| Mountain Goats,
and a small herd of Caribou can also be seen in the Duke River area.
North America's largest subspecies of moose ranges through Kluane.
The Yukon is
famous for its wild rivers, sought out by white water canoeist,
kayakers and rafters. These include the Tatshenshini , Alsek, Bonnet
Plume along with the Firth River flowing through Ivvavik National
Park, each of which attract paddlers from all over the world. There
are a number of guiding companies that will take groups or individuals
to these wild and beautiful rivers, allowing the casual paddlers
to enjoy these challenging routes as well.
If you're looking
for wilderness with as little less whitewater you can canoe from
Whitehorse to Dawson along the Yukon River. You'll encounter only
one portage along the way, at the Five-Finger Rapids. Perhaps not
as wild as some of the possible trips, never the less this is an
isolated area and all trips should be planned with extreme care.
One of the greatest
things about backpacking in the Yukon in the summer is the almost
endlessly days. You can expect up to 20 hours or more of sunlight
on your trip. It's interesting to remember, even on the hottest
of the summers days, that perma-frost is just a few feet below your
boots. The Yukon is truly a land of extremes.
If you follow
the Dempster Highway from Dawson City, into the most northerly range
of the Rocky Mountains, you'll cross the Arctic Circle. Here you'll
have the clearest view of the Aurora Borealis with red, green and
blue lights that dance across the sky. These brilliant moving lights
are actually after effects of giant explosions on the sun which
cause waves of light to streak across the sky some 60 to 80 miles
above the ground.
If you're visiting
in the winter months, don't miss the premier event for long distance
mushers, the Yukon Quest, which attracts racers worldwide. It's
a 1,600 km long race, from Whitehorse to Fairbanks Alaska, through
extremely challenging terrain and severe weather conditions.
On a slightly
tamer note, the Yukon also has three downhill ski facilities, Mt.
Sima near Whitehorse, Moose Mountain in Dawson City and Watson Lake
Ski Hill just outside the town of Watson Lake. All of these hills
are, of course, great for telemark and have cross country skiing.
Mt. McIntyre is a world-class cross country skiing facility that
has lighted trails and a full-service chalet.
No matter the
time of year, the Yukon will delight you, challenge you and inevitably
bring you back for more. |
