Teslin to Whitehorse, Yukon – 2 July 2024
Our first port of call when we reached Whitehorse was a Tire shop so we could replace the broken tire on the RV.
Whitehorse, located on the Yukon river, became the capital of the Yukon in 1952. It got its name when gold seekers thought the wild rapids down the Miles Canyon resembled the manes of charging white horses. During the Klondike Gold Rush in 1898 it was an important staging and transportation hub and during WWII Whitehorse was also a construction base for both the Alaska Highway and a large crude oil pipeline from the Northwest Territories. Today it is the headquarters of the Yukon RCMP, and an outfitting post for anglers and hunters. Over 300,000+ tourists pass through Whitehorse every year.
We were hoping to explore the Klondike II boat but unfortunately it was under repairs so instead we hiked the nearby Millennium trail which took us around the Yukon river and across a bridge where the Yukon dam was. The trail was quite popular and it was a lovely day for walking. Later, after dropping Jax off at the RV we took a drive into Whitehorse and went to Coast Outfitters to stock up on new bear spray (ours had expired), mosquito netting for our bed and we also purchased a mosquito netting jacket with built in gloves and head gear . I was thrilled to finally retire my Blundstones. My new replacement Blundstones had a sheepskin sole which felt very comfortable and just the thing for my persistent cold feet.
The following day we walked the upper canyon trail in Miles Canyon. Views of the basalt cliffs, turquoise water and surrounding forests and mountains were amazing. It is estimated that the Canyon is about 8.4 million years old containing rocks from ancient lava flows. In the past, gold seekers used to brave the swift moving water as they headed to the Klondike gold rush. Many drowned in their efforts. Mikes Canyon also became a terminus for paddle boats and was therefore the reason for the establishment of the City of Whitehorse.
