We are getting closer to home and are now just wanting to get there. We want to try to make it to Beaver Creek, the last town before the border, today.
We left Dease Lake around 8:30 and you won’t believe what we saw to start our day off with a little wildlife.
Our next stop was at Jade City. I wanted to stop because several years ago when I stopped while heading home down the Cassiar Highway there were TV crews because they were making a TV show. I wanted to see if it ever aired because I could never find it. I found out that it had but not in the US and they were on their 3rd season.
The show follows the Bunce family as they mine a very large jade mining claim. I have not got to watch it yet, due to the fact that I live in Alaska. Yes, Alaska is part of the United States even though people forget that sometimes. Anyway I found a few places that you can check it out below. I know I am.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4864538/
https://www.discovery.ca/Shows/Jade-Fever
Jade City isn’t really a city it is just a community on the highway. There really isn’t anything here except the Jade City store. It is worth a stop to look around.
If you want to know a little more about Jade City check this out:
Well after our little stretch of the legs we hopped back in Sue Bee Honey and off we went Nugget City.
We arrived at Nugget City, at the junction with the Alcan, at 12:30. After gassing up the car we decided to go into the restaurant for lunch. I had a good buffalo burger. We met a nice couple Ron and Sue. They were headed to Alaska for the first time. We gave them some tips and told them some places not to miss.
Nugget city is not a city either. It is an RV park, restaurant, and gas station.
I let David drive for the first time as we headed to our next stop Rancheria Falls.
Rancheria Falls located just north of the lodge on the Alaska Highway is a popular stop. There is a rest area with bathrooms but overnight parking is frowned upon. Take the short hike on the trail to the raised boardwalk leading to the viewpoint over Rancheria Falls.
And this is where my batteries died in my camera. Note to self look at battery use light on camera once in a while. Oh yea, it doesn’t work well when you leave battery in car. Put in pocket from now on.
Our next potty stop was on the Continental Divide. I should count how many times we actually crossed the Continental Divide. Ok back to this stop. Here is where 2 of the largest drainage systems divide in North America – the Yukon River and Mackenzie River watersheds. Water draining west from this point forms the Swift River. This river drains into the Yukon River and continues a northwest journey of 2300 miles to the Bering Sea. Water that drains to the east forms the Rancheria River which flows into the Liard River then the Mackenzie River These waters flow northward and empty into the Beaufort Sea after a 2650 miles.
As we walked back to the car from the outhouse we noticed something checking out our rig.
The next stop will be at a brewery we found last time we were in Whitehorse. We wanted to see if it was still there and how it was doing.
It was great to see the Winterlong Brewery was still there and doing great.
http://www.winterlongbrewing.com/
We gassed up with David still driving at 6:10pm and we headed for our next stop, Canyon Creek Bridge.
In 1903, a gold strike in the Alsek River drainage brought a stampede of miners, some of whom stayed to mine in several creeks around Kluane Lake. A wagon road was built from Whitehorse in the next year and Sam McGee and Gilbert Skelly, constructed a substantial bridge over Canyon Creek. This bridge survived heavy traffic and high spring floods until the 1920s when the government contracted the Jacquot brothers from Burwash Landing to rebuild it.
In 1942, during construction of the Alaska Highway, the old bridge was dismantled and a new one was hand-built in 18 days. It has been described as the most ambitious and important bridge to be built by the US Army 18th Engineers. When the Public Roads Administration built permanent bridges along the highway, the old pioneer bridge was left in place. The Canyon Creek Bridge was reconstructed by the Yukon Government in 1986/87. Approximately 10% of the original bridge was left in place and 85% of the cribbing.
The Milepost said favorite photo op. I agree.
We hit Kluane Lake area where you are always promised a dust storm, well in the summer at least.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kluane_Lake
Our next photo op was in Burwash Landing. Burwash Landing is one of the oldest settlements in the Yukon. The original trading post was established in 1904 by the Jacquot brothers, Louis and Eugene, as a supply center for local miners. There are a few other historic structures in town like Moose Horn Cabin built in 1939, Brewster Store in 1946 and a log church built in 1944.
More info on Burwash Landing:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burwash_Landing
We pulled into Beaver Creek at 11pm. After checking out one hotel and it being closed, we back tracked a little and found Beaver Creek RV Park and Motel. We got a good price on a room and a discount on our gas the next morning. Good place to stay for your last day in Canada or your first.
It did not take long for us to settle in for a good night sleep. Tomorrow we will be in Alaska. If all goes well we will be sleeping in our bed tomorrow night.
Thanks for stopping by!
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