More off the Bucket List, and History Lessons

A Transport Truck overturned on the Dempster

Having “Done the Dempster” we decided to work our way back Southbound to Whitehorse, so we headed eastbound on the Klondike Highway which joins Whitehorse to Dawson City. After about 30 km., it was time for a snack, so we stopped at a community called Moose Creek....which has a reputation for fabulous baked goods. They take their name seriously, as all four homes in the community, as well as several signs, and even a doghouse, are moose-antlered. We had a coffee and sausage pastries, with blueberry tarts – all freshly made and yummy.

Even the Dog House in Moose Creek sports a Rack

A fat porcupine

Then continuing on to the Stewart River, where we turned north to follow alongside the Stewart, up the Silver Trail to the village of Mayo. Here we learned of the history of the area, which had originally started out with the gold prospectors, but became a steamboat landing and a centre for silver mining operations when silver was discovered in the area. We got another stamp for our Yukon Passport here, so that we can win some gold for our travels, and visited a museum, the Binet House. It was starting to become late afternoon, so we continued north a few more km., and set up camp in a Territorial Campsite on 5 Mile Lake...very pleasant camping. Our hatchet is very poor at splitting the logs the park service provides, so I had to borrow an axe from a neighbouring campsite, so that we could finish off our dinner with a sit around a campfire sipping wine. The following day we continued on another 50 km., to the hamlet of Keno. On the way we stopped to photograph a fat porcupine waddling alongside the road.

Travelling up the Silver Trail

The community of Keno is refurbished as an old pioneer town, with the 4-building museum being the centrepiece. There are also two restaurant/saloons, and a couple of houses. At one time, this was the principal silver mining area of Canada (perhaps the world), but now there is only one mine in operation, and I believe it's in the process of shutting down. As the town went into remission, the fellow who runs the museum kept collecting and filling up his buildings with artifacts – and it is quite a collection to behold, with household articles, mining and prospecting equipment, and general memorabilia. We managed to spend a fair bit of time viewing all of this, and then decided to view the signpost for which Keno is famous – it's up on top of a 12 km. Climb, some 6000 feet up behind the community, and offering spectacular views down the Stewart River Valley as well as another roadworthy challenge to get there.

Keno City Mining Museum (one of 4 buildings)

Signpost on mountaintop above Keno

Looking out over the Valley

Having ventured up the mountain, it was time to head back again (we were at the end of the road again), so stopped into Mayo for some groceries, and then continued to the Stewart Crossing at the Klondike Hwy. A short visit with the visitor information fellow at the Junction was interesting, as he showed us his many photos taken here in his past 40 years here.....wildlife photos, aurora in almost unimaginable displays, and awesome scenery shots. We then continued south to Pelly Crossing where we visited another Interpretive Centre/museum (big Jonathon House) which we found only mildly informative...but we got another Passport stamp. Then it was on to another Yukon Territorial Govt. Campsite at Tatchun Creek. We'd run out of beer, so I had to settle for a root beer for happy hour. This was another fine campsite, with a stream running behind our tent. The stream provided a number of bucketfuls of water to sluice off some of our Dempster muck (no carwashes to be found anywhere!). Several beaver dams and lodges were situated nearby, and Linda was impressed with the size of trees the animals had been able to fell for their dams. Again we had a nice little fire in the evening, and I crammed for my Sam Magee recitation, which would be due the next day.

Tatchun Creek Campsite

Beaverdam...Linda was impressed by the size of the birch tree felled here

The following morning was cool, but very pleasant weather, and we were off fairly early, stopping at the Tage Cho Hudan Interpretive Centre, which this time we found extremely interesting and informative regarding the First Nations in the area. A short way further down the road was a brunch stop. We'd met hundreds of motorcycles northbound, and learned that there was a “rally” (the Dust 2 Dawson Motorcycle Gathering – not a Rally) in Dawson City this weekend – likely to be a great success if the numbers of cycles is a measure. Another hundred km., and we were at Lake Laberge. There is a government campground here, but it was packed full....so I was able to stand on the marge of Lake Laberge and made my recitation, before continuing toward Whitehorse. We checked out a campground at a Hot Springs (Takhini Springs), but didn't like the looks or the prices there, or the long lineup to get in. There is a Game Refuge nearby, so here we saw our first elk.

Reciting "The Cremation of Sam Magee" at Lake Laberge

Elk

So we entered into Whitehorse and found the Robert Service Campground which caters to tenters, and found a great little spot within walking distance of town, and (bonus!) delicious ice cream cones. With time to spare we went on into town and found at the visitor centre a warm welcome, a free parking pass for 3 days in town, great wi-fi (I got the last blog issue posted finally). We also discovered information on a local restaurant which serves Arctic Char, so dinner was decided – you may remember that was another item on my bucket list. While we were out, there was a short thunderstorm, but our camp survived nicely, and perhaps even washed off some dust. Following our beautiful Char dinner, we came back to camp, had a short walk along the Yukon River, and called it a night.

Saturday (18^th) dawned warm and dry and clear. We filled our day with exploring the city of Whitehorse, and getting educated at museums – Beringia Interpretive Centre (history of the Yukon from pre-glacial times onward), Transportation Museum, old log church, steamboat S.S. Klondike, and of course a tour of the local microbrewery, the Yukon Brewery, who make “beer worth freezing for”. We were also interested in learning that they distill single malt whisky, and the first two batches sold out immediately. Next batch is out in July, but I couldn't pre-purchase any (I'd hoped that would make a good addition to a tasting on our return). As we'd spent a couple of days' budget on our char dinner the previous night, we hit up the local Superstore and got some groceries for a simple meal at home at the tent. I was surprised to find cherries at a reasonable price, so we had dessert sorted out (along with some more of the fine ice cream offered at the campground). 

Arrival Whitehorse

Huge skeletal remains of a mammoth at Beringia Centre

DC-3 Windvane (it works even at 3 kts wind) at Transportation Museum

Single Malt aging in its barrels

A 3-story log cabing skyrise in Whitehorse

So now I've scratched off a few more things from my bucket list.....getting through the poem at Lake LaBerge, and having an Arctic Char dinner among them.  We'd also learned a huge amount of history, from pre-glacial to recent, due to the many interpretive centres, museums, and passport stops.  Today is Father's Day - Happy Father's Day to all of you fathers out there.  It will be our last day in Whitehorse today, as we visit the Game Preserve to see more than the elk, and a bit more touring of the town.  Tomorrow the plan is to head south about 180 km., to Atlin in northern BC.   While we're close, we want to check it out.  Then we'll be turning eastbound again on the Alaska Highway.  Blog postings may get intermittent again from here....not sure how much wi-fi will be available.