Category: South Klondike Highway

Exploring WP&YR railway history in Skagway

We continue to have a wonderful Fall (or Early Winter), and on Monday, with a fairly good weather forecast for both Whitehorse and Skagway, I decided to take a drive to Skagway. I was away from the house just before the 09:15 sunrise, expecting some good light on the...
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Watching Winter come down the mountains

It’s always great to get home after a long trip. As much as I enjoyed all the places Dad and I visited, I can’t really imagine a place other than the Yukon being my home. Sometimes I need to take a drive to re-confirm that last statement, so yesterday,...
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Glaciers and spawning salmon

Last weekend, I took the opportunity to show Cathy and Bobbie some of the natural wonders that Monty and I have been enjoying while they’re at work, We first went high into the mountains to an alpine glacier, and then down to sea level to see thousands of spawning...
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Hiking the Lower Dewey Lake Trail at Skagway

With good weather continuing, I’m still not spending much time at home, so I’m getting further and further behind with my postings here (as well as a few other projects). I got up at 1:00 to watch a good Northern Lights show this morning, and decided to just stay...
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Hiking to Caribou Ridge, Yukon

After discovering during a flight on Saturday that the craggy cliffs overlooking Spirit Lake are topped with a huge almost-level plateau, I was determined to hike up for a look. I started up the trail twice many years ago but got stopped by a grizzly both times – on...
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More exploring around Paddy Peak

Following my discovery of a spectacular road-accessible area above Tutshi Lake on Tuesday, I returned on Wednesday without my husky, Monty, so I could explore higher, more rugged valleys and ridges. Although my primary target of interest was a high non-glacial lake to the southeast of the glacial one...
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Paddy Peak – by 4×4 to an unnamed glacier with Monty

On Tuesday, yet another spectacular hot day, Monty and I headed back into the high country, this time to a spot I’d not yet made it into. An old mining road leads into the mountains between Tutshi Lake and Lake Bennett, but it’s buried in snow for all but...
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Hiking to the historic Vault silver mine

The Vault, deep in Pooley Canyon on the south side of Montana Mountain, is the toughest mine I’ve ever managed to get into, and I’ve been wanting to get back in for a very long time. Some Whitehorse friends want me to take them in (having tried unsuccessfully to...
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Hiking in the White Pass – waterfalls and glaciers

Yesterday was intended as a motorcycle day – a ride to Skagway and back – but turned into much more, with an almost-6-hour hike past countless waterfalls and ending overlooking the Chilkoot Trail at a wall of glaciers across the valley. By 08:45 I was all armoured up and...
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Exploring Alaska’s historic Inspiration Point gold mine

On Thursday, I went on the most difficult hike yet this year, to the ruins of the historic Inspiration Point gold mine high in the White Pass north of Skagway. I visited the site twice a dozen years ago, and have been itching to get back for a long...
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