Fish,GoodbyAlaska,Hello Yukon

Dawson City, Yukon
July 3, 2009
Greetings from the famous Yukon Gold Rush town of Dawson City of 1896. (I’ll do a bit of editing in my favorite color[Rick])You’d swear it’s still in the old days, as we had to be ferried across the Yukon River to reach the city on its shores. Still very quaint, with dance hall, gold mining throughout the area. As for wild life: we only saw one rabbit since we left Fairbanks, about 250 miles ago! The birding is good though compared to the coast. This morning we enjoyed watching a white-winged cross-bill dad feeding his newly fledged babies on a tree next to our trailer.
This morning we left the Alaska U.S. border behind us(in the remote hills. Marcia was smirking at the border agent when asked about guns and we almost got seriously strip searched, until they figured we weren’t the average gun toting Alaskan.), completing that chapter. Taking another way, the “Top of the World “ Highway, which consists of 65 graveled miles of the 120(it felt like 500miles because of the pot holes, dust, and meeting other vehicles in the most inopportune times). Most of it was hairpin curves over mountains and hill above the tree line. It is REALLY REMOTE, and one can see for miles(if you are looking out the side window…not for the next pot hole!), like being on top of the world!
After we provisioned in Fairbanks, the interior big town of 100,000, we stayed at a local borough called North Pole, with all the trappings of Christmas. Almost as amusing as visiting the village of “chicken”, but I won’t go there!

Rick finally slaughtered me in the fishing department(let’s just say I had “my turn”), our second to last night in Alaska, called Clearwater River, located near Delta Junction. We stumbled across a world class trophy river for grayling, that was ACTUALLY peaking during our 24 hour visit. Rick and I caught 12 the afternoon and into the evening hours of 10:30! Just steps from our trailer! These were all fish 14-18 inches long, unlike the smaller ones we caught earlier in the trip. On the morning of our departure, we got up early and Rick caught 7 big graylings while I got skunked(it was really tough saying “oh..I guess I have another one”). He really deserves to have a good “gloat” on that one, as he usually has to assemble all my gear(the arrival afternoon I had caught four and Marcia, spinning, said “can I use a dry fly with this?” No. So I say I’ll rig up a rod…I didn’t know I meant new line,leaders,etc..then she turns around and out fishes me for THAT day), and consult on my meager casting skills. Being the good “Ranger Rick” that he is, he usually gives me the best spots cause I am so “casting-challenged”. What a wonderful 24 hours of dream-fishing, totally deserted of other fisherman, given no mosquitos, and 70 degree sunny weather.
Believe it or not, yesterday was the first day we wore shorts, and about the 4th day it was warm and calm enough to grill outside. Dawson City is like “Florida”. 80F…sunny, hot. Wow. The camp ground had a vehicle wash that was mandatory requirement for post Taylor Road travel. Anyway. Gotta post this find a fish picture. Next stop, big town wise and posting wise, probably Whitehorse YT.