August 17
67mi/107km
2700ft/823m elevation gain
Today was rainy, and it was a great day. These two things don’t usually go together, but it didn’t really rain that much and it wasn’t that cold. Plus, we were expecting the weather, so maybe we also had the right mindset.
It started sprinkling right around the time we woke up. Since it was just a light sprinkle, we decided we should pack up before the tent got fully wet. We packed up quick and moved over to the table area to eat breakfast. The rain was still light and intermittent, but once we got moving things were wetter, so it’s a good thing Paul got himself some rain pants in Whitehorse.
By 11:00, it stopped raining, and we came upon a lodge, so we went in for some coffee and hot soup. It was a little wet and cloudy out for the next few hours, but it didn’t rain anymore and by the late afternoon the sun was shining.
There are still plenty of lakes and streams, but we are moving into some prettier mountains. And aside from the spruce forest, which thrives in permafrost areas, we’re starting to see pine trees. Maybe lodgepole pines – but I don’t really know my trees. I assume this means we are starting to leave the permafrost behind.
Today we saw a beaver swimming to its beaver lodge in a river, and saw our first marmot of this trip. We stopped at a pullout with a trash can, and meet a couple from BC heading to Alaska. They offered us nectarines, which we immediately accepted, and they were so delicious. We chatted with them for awhile before moving on.
Tonight we’re camped at a campground, which will be our last campground in the Yukon. We’ve really loved these campsites with their huge picnic tables, free firewood, covered cooking areas, and bear lockers. Our neighbors tonight are from Queen Creek, Az and are moving to Valdez, so of course we chatted with them for awhile as well.
Sunset tonight is 9:31. I know people at home marvel at this, since it is well after dark by that time. But I am amazed at just how rapidly the daylight is diminishing up here. In just 6 weeks, we’ve gone from the sun never falling below the horizon, to 6 hours of darkness.