To Drury Creek, Little Salmon Lake, Campbell Highway

We leave Frances Lake and continue on the gravel Campbell Highway, enveloped all the way by trees, lakes, rivers and creeks for hundreds of miles. A darting hen harrier sweeps over the treetops.

We pull in to side track to try and reach the banks of the lake, and as we pull into the clearing, we disturb a group of 3 huge bald eagles and several ravens which are squabbling over and picking at a couple of carcasses. We immediately park up and stake out the area behind some fir trees, watching one of the bald eagles which has perched on a dead tree. We (and he) wait patiently but after an hour they have not returned.

We walk over to inspect the rather gruesome carcasses, assuming them to be mousse. Their heads have been removed presumably for the trophy antlers which is sad to see, and we reckoned several animals will have had a go at the carcasses including bear, lion and others, with the birds finishing up the job of picking them clean.

Reluctantly we leave as we still have 200km or so to go before we reach Faro, our intended overnight stay.

Along the way we stop briefly to watch some duck on Coffee Creek, including a very pretty Slavonian Grebe, and spot a small black bear who crosses the road quickly when we slow.

We spot a large porcupine by the side of the road but it is beetling off by the time we reverse back for a closer look.

When we finally arrive in Faro, it is not quite what we had expected, being a rather down at heel ex-ming town, bravely presenting itself to the world as the Yukon’s ‘best kept secret’. There were lots of boarded up buildings and houses, and no people about.

We finally find the gas station, which is a pay-at-pump above ground petrol tank the size of a tanker. We fill up and decide to move on even though it’s getting late - but as sunset is due at 11.35pm, we still have plenty of light!

50km further down the road we reach Drury Creek campground on the Little Salmon Lake. It is right on the lakeside, and again as we drive in, we realise we are the only ones here. We take the spot which is right on the shore, and sit and watch the hundreds of waterfowl bobbing about on the water. It is truly heavenly.

Miles: 192

Sunset: 11.35pm

Brown Bear: 1

Hen harrier: 1

Bald eagles: 3

Porcupine: 1

Slavonian Grebe: 1

Swan: 1

Waterfowl: lots!