Tundra Lodge & RV Park (Tok), Congdon Provincial Campground (Destruction Bay, YT), Caribou RV Park (Whitehorse, YT)
We started south a bit earlier than we would have wished along the long road called the Alaska Highway (aka ALCAN). (I never want to start a return trip; it always seems so much longer than the outgoing portion of the trip.) As most know the ALCAN was originally built by the US military as a supply route to Alaska during WWII. Over the years the road has been improved from a rough, dirt and gravel military path to a two lane mostly paved roadway maintained largely by the Canadian government (most of the road runs through Canadian territory). Because the road is built on permafrost, the roadbed is extremely difficult to maintain. The section between Tok (US) and Haines Junction, Yukon Territory (CA) is always subject to those bumps and craters known to drivers as “frost heaves”. Travel is most successful at no more than 25-30 mph. On every trip we’ve met fellow travels who have rejected that advice and paid for their folly with major repairs to their rigs. We met one rig that was stuck waiting for over two weeks for new air bags for their motorhome. Clearly they drove too fast. We try to take it very slowly. The government tries to mark road hazards, but as you can see below, sometimes the hazards are extremely close together.
Unfortunately there are few services or campgrounds in the 280 miles between Tok and Haines Junction. We spent one night at Congdon Provincial Campground, a lovely place along Khlune Lake.
Along the route south we enjoyed wonderful vistas of fall colors.
By Wednesday, August 25 we arrived in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory to appreciate one of the most wondrous experiences of our Alaskan adventure. We were fortunate to see the northern lights.
We intentionally remain in the north as late in the season as possible to increase our chances of seeing the northern lights. Our campground is located 10 miles south of Whitehorse, a bit separated from the town light pollution. Around 12:30 am we walked away from the campground lights to see the green northern lights dancing across the sky.
The lights danced across the sky for 30-45 minutes before disappearing into the darkness. The northern lights actually occur throughout the year but they are not visible in summer because it never gets dark this far north. However this far north, once it starts to get dark, the duration of daylight shortens dramatically every day.
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