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posted: August 31st, 2023 |
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This page continues the best photos that we shot during our 2023 vacation, beginning with August 6th. We take you with us from the morning of the 6th and part of the way through August 9th. We hope you'll enjoy driving and doing a little bit of hiking with us for about 2.5 days. We'll start out in Haines, Alaska and take you to the Tombstone Territorial Park, Yukon Territory, Canada. Click on any thumbnail to begin.
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| Begin August 6th |
Good morning! Today marks Day #5 of our vacation. Today we'll leave Haines and head for Whitehorse, Y.T, Canada, and points beyond. The first two shots in this row were again taken at Chilkat State Park, Lutak Inlet, Haines. We ate that magnificent breakfast while enjoying the equally magnificent scenery. The third shot was taken as we were leaving Haines and driving along the Chilkat River headed north.
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 Aug6th_061_ HainesRC |
 Aug06_09_LutakInlet_Chilkat StatePark_BkfstRC |
 Aug06_12_ChilkatRiver _LeavingHainesRC |
Here is a zoomed-in shot of the previous photo. The second and third shots in this row were also taken while driving north out of Haines.
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 Aug06_13_ChilkatRiver _LeavingHainesRC |
 Aug06_18_ChilkatRiver _LeavingHainesRC |
 Aug6th_062_ HainesRC |
Now we are farther north on the Haines Highway. These two shots are quite similar, but different enough so that I want to show them both to you.
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 Aug06_20_Driving HainesRoadRC |
 Aug06_21_Driving HainesRoadRC |
Here are three more shots taken along the Haines Highway. The third shot shows the summit - Chilkat Pass. By the way, 1,070 meters = 3,510.5 feet.
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 Aug06_22_Driving HainesRoadRC |
 Aug06_49_Driving HainesRoadRC |
 Aug06_55_DrivingHaines Road_SummitRC |
And now we're even farther north on the Haines Highway. The center shot shows Three Guardsmen Mountain and Daniel. Is this beautiful country?
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 Aug06_66_67_AutoPano_Driving HainesRoadRC |
 Aug6th_127_ HainesHWYRC |
 Aug6th_147_ HainesHWYRC |
The first shot here shows Kazuya at Dezadeash Lake. The second and third shots again show Kathleen Lake. We stayed at this campground tonight. Note that it is far less smoky now than it was a couple of days ago.
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 Aug06_69_Driving HainesRoad_KazuyaRC |
 KazIPhone_030_ VacationAug2023RC |
 Aug06_73_ KathleenLakeRC |
| End August 6th, Begin August 7th |
Now it is Day #6 of our vacation. Today we'll get to Whitehorse, buy some more food, find a place to take a shower, and continue on from there. These first three photos are Kathleen Lake in the morning after we had breakfast on the lakeshore.
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 Aug07_05_ KathleenLakeRC |
 Aug07_06_Kathleen Lake_KazuyaRC |
 Aug07_11_ KathleenLakeRC |
The first photo was taken while descending into Haines Junction, Y.T., Canada. The next two shots were taken at Fox Lake Campground, where we stayed on night #6. Note that there are no photos of Whitehorse. We did our business there, including taking a shower, and left as quickly as possible. Fox Lake Campground is at Km 248.0 of the Klondike Highway.
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 Aug07_24_Descending IntoHainesJunctionRC |
 Aug7th_064_ FoxLakeCGRC |
 Aug7th_065_ FoxLakeCGRC |
Here is Kazuya preparing the veggie part of our supper at Fox Lake Campground. Note in the center shot that Canada no longer uses pennies - all transactions are rounded to the nearest nickel - how nice. The third shot shows Kazuya during our after supper walk around the campground.
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 Aug07_08_FoxLakeCG _KazuyaSupperPrepRC |
 Aug07_09_ FoxLakeCGRC |
 Aug07_11_ FoxLakeCGRC |
| End August 7th, Begin August 8th |
Now it is Day #7 of our vacation. Today was the first, and only day, that we had noticeable rain for 2 or 3 hours while we were driving. It never rained while we wanted to be hiking or anything, how wonderful. The rain had stopped by the time we got to Carmacks, Y.T. Tatchun Centre is THE store in Carmacks. I mean - THE STORE! The third shot shows Five Finger Rapids, on the Yukon River. Let's hike down there.
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 Aug8th_004_Klondike HWY_CarmacksRC |
 Aug8th_005_Klondike HWY_CarmacksRC |
 Aug08_03_FiveFinger Rapid_YukonRiverRC |
Okay, now we are hiking down to Five Finger Rapids. In years gone by, stern-wheelers could not proceed above this rapid. They blasted the channel wider over the course of several years. The area has an interesting history.
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 Aug08_04_FiveFinger Rapid_YukonRiverRC |
 Aug08_06_FiveFinger Rapid_YukonRiverRC |
 env-five-finger-rapids -recreation-siteRC |
This white powder is volcanic ash that came from some mountain in Alaska's Wrangell Mountains at about the year 800 AD. So, all soils below the ash layer were there before 800 AD, and all material on top of the ash layer came after 800 AD. From how close the ash is to the surface here, you can get the idea - soil creation is a slow process.
