August 6, 2006

Selected Trip Journal entries:

11:40 AM/6850.1 miles = Checked out after watching documentary on discovery channel about A-bomb on Hiroshima (61st anniversary today). I was going back and forth about taking ferry to Skagway instead of driving, then got some sense knocked into my head -- I'm driving!

11:46/6852.1 = End of the Haines Highway in the forest. There is a light drizzle...

11:52 = Another bald eagle flying around, but disappeared before I could get the telephoto lens out... I just got 2 shots with regular lens.

$11.05 = 3.1 gallons gas @ $3.589/gallon => most expensive on this trip in the U.S.

12:08/6855.0 = Black bear crossing the road in front, but went into the bushes before any good pics -- I got 2 of its back side I think....

12:31/6864.3 = End of another road.

12:33 = Another bald eagle but too far away

Got 1 pic later. I'm not going to bother with pictures now. I think I got 4-5 already here, plus the one in Juneau...

12:55/6873.7 = Back in Haines again.

1:47 Alaska time/6913.7 = Left USA
2:49 Pacific time/6913.9 = Entered Canada. Whitehorse is 342km from here, and Fairbanks is 1005km.

3:35 PM = 6959.6 = Yukon again...

"If I leave here tomorrow,
Would you still remember me?
I must be travellin' on now...
There's too many places I gotta see"

3:55/6974.1 miles = Another grizzly! And this time is the closest I've ever been to any bear. 5 bear encounters on this trip so far -- 4 of them real close!

4:15/6992.4 = MAKE THAT 6! (another black bear)

Very suprising to see so many of such a reclusive animal next to the road like that! Unusual place for them to be!

5:05/7123 = Left Haines Junction. Back on the Alaska Highway southbound to... SKAGWAY, ALASKA!!! (through Yukon's capital city)

6:25/7116.6 = Was welcomed to Whitehorse. [Free] dinner at Tim Horton's, including an old favorite -- the Nanaimo Bar! Back on Alaska Hwy at same point I left it at 7:02/7121.6 miles... Skagway is 180km from here, Watson Lake is 456 km.

7:17/7134.5 = Joined Hwy 2 South towards SKAGWAY, ALASKA! (which is 100 miles from here)

8:14/7182.8 = British Columbia again. 50 MILES TO SKAGWAY!

8:50 Pacific Time = 7209.7 trip miles = Left Canada, but the U.S. border is not for another 10 miles ... I'm proclaiming this land for myself too! And a beautiful land it is, with snow-capped mountains all around

8:02 Alaska Time = Inside a cloud.

8:03/7217.4 = Back in ALASKA! (At White Pass Summit, el. 3292 feet ... Close to Chilkoot Pass)

8:34/7225.5 = Out of customs after about 10 minutes of grilling (FINALLY it wasn't as easy -- but my Memorial Day trip to Frankfurt raised eyebrows!)

8:42/7230.4 = Entered Skagway. Population 832 -- I hope no cruiseships around. Skagway is the first incorporated city in Alaska.

8:48 PM = 7231.8 = Westmark Inn Skagway for my last night in Alaska on this trip!

August 5 Contents August 7