Sunday, August 14: En Route to Whitehorse

 We left Dawson City after dumping tanks and filling up with water at the Bonanza RV Park and driving across the street to the Cardlock fuel station. 

Dave Lanford asked a good question via email about gas prices and how fuel gets to the Yukon. My Reply:

“Gas is always a concern, but opportunities present themselves about every 200-250 miles at most for reasonably priced fuel. There are large price differences. In Dawson there is a gas station at $2.299/liter while just across the street there is a fully automated pump labeled Public Cardlock which is $1.999/liter. That’s (30 cents per liter or) $1.17 per gallon difference, which after 35 gallons adds up. Most people see Cardlock and automatically assume big trucks or fleet vehicles only, but not us!”

Betsy and I travelled several years ago in northern Ontario and encountered some places where Cardlock was the only option. No actual service stations. For the most part the Cardlock depots are only open to big trucks except in very remote areas where fuel is hard to come by. Then they open them up to passenger vehicles.  This seems to be a norm in Canada. 

After leaving town there were miles upon miles of tree-lined highway. When there was something to see it was usually remarkable. 

Pelly Crossing. Monument above. Town below. River in between. 

Six hours later we stopped at Twin Lakes, a Yukon Government campground. Pleasant, and very busy. We’re just an hour from Whitehorse and it shows. At 3:15 the campground is nearly full. There’s a family here with small children and the 7 year old is out riding her dirt bike around and around the campground roads while the little one plays with the dogs in the dirt. Mind you, this campground is feet from a very busy highway and has a pretty constant stream of campers looking for spots. I think there is less concern in some of these rural areas about stranger danger and more emphasis on kids being kids and learning their limits the hard way. The little girl just smiles and zooms past Larry, Trey, and me as we walk the circuit. 

This campground cost $20 Canadian, that’s $16 US, and includes free firewood, a $5-8 value per bundle. We used about two bundles worth. You don’t see many prices like this in the states, although our last BLM campground in Alaska might be the exception! 

Alaska state campgrounds are generally $20. City and municipal campgrounds range from $20 to the more common $35-50. BLM campgrounds are $10 and offer discounts for holders of the Senior Pass.