An afternoon of museums and more in Teslin, Yukon
The weather forecast yesterday morning was good for that day but then we’re in for a long spell of cloudy, wet days so I decided to take the motorcycle east down the Alaska Highway for a few hours. The probable destination was Teslin, 163 kilometers (101 miles) from home.
My riding day would get off to a late start due to an appointment with my chiropractor, but the silver lining (beyond my back feeling better) was that I finally saw the Edelweiss Air A-330 that arrives in Whitehorse from Switzerland every Monday during the summer.
Why Teslin? It’s mostly a matter of exploring – although I’ve been through Teslin, many, many times, I’ve spent very little time in Teslin beyond getting fuel and a having a meal. And it’s a beautiful drive, with 2 large and many small lakes, and 1 large river crossing. The photo below is Marsh Lake, taken at 1:13 pm.
I stopped at Jake’s Corner for gas, and had to wait for a woman to fill a pickup bed full of tanks and gas cans – her bill was over $700! It was sunny and I was in no hurry, so that 10-15 minutes didn’t disturb me in the least.
After that I didn’t stop until I reached the Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre at Km 1248. I’ve looked at the exterior a couple of times since it was built in 2001 but have never taken the time to go through it.
Another stamp for my Explorer’s Passport. The admission fee is $5, or $4 for seniors (60 and over) – I really should save a dollar when I can but didn’t say anything. 🙂
Above each display case is a plexiglass “cone of sound”. You push a button on the case to hear commentary, and the cone directs the sound to you with little spill-over to distract other people.
This beautiful Tlingit Frog Man mask is by Arthur Johnston, a young artist from Teslin who has only been carving since 2002.
After viewing the artifacts I asked one of the staff to turn on the film that’s currently being shown – Carol Geddes’ wonderful 23-minute “Two Winters: Tales from Above the Earth”. Inspired by the stories told by Yukon elders, this Rotoscope animation tells of a family’s struggle to survive an extended period of winter that resulted from the volcanic eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia in 1816.
In the story, the legend of Earth Mother giving various animals their characteristics is told. This part of the film was particularly interesting to me, as the site of this legend is now known as Carcross.
Between the lake and the main building is a boat house (and fish camp) that I don’t recall seeing before. Several boat types are here, both old and new, including this spectacular canoe.
The fine gravel beach that the facility is located on is one of the prettier ones in the Yukon. It alone makes a visit to the centre worthwhile 🙂
I left the Tlingit center a few minutes before 4 pm – the next stop was this viewpoint just over a kilometer further down the highway.
There are several interpretive signs here with information about the area’s nature and history.
The “Welcome to Teslin” sign for southbound travellers. There were a surprising number of bikes on the highway yesterday, both motorized and the pedal kind.
A closer look at the sign.
A few minutes past 4, I reached the George Johnston Museum. I’d visited this museum many years ago, and really liked it, so was looking forward to seeing it again.
Another stamp added 🙂 The admission price here is $4.
George Johnston is a legendary figure in the Yukon, and I’m surprised that nobody has written a book about him yet. His fame today is due largely to his skill as a photographer, and to his purchase of a 1928 Chevrolet in 1928 when Teslin had no roads.
When George realized that the dark Chevy made him very obvious when he was hunting wolves and other animals on frozen Teslin Lake with the car, he painted it with white house paint.
The little hunting boat in this exhibit was made from a single moose hide stretched over a spruce frame. Seams were patched with spruce pitch and grease. It could be made in one day by someone with experience and could last for several years if stored and maintained properly.
Back outside, this was one of Taylor & Drury’s early stores in Teslin.
After leaving the museum I decided to see what was at the demonstration forest a few miles south of town. I rode a half-mile or so down the rough road into the forest but never did figure it out. As I was nearing the highway again, the skies opened up with a torrential rain – I was fairly well-geared for rain but I still don’t like it! The shot below shows the viewpoint above Teslin, taken at 5:00 pm.
I had planned on having dinner at Teslin but there were far too many vehicles at the Yukon Motel where the restaurant is so I changed the fuel-and-dinner stop to Johnsons Crossing Lodge, 52 km back towards home. On the way, I did a bit of touring around the village, stopping first at the little park and boat launch by the Nisutlin Bay Bridge.
Next I found the particularly attractive little RCMP detachment, and this unique Catholic church.
I found this very colourful old garage on a back road near the Teslin airport. On my first visit to the Yukon back in 1985, 3 of us had set up our tents under the wing of my little Cessna here.
I was met at the gas pumps at Johnsons Crossing Lodge by signs saying that they had no fuel (but to come in for some free bannock). I had thought about that possibility and had lots of fuel left to get me to Jake’s Corner, so continued on.
While I would have liked to help out the folks at Johnsons Crossing in my small way, Jake’s absolutely has the best burger value in the territory right now – check out the size of that loaded burger, with fries and coffee, all for $12.50! There’s enough food there for 2 normal people – but yes, I ate it all 🙂
A very funny thing happened between Jake’s and the Yukon River bridge – a beaver was crossing the highway! By the time my brain had figured out what it was, it was too late to shift to “I should get a photo of that!” before I was past him.
That was an excellent day – mostly fine weather, two excellent little museums, capped off with good grub. As I write this it’s much cooler and a light rain is falling, making those photographs look even better! 🙂
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