June 27, 2009

June 27, 2009

Last night was miserable. After dinner we killed at least a dozen mosquitoes inside the RV. They are thick and hungry outside but how are they getting inside? I am envisioning some kind of hole underneath from a rock kicked up off the Alaska Highway. The mosquitoes continued to circle our heads while we tried to sleep. Between the buzzing in our ears and the bright sky, neither one of us slept. Now I am finding myself wishing for rain to keep down the attack.

In the morning we continue west on the Alaska Highway. In a couple hours we roll into Whitehorse, capital of the Yukon Territory. This town of some 24,000 holds two thirds of the territory’s population. Situated on the Yukon River, Whitehorse was in the center of the Klondike gold rush of 1898. After the hopeful gold seekers crossed the mountain pass from Skagway, Alaska they arrived in Whitehorse. Here they loaded their gear onto boats and floated down the swift Yukon to Dawson City some 300 miles north. The gold was returned here for export.

In Whitehorse we stop and take a picture of the sternwheeler that used to ply the river, and then head to the Tourism Office. I ask for a map of the territory but Aimee makes fun of me as there are hardly any roads on the map and most are not paved. I also ask the receptionist about the cold wet weather and she admits that they probably already had their summer. There was a warm spell a couple weeks ago and one week is usually all they get.

After having lunch in town, we drive for another two hours west and stay at a public campground outside Haines Junction, YT. Although the mosquitoes are equally ferocious, we are more careful opening doors and we have very few inside. We must have left the door open too long last night. However I am still wondering how people enjoy the outdoors around here with all these biters buzzing around.