No Bad Days RVing: Day 21

The drive to Teslin from Watson Lake, 260 Km/145 miles was pretty much uneventful. No animals to look at only a couple of dead ones on the road. The scenery provided a little bit of a distraction. But, the biggest distraction was trying to avoid the pot holes. These were the biggest ones so far and they all seem to be on the right hand side of the road. Swerving around them was the only course of action. Meanwhile I’m watching out for oncoming traffic, thank goodness there wasn’t a lot. Then there were the two sections of gravel road that created so much dust. Not to mention people flying by the other way kicking up stones that hit my windshield. Luckily, Precious is pretty tough, no broken windshield…yet.

The one really interesting thing that happened is we crossed the Continental Divide. The Continental Divide is a ridgeline that separates two of the largest river drainages in North America. The Alaska Highway crosses the divide at one of the lowest points. Only humps of sand and gravel separate the west flowing Swift River from the east flowing Rancheria River. The east flowing water goes into the Rancheria River then into the Liard River near Watson Lake, continues to the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories and eventually reaches the Beaufort Sea (Arctic Ocean). A journey of 4,200 km or 2,650 miles.

The west flowing Swift River empties into Teslin Lake and the Teslin River. The Teslin River flows northwest to the Yukon River which cuts across northern Alaska enroute to the Bering Sea. A journey of 3,680 km or 2,300 miles. No real picture to take just interesting geography.

The first Nisutlin Bay Bridge, made of wood was constructed in 1942 but quickly deteriorated. The second one was built in 1956 and was made of concrete. The concrete deck was replaced by steel grid in 1971. This present day Nisutlin Bay Bridge is the longest on the Alaska Highway at 584 metres or 1917 feet.

We arrived in Teslin before noon got set up then went exploring. Our first stop was the Northern Wildlife Display Museum right in the campground. Too easy but I’m not real keen on seeing taxidermy animals on display. I’m more of a real life walking around type of person. Oh well, it was interesting and informative.

The next place which was just down the road was the George Johnston Museum. George Johnston was born in the bush on the Nakina River and was raised in the traditional Tlingit ways. At the age of 25, George ordered a camera from the Eaton’s catalogue and self-taught himself how to use it. This began a 25 year (1920’s to 1940’s) ethnographic record of daily life as a Teslin Inland Tlingit. He would take the camera everywhere then developing the pictures in his small cabin. Not only a photographer, George Johnston was trapper and an entrepreneur. The museum recounts his life through his pictures. The hour long movie with interviews from his family also told his story.

Teslin is located almost halfway between Watson Lake and Whitehorse. It sits on Teslin Lake a major headwater for the Yukon River. The Teslin Tlingit people are Inland Tlingit who journeyed from the coast of southeast Alaska to the interior plains on the Yukon River in the early 18th century. Not until the formation of permanent settlements along the Alaska Highway in 1942, Teslin people practiced a semi-normadic subsistence. The Teslin Tlingit have five clans: the Raven Child Clan, Frog Clan, Wolf Clan, Beaver Clan, and the Eagle Clan. Each clan is represented as a totem pole in front of the Teslin Tlingit Heritage Center which was the last touristy thing we did.