Mayo, Yukon

Good but expensive coffee

Good but expensive coffee

I left Whitehorse this morning and drove north on the Klondike Highway for about 200 miles. It drizzled most of the morning with heavy fog in the mountains. The road was not too bad but once in a while there were a few rough spots. I don’t mind the rough spots near as much as the dips and raised pavement; those places give Minnie a good rocking and rolling.

Yukon River

Yukon River

I stopped at a couple places to read signs. One interesting place was a view of Yukon River where it passed through some rapids. I think they called it the Five Fingers because of the rocks in the river creating the passages. Many rafts and boats were smashed while navigating through there in the gold rush. Later they used cables to pull riverboats upstream through this section of rapids.

Dale by the river

Dale by the river

I’m now just outside the little town of Mayo in a town park called McIntyre Park. The park only has 5 sites, but Minnie and one other RV are all that are here. It sits right on the bank of the Mayo River. Tomorrow I will explore on Honda. The Milepost Guidebook devotes two pages to this town and Keno City, a few miles up the road, so I should have plenty to see for a couple days.

I saw three more bear today – a mother and two cubs. I had to come to a complete stop because the cubs were playing in the road. Here is something that puzzles me: the mother and one cub were black, the other cub was brown. Do black bears breed with brown bears?

5 Responses to “Mayo, Yukon”

  1. Dick says:

    Black bears can be almost any color including blonde. No, they do not breed with grizzlies. Brown bears are the same as Grizzlies. You don’t want to mess with them.

    We hiked down the trail at Five Fingers to a viewing platform they had built there. Did you do that?

  2. Dale says:

    It was raining so I didn’t do the steps. I went down one flight but that was all.

  3. Barbara says:

    Great view from your site – that’s nice! I love camping near water, especially running water. Interesting what Dick said about the bears. I didn’t know that. 🙂

  4. Daryl says:

    Looks like if you get just a little way off the main Alaska Highway you lose most of the crowds.

    Are the mosquitoes bad there by the river?

  5. Dale says:

    You’re right, Daryl. Not many here or in the historic town of Keno, 35 miles from here. I rode there today on my motorcycle. It was mostly on loose gravel road. Not many detour to see things on dirt roads. It has been too cold for mosquitos.

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