Day 74, October 21, Update on my layover in Whitehorse, Yukon
As you may know, four weeks ago, on the second day of my long teturn trip home from Alaska, day 48 of the trip, my Defender's engine suddenly called it quits 82 miles into the remote, empty, 310-mile stretch of the Alaska Highway that meanders through Canada's Yukon en route to the Alaska ferry that would take us back to the lower 48 and more temperate weather. Instead of abandoning the Defender like some weak-kneed captain of a ship, since then we have been camped out in Whitehorse, the splendid -albeit cold- capital of the Yukon, resting, thinking, planning, readjng, plotting, writing, hiking, running errands, barking at dogs (Donner, anyway) and enjoying this unplanned respite in what is probably the best place on earth this could have happened near, waiting for a new engine to be found, shipped and installed so we can get back on the road.
The news today inspiring this update is that my new engine arrived from NY yesterday and is being installed as I type these words. Assuming no more snags, the Defender should be back on the road Tuesdsy, mightier than ever, just in time for us to catch the 10/31 ferry to Seattle. This will put us on the long path back to DC, which we exoect to reach by November 20, 103 days after we set out on this rather interesting, event-filled journey on that very hot day in August.
As many know, one of the many reasons I take these trips is to step out of my comfort zone for a time. Little did i realize how far i would step out this time, but we were prepared, so far anyway.
Ed
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