Friday, 19 July
Watson Lake to Rancheria Falls
Overnight, the temperature was in the high 40s in Watson Lake. This jump was 266 miles as we continued on the Alaska Highway.
At 7:14 am, we headed west on the Alaska Highway. The terrain featured flat to gently rolling land dominated by dense boreal forests of spruce, pine, and aspen. At eight miles, we crossed the Liard River.
As we continued northwest, the Cassiar Mountains became visible to the south. We passed a lot of “rock graffiti” on the cuts through sandy hills where people had spelled words on the slopes using medium-sized stones.
After 34 miles, we crossed the Little Rancheria River, a tributary of the Rancheria River, which is, in turn, a tributary of the Liard River.
At 50 miles, we crossed the larger Rancheria River and stopped at a rest stop to explore it.
At 80 miles, we stopped at Rancheria Falls.
Rancheria Falls
A short boardwalk (0.3 miles) leads to the falls. The trail is surrounded by lush boreal forest, flora, and fauna. Several interpretive panels provided insight into the local ecology. Chipmunks scurried all along the trail.
The falls are part of the Rancheria River, which splits around a small rocky island, creating waterfalls on both sides. The tallest fall was approximately 33 feet high.
Rancheria Falls to Teslin
We then headed toward Teslin, which was about 80 miles away.
After three miles, we crossed the Upper Rancheria River. Four miles later, we stopped at the continental divide, where only small hills of sand and gravel separated the east-flowing Rancheria River from the west-flowing Swift River. The Rancheria River eventually flowed into the Arctic Ocean, while the Swift River would flow into the Pacific Ocean.
Shortly after the rest stop, the highway started to follow the Swift River as it dipped back into British Columbia. Forty miles later, we swerved back north into the Yukon, passing Morley Lake and beginning to follow the Morley River.
As we approach Teslin, the terrain transitions into the Nisutlin Plateau, which offers more expansive views and fewer dense forests.
The Teslin River valley came into view, and the highway began to run alongside Teslin Lake, a large and picturesque glacial lake framed by forested hills and mountain ridges.
At the 160-mile mark, we entered the city of Teslin, where we stopped for gas.
Northern Wildlife Museum, Teslin
The free Northern Wildlife Museum was next to the gas station at the Yukon Motel and Restaurant. This small museum showcases a variety of Yukon wildlife in natural habitat dioramas, including Arctic wolves, musk oxen, caribou, polar bears, mountain goats, grizzly bears, and many smaller animals. The centerpiece is a large moose attacked by wolves, which was incredibly impressive. Several oversized plush animals were fun to pose with.
George Johnston Museum, Teslin
We then stopped at the George Johnston Museum a few miles away. This museum features a variety of exhibits, including artifacts, art, and photographs, that highlight the history, culture, and traditions of the Teslin Tlingit. It mostly centers around the life of George Johnston, a respected Tlingit elder and storyteller. In addition to indigenous culture, the museum also covers the broader history of Teslin and the surrounding region.
One of the museum’s highlights is the restored 1928 Chevrolet that George Johnston brought to Teslin, which is on display. This car is significant because it was the first car in the area, and Johnston even had to build a road for it since it was bought before there were roads. The 75-mile-long Teslin Lake was often used as a road when it was frozen in the winter.
The Journey from Teslin to Whitehorse
As we left Teslin, we followed Teslin Lake for 30 miles until we crossed the Teslin River at Johnsons Crossing. The shimmering waters stretch for miles, bordered by forested hills and distant mountain ridges.
The highway then cut across gently rolling hills and boreal forests with occasional patches of open meadows. We followed Marsh Lake, part of the Yukon River drainage system, northwest and crossed the M’Clintock River.
We then crossed the Yukon River and saw the Lewes River Control Structure on the right, a dam that regulates water flow between Marsh Lake and the Whitehorse Dam.
Shortly after crossing the Yukon, we entered Whitehorse and arrived at Pioneer RV Park at around 3:44 pm.
Whitehorse
Whitehorse is the capital of the Yukon and the largest city in Northern Canada, with a population of about 30,000. It occupied both shores of the Yukon River and was named after the White Horse Rapids, which resembled the mane of a white horse before the river was dammed.
Pioneer RV Park
Pioneer RV Park is four miles south of Whitehorse, just off the Alaska Highway. It is a large campground with 150 sites that offers many amenities, including a gas station, propane, a laundromat, an RV wash, and an oil change area.
