7/20 Tok, AK to Haines Junction, YT

We encountered the worst road conditions of the trip between Tok and Haines Junction. There were long sections of loose gravel where the DOT was trying to get rid of frost heaves. Slowing down for the conditions wasn't all that bad though because the scenery was spectacular. We were still seeing the easterly portion of Wrangell-St. Elias in Alaska and the easterly portion of Kluane National Park and Reserve in Yukon Territory. The Al-Can runs through vast peatlands in this stretch. We stopped for lunch in Beaver Creek on Kluane Lake. Kluane Lake is a very beautiful, large waterbody in YT and is a halfway point or waystation on the Al-Can between larger villages. It began to rain later in the afternoon as we pulled into Haines Junction. We stayed at an incredibly clean motel called the Raven run by some German folks. We got surprisingly good chinese food at a nondescript restaurant in town. Initially, our itinerary had us ending our day in Whitehorse, but the miles and the rain was getting to us so we made the stop at Haines Jct. On reflection we then decided to go to Haines the next day and take the ferry to Skagway, then drive up to Whitehorse and perhaps beyond for the next evening. The ferry company rep told us that the ferry was not running on the following day. Of course she did not also tell us that there were other ferry companies that were. In our ignorance we decided to ride to Whitehorse the following day get a motel, then beat feet to Skagway for the afternoon and finally riding back to Whitehorse in the evening.