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 Aug08_08_FiveFinger Rapid_YukonRiverRC |
 Aug08_15_FiveFinger Rapid_YukonRiverRC |
 Aug08_28_FiveFinger Rapid_YukonRiverRC |
Here are two final shots of Five Finger Rapids - a beautiful area. The third shot in this row shows the Pelly Crossing bridge across the Yukon River.
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 Aug08_33_FiveFinger Rapid_YukonRiverRC |
 KazIPhone_218_ VacationAug2023RC |
 Aug08_37_Pelly CrossingArea_YTRC |
We debated about going a few miles up the Dempster Highway. It sounded quite interesting in The Milepost book. We decided to go as far as Tombstone Mountain, we could do that without needing to purchase gas at this junction. The only service stations here were what are called "Card Gas" - unmanned stations that only accept credit cards. We did not want to use the credit cards in Canada, we had Canadian cash money for food and gas. The third shot shows how ragged and spiky these mountains are. It was disappointing that it was so smoky.
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 Aug8th_196_ DempsterHWYRC |
 Aug8th_197_ DempsterHWYRC |
 Aug08_46Adj_DempsterHwy _RaggedMountainLandRC |
There is Daniel, shooting a photo. Now we're inside the Tombstone Territorial Park, Yukon. Note that the translation of the First Nations language for this area is "Ragged Mountain Land", most interesting. In the third photo we have arrived at the Tombstone Mountain Campground and walked over to the Interpretive Center to shoot some photos.
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 Aug8th_225_ DempsterHWYRC |
 Aug8th_237_ DempsterHWYRC |
 Aug08_49Adj_TomstoneMountain CG_VisitorCenterRC |
The first shot here was also taken at the Interpretive Center. The second shot shows the campground information.
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 Aug08_52Adj_TomstoneMountain CG_VisitorCenterRC |
 Aug8th_257_Dempster HWY_TombstoneMtCGRC |
Here is one more shot taken at the Interpretive Center, and then a map. This map is too small to read, so please just continue on after glancing quickly at it.
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 Aug08_56Adj_Tomstone MountainCG_VisitorCenterRC |
 Tombstone_Park_Hiking _ENV.012.001BRC |
In this row, the map has been split into halves, with a bit of overlap. You can easily read everything here.
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 Tombstone_Park _Hiking_South |
 Tombstone_Park _Hiking_NorthRC |
| End August 8th, Begin August 9th |
Now it's Day #9 of vacation. We have decided that we want to see more of this park, which means that we need to drive back the 71.5 km (44 miles) to the Junction and get fuel back at the "Card Gas" stations there, and then come back and continue on. The Dempster Highway is low grade gravel, so top speed was 40 mph or so, but we both wanted to see more of this country, so we did it. In addition, it was the day before our 8th wedding anniversary, and we wanted something special. The first two shots here were taken at the Interpretive Center and the third shot was taken while driving back south to the Junction for gasoline.
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 Aug09_003_DempsterHwy_ TombstoneInterpretiveCtrRC |
 Aug09_004_DempsterHwy_ TombstoneInterpretiveCtrRC |
 Aug09_012_Dempster Highway_SouthboundRC |
Now we have gotten gas and are driving back north. In the third photo we have arrived at the Tombstone Range Viewpoint which you can find on the south half of the map above.
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 Aug09_020_Dempster Highway_NorthboundRC |
 Aug09_033_Dempster Highway_NorthboundRC |
 Aug09_040_DempsterHighway _TombstoneMountainAreaRC |
These three images were all shot at the Tombstone Range Viewpoint. We want to see this country on a clear blue sky day with no smoke.
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 Aug09_041_DempsterHighway _TombstoneMountainAreaRC |
 Aug09_056_057Adj_AutoPano_Dempster Hwy_TombstoneMountainAreaRC |
 Aug09_055_DempsterHighway _TombstoneMountainAreaRC |
Now we are driving north from the above viewpoint, stopping wherever we want to, taking photos, picking up stones, talking. Note the names of some things on the map "Puddingstone Hills", "Blackstone River", and more. We brought home several stones, quite unlike us.
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 Aug9th_035_ DempsterHWYRC |
 Aug09_063_Dempster Highway_NorthboundRC |
 Aug09_070_Dempster Highway_NorthboundRC |
It is such amazing country - so many shapes, so many colors, so much weirdness. We will be back - during wildflower season.
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 Aug09_073_Dempster Highway_NorthboundRC |
 Aug09_074_Dempster Highway_NorthboundRC |
 Aug09_075_Dempster Highway_NorthboundRC |
| End Page 2, but August 9th Continues on Page 3 |
| Thanks so much for taking the time to look at this page. Now, please go on to Page 3 for the continuation and conclusion of this vacation adventure. |
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