Day 64 & 65 - Haines Junction, YT

After a fun night in Tok it was time to be on the road again. Our next destination is Haines Junction, Yukon. Yes, we will be back in Canada soon.

Just after we dieseled up we started noticing the smell of smoke in the air. I found out later it was a wildfire near Tok. The Taixtsalda Hill Fire southeast of Tok has grown significantly since it started. The fire is now estimated at 18,406 acres. The fire, which started July 23rd, is burning in a remote area approximately 14 miles southwest of the village of Northway and 38 miles southeast of Tok. It is approximately 20 miles west of the Alaska Highway. It is being investigated but human error is likely the cause. At one point the smoke got pretty thick. Anyone with a breathing issue would be in trouble.

We made a quick stop at the international border rest area for a photo op. The 141st meridian longitude marks the boundary between the Yukon and Alaska. This boundary extends from the Arctic Coast to Mount St Elais, a distance of 2,475 km. The border between Canada and the United States is the longest undefended boundary in the world.

The line that forms the border between the Yukon and Alaska was first described in an 1825 treaty between England and Russia. The two nations divided the northwest giving Britain the rights for inland fur and Russia rights to the Bering Sea. In 1867 the U.S. purchased Alaska (I mentioned this in another blog). When gold was discovered in the Klondike in 1896, a dispute erupted regarding the southeast boundary, with both Canada and the U.S. claiming the seaport at the head of Lynn Canal. In 1903 the arbitrators ruled that the canal was part of Alaska and not Canada.

Behind the middle spruce tree is a 20 foot or 6 meter swath of land that was cut by surveyors in 1904 to 1920 which marks the Alaska-Canada border. Portions of the swath is cleared periodically by the International Boundary Commission.

We reached Canada Customs and the young customs officers looks like he just came from a gold rush town. He was really nice, asked alot of questions I'd never been asked before. He also wanted to see the dogs vaccination papers. Again, something we had never been asked. Most of the time they don't know we have dogs in the back seat.

We made a quick stop or we thought it was going to be quick at Pickhandle Lake Rest Area. It was so beautiful and peaceful we stayed longer, just to admire the view and watch the ducks come and go. This lake is one of western North America’s most important bird migration corridors leading from South America, the Gulf of Mexico, the US Midwest, the west coast of the US and Canada into central Yukon and Alaska. This lake is a primary nesting area for trumpeter swan. Today we saw none. 

Between 300 and 400 years ago, Kaskawulsh Glacier advanced across the Slims River closing the drainage outlet of Klaune Lake. The water levels rose more than 10 meters or 30 feet reversing the lake's drainage pattern. Today, that drainage pattern has been permanently altered resulting in a beautiful blue lake.

Haines Junction is best known as the access point to Kluane National Park and Reserve, a beautiful wilderness park, with glaciers, mountains, and wildlife. Kluane National Park and Reserve, together with Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park in British Columbia, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Glacier Bay National Parks in Alaska, form the largest internationally protected area on earth. In 1980, Kluane National Park and Reserve was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park encompasses a portion of the St. Elias Mountains, including Mount Logan, Canada's highest peak.


The village itself was established in 1942, during construction of the Alaska Highway. The area population of Haines Junction in approximately 850 people.

The view from our back window

The new Champagne and Aishihik First Nations' Da Ku Cultural Center is also the home of Parks Canada and Yukon Territorial Visitor Center. We had to explore. An elder died so the Da Ku Center part was closed. We watched a 25 minute film on the Kluane National Park. It was one of the best we have seen so far.

Our Lady of the Way Catholic Mission is quite a local attraction. It was built in 1954 by the first Catholic priest to preach in the area. Because resources were scarce the priest converted an old Quonset hut (lightweight prefabricated structure of corrugated galvanized steel) used by the American Army during construction of the Alaska Highway.

Another unique and quaint church is the St. Christopher's Anglican Church which sits in the heart of Haines Junction. This church was constructed in  early 1990 by local volunteers and is used for Sunday services even today.

The most photographed spot in all Haines Junction is the Village Monument. The 24 foot high sculpture which locals have nicknamed "The Muffin" or "Animal Cupcake" is located at the junction of the Haines and Alaska highways. The sculpture depicts almost life size area wildlife on a snow capped mountain.