Haines Junction, YK, return trip

When we left the cabin this morning to walk through the woods to the house for breakfast, it was a beautiful morning and stayed that way all day.  For breakfast we had blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs, pork and reindeer sausage, and rhubarb coffee cake.  There was also fresh fruit containing bananas, grapes, peaches, apples, and oranges.  Again everything was delicious. 

We are back in Canada now and have driven over the worst section of road, construction wise.  It is just unbelievably awful.  And I am TIRED of the outhouse “rest areas but there is still a long way to go with them.”  I hope NC never decides to use this kind of "rest area."  That is my very least favorite thing about this trip.  Thank goodness I brought lots of wipes and Purell.  We have a new appreciation for toilets that flush and running water and soap.

Reentering Canada was quick and easy.  The officer asked where we had been and where we were going.  He asked if there were NC tags on the car.  Had we bought anything in Alaska and did we have any firearms with us?   “Drive safely and have a nice trip.”

The mountains are so beautiful.  It seems I keep taking pictures of the same thing.  At a convenience store stop just before we reentered Canada, there were three ravens sitting on the railing.  They didn’t move as we approached.  We found out they are tame.  The woman in the store said she feeds them from her hands.  There are ravens everywhere.  We haven’t seen any buzzards along the road but have seen many, many ravens.

We again drove around Lake Kluane.  That is a huge lake and probably the most beautiful one I’ve ever seen.  The water is a beautiful blue-green.  Today, the wind was blowing so hard there were whitecaps on the lake.  It was cold standing on the edge of the lake but absolutely gorgeous.  Kluane is Tlingit for “Whitefish Country.”  The lake is full of whitefish, chum salmon, and trout.  Kluane Lake is only around 20 miles from Haines Junction so you would think the restaurants (all two of them) would serve fresh whitefish but they don’t. 

The mountains around the hotel are shrouded in clouds this afternoon but are still beautiful.  We should have a beautiful view at breakfast tomorrow morning.

This raven and two others were tame and would eat from the store employees hand.  There are a lot of ravens here.

Lake Kluane.  There was steam rising off the lake.  It was very windy and cool.

The St. Elias mountains behind the motel.  Today they were cloud covered and looked different from the first time we stayed here.