The park was divided into an upper section and a lower section. The lower section was mostly a gravel parking lot with tight parking spaces. The upper section was up a steep hill into a heavily wooded and hilly area with narrow roads. Some large vehicles might have some difficulty backing into their site.
We were assigned to a corner site in the upper area, so backing in was easy. The site was wide, wooded, private, and relatively level right-to-left. Our only worry was that it might be slippery when leaving if it rained. We learned later that power fluctuated a lot, causing our surge protector to shut off several times.
Saturday, 20 July
Miles Canyon
We left the camper around 9:30 am and headed over to Mile Canyon.
Miles Canyon is a scenic canyon south of Whitehorse along the Yukon River. It became famous during the Klondike Gold Rush of the late 19th century. In 1896, gold was discovered in the Klondike region near Dawson City, which led to a massive influx of prospectors traveling north in search of fortune. To reach the Klondike, many stampeders had to traverse the Yukon River, the turbulent waters of Miles Canyon, and the nearby Whitehorse Rapids. To bypass the dangerous canyon and rapids, stampeders began creating portages. In 1898, a wooden tramway was built to make the portage easier. Miles Canyon was named after U.S. Army General Nelson A. Miles by William Ogilvie, a Canadian surveyor and explorer. However, there is no record of General Miles ever visiting the site. In the 1950s, the Whitehorse Dam and hydroelectric power plant construction tamed the Yukon River through Miles Canyon.
The one-mile canyon was formed by the Yukon River cutting through basaltic lava. The lava is 110 meters thick, but only about 10 meters is visible. A suspension bridge allowed us to reach the other side of the colorful canyon, where there was an upper and lower trail. Lisa does not like suspension bridges, but I walked to the other side and hiked both short trails, which gave me different views of the canyon.
Miles Canyon Road
We drove north on the 3-mile-long Miles Canyon Road, which followed the Yukon River. Several pull-offs provided elevated views of the canyon. Near its end, the road descended toward the Whitehorse Dam, where we saw seaplanes based on the reservoir formed by the dam. The water was very still, and its reflections were very picturesque.
Millenium Trail West
We continued into town and stopped at a trailhead for the Millenium Trail West. Here, we found the Welcome to Whitehorse sign and some views of the Yukon River. The 2.8-mile paved trail followed the Yukon River into Whitehorse.
SS Klondike National Historic Site
We then met the group at the SS Klondike National Historic Site for a scheduled guided tour.
The SS Klondike was a sternwheeler built and launched in Whitehorse in 1929. It was the second steamboat to bear the name “Klondike” and was officially referred to as the SS Klondike II after its predecessor, which had been launched in 1921 and sank in 1936. It was designed primarily for hauling freight, especially silver-lead ore, from the mines in the Yukon Territory to the river’s southern terminus in Whitehorse. The SS Klondike operated between Whitehorse and Dawson City, a journey of approximately 460 miles. Depending on the river conditions, the trip typically took 4-5 days downstream and 7-9 days upstream.
The usefulness of riverboats declined with the completion of the Klondike Highway in 1950, which connected Whitehorse to Dawson City.
In 1955, the SS Klondike made its last commercial trip. Parks Canada restored the SS Klondike in 1966, later designated a National Historic Site of Canada. Today, it is permanently dry-docked on the banks of the Yukon River in Whitehorse.
Our guide took us to a small theater, where we watched a short film about the riverboat and then walked around the boat. Significant repairs were ongoing, so there was a lot of fencing around the boat, and we could not go on the riverboat.
Yukon Brewery
We were then released to explore three museums to which the caravan had purchased tickets: the MacBride Museum of Yukon History, the Beringia Interpretive Centre, and the Yukon Transportation Museum.
We decided to eat lunch first and headed to the Yukon Brewery. This is the most northerly brewery in the Yukon, and its slogan is “Beer Worth Freezing For.” The tap room was small, but they had enough interesting flavors that we had a flight of four beers.
Though they do not serve food, we could bring in our sack lunch.
They had a beer tour starting at 1 pm, so we joined them. It was a fascinating tour, not because we learned more about craft brewing but because he shared the local culture and distribution challenges when he sold his beer in Skagway. Several other people on the tour asked good questions about the brewing process. The brewery also distilled liquor, so the guide told us about that.
MacBride Museum
After leaving the brewery, we drove to the MacBride Museum, located downtown along the Yukon River.
