We didn’t head through the Yukon in search of gold as many before us have but to follow a different dream of seeing Alaska. Experiencing the Yukon was a bonus. Our drive across the Southwest corner of the Yukon Territory included the capital of Whitehorse and along the way we took some time out to learn about the area by visiting the George Johnston Museum and the Berengia Interpretive center.
The Yukon has always held a bit of a mythical quality for me like Shangri-La in Tibet. And, according to the visitors center in Whitehorse it is eternally sunny and warm. We watched an informational film at the visitors center in which every scene showed happy smiling people bathed in sunlight while rafting, hiking and biking. The film was not only encouraging people to visit but also to move there as there is no better place to live. It was well done and I was actually inspired to move there myself by the end of the 17 minute film.
Then, I remembered that there is more than one season in the Yukon and that the nearby town of Snag holds the record for the lowest recorded temperature in Canada at -84F and the sun only shines for 5.5 hours on the winter solstice. Once I regained my perspective, I decided that the Yukon is a great place to visit but I probably would not choose it as a home base.
The native tribes have amazingly called it a home base for centuries despite the extreme conditions. George Johnston was a Tlinget (pronounced Klinget) native who not only survived but thrived. Born in the 1884, he made his living primarily as a trapper but was so innovative he bought a car in 1928 and had it shipped by river to his village of Teslin. The village didn’t have a road so, he built one and started a taxi service. He also became an accomplished photographer and recorded much of village’s history which is now on display in the George Johnston Museum. Although small, the museum is packed with Tlinget history, George’s beautiful Photography and his 1928 Chevrolet.
We also made a trip to the Berengia Interpretive Center which focuses on the ancient land bridge between what is now Russia and Alaska. The Dudes were introduced to the animals and humans that crossed the land bridge and populated North America; Mammoth’s, Jefferson’s Ground Sloth, Giant Beaver’s, the Giant Short faced bear and the Saiga Antelope. They also learned how to throw an Atlatl which is a stick fashioned by these early people to help propel a spear to bring down the large creatures.
With the exception of the terrible gravel roads bent with frost heaves and pocked with holes, the drive was beautiful and made me glad I did not fly to Alaska and miss the amazing scenery. But our brief look at the Province was just a tease, a little peek at what is surely everything the visitor’s center film touts it to be(at least for 3 months of the year).
Whether you are searching for gold or living your dreams, the Yukon is a beautiful part of the world to take a peek at.
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.” Henry David Thoreau
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