breeze?  More like a gale, SPHP!  At 30-35 mph down here, no telling what kind of hurricane we’d run into up there!  Not doing it!  At least, not today!  You’ve got a nice, new rain jacket, but what about me?  If it starts raining, I’ll be soaked to the skin and freezing cold!  Do you want me to catch pneumonia?

The American Dingo was right.  Conditions were borderline unpleasant already.  Continuing on to Peak 6400+ was asking for trouble.  If it did start to rain, misery and hypothermia would almost certainly result.  Couldn’t rule it out, either, with the sky the way it was.

Reluctantly, a mere 35 minutes after Lupe reached the first big cairn, SPHP conceded the point.  May as well start back.

While still in the high country, SPHP couldn’t help but gaze SW over to the many peaks Lupe might easily explore under better conditions.

If we ever come back, we could bring the tiny house with us, Looper.  A few days worth of supplies, and you could roam for miles!

Keep Peak 6400+ on my list of possibilities, SPHP!  Maybe someday we will!

The rather steep descent was easy and went fast, enjoying a fabulous view of Kusawa Lake ahead nearly all the way.  Not far from the top, Lupe did check out the depression this time around.  It truly did offer some protection from the wind.

Loss of elevation did, too.  The sky remained cloudy during the descent, but conditions steadily improved.  The wind died down, the air warmed up, and SPHP was shedding layers again.

Once off Kusawa Ridge, this time, Lupe managed to follow the correct trail all the rest of the way back to the trailhead.  It stayed much closer to the stream than the one erroneously taken on the way up.  For a while it ran right along the edge of the steep N bank.  Several times SPHP had to grab hold of trees in order to get past sections that had collapsed into stream’s gaping, rocky ravine.

Most of the time, though, the trail stayed a little N of the ravine back in the forest.  The route was confusing, braided, and difficult to follow in places, which SPHP found surprising.  Looper, on the other paw, loved how it wound around, and often led the way.

Very curious on exactly where this route had been missed on the way up, SPHP was surprised again when Lupe suddenly came to the stone campfire ring in the sandy clearing only a minute from the trailhead.  The correct path, which veered toward the L (SW) here on the way in, was unmarked, and not at all obvious.  No wonder!

8-16-22, 5:16 PM, 62ºF, Kusawa Ridge trailhead – Perfect timing!  Two minutes after Lupe leapt back into the RAV4, it started to sprinkle.  SPHP drove N back to the same flat, grassy bluff overlooking Kusawa Lake where she’d spent last night.  The wind was blowing this way across the lake again, making heating anything up for dinner a pain.

Want to share a can of salmon, Loop?  I don’t have to cook that.

You know I love salmon, SPHP!

Sharing salmon and Ritz crackers, Lupe and SPHP watched a storm move in.  Sprinkles gave way to mist.  Dusk brought whitecaps as rain swept Kusawa Lake, and a steady patter began on the roof of the RAV4.

Good thing Lupe hadn’t gone on to Peak 6400+, but at least she’d made it to Kusawa Ridge!

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