DAY 12: 

Yesterday we met  several nice folks at the Whitehorse campground: two retired ladies from Michigan, one of whom was moving to Alaska and they were towing a 20' RV trailer; a man who was leading a caravan of 24 RV's heading for Alaska; and several others we had met earlier in the week. All wanted pictures of the car and to know our story.

Another animal sign.

Today we hit the road early (9AM - early for us) and expected to see lots of animals as we were led to believe this section of the highway from Whitehorse to Laird River were abundant with type and variety; however, it was not to be. Even the ravens that we've continually seen on the road the last several days were all absent. The actual traveling was really desolate. There were times along the way we were the only vehicle on the road for hours.

There were other things that held our attention along the way (besides seeing animals). The wildflowers along the roadside were a continual display of variety and abundance as they changed from intermittent purple clusters to long meadow-like expanses of the same flower.

Later, the purple transitioned to soft, light blue , and then yellow and white wildflowers growing in the sand.  

 The scenery was magnificent. It held our attention because it changed over the day from deep pine and cedar forest, snow covered mountains, relatively smooth roads, and stunning lakes and rivers to sparse, almost desert like sandy soil expanses. The Rockies, however, were the constant backdrop. 

The adventure (read "test") of the day was the road. Permafrost is a condition where the earth remains frozen about 2-3 feet below the surface year-around; it happens in those more northern locales like the Yukon and Alaska, and areas at that same latitude. One of the side-effects of this freezing is that the paved roads buckle, creating a bulge or a sinkhole in the asphalt. To drive over it is like riding in an old wooden roller coaster at a break-neck speed. (Oh, not a Keith was driving that fast.) When we first came upon the permafrost road it was a jolting experience, but Keith readily adjusted to reading the terrain and dodging the potholes and heaving road. However, after 100 miles of dodging and jostling, our backs and necks began to feel like we'd been driving in a monster truck rally. 

Bed will be more than welcome tonight. In the morning, we will cross the Alaska border, if all goes well.