View Cross Canada in a larger map

Note: Click on the line above to get a larger map.

July 8. The northern half of the Klondike Highway is spectacular. I don’t have the words, so please look at the pictures.
We made two very interesting stops at native village interpretive centres. The first just south of Carmacks was called “Tage Cho Hudan” meaning Big River People, referring to the Yukon river. We met a multi-generational family and one lady in particular was very willing to explain many aspects of their lives. We watched an aunt making a ceremonial vest of moose skin with many embroidered bead figures and fancy stitching. It is intended for an uncle in Regina who is marrying at the end of the month. Incredible work – and time consuming. Family relationships are defined differently. A young girl anxious to tell us about her things has multiple grandmothers, because your sister’s and brother’s grandchildren are also your grandchildren. Thus the family becomes larger, and all look after each other more closely.
The other village centre, the Northern Tuchone (teh-cho-né) people, was at Pelly’s Crossing. Their clan system is composed of two ‘moities’, the Wolf Clan and the Crow Clan. A matrilineal system, your clan affiliation is determined by what clan your mother is from. A Crow must marry a Wolf, or vice versa, according to traditional law.

There were many sections of highway under repair and thus lots of gravel, some dusty some muddy. Late afternoon as we arrived, the rig got a thorough wash again so we could be presentable at the campground in Dawson City where we shall be for about 10 days. The weather is perfect – mid 20s, sunshine and clear dry air. More about Dawson next time.

14 Klondike Highway

View Cross Canada in a larger map

July 3 & 4. We arrived safely in Whitehorse, though fooled by information which suggested our camp was near town. But we are well settled and the extra 20 km do not matter. It is great to be in one place for 4 days. There’s time to clean, repair, grease – and still sightsee. Whitehorse is a really great place! Well to do with a core down area, wide streets and a warm feeling. The Yukon river curves past the city with small islands and some wide reaches. The backdrop is mountains, some high enough to have white streaks of snow. Up above the city is an elevated plateau where the highway runs and where the airport was built.

July 5 & 6. Joan Reid-Bicknell arrived in late afternoon ready to share the next 8 days of adventure with us. On the second day we saw the rest of the sights and nearly all the museums and ate a fabulous dinner at Klondike Rib & Salmon where there are line-ups every night. Look at the menu on in the pictures – and we were not disappointed. The “Frantic Follies” finished of our evening – a rip-roaring 90 minutes of laughter based on the old ‘follies’ format. We even learned how to pan for gold and walked away with some very tiny ‘nuggets’ – if you could call them that!

So many people from south have settled here. We met numerous young Ontario folks who wouldn’t think of leaving The Yukon. It is easy to see why, especially if the outdoors is your life.

July 7. On the way north to Dawson City, we stopped half-way at Carmacks, right beside the Yukon River. It flows fast - about 10 km/h here. A drink on the dock and BBQ with lamb chops went down very well. As we drove north, away from the Alaska Highway, the mountains became more rounded and the terrain less hilly. We expect this to continue tomorrow.

12 Alaska Highway

13 Whitehorse, Yukon