I think the Yukon is one of my three favorite places in the world now - amazing!!! Our trip turned out pretty well, we only had rain on one or 2 days, and mostly when we were driving anyway. 6000km, woohoo! Vancouver Island was very moist, but then it's mostly temperate rainforest, so what else could you expect? It also has the highest density of black bears and cougars in all of Canada, however we only saw 2 black bears in our 4 days there. The 16 hour ferry ride up to Prince Rupert was nice, lots of waterfalls and fjords, since the ferry makes it's way along and through the fjords and islands along the coast of B.C.
Cassiar Highway turned out to be better than we had expected - as far as road conditions were concerned. The scenery is absolutely stunning, and we had to "wildlife days"! On one, we saw... I think close to 15 black bears, the other just a mix of everything: fox, bear, caribou, mink... the only annoying thing about the bears is that they might decide to let their cubs play exactly where the hiking trail you wanted to take goes through - so some trails we couldn't take because the people in the visitor center advised against it (because of bears and cubs in hte area). Oh well.
And even though it was only may, it already didn't get dark in the Yukon - well, the sun set, but there was always light! I read a book outside without a flashlight at 11:30p.m.! We got something that resembled dusk around midnight, and then the sun came up again around 3:30 in the morning! That makes it a little difficult to sleep in a tent!

... a black bear, on the side of the road

The Yukon, close to the border to Alaska. While we were up there already, we decided to make a quick detour one day and cross the U.S. border into Alaska! Very funny experience, too - turns out, the U.S. custom officers didn't think it quite so funny as I did when Morgane (a French girl I was traveling with) didn't know who "that guy on the picture next to Bush" was - Dick Cheney... hihi.

THis is the Carcross Desert in the Yukon - the smallest desert in the world - we almost missed it, driving past ;)

This is the SS Klondike - Morgane and I did a tour on it. It's one of the original steam boats that operated on the Yukon river and brought people, but more importantly gold and other resources down the river from Dawson in the North to Whitehorse. Interesting... and also a HUGE wheel!!!

Pretty big, huh? That small thing at the bottom, that's me. Sorry the picture is sideways, but the library computer won't let me turn it.
In Watson Lake, which is the last city on the Alaska Highway in the Yukon before getting back into B.C., they have a signpost forest. It got started by an American soldier around the time of World War II, when they were building the Alaska Highway from Dawson Creek, B.C. to Fairbanks, Alaska. Since then, people from all over the world have put up signs saying where they were visiting from, or just other funny stuff. Today, there are more than 70,000 signs in that signpost forest! So, of course - we had to make our own!!!

This is us, with our sign in front of the Watson Lake signpost forest. From left to right: Sara (Germany), Morgane (France), and myself.

We drove back down to Vancouver through B.C. Interior, and decided to stop at Liard Hot Springs for a quick swim! And "hot" is no joke - this pool you see on the picture has 49degrees Celsius!!! But it's very relaxing for your muscles!

And, even though it never quite got dark up there, the sun still sets at this time of year! :)
On our way back, we also saw a couple of wild buffalos!

And the whole trip we saw incredibly HUGE trees and a LOT of waterfalls!!! (again, sorry for not turning the picture).


I'm running out of time, the library computer is cutting me off.
take care!!