Mile Canyon

Spectacular views are a daily thing in the Yukon and we have had our fair share of them this summer.  Mile Canyon is a few kilometers south of downtown Whitehorse. The trail map made a bike ride look easy but it turned out to be a little more demanding and confusing than we had expected.  But we did manage to do the ride and it was all worth it.  Below are photos from that ride.

View of Whitehorse from the top of our first hill.  Whew!!

Lake Schwatka 

After cycling and walking on roads, trails and through forest we found this trail along the canyon where we walked our bikes.

Suspension bridge to get to the other side.

View on our way back toward town.  Obviously more hills to climb to this spectacular lookout.

Lake Schwatka from the other side.

Street Art in Whitehorse

Whitehorse is a town of artists and musicians.  Some of the art is fine art, some is crafts, some is murals, sculptures, totem poles.  You can't walk very far without seeing one of these forms.  I started photographing the murals when I noticed how many there were and how well they were done.  Even a mural on the side of a building can evoke a lot of emotion or tell a story of the people and history of the area.  I also think about the artists who designed and painted these and the individuals or businesses that paid to have them done.  Below is some of the street art that I have photographed.

The picture below is actually a mural painted on the back of a row of stores on Main St.  I guess the windows are real and maybe one of the doors but the rest is a painting.  Fun!!

Below are painted fish on fencing at the hydro dam in Whitehorse.  I think that children painted the fish.  There are fish ladders at this dam so the salmon can swim upstream to spawn and the baby salmon can swim downstream and not be killed in the dam.

The sculpture below is on the roof of an eating area in a park on the river.  Ravens are everywhere in Whitehorse, many in this park.

This mural is actually in Atlin, BC.  I liked the message so wanted to include it.

Dawson City

On the 20th of June we drove north west 533 km. from Whitehorse to Dawson City. The drive was spectacular with mountain and river views.  So far, anywhere we have gone in the Yukon is spectacular.  I will post scenic pictures in another post.  For now you will see pictures of Dawson City.

The city of Dawson is nestled between the fast flowing, majestic Yukon River and mountains behind the town.  It is primarily a tourist town with most of the businesses serving the tourist industry. Many RV's go through Dawson on their way to Alaska.  Many tour buses bring people in for a few days of sightseeing.

The first inhabitants are the Tr'ondek Hwech'in First Nation who have their cultural centre in town and who primarily live in the Tr'ondek subdivision, just outside of town.  During the winter there is a core of people who call Dawson home.  Many seemed to have come for a summer job and never left.  They love Dawson and would not want to be anywhere else.

Dawson was in the centre of the goldrush starting in 1898 when over 30,000 prospectors decended on the town.  It is hard to imagine how that many people could have even fit in the small, geographic area.  Of course, many of them spent time panning for gold and going into town now and then.

Many of the shops and buildings have been restored for the tourists with the typical Yukon architecure and false fronts on the buildings.  There are still parts of town that are rough looking.  You would not call Dawson a manicured place.  The roads are dirt and the sidewalks are wooden - a great help, I imagine, on rainy days.

The following pictures give you a sense of the architecture of the town.

The cabin below was Robert Service's cabin when he lived, work and wrote in Dawson.  He loved this place and always planned on returning when he left but never did.  Parks Canada has an interperter read some of his poems and tell about his life.

This is just an old cabin in the middle of Dawson where I believe someone does live.

Occasionally you see buildings leaning like this probably due to melting permafrost.  These two buildings are known as the kissing buildings.  To the left is a funky health food restaurant.

This geological landmark is called Moosehide Slide.  You can pretty well see it from anywhere in Dawson.  It is a result of glacial action.  One of the First Nation's people said she always felt she was home when she could see Moosehide Slide.

Ravens are all over  Dawson.  They are such interesting birds with lots of unusual sounds and behaviours.  This one seems to have the same pick-up truck envy that I have.

The building below is the restored old post office.

Three photos of houses in Dawson with my favourite as the last.

David with a view up the mighty Yukon River.

Below are two locked moose antlers with the skulls attached.  During rutting season they locked and could not get apart and both died there.  So be careful guys if you start to lock horns over some lady.  It may be the last argument or both of you!!