Kluane is the most important name you never heard of if you are wandering the Western Yukon Territory. The National Park picks up the Eastern half of the Saint Elias Mountains (the Western half lies in the Wrangell-St Elias National Park in Alaska.) The Kluane Range runs SE for a hundred and fifty miles along the Eastern edge of the park. The ridge falls straight down to the lake of the same name. The Alaska Highway runs for 50 miles between the mountains and this long narrow lake. The views are so spectacular, especially with rainstorms coming and going, that driving is hazardous, particularly on a bike. I spent a lot of time today parked on the side of the road, looking and photographing.

This is the section of the Alaska Highway most affected by ice heaves . The permafrost, some 10 to 20 feet below the road bed, melts sometimes. So the road sinks, causing troughs and peaks and a wave like motion as one travels along. Crews spend months repairing the roads and trying to manage the permafrost. As a result, there are long sections of gravel where a new road bed has been laid, but not yet paved. Sections with work crews on them have pilot cars and stop lights. No, I was not attacked at the light by an agressive driver this time, but I did meet a gaggle of American BMW riders bound for the North as we waited. Kind of fun. Matched by the machine we ride, we bond immediately. Sort of. After the pilot pickup has finished escorting us through the construction zone, the group goes into competitive mode, with individuals zooming out onto the highway at speed...  

The oldest of the Beemer riders was headed for Beaver Creek, as was I. We met up for a beer after, and found out we had purchased our bikes from the same dealer in San Diego. We are practically cousins...