Whitehorse

Saturday, June 19, took us on a 110 mile drive from Skagway to Whitehorse, Yukon Territories.  The drive out of Skagway involved a 12 mile grade up to the US/Canada border.  This grade appears steep, but in reality tops out at only about 3,000 feet.  

The weather again has been very cooperative, bordering on being downright hot.  Our drive from the border to Whitehorse was beautiful, backtracking through the same beautiful lakes and mountains that we saw on our drive down to Skagway, only this time with sunlight and clear skies. 

We paused to take photos of Bennett Lake (part of the headwaters for the Yukon River),  and visit the tiny town of Carcross (shortened, years ago from Caribou Crossing, probably by some marketing genius).  Carcross was a waypoint on the Chilkoot Trail to the Klondike gold fields and is a stop on the White Pass and Yukon Railway.  Now, it is primarily a tourist attraction.

Whitehorse is the territorial capital of the Yukon and is a thriving metropolis of 22,000 people, almost 10 percent of the entire population of the Territory.  It has an amazingly "large town" feel, probably due in part to the fact that it is the territorial capital, and also because it is the major supply point for so much of the back country around it.  Yes, they have a Wal-Mart, but the best shopping is at the "Canada Superstore," which is sort of like a Meijers.  They have a great bakery, which has chocolate croissants similar to those Sue grew to love in France.

We spend three days in Whitehorse, and then it's off on a 300 plus mile drive to Dawson City on Tuesday.

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Crossing the Border Northbound from Skagway to Whitehorse	Reflections Eerily calm water on Lake Bennett at almost 10:00 AM.	Whitehorse from Above Yes, that is a Pizza Hut near the middle of the photo.
The Main Drag Notice the large satellite dish near the left edge.	Riverboat The Klondike plied the Yukon between Whitehorse and Dawson until the early 1940's.	Banjos Lots of 'em at the Frantic Follies Review we attended Saturday evening.
Floatplane Base On the lake behind the Whitehorse Dam on the Yukon.	Three Forms of Aviation. . . . . .counting the bird in the upper right-hand corner.	Yukon Power Whitehorse Dam. The near-record high temperatures and resulting snow melt is threatening flooding along the river.
Fish Ladder 1,500 foot run allows Salmon to bypass the Whitehorse dam. Total number of fish using the ladder last year -- less than 1,300.	Yukon River Map The river runs from British Columbia to the west coast of Alaska. Salmon that make it to Whitehorse swim 1,500 miles.