Smoked Out & A Change of Plans – Whitehorse, Yukon Territory to Chicken, Alaska (8-1-23 & 8-2-23)

Day 10 & Part One of Day 11 of Lupe’s 2nd Summer of 2023 Dingo Vacation to Canada & Alaska!

8-1-23, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory –

Are you ready yet, SPHP?  It’s already noon!  I thought you bought all the supplies we needed yesterday?

Sorry, Loopster.  I thought so, too, but I keep thinking of additional things that would be nice to have, and it will be a long time before we get another chance to acquire them once we leave town.  Anyway, that’s about it.  Just need to check on the weather and Dempster Highway road conditions, and we’ll be on our way.

Ugh!  Why, SPHP?  They told you at the visitor center only yesterday that the Dempster Highway reopened 2 days ago.  Do we really have to go back there again?

A mighty long stretch of the Dempster had been closed due to wildfires, Loop – all the way from the Ogilvie River way past Eagle Plains.  They warned me that part of it might get closed down again.  However, we don’t have to go back to the visitor center.  They said I can check for updates on 511yukon.ca.  Might as well do it while we’ve still got cell service.  No sense in driving clear up there if fires closed the highway again.

Seems incredible to think that wildfires could be that bad so far N, SPHP.

Yeah, absolutely nuts, isn’t it, Loop?  Hardly believe it myself.  Hmm.  Let’s see here.  Good news!  The Dempster Highway is still open.  80% chance of rain today and the next several days in Faro, so there goes that potential side trip on the way there.  Too bad!  Guess we might as well head straight N to the Dempster.

And then on to Tuktoyaktuk, Land of the Pingos, SPHP!

8-1-23, 12:39 PM, N. Klondike Hwy No. 2, Fox Lake – Yesterday afternoon a rain shower had cleared the air in Whitehorse, but as Lupe peered into Fox Lake from the dock by the campground boat ramp, a familiar white haziness was in the air, especially toward the horizon.  Not a good sign.

8-1-23, 2:57 PM, 80ºF – The smoke really wasn’t all that bad at Fox Lake, but by the time Lupe got to Five Finger Rapids on the Yukon River, it was considerably worse.  Although the Carolina Dog was already well N of Carmacks and the turn E toward Faro where there was supposedly an 80% chance of rain today, the afternoon was sunny, warm, and dry.  In fact, it was just plain hot in a fur coat.

The Five Finger Rapids sign looked older than it used to be.  Weeds grew among the thirsty flowers in the planter beneath it.  The view deck and wooden stairway down to the trail to the rapids were more weathered than SPHP remembered, too.

Despite the heat and smoke-marred views, Lupe made her traditional 0.76 km trek down to the observation deck near the rapids.  At least the islands among the once dangerous rapids could be clearly seen from here.

Lupe panted hard in the heat on the way back up the 219 step staircase leading to the parking area.  Continuing the drive N along N Klondike Highway No. 2, SPHP ran the RAV4’s AC.  Meanwhile the temperature outside continued to inch higher.

8-1-23, 5:02 PM, 82ºF – After fueling up the RAV4 at Pelly Crossing and driving across the bridge, SPHP parked at the turnout overlooking the Pelly River.

The smoke doesn’t seem to be getting any better, SPHP.

I know it, Loopster.  Keep thinking we ought to drive out of it, but it’s been smoky for more than a thousand miles since we first noticed a haze in the air after leaving Smithers way back in British Columbia.  Not sure what to do about it, except keep driving.  Sooner or later, there’s got to be an end.

What happens if there isn’t, SPHP?  What if the smoke extends all the way to Tuktoyaktuk?

Clear to the Arctic Ocean, Loopster?  That can’t be!  Simply not possible!  We’ll drive out of it somewhere along the way.  You’ll see.

I’m starting to wonder, SPHP.  The wildfires must have been bad if they closed the Dempster Highway at Eagle Plains, and that’s still a long way N.

The Dempster is open now, Loop.  Maybe they got some rain in the past few days?  Eagle Plains has been a monsoon every time we’ve ever been there.  Remember fleeing the freezing rain that turned to snow back in 2019?  We were lucky we didn’t get stuck, and that the Ogilvie River didn’t sweep us away that night.  It was practically over the highway the next morning where we parked.

True enough, SPHP, but that was then, and this is now.  And like you say, we’ve been through 1,000 miles of smoke already.

8-1-23, 6:01 PM – An hour later, SPHP stopped again at Stewart Crossing to have a look at the displays and let Lupe stretch her legs.

