Yukon Territory

On Thursday, Kriss and I drove from Tok, AK to Haines Junction, YK.  As we were approaching the Canadian Customs building, I was teasing her, sure that they would question her with her foreign passport and just let me through -- but exactly the opposite happened!  They waved her right through, but told me to come inside the office.  So in I went.  They asked me a hundred and one questions, made me prove that I had the finances to walk through Canada (I even had to show him the cash I had!), and were VERY skeptical of me.  They especially didn't like the fact that I'm a transient, and that I don't have a home to go back to.  He drilled me with a bunch more questions, and I had to show him that I had already purchased a ferry ticket out of Skagway, AK for July 2nd.   After 45 minutes of answering questions, in exasperation I said I could change my ferry ticket to leave in a few days if that would make him happy, and finally he let up and said that wouldn't be necessary.  He did, however, document that I was allowed in Canada until July 3rd, and that I must turn in this document to a customs agent by July 3rd proving that I was in fact leaving, otherwise there would be a warrant out for my arrest!  This document claimed that 1) I could not get a job, 2) I could not take any classes, and 3) that I need to be out of Canada by July 3rd.  And of course they got a mug shot of me to go along with this document!  By the time I finally walked back out to the car, poor Kriss had smoked her entire pack and was ready to throw my bail!  And by the time I got back into the car, I told her I was ready for a beer in each hand and 4 cigarettes all at once!  (I didn't, though!)  We were both highly stressed at the moment!

Then as we were driving in the Yukon, I was amazed at how vast it all was and how much of nothing there was!  All the rest areas and camp grounds and businesses that I had written down or marked on my map were either closed up or shut down for the season, and there were indeed miles and miles and miles of nothing.  We finally reached Haines Junction and settled into a motel for the night.

On Friday, we headed down to Haines, AK where we'd catch the ferry to Sitka.  The drive was beautiful, until we started up a mountain pass and ran into a snow storm.  The roads were bad up at the top, and we wondered if we'd even get through.  We finally reached the summit and headed back down.  By the time we finally got to the bottom, all the snow was gone and it was just raining.  But while we were up in this mountain pass, all I could think of was the fact that I only packed shorts and t-shirts -- and aside from one pair of long johns and a pair of rain pants, I have no pants!  And there was snow everywhere and I was driving in blizzard conditions!  By the time we finally crossed back into Alaska, we were both pretty much done with being in the Yukon.

When we got to Haines, AK, we headed for the ferry terminal to see what the schedule looked like to go to Sitka, which was where Kriss really wanted to go.  Sadly, none of the schedule fit into the 5 days she had available.  Instead, she bought a ticket to take her and the car back to Whittier, AK -- where I use to live!  -- since she needs to get back to Anchorage.  I got me a ticket to Juneau, and then to Gustavus.  And now I am very much in limbo and not sure what to do.  My ferry tickets that I've already bought are not until July.  Do I just change the dates and keep on going (assuring, indeed, that my butt is out of Canada by July 3rd)? Or do I hang around for awhile and stay on schedule?  I'm pretty sure that I'll get ants in my pants sooner rather than later.  But for now I'll head to Gustavus to see a friend for a few days. 

It has been an interesting couple of days indeed.