June 3, 2009 - Whitehorse
Whitehorse is located on the upper reaches of the Yukon River in Canada's sub-arctic, 100 miles from Haines Junction; 109 miles from Skagway; 250 miles from Haines and 396 miles from Tok
The Two RV Gypsies: Full-Time RVers
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June 3, 2009 - Whitehorse Whitehorse is located on the upper reaches of the Yukon River in Canada's sub-arctic, 100 miles from Haines Junction; 109 miles from Skagway; 250 miles from Haines and 396 miles from Tok |
| On this date, The Smith House gave visitors a free 3-day parking pass. Whitehorse has been the capital of Yukon Territory since 1953, and serves as the center for transportation, communications, and supplies for Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territories. Whitehorse is named after the historic rapids on the Yukon River which resembled the flowing manes of charging white horses. 3/4 of the Yukon Territory's population live in Whitehorse. | |
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2000 Arctic Winter Games
Torch Monument |
People walking on the iced snow on the river |
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Below: The S.S. Klondike - The two RV Gypsies returned here in 2016 and went on board the ship. To see those photos, use this link, but if you do, please be sure to return to this page, to continue with the 2009 trip. |
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| One of the largest sternwheelers to ply the Yukon River has been restored and opened to the public as a National Historic Site by Parks Canada. Originally launched in 1937, the pride of Whitehorse now sits along the Yukon River at the southern entrance to the city. 3/4 of the Yukon's population live in Whitehorse. Guided tours available. The S.S. Klondike was built in 1929 by the British navigation Company (BYNC). It was the largest on the Yukon with a cargo capacity 50% greater than previous boats and could carry over 300 tons. She ran aground in 1936 at the confluence of the Teslin and Yukon rivers. Salvaged parts were used to construct a new shop - the second SS Klondike (launched in 1937) and was almost identical to the first. | |
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MILES CANYON |
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| The two RV Gypsies hiked in Miles Canyon and crossed the Robert Lowe Suspension Bridge. The canyon's wild waters, now tamed by a dam, presented a formidable challenge to the stampeders trying to reach the Klondike gold fields in 1897 and 1998. lives were lost and gear scattered when their often crudely-built boats broke up and sank. | |
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| MILES CANYON: Rocks that make up this canyon are among the youngest in southern Yukon. They formed as several overlying flows of basalt lava accumulated in the ancient Yukon River valley about 8.5 million years ago. Many miners on their way to the Klondike lost their supplies, or life, passing through this canyon, whose prowess has since been tamed by the building of the hydro dam at White Horse Rapids. | |
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Below: Karen Duquette on
The Robert Lowe Suspension Bridge |
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Below: A BIG rock as seen
from the bridge |
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Below: The trail to the
rock |
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Below: Looking down from
the trail |
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Below: Another trail |
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Below: The bridge as seen
from the rock |
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Below: KAYAKERS |
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Below: MOB peeking through
the trees |
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Below: The other side of
the bridge - and the observation area |
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Below: Lee Duquette on
the Hiking trail |
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Below: View from the observation
area |
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Below:
The trail across the river that the two RV Gypsies walked on earlier -
as viewed from the observation area. |
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| Below: Grey Mountain: The grey rocks are lime stones that formed in ancient tropical seas containing coral reefs. The tropical seas existed approximately 220 million years ago during Triassic time. They indicate that rocks underlying this part of the Yukon originated in a much warmer climate and have since been displaced northward. These rocks have been completely deformed and folded subsequent to their deposition millions of years ago. They now have little resemblance to their origin as a coral reef. | |
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| Below: Mount Lorne - Rocks underlying this mountain are composed of volcanic strata. These strata were deposited on land during explosive eruptions throughout the Cretaceous period, about 100 million years ago. | |
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Below: Golden Horn |
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| Below: Copper Belt - Approximately 112 million years ago, hot magma, which originated deep in the earth's crust, intruded into existing lime stones. Where the magma came into contact with the limestone, "skarns" were formed, creating rich copper deposits. These deposits encouraged prospectors on their way to the Klondike in 1897. The mining opportunities in the Whitehorse area contributed significantly to the economy of the town until the mines closed in 1982. | |
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Below: This DC-3
weather vane at the airport is a Whitehorse landmark. It actually
spins in the wind. Karen Duquette snapped a couple of photos of the weaver
vane as Lee Duquette drove the big RV past it. They were unable to stop. |
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| The two RV Gypsies went to a performance of "Frantic Follies" a vaudeville revue and gold rush variety entertainment. It was much better than expected. Everyone in the audience laughed through the whole performance. There was some audience participation. The two RV Gypsies highly recommend this experience. Photos were not allowed to be taken. | |
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