Monday June 28, Dawson City, YT

120 Miles

It’s been quite a day. Woke early this morning to rain so didn’t rush to get going as we hoped it may stop before we tackled the road. It was still raining at 10.30 when we left and the potholes were fill of water..and mud. We shuddered are way out and the road got progressively muddier and the holes got bigger, poor old Ruakiwi was just plastered. The road got quite soft with thick mud that dragged the RV all over the place. But we made it back to the Klondike River Lodge looking forward to using their high pressure hose to clean her up. There was a queue of 5 very grubby vehicles waiting…and the pump had broken down. Off to the dining room again for coffee and some lunch while we waited hoping that they would get the high pressure going again, but no luck. They had a normal hose available so Ian spent a long time trying to loosen the worst of the mud, she will have to wait to get a good clean up.

It was mid afternoon and we headed into Dawson City, a drive of about 20 miles, following the Klondike River. This is the home of the Gold Rush with mountains of tailings all the way into town. There is such a sense of history.

We spotted the Trans North Helicopter depot so called in as Vince in Watson Lake said there was another kiwi guy based here. Sure enough we met Steve, a really nice guy from Winton who is based here over the summer with his wife and 2 little children.  He suggested we drive up to the Dome, a great overlook of town, and we were just about in the clouds. Amazing view looking down on the little town at the fork of the Klondike and the Yukon.

We drove through town, the main street is sealed and all the other roads are gravel. It has a real character to it and although aimed at the the tourists it is looks great. Will have a good walk around tomorrow. The Government Campground is on the other side of the Yukon, transport is by a free ferry that runs 24 hours a day. Only had to wait 10 minutes for the trip. Evidently at peak times you can wait for hours.

Nice little campground on the edge of the Yukon, which is a pretty brown looking river, not that picturesque. Have a hardcase couple of aged hippies on bikes in the next camp, Harold and Ken who has a little Yorkshire Terrier, Chewy, that travels everywhere on the bike with him.

…LATER!  We were off for a walk around the camp about 9.30 when we met up with a couple we had seen earlier in town. John and Georgia (from BC) where walking into town to the pub to drink a “Sourtoe” Cocktail….based on a story about one of the Paddle Wheel captains who was made to drink a rum with a pickled toe in it. There is a real folklore about it and every evening you can do the same! We joined them, taking the ferry across the Yukon to town. It was a whole lot of fun, I didn’t have “The Cocktail”, but Ian had to have one! It was 11.30 as we wandered through the town back to the ferry, it felt surreal as the sun was still shining on the hills and it felt like the middle of the day, yet there was hardly anyone around.