The Silver Trail!  Remember Mount Haldane and Mount Hinton, SPHP?  They were fabulous!

Don’t forget Keno Hill way up in the fog and mist and that crazy mileage signpost where we parked, Loop.

We could sure use some of that fog and mist today, SPHP!

True enough, and from the Stewart Crossing bridge there did seem to be at least a glimmer of hope.  Looking upstream, the way the Mayo Road went, the smoke wasn’t quite as thick as it had been.  Unfortunately, in the downstream direction, the way N Klondike Highway No. 2 went, the smoke was as thick as before.

NW of Stewart Crossing large regions of burnt boreal forest appeared.  However, none of it was on fire now.  Judging from the green grass and bushes already reemerging on the forest floor, it seemed these areas had burned during some recent prior year.

Beyond the burnt regions, N Klondike Hwy No. 2 deteriorated.  The RAV4 raised great clouds of dust on long stretches where the pavement had been stripped away.  A great swath of trees had been bulldozed, making the road enormously wide.

The farther SPHP drove, the worse shape these construction zones were in.  Bumping along, weaving among ruts and soft spots, the speed limit dropped to 30 km per hour.  Despite what ought to have been excellent weather for road construction, there was no sign of activity.  Eventually, enormous pieces of machinery were seen strewn motionless along the edge of the highway, like rusting dinosaurs whose epoch had come to a sudden, unexpected end.

Feels like we’re driving into the apocalypse, SPHP, like it’s the end of the world and time itself!

It was hard to disagree.  Finally reaching the turnout that doubled as a Tintina Trench viewpoint, the displays that used to be here were gone.  Only a limited smoke-marred view of the trench remained beyond the bushes growing up to hide it.

8-1-23, 8:40 PM – It wasn’t much farther to the Dempster Highway.  20 more km, and the American Dingo was there.  All was quiet as the sun sank into murky clouds in a pale orange sky.  SPHP was surprised to see a new unattended gas station.  The old one, which had finally upgraded its ancient pumps, now advertised itself as “discount gas” for the bargain price of $1.899 per liter.

SPHP filled the RAV4’s tank.

On to Tuktoyaktuk, SPHP?

Heh, I don’t know, Loop.  Let’s hang out here near the Dempster Highway display for a little while.  Maybe someone will come along who can give us a report on what it’s actually like farther N?

Lupe didn’t have long to wait.  10 minutes, and 3 motorcyclists came roaring across the bridge over the N. Klondike River.  Sure enough, they pulled right up onto the display’s gravel pad and stopped.

Stay in the RAV4, Loop.  I’ll find out what they have to say.

SPHP met 2 middle-aged men and a younger one, who was the son of one of the older men.  Their uniforms were coated with dust, and the dad had some trouble, moving gingerly.  After SPHP volunteered to take group photos next to the display for each of them on their phones, they were willing to chat for a few minutes about their Dempster Highway experience before roaring away.

So what did the motorcyclists say, SPHP?  How far N did they go?  Is the road still open all the way to Tuktoyaktuk?  Where does the smoke end?

It was an incredible tale, Loopster.  Yes, the road is open.  These guys went all the way to Tuktoyaktuk, but it was smoky the entire way, even at the Arctic Ocean!  They didn’t get to see much of anything except smoke.  Eagle Plains was awful.  Even worse, both older men crashed their bikes, one at a spot where the highway suddenly turned from gravel to river rocks.  He suffered a concussion and has several cracked ribs.  The young guy’s dad said he was glad that he’s done the Dempster Highway once now, but that he’s never, ever coming back.

Oh, my gosh!  That’s terrible, SPHP, but river rock won’t crash the RAV4.  Are we still going N?

Sheesh, I don’t know, Looper.  Let me ponder it.  How can the dang smoke extend clear to the Arctic Ocean?  Yet it does.  Kind of pointless, if we can’t see anything.  I told those guys that we wanted to climb some mountains.  They all said we could get to Tuktoyaktuk if we wanted to, but thought that climbing mountains in the smoke was nuts – a really bad idea.

Well, while you ponder, can we at least get out of the RAV4 for a while, SPHP?

Sure, let’s take a stroll over to the bridge.

The walk to the Dempster Highway bridge over the N. Klondike River was a short one.  Soon Lupe was standing at the start of the bridge with the road that was to have provided access to many adventures during this Summer of 2023 Dingo Vacation beckoning beyond her.

