The engine roars and black smoke bellows as the hull grinds against the sandy bank.  The ramp drops, the engine slows to an idle to hold the ferry against shore.  Travelers of all sorts make their exit.  I wait my turn anxiously watching for the go ahead from the ferry operator.  Ok, it’s a go.  I am 7^th of 8 and the ramp goes up.  I wave to Kent.  He has to wait with the motorhome until the next trip.  The engines roar again and the ferry slides out into the current and swings wide downstream.  It is a queasy sort of slipping motion.  The ride is short lived though.  In only minutes we align with the far shore and in one amazing maneuver are safely snug against the bank.  I hung around to watch Kent cross…all went smoothly there too.  We are on our way.

The Yukon Government runs a ferry as an integral part of the highway system.  The ferry  is about 100 feet long and crosses the 1000 ft + wide (with a pretty swift current this time of year) Yukon River at Dawson City for all those heading north and west to Alaska.    Fuel tankers get priority and they make the trip all by themselves.  40 ft class a with toads ride it.  Pick up campers.  Motorcycles.  Even pedestrians.  It is the way to go up here.  It was a fun twist for our travels.

For a short distance, the mighty Yukon River is necked down to a narrow steep walled canyon where it carved its way through an ancient lava field. It is quite dramatic and beautiful but considerably less treacherous than in the gold rush days before the dam that now calms the rapids.

Sooooo nice.  A natural hot spring bubbles up and cascades across tuft terraces into a fern lined pool.  We had to give it a try as soon as we arrived and it felt pretty nice in mid afternoon.  The best though was the early morning soak today.  The air was around 47.  Steam rose all around us.  I could get used to this.  It must be an amazing experience in the winter when all is snow covered and the steam surely hangs even thicker.

At the end of the pool where the spring enters the water is around 110F.  It cools to around 106 toward the other end as it mixes with other cool water springs and cools to the air.  One spectacular hot tub.

The Highway skirts along the edge of subalpine lakes, Summit Lake and Muncho Lake.  It is beautiful.  We stopped and scoured the hillsides in search for the Stone’s Sheep that are indigenous only to this area.  No luck.  We give up and move on.  Two miles down the road a male with his gorgeous curled horns is sitting roadside.  Go figure.

We keep our eyes peeled for Wood Bison.  No luck spotting them either.

Caribou show up.  They are certainly gangly things when they are young.  None were as impressive as the pictures in all the brochures when they have the huge antlers in the fall.  Still, cool to see something so rare.

More black bears.