Established in 1952, the MacBride Museum of Yukon History is the oldest museum in the Yukon. It is managed by the Yukon Historical Society and is dedicated to preserving and showcasing the history of the Yukon Territory. Collections and exhibits include a Gold Rush Gallery, a First Nations Gallery, Yukon Transportation Hall, Natural History and Wildlife, and the History of Whitehorse. The museum is home to the original Sam McGee’s cabin. Sam McGee is a famous figure in Yukon folklore, immortalized by poet Robert Service in the iconic poem The Cremation of Sam McGee.
The museum also had a special collection called Land and Light, consisting of Ted Harrison paintings. Harrison was a well-known British Columbia artist who moved to the Yukon in the 1960s and became famous for his vibrant and colorful depictions of northern life and landscapes.
It was an interesting and informative museum.
Beringia Interpretive Centre
We then headed to the Beringia Interpretive Centre, where they directed us back to the Transportation Museum to get our combined tour ticket.
When we returned, we learned that the Beringia Interpretive Centre was undergoing repairs, so only a small section was open to the public.
The museum and research facility are dedicated to Beringia’s natural and cultural history. Beringia refers to a region that includes parts of modern-day eastern Siberia, Alaska, and the Yukon, as well as the Bering Land Bridge that existed during the Ice Age. Due to the climate conditions during the Pleistocene, this area was free of ice, while much of North America was covered in glaciers. The lower sea levels during this period exposed the land bridge, allowing large mammals and human populations to migrate between the continents.
Several dioramas showed cave people and archeology digs. Some display cases displayed mummified pelts of ice-age animals. A large steppe bison skeleton was in the middle of the room. A docent was available to answer our questions.
Outside, we took pictures of some large sculptures of Mastadons and a rather scary-looking giant chipmunk. We then walked a short path to the Yukon Transportation Museum.
Yukon Transportation Museum
The Yukon Transportation Museum was probably the best of the three museums. Established in the 1990s, the museum offered an in-depth look at the history of transportation in the Yukon Territory and its role in the region’s development. It displayed early Indigenous transportation, the Klondike Gold Rush and River Transportation, the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway, the Alaska Highway, winter transportation, modern transportation, and aviation.
One of the centerpieces of the aviation exhibit is a full-sized DC-3 airplane, also known as the “World’s Largest Weathervane.” The DC-3 is mounted on a swivel at the museum’s entrance, and because of its balance, it can turn with the wind like a weathervane. Another centerpiece is the 1881 “Lindsey” locomotive, which was used during the construction of the White Pass & Yukon Route railway.
Sunday, 21 July
Yukon Wildlife Preserve
Because a record high of 85 degrees was expected, we decided to visit the Yukon Wildlife Reserve in the morning before it got too hot.
Located 25 minutes from Whitehorse, the Yukon Wildlife Preserve spans over 350 acres and features a 3-mile loop you can walk or bike (but not drive). They also offered bus tours twice a day, but we chose to walk the loop. I was excited to see a moose, but we found none. We also failed to see their Arctic Fox, Canada Lynx, and Red Fox.
We did see a squirrel, ducks, and the following:
Stringer Park & Log Church
We then drove downtown to see the Old Log Church located in Stringer Park. The Old Log Church was an Anglican Church built in 1900 to serve the veterans of the Klondike Gold Rush. Three months later, the rectory was built to serve as a social center and school for the native children. A new cathedral was built in 1960, and the old church was turned into a museum showcasing the history of the Anglican Church in the Yukon and the early pioneers and missionaries who shaped the region.
It was closed when we arrived but we could still explore the outside of it.
Whitehorse Dam and Fish Ladder
When we returned to Whitehorse, we drove across the river to see the Whitehorse Rapids Dam, a hydroelectric dam on the Yukon River about 2 miles south of Whitehorse. When constructed between 1957 and 1958, it submerged the Whitehorse Rapids, a major navigational obstacle during the Klondike Gold Rush, and created Schwatka Lake.
Like most dams, the dam blocks migration routes, making it difficult for salmon and other fish to reach their spawning grounds upstream. The dam has the longest fish ladder in the world to help salmon and other fish navigate around it, but its effectiveness is still under scrutiny. There was a viewing platform to allow tourists to look into the fish ladder, but the gate was locked when we were there.
Due to reduced river flow, the dam has four turbines, with a summer capacity of 40 megawatts and a winter capacity of 25 megawatts. Studies have shown that up to one-third of juvenile wild salmon can be killed while passing through the dam’s turbines.
Social Odds
That evening, the caravan had a social and a trip meeting in one of the public meeting room in the campground. Those with an odd caravan number supplied the food.