Rock Ptarmigan atop a pinnacle in Arctic Valley, with the waters of Knick Arm in background
Across the Continent (part 3 of 10)
Yukon to Alaska
28 May - 2 June 2022
This is the view when filling up in northwestern Yukon
I spent the night of the 27th May on Teslin Lake, between Watson Lake and Whitehorse in the southern Yukon. The lake was frozen and there were snowdrifts around the campsite. The aspens were leafless. Being next to the frozen lake meant I had a cold night in my tent. It was 35 F when I departed the campground at 0541am.
early summer bull Moose contemplating photographer
In the early AM I drove northwestward toward Whitehorse. I saw a Snowshoe Hare and many American Robins crossing the road. The Robin is the songbird of this trip. I saw them everywhere... The Alaska Highway follows formerly glaciated valleys--making for nice smooth routing. I found a restaurant in a rundown motel just outside of Whitehorse on the west side of town and had a big breakfast. This breakfast is so good that I make a note to myself to return here on my way back south in late June...
western Yukon in late May is a conucopia of snow-covered ranges
My route on this day took me through bustling Whitehorse (Yukon's capital), Haines Junction, Destruction Bay, and Beaver Creek in the Yukon. I then crossed the international border back into the US just beyond Beaver Creek, and then I finished up in Tok, Alaska (pronounced TOAK). I drove through gorgeous mountain country but see very little wildlife. Over 10 hours I traveled 484 miles.
I bumped into a young couple who are biking south to Argentina. Apparently that is an 18-month project... Now that's extreme travel! They can be followed at "team ultimate exposure".
Black and White Spruce frame these Yukon hills
Today my critter highlights are a single Black Bear and the Snowshoe Hare. My most interesting (and sad) encounter was a recently road-killed Wolverine, about 42 km east of Beaver Creek. This was the only Wolverine I encountered on the trip.
snow-covered mountains in every direction in the Yukon, from the Alaska Highway
I saw not a single raptor in my long day of driving. Why no raptors?
drake Greater Scaup
Lots of ponds, lakes, and rivers in these parts. Great nesting habitat for waterfowl.
Trumpeter Swan on its nest near the Yukon-Alaska border (Beaver Creek)
more mountain ranges near the Yukon-AK border
On the afternoon of 28 May I arrived at the Tok River Campground in Alaska. I am gratified to have been able to drive from Maryland to Alaska in seven days. It was a great drive, with no hiccups. The Tok Campground is dominated by mature White Spruce. The river itself was in flood. I bump into some local residents who have put hooked lines in the water to catch a local fish called a Burbot. This little-know river fish produces mild white boneless meat -- sometimes called "poor man's lobster." It looks a bit like a snakehead.
Canada Jay at Tok River Campground, in eastern AK
I walked some of the trails around the Tok River State Forest and found Swainson's Thrush, Hermit Thrush, and Boreal Chickadee. Red Squirrel was the common mammal.
Rural eastern Alaska is curious, with all sorts of sights along the road of Alaskan lifestyles.
On the 29th of May I drove to Fairbanks, Alaska, to visit a research colleague and her family. I am all alone driving on Highway 2 through Dry Creek, Delta Junction, Salcha, and North Pole. It is a Sunday. A lonely road. I glimpsed a cow Moose out on the broad gravels of the Tanana River in the morning. Then, near Delta Junction, I had a nice close encounter with a chill young bull Moose (see photo), by the road. This guy just did not worry about my proximity--which made for nice photographs.
Hiking with Julie Hagelin and husband Peter and son Nate, and their puppy, atop Murphy's Dome, outside of Fairbanks, AK
Julie Hagelin, who worked in the Lakekamu Basin of PNG with me decades ago, is now a wildlife biologist working for the State, and has lived for a long time in Fairbanks. For many year she has studied the Olive-sided Flycatcher, which has shown serious declines across North America.
two alpines, (left) Eight-petaled Mountain Avens and (right) another (unnamed) not flowering, on Murphy's Dome, near
Fairbanks, AK
On the evening of the 29th I dined at Julie's log home outside of Fairbanks. Sunny and warm and a bit buggy, we cooked out on the grill. The next morning we all drove out to Murphy's Dome for a hike and a mountaintop picnic. The weather cooperated. It was cloudless and gorgeous. This was Memorial Day.
Woolly Lousewort, Murphy's Dome
Aside from the prety alpine flowers, and the amazing low tundra atop the Dome, we encountered a goodly number of birds: Northern Wheatear, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Northern Harrier, Swainson's Thrush, Rusty Blackbird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, White-crowned Sparrow, and, of course, hoards of American Robins. We feasted of pizza on the banks of the Chena River in the evening (with the sun high in the sky). Not much nighttime in late May in Fairbanks...
Snow-domed summit of Denali, from the Denali Highway
On the 31st of May I drove from Fairbanks to Anchorage. The route (Hwy 3) took me along the stunning Denali Highway--one of the more scenic roads in Alaska--that's saying something! Its a cloudless morning and the six-hour drive took me right by the great dome of Denali--the highest summit in North America. I passed through spectacular high tundra country. I looked for Grizzlys and Moose but no luck. Birds: Gray-cheeked Thrush, Common Redpoll, and Varied Thrush. At one point on that morning drive I looked into the rear view mirror and, framed by spruces was the sight of Denali, filling the mirror. What a sight to see in one's rear-view mirror!
A peak of the Chugach Mountains in Arctic Valley, just outside of Anchorage, AK
I drove the 6 hours to the Eagle River Campground outside of Anchorage. It is a lovely campground filled with White Spruce. I stay here on three different occasions on this trip. Yes, there were mosquitoes, but they were not too serious... Campground birds on this first visit included Orange-crowned Warbler, American Robins, and several accommodating Varied Thrushes...
Arctic Ground-squirrel in the tundra of Arctic Valley
I visted Anchorage and stopped to visit with David and Andy Sonneborn, who know the birds of Alaska like not nobody's business. David advised me on my upcoming travels to Nome and Utqiagvik (Pt Barrow).
Close-up of this cock Rock Ptarmigan, a lifer for me.
Early on the morning of the 1st of June I drove up to nearby Arctic Valley. I had been here twice in 2021 in search of Rock Ptarmigan. This would be my third try... Up in the rocky heights I managed to find four, and one allowed me to visit at close range for more than 15 minutes. Third time was the charm!
a breeding adult Golden-crowned Sparrow, singing from a willow in Arctic Valley, AK
The only other birds I recall seeing in the spare mountain tundra were two Zontrichia sparrow--Golden-crowned and White-crowned. The only mammal was Arctic Ground-squirrel.
A mother Moose and calf resting in Point Campbell Park, just west of the Anchorage airport
David Sonneborn had told me where to look for Great Gray Owl, not far from his house in Anchorage. I visited three times. No owls, but I twice encountered a cow Moose with triplet youngsters. This was right beside the noisy Anchorage airport.
Wait! She has triplets?? The cow indeed had a threesome, and they lived by the airport in Anchorage...
The highlight was the morning of the 2nd of June when I saw nine Moose in fifteen minutes: the cow and her young, plus five bulls out in a big field. That is a lifetime record for me, which I doubt I will ever break. These were all in the parkland just west of the airport. All because the safety of being in a city. In rural Alaska and Canada, Moose disappear quickly--they are very popular game for the stewpot and freezer...Subsistence hunting is a big thing in the Northcountry...
Blogs 4 and 5 will feature the spectacular birds and mammals of Nome, Alaska.
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