THE ALASKAN ADVENTURE Day 58 July 13, 2009 Haines Junction, YK

We decided to stay in Haines Junction another night and again we didn't stray too far from the camper. However we did find out a little bit about Haines Junction.

It is a village located at Kilometre 1,632 (historical mile 1016) of the Alaska Highway at its junction with the Haines Highway, hence the name of the community. It is next to Kluane National Park and Reserve and has become a jumping off point for most activities in the park. It still heavily poplulated with people from the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations.

The current village of Haines Junction was established in 1942 and 1943 during the construction of the Alaska Highway. In 1943 a second highway, the Haines Highway, was built to connect the Alaska Highway with the coastal town of Haines, Alaska over the Chilkat Pass. Situated at the junction of these two highways, Haines Junction was a construction camp and a supply and service centre for the US Army Corps of Engineers building the highway.

We did manage to get out and get a picture of the most photographed area in all of Haines Junction. It is a sculpture nicknamed "The Muffin" by the locals and is an illustration of the local wildlife. It is pretty easy to see how it got it's nickname.


View of the mountains from our campsite.