In Yukon Territory

We spent 5 days crossing the Yukon Territory, Canada's northwestern province, on 570 miles of  the Alaska Highway between Watson Lake and the Canada/ Alaska border. It is named after the mighty Yukon river, where, close to Dawson City, the big gold rush began at the end of the 19. century. The population is just 34,000, which equates to merely 1 person per 5 square miles - and over 80% of the people live in the capital Whitehorse. Driving through this vast and empty land is a quite unique and impressive experience. We had the finest weather there  - sunny, dry, and daily highs between 75 and 83 degrees (24 and 28 Celsius).

Crossing into Yukon from the south, from British Columbia, the first major stop is Watson City, famous for its signpost forest that boasts over 80,000 signposts, brought  by visitors from all over the world.

 

 

Sunset over Lake Teslin, between Lake Watson and Whitehorse

 

 

At the Yukon River in Whitehorse

Historic steamer Klondike sailed the Yukon from 1929 to 1938

Downtown Whitehorse

 

 In Whitehorse begins the Skagway highway that leads to the Alaskan port of Skagway, which is a frequent stopping point of Alaskan cruises. We drove this highway some 40 miles south through some of the most beautiful landscapes of the Yukon.

Emerald Lake, some 20 miles south of Whitehorse

 

A Grizzly bear right next to the highway



 

A whim of nature is the Carcross desert, a sand desert about 1 mile across

Lake Tagish

 

 

Located a few miles east of Whitehorse is the Muktuk dogsled farm, where Alaskan Huskies are bred and raised for all kinds of dogsled adventures, offered to tourists in the winter season. Silke and Benjamin took a 2-hour tour and were totally fascinated afterwards.

I guess I am lucky that Alaskan Huskies are...

pretty incompatible with our Hilton Head climate! 

 

Winding its way northwest from Whitehorse toward the Alaskan border, the Alaska Highway approaches the Kluane mountain range, where Mt. Logan is located, with 19,550 ft (5.960 m) Canada's highest peak.

 

Kluane Lake



Kluane Mountain Range

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Alaska Highway IV - The Oil Highway

As unique and breathtaking as the Alaska Highway is - there are also a few annoying things. First - there are parts with really bad surface conditions, and with long and nerve-wrecking construction sites. Today, for example, we drove through a major reconstruction area between the beautiful Kluane Lake and the Canada-Alaska border, over 100 km of gravel, pot holes, and 1-lane traffic behind follow-me cars. I posted a couple pictures about driving in construction sites like that in a previous post.

Another pretty annoying thing is the ever increasing truck traffic around the oil field developments along the highway in British Columbia. While the development of oil fields around Ft. Nelson, Ft. St. John and the Peace Valley goes back quite some time, the appearance of the fracking technology a few years ago gave the oil business a new boost, and now the 283 miles from Dawson Creek to Ft. Nelson bear witness of this by way of trucks, dozens of mobile home villages for oil field workers, and countless auxiliary businesses along the highway. Here are a few pictures for illustration purposes, all taken directly from the highway.

 

 

 

 



 

Alaska Highway III - The Scenery

At Dawson Creek, the Alaska Highway begins in the foothills east of the Northern Rockies, traverses the mountains between Fort Nelson (mile 283) and Muncho Lake (mile 411), winds its way towards the Alaska Range along Lake Watson (mile 613), Lake Teslin (mile 777), the Yukon capital Whitehorse (mile 887), and Lake Kluane (mile 1,051). All along the way, the highway offers spectacular vistas, and a few of them are shown below, taken along the journey from east to west.


Approaching the Northern Rockies

Summit Lake, located in the Rockies at 4,300 ft, the highest point of the entire highway

For about 160 miles along the western slopes of the Northern Rockies, the Alaska Highway follows the valley of the mighty Liard River.

The Liard River near the town of Watson Lake

Swift River, south of Teslin



Approaching Teslin



South end of Lake Teslin

Lake Teslin, 75 miles long, is located between British Columbia and Yukon Territory

At the Yukon River in Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon Territory



Alaska Highway IIa - Watching a Bear Family

We were lucky to watch a black bear mother with her three cubs, right from the Alaska Highway between Watson Lake and Teslin Lake in Yukon Territory.

We spent almost a half hour at the highway shoulder watching the family foraging on flowers and berries. We guessed that the cubs were born during the last hibernation, and are now about 5-6 months old.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alaska Highway II - The Wildlife

The abundant wildlife in the widely uninhabitated Canadian Northwest and Alaska is surely one of the reasons why tourists travel this route.

All photos on this post - except the beaver - have been taken directly off the highway.

A heard of about 30 bisons

Walking at 2 feet distance from the car..

We watched a couple beavers crossing Lake Summit, right next to the highway

Most people want to see bears, like us. Of course, from a safe distance only....



Black bear

 
 






A baby bear.. petting not recommended...

 

'cause mom is watching closely!