The drive home: commuting from Whitehorse to Carcross
I suppose commuting is one of those things that the average person in North America just has to tolerate in order to make a decent living. For a while yet, driving beween Carcross and Whitehorse is part of my life for that reason – Whitehorse is where an important part of the money is. My commute, though, is very different than what most people experience.
While I find little joy in the northbound journey past Robinson or so, about the half-way point, the drive south is very different. Not only am I returning to the cabin I love, the views are stunning. Those stunning views aren’t just a summer phenomenon – the past few days have been particularly impressive, with magical light on the snow-covered peaks.
The photos on this page were all shot this week. I seldom go anywhere without my camera (a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT), and it’s been getting lots of use this week – I’ve taken as many as 28 pictures on a single south-bound drive. Normally a 50-minute trip, the photo stops can easily add anther half hour. Just waiting for another vehicle to come along to add that feature to a specific image can take a fair bit of time – mid-week winter traffic on the South Klondike is pretty sparse.
Rather than a nuisance, the commute has become one of the primary things that keeps me in touch with just how lucky I am. Seeing occasional traffic reports from Vancouver, Toronto or Detroit magnifies that feeling. While I look forward to the day when I no longer “have to” make the drive more than once a week or so, my camera helps keep things in perspective.
And I’m always grateful for the work that goes into making this road such an easy drive.
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