towacross

Although the forecast was rain it was a lovely sunny day today. We have visited the Beringia Interpretive Center which was fuuuun! Luckily we got there just in time for a short demonstration of spear throwers. I have never heard of it but it is worth learning about it. Here is a video about this prehistoric tool.

The kind lady from the museum showed how to use it and we all tried it too, aiming at the cardboard animal pictures in the distance. Using the spear thrower you can throw the thing surprisingly far. I was able to hit the bear so after fixing the bearings I am proven in another life-saving skill.

We also enjoyed the exhibits about the ice ages and how humans wandered from Asia to North America through the Bering Strait and how changing climate changed the landscape and thus the fauna. Excellent dioramas, a nice corner for the smallest kids so overall a must see when in Whitehorse with kids.

Then in the afternoon we met with a Hungarian blogger, Élet a Yukonban, who lives in the area for several years. I started to follow her facebook page earlier and now I have seen a post from her about the same Millenium trail we also visited. So I wrote to her and we made a short hike to the Miles Canyon. We had a very nice chat with them and it was great to connect.

The Canyon is very beautiful and the autumn colors made it even more impressive.

We had a very late dinner at exaclty 10pm. After it we still did the laundry, then showers and bedtime was at midnight. Time management is not easy when camping.

Whitehorse is a lovely town in Yukon. We stay here for a few days as our temporary tag of the trailer expired and we are waiting for the new temp tag to arrive from Delaware. We used the time well, started on a large playground where we were freezing in coats in the wind. A 3 year old local boy was half naked on flip flops. Eh, different feels of temperature.

Then we went for a hike which starts at the S.S. Klondike paddlewheel boat. It was the biggest boat used from 1934 till 1955 for transporting goods and passengers on the river.

The Millenium trail runs on both side of the river and passes the dam and the fish ladder where salmon can swim upwards on the river.

It was a nice 5 km walk on a nice sunny day.

We just drove on and almost reached Haines Junction when we have spotted a nice little parking space in the bend of a creek so we stopped there for the night.

Yesterday we met a full time RV family with 5 kids and we had a nice chat with the parents. They were very kind beforehand when I was checking our newly fitted wheel and asked if we need help at the oetrol station. Then we met the third time this evening as they noticed our trailer stopping at the roadside and they took a stop there too! Another nice chat in the evening and as from here we go a bit different routes. Happy camping folks!

After our forced three day stop we were ready to roll South. It was high time to do so as our trailer is not winterised and tenperatures hovered just above freezing. We even got a warning in the form of snow as we passed somewgat higher elevations near Tok.
We stopped as tge kids wanted to walk in the fresh snow and took some pictures, then pressed on the Highway.

In the late afternoon we have reached the Alcan Border where after leaving the USA you have to keep driving about 30 kms to reach the Canadian border. We had a very short and smooth entry process, noone else was waiting at the Canadian entry and the office was very brief with questions. We stipped not much further the border and had a good night sleep in a roadside rest area.

Tuesday morning it was time to do the work with the parts purchased yesterday. I saved and watched two videos, this one and this. It was helpful with the instructions from Joe on Saturday. So I raised the trailer and removed the broken hub, then installed the new one without issues. The packing of the bearings with grease was my morning excersise after breakfast in the nice and warm trailer (instead of doing it outside in 3 degrees).
Installing the hub was more difficult as it was not going easily into its place. The axle was not heavily damaged but maybe it was a bit deformed due to the heat? I was not sure but after about an hour of struggle it was all done.

We were all very happy and relieved that we can continue our journey. We left our unintended but enjoyed weekend spot at 2pm and travelled East on the remote Denali Hughway. The scenery was beautiful and we stopped by the Alpine Lodge.

Then we have seen a pack of elks in the water.

Crossed rivers on wooded covered bridges and enjoyed the scenery.

with warning signs of dog sledge teams on the road! We did not meet any although after the Denali Park kennel visit we would have been happy to see some more action.