Alright.  I’ve decided.  We can’t give up so easily, can we, Loop?  We’ve come such a long way already to get here.

Does that mean we’re going on to Tuktoyaktuk, SPHP?

We’ll see.  Let’s just take it one day at a time.  Sooner or later the smoke’s got to clear.  It’s not far to Tombstone Territorial Park.  Maybe we can do something there tomorrow?

That sounds terrific, SPHP!  I love Tombstone Park.

Returning to the RAV4, the Carolina Dog’s long anticipated journey N on the Dempster Highway began.  Driving over the bridge and 4 miles past it, SPHP then parked at a wide spot near a side road.  After hitting 82ºF and staying there for hours during the afternoon, the evening had now cooled off into the upper 60’s.

What’s wrong, SPHP?

Cheese and crackers, Loopster?

Sure, SPHP, but why did we stop?  Are we spending the night here?

SPHP kept feeding Lupe cheese and crackers and munching away on them, too, for a while before answering.

Nope.  Not spending the night here.  This isn’t going to work.  I already caught a glimpse of the Ogilvie Mountains ahead.  Barely.  The smoke is terrible, Loop.  There’s a huge plume drifting into them from somewhere off to the SE.  Must be big fires nearby.

So, what are we going to do, SPHP?

Alaska, Loopster!  Maybe skies are blue there?

And this is it for all of the Dempster Highway adventures we had planned?

Not necessarily, Loop.  Perhaps we can come back later on.

8-1-23, 11:11 PM – Fortunately, Carolina Dog are flexible planners.  Lupe was unfazed.  The evening air was pleasantly cool as she stood atop the ancient, decaying, over-sized bench atop Midnight Dome (2,887 ft.).  Unsurprisingly, air quality still hadn’t improved in the least.  The views of Dawson City and the mighty Yukon River were all marred by smoke.

8-2-23, 6:19 AM – Of course, the Dempster Highway wasn’t all that far back, and there had always been a chance that the sky would clear by morning.  No such luck!  Returning to Midnight Dome’s summit, Lupe had a final look around before SPHP drove back down the mountain.

During a brief tour of Dawson City, Lupe visited the S. S. Keno, had a look at some of the shops, and hung out with a wooly mammoth, before SPHP decided it was time to get in line for the George Black ferry across the Yukon River to the Top of the World Highway.

8-2-23, 12:40 PM – Crossing the Yukon River aboard the ferry took less than 10 minutes.  After climbing out of the river valley, a long, ordinarily scenic drive winding W atop enormous, gently rounded ridges ensued, passing Cassiar Dome, Swede Dome, and many others along the way.

The smoky haze made the drive less thrilling today, but as SPHP parked the RAV4 on a ridge near the W end of the Canadian part of the Top of the World Highway, there seemed to be hope of improvement.  Off to the NW, the sky looked bluer.

C’mon, Loopster!  Let’s go for a romp.  Davis Dome (4124 ft.) is in sight past US/Canadian customs.  We’re almost to Alaska!

A huge cairn Lupe had been to years ago still sat atop a hill just N of the highway.  The American Dingo revisited it for a last look back into the Yukon before continuing on into Alaska.

As usual, Lupe breezed through US customs, entering Alaska without a hitch.  The winding drive now continued SW on a beautiful new paved stretch of highway past Davis Dome all the way to Jack Wade Junction where the pavement ended and Taylor Highway No. 5 turned N on its way to Eagle on the Yukon River.

The Carolina Dog had never been any farther than Steele Creek Dome in that direction, and wasn’t bound that way today, either.  Instead, SPHP continued driving SW on the Taylor Highway, which went down the Jack Wade Creek valley, crossed the South Fork of the Fortymile River, and wound around Lost Chicken Hill (2,150 ft.) shortly before reaching the historic gold mining community of Chicken, Alaska.

8-2-23, 1:33 PM ADT, 75ºF, Chicken, Alaska – After SPHP filled the RAV4’s tank at the Gold Panner, Lupe visited the big chickens out front.

Still some smoke around, SPHP, but it doesn’t seem too bad – certainly an improvement over conditions back at the start of the Dempster Highway.  Maybe coming to Alaska was the right thing to do after all?

I sure hope so, Loop.  I’m ready to do something other than drive forever.  No more than an hour to Mount Fairplay (5,541 ft.) from here.  Want to climb it again this afternoon?  Been 4 years since we’ve been there.

Mount Fairplay?  That would be awesome, SPHP!  Onward, RAV4 ho!

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