Whitehorse, Haines Junction and Kluane National Park Yukon!

Well here we are, the final blog for this trip. Where we started and ended this trip, Whitehorse. With a population of about 25,000, this little government city has the northern living with southern amenities.

Why is it called Whitehorse? As depicted by the picture below, the rapids on the Yukon River resembled the manes of white horses charging.

I just thought this was neat. There are these interactive menus downtown for maps, things to do, locating restaurants and stores etc.

I didn’t alter this, this rainbow looks quite neon. And it’s a double rainbow!

Miles Canyon, can you believe this is within city limits! Great spot for a little hike.

If you enjoy being active in the outdoors, there’s 700 km of trails within city limits!

Lots of rivers and lakes around. So if you are into canoeing or kayaking, this is the place for you.

Chadburn Lake

Also, there’s lots of little lakes to cool off and take a dip, especially for those four legged friends who sport a fur coat in the blistering hot sun. (And no, you never shave these Arctic dog breeds!)

Yukon Wildlife Preserve. Over 700 acres and home to 11 difference arctic and boreal forrest animals. With my mom, sister and I, walking hand in hand, we did the 5 km loop.

Mule Deer

There’s do not feed signs and some electric fences, but the look in his eye and his confident swagger tells me this guy gets fed by visitors.

Dall Sheep

Mountain Goats chillin up on the rocks. We were lucky to catch one hanging around ground level.

Woodland Bison in the distance. We also saw some muskox in the distance. There was a lot of looking at animals in the distance. It’s like they know how to avoid the oglers so they can just chill in peace.

Known for biting and leaving dirty dishes in the sink, this rare mammal is most often found in cooler climates.

Takhini Hot springs. After our walk around the wildlife preserve, up the road we hit up the hot springs for a soak. And soak we did.

Two pools, right side is the hot pool at 42 degrees Celsius and the left is 36 degrees Celsius.

Black Bear Crossing!

We checked out the MacBride Museum downtown. Has a good mix of history. I like how they built the new museum over the old building.

Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre. Come learn the way of life of the Kwanlin Dün First Nations. The current exhibit was about the different people who live on a trap line today. It was interesting.

Where to eat? Whitehorse has quite a few good restaurants. Klondike Rib and Salmon is one of the popular places to go during the tourist season. I got the Arctic char. I couldn’t remember if I tried it when I lived in Churchill. So I got it here, it was really good.

How I saw my mom for about 95% of this trip. Avoiding the cold or avoiding the bugs or both. If she wasn’t bundled up, she was in the van. A very agile mosquito killer I must admit. The other 5% she was in her pajamas. Pictures of that to come later.

Captain Ken’s Adventures! If you are in Whitehorse and looking for a boat tour on the Yukon River, Captain Ken is your guy. Look him up on Facebook. He’s been a local since 1995 and knows the area very well. Myself, mom, brother and my handsome little devil of a fur nephew enjoyed a 3 hour boat ride.

Yukon River

He seemed to enjoy his first boat ride.

Beaver lodge, but no beavers in sight.

Going through Miles Canyon.

And if you’re cold, he supplies wool blankets!

Haines Junction

We took a day trip to Haines Junction. It’s about 150 km drive from Whitehorse.

Yukon’s oldest bridge.

Haines Junction is a village in the Yukon that has about 600 people. It’s the main junction of highways for those going to Alaska. It’s also just east of Kluane National Park. I think it’s worth a little day trip for sure.

I highly recommend the Da Ku Cultural Centre. It’s very well done and uses a large amount of technology. One side is an Indigenous display about the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations peoples, history and culture. The other side is all about Kluane National Park. Great place to stop to learn more about the area and what to do. Lots to see and do!

We ate at two different places. I highly recommend the Village Bakery, great coffee, homemade food and pastries.

If you are looking for an ice cream and burger joint, then Frosty’s is your go to. I had to try the caribou smokie. 👍

I thought this church looked really interesting.

Kluane National Park

The drive on the highway in Kluane National Park is very scenic. This is the highway going toward Anchorage/Fairbanks Alaska. I love all the fireweed (purple flowers) in bloom!

About 70 km’s outside Haines Junction is a Parks Canada stop called Sheep Mountain. You can use that big telescope to try and spot the Dall sheep on the mountain. This time of year they are mostly on the opposite side. So no luck for us.

Kathleen Lake

Black Bear sighting again.

Quill Creek. Again, I just love all that fireweed in bloom. So beautiful.

Well that’s the end of the holiday. One last bevy!

Overall I had a great holiday. I’ve travelled to different parts of the world, and the Canadian North is my favourite place of all. There’s just something about it. I mentioned in my first blog that my dad planned this trip, but died unexpectedly in May from cancer. He loved the North too, and would have loved this trip. So I definitely felt a void without him there.

That’s all for me, Thanks for following, and the support! Until next time!

Erin

(Me and Dad, Churchill Manitoba Aug 2015)