On the Road to Dawson City

admin — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 06:31:15 +0000

Monday, June 29, 2009
Today we will be traveling 340 miles, paralleling the Yukon River, up to Dawson City on the Klondike Highway. We will go from 2305 feet of elevation down to 1050 feet. Just outside of Whitehorse, we saw a Bald Eagle perched on the mountain on one side of the motor coach and an Eagle nest in a tree on the other side.Our first stop was Breaburn Lodge where six of us enjoyed one of their world famous cinnamon buns – the one we shared was ten inches across and three inches high. It had really, really good flavor – not too sweet. Raisins, cinnamon, lightly iced and dough that was thoroughly baked. The lodge actually has an airstrip called ‘Cinnamon Bun Airstrip.’ It is an official checkpoint on the 1000 Mile Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race [Mush!]
The second stop was a picture spot called Five Fingers Rapids. This was a tragic point on the Yukon River where many travelers and their vessels were lost crashing into the rocks. Civil Engineering efforts have made it less treacherous over timeThe third stop was Minto Landing, where we had lunch and took a group photo with the Yukon River as a backdrop. On the way back out to the highway, we stopped for a black bear that was crossing the road.
Our fourth stop was Moose Creek Lodge. It was a little different: Strawberry-Rhubarb tarts, among other flavors; hot chocolate; coffee and tea; oatmeal raisin cookies, apple raisin cake; date bread; brownies; and a horseshoe pit. There was enough time to play a couple of games, which some in the group did. Of course, the natural beauty surrounding the lodge, included tree covered mountains for as far as you could see.
Our last stop before reaching Dawson City, Tintina Trench, is a horizontal fault line that is said to run through theYukon Territory as far down into the United States as Montana. The fault activity is said to be caused a new fault horizontally rubbing against an old fault. One fault goes southeast and the other goes northwest.
As we head on into Dawson City, we come past mile zero of the Dempster Highway. Dempster Highway is the only road that goes to the Western Arctic Circle, four hundred fifty miles . The building of this road was thought to be a waste by many people, but many natural resources have since been discovered and are accessible because of this road – which was one man’s vision. I actually had the pleasure to talk to a couple from eastern Canada, who had just returned from driving the highway. The first five to six miles is paved and the rest is gravel! Imagine what that trip is like.

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On the Road to Dawson City