Whitehorse YT
Whitehorse is filled with lots of history - for instance when the White Pass & Yukon Route railway was completed in July 1900, it connected Skagway with the Yukon River. This is where the famed river steamers connected the rail head to Da
wson City and some of these boats made the trip all the way to St. Michael, a small outfitting point on Alaska's Bering Sea coast. Whitehorse has been the capital of the Yukon Territory since 1953 and serves as the center for transportation, communications and supplies for Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territories. The downtown section is flat and the facades of the buildings look as if they were still in the gold rush era.
wson City and some of these boats made the trip all the way to St. Michael, a small outfitting point on Alaska's Bering Sea coast. Whitehorse has been the capital of the Yukon Territory since 1953 and serves as the center for transportation, communications and supplies for Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territories. The downtown section is flat and the facades of the buildings look as if they were still in the gold rush era.The historic SS Klondike is on permanent display alongside the Yukon River and we too
k the opportunity to take the tour aboard. Genevieve - our tour guide from Montreal - made sure we all knew how to pronounce her name "Jean (sounds like John with a very soft z "zhan) vee - ev" or we could call her Jen! I like the French pronunciation better!! She was a very good guide and gave us many interesting facts about life on the riverboats during that time.
k the opportunity to take the tour aboard. Genevieve - our tour guide from Montreal - made sure we all knew how to pronounce her name "Jean (sounds like John with a very soft z "zhan) vee - ev" or we could call her Jen! I like the French pronunciation better!! She was a very good guide and gave us many interesting facts about life on the riverboats during that time. 
The SS Klondike was built in 1929 by the British Yukon N
avigation Company and is was the largest vessel on the Yukon. She had a cargo capacity 50 percent greater than previous boats and could carry over 300 ton. She ran aground in 1936 at the confluence of the Teslin and Yukon rivers. Salvaged parts were used to construct a new ship - the second 
SS Klondike (launched in 1937) that was almost identical to the first. The SS Klondike carried mail, general supplies, passengers and 
silver lead ore along the 460-mile route between Whitehorse and Dawson City until 1955, when she was retired.
avigation Company and is was the largest vessel on the Yukon. She had a cargo capacity 50 percent greater than previous boats and could carry over 300 ton. She ran aground in 1936 at the confluence of the Teslin and Yukon rivers. Salvaged parts were used to construct a new ship - the second 
SS Klondike (launched in 1937) that was almost identical to the first. The SS Klondike carried mail, general supplies, passengers and 
silver lead ore along the 460-mile route between Whitehorse and Dawson City until 1955, when she was retired.The wood pictured here is a cord measure. It took 10 cords per hour to power the stern wheeler up the river. On the way down it only took 8. Imagine how tired the fireman was when his day was done.
After our tour we took a ride outside of Whitehorse to view the Whitehorse Rapids Fishway. The fish ladder was built in 1959 to provide access for king salmon and other species above the Yukon Energy Corporation hydroelectric dam. It is the longest wooden fish ladder in the world. From there we ventured further to Miles Canyon. Originally called "Grand Canyon" to early gold seekers, the canyon was renamed in 1883 for Brigadier General Nelson Miles. Miles 
Canyon was an imposing challenge for miners and stampeders on their way up the Yukon to the gold fields, mainly because the narrow channel through the canyon was followed by the more daunting Whitehorse Rapids. These rapids along with the Squaw Rapids were eliminated by the construction of the power plant and dam.
Canyon was an imposing challenge for miners and stampeders on their way up the Yukon to the gold fields, mainly because the narrow channel through the canyon was followed by the more daunting Whitehorse Rapids. These rapids along with the Squaw Rapids were eliminated by the construction of the power plant and dam.
There are all sorts of trails around this are
a and we passed many people on mountain bikes riding through the woods and along the river. There is a suspension foot bridge -Robert Lowe Suspension Bridge built in 1922 - across the canyon - it took me a little while to talk myself into going across it - and once across along this one path we took, an area is visible where it looks like the water stops moving. We could hear the water falls but couldn't see it at all.
a and we passed many people on mountain bikes riding through the woods and along the river. There is a suspension foot bridge -Robert Lowe Suspension Bridge built in 1922 - across the canyon - it took me a little while to talk myself into going across it - and once across along this one path we took, an area is visible where it looks like the water stops moving. We could hear the water falls but couldn't see it at all.Back at the campground that evening, we were sitting at the dinette playing cards when I looked out and saw a big black bear running across the road. He had been at the campsite next to ours nosing around in the fire pit. The occupants of that campsite were sitting in their car smoking a cigarette when he happened to come by and beeped their horn at him, thus making him run across to the campsite directly across from ours. He just stopped and looked over his shoulder rather peeved and then just moseyed on. Glad we were inside!!
Tomorrow off to the mechanic to find out about the wheel. Depending on what time we get out of there will determine whether we leave afterwards or wait until the next day.
Pictures to finish the day - the odd looking 3 story building is the highest building in Whitehorse - billed as the 3 Story Log Cabin. Looks very out of place! But interesting.
Once we had seen Whitehorse, we headed back to the Wolf Creek campground and Ken convinced me to walk the trail with him. We went on the shorter of the two trails and the entire time I was so tensed up afraid we would see a bear, that by the time we got back I had spasms in my shoulders. Ken said we wouldn't see any bears, and we didn't but this was the same trail the bear had been spotted on. The bear also showed up in the wood lot. The cleaning lady went to get her supplies this morning and inside the second fence by her shed was a black bear.
The end of the day had Ken running along side the truck trying to figure out the knocking noise. I had to back up to pick him up as he stopped running because he couldn't hear a noise. Drove a little further and the noise came back. He got out, I backed up and drove forward - no noise! He couldn't figure it out so tomorrow we will take it to a mechanic. Hopefully they will be able to tell us what it is.
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