Extra, extra, read all about it – Heigels cross the border into Alaska!
Big news today. I could have told you it was also the day we pulled over in Burwash Landing to see the world’s largest gold pan, but that didn’t sound quite as impressive unless, like Doug and I, you love kitschy roadside attractions.
Today the birds were signing, the sun was out, and roadside flowers lit the way along the AlCan Highway as we left Destruction Bay, Yukon. The clouds started gathering as the day went on, but it made for an interesting drive as we crossed the border at the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge into Alaska.
One of the first things we noticed after the border crossing was the old-timey looking electric poles and wires alongside the road. When were these built? Why have they relinquished their orderly discipline, pointing barely upward in every direction?
The next thing we noticed though was the massive valley, the Upper Tanna Valley, that we’d entered. The road, which changed numbers and is now called the Alaska Highway, sits high above this bird sanctuary that’s vital for bird migration and nesting. This valley is just one portion of the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge that’s home to moose, beaver, bears, trumpeter swans and sandhill cranes. Visible in the distance are the spiky tops of what I believe are the Wrangell-Saint Elias Mountains.
Weary from our day of Dall sheep viewing (post here) and time in the saddle, we settled in to the Lake View Campground. There are only a few spaces at this primitive campground, which requires that your RV be under 30’ in length. There are no services here except for pit toilets, but there’s also no fee. Donations are requested. We were steps from crisp lake and mountain views so took some time to soak in the realization that we’d finally hit our summer destination – Alaska!
