Day 21 to Day 23

Day 21 to Day 23

Sorry for no postings these last few days. A few snags got me tied up in Dawson City, Yukon, for a few days.

I am going to have to be brief. Will fill in this posting in the future.

Drove from Squana Territorial Park, where I stayed before, to Klondike River Territorial park, which I was hoping to get to in order to refresh some fond memories of Leben and Erde chasing each other over the tundra and forest. Got the same great site (29) we has in 2001.

Dud not stay long in Whitehorse. Too big for me these days.

The road was far more beautiful than I recalled it so I am glad I chose this route to Alaska. Several great rest stops with nothing there but the view. Avoided a very bad storm, but got the benefit if a spectacular 180 degree rainbow. I coul even see here it ended. As I got closer, the end crossed the road right in front of me. Wow is Leben I can say.

Photos will have to come later if not here.

Day 22

Drove from Klondike park to Dawson City of Klondike fame. What a quaint place. Too bad it's 6000 miles from home.

Got on the road to Alaska via the spectacular Top of the World Highway. Stopped at about 15 miles for a view shot. Can anyone find of what is wrong in this photo?

Stopped for a rest break at 58 miles when I found out that one of Leben' wheelchair wheels had come off. Decided to go back looking for it, although I knew chances would be slim in finding it. At least I could order a new one to be Fedexed to me in Fairbanks for when I drive. Decided that this loss of one day would kill my hopes of getting belong Atigan Pass near Prudoe, my second goal for the trip after Denali. But if it was snowed in, I wouldn't be going anyway.

I stopped all three cars coming from where i came from on the way back to Dawson City to ask if they saw the wheel. No one did, but he first guy told me I had a serious oil leak from my transmission, which I did. Although you do not to drive with no transmission oil, I decided i did not want to be stranded there overnight or longer, so i took the risk and made it back to Dawson City by 4:00 p.m. After convincing the desk person at the NAPA shop to schedule me for the next day, i went searching for a solution to leben 's lost wheel. No one had one. But as I was leaving a hardware store, I saw a wheel barrel on display so I went back and bought only the wheel. It was the right height but too wide and rubbed up against the frame of the wheelchair. But I knew they'd be a solution.

At camp, the Yukon Ricer Territorial Park, across the river by ferry from Dawson City, I removed everything from the Defender with the expectation I'd be there for two weeks until the parts needed to repair the Defender arrived by truck. I used my big tent as a storage room, hoping the bears didn't treat it the same. Great camp, right on the banks of this famous river, but not one I'd relish spending two weeks in, especially in the cold. But at least I had plenty to read.

Day 23

Busiest day of my life.
4:00 Erde drags me from the tent at 4:00 for a potty break. i oblige, for reasons that should be intuitively obvious.

6:00 up and off to NAPA shop to be there at 8:00. Two hours later, Brandon told me I still had transmission oil so it wasn't all leaking out and I old drive the Defender. He topped it off and gs suggested i do the same every dy or so at a garage until the seal is repaired.

Got some suggestions from ken at the napa store on attaching Leben 's wheel to the wheelchair. He suggested i bring it back, so I drove back to camp, via the ferry, and got it. On the way back, I started my laundry, which I would go back to between errands.

Ken did an absolutely terrific job in coming up with a solution for attaching the wheel. I hope to show a photo.

Got an appointment at the hospital to have my leg checked. Dr. Gordon said he was not worried, but gave me some antibiotics just in case.

Bought a new watch to replace the thrice-repaired other watch, which I caanot find. I realized I needed one if I did not have the Defender and any way to recharge the ipad, cellphone, etc.

Stopped and got the dogs their treat for the day at an ice cream shop. I asked about the long lines. Mast day it's open so everything is free.

Waiting now for my laundry to finish. Tomorrow I must decide if I will take that road again and risk the same two things all over again. The option is two days more. To make matters worse, is supposed to snow, not something I relish driving in, especially on a road like the Top of The World. They close the road in winter.

This trip is turning out to be far more challenging than I expected.

Sorry for any misspellings. I don't have time to edit.

Will send some photos later.

Ed










Ed Mulrenin
202-747-4704 (mobile)