Alaska 2011 – Teslin Lake, YK to Whitehorse, YK

After having lunch with several friends at the Teslin Lake Café, we headed out to Whitehorse. We spent the first night at the Pioneer RV Park and then decided to move up the road to the High Country RV Park which was closer to town. We spend three more days in Whitehorse relaxing and getting caught up on things. The highlights of the trip were touring the S.S. Klondike, Beringia Museum, Miles Canyon, Frantic Follies, and having fresh Halibut Fish-N-Chips at the Klondike Rib and Salmon House. It was also very exciting for Nancy to visit the original home of Sam McGee. Nancy's father, Ralph, would recite the poem "Cremation of Sam McGee" written by Robert Service, while he shaved many mornings before going to work. We also enjoyed the visitor’s center and walking around the city going back into history ourselves.

Whitehorse, YK became the transportation center of the Yukon Territory in the late 1800’s. Whitehorse was named after the historic rapids on the Yukon River which flowed through Miles Canyon. With the formation of the hydro-electric dam the rapids have been eliminated, but Miles Canyon still exists today. In 1900, construction of the White Pass & Yukon Route steam railway from Skagway to Miles Canyon opened up this area for the gold fever excitement that filled the air at that time. Whitehorse was the take off point for Dawson City, YK and the riverboats on the upper Yukon River.

The Beringia Museum takes you back to the last great ice age. While the rest of Canada lay frozen under massive sheets of ice, a region encompassing eastern Siberia, eastern Alaska, and Yukon remained untouched by glaciers. Sea levels were so low that grassy tundra was present supporting astonishing varieties of animals, plants, and man-kind. The world’s earliest humans moved into what is now North America about 24,000 years ago. There were herds of wooly mammoth’s giant bison, camels, and many other huge four legged critters.

The S.S. Klondike, built in 1929, was the largest sternwheeler on the upper Yukon River. She was 240 feet long, carried 300 tons of cargo, and had a 40” draught for the shallow Yukon River. The Klondike was a “sternwheeler”, not a “side-wheeler”, which made it easier to navigate the fast flowing, shallow, winding rivers like the Yukon. The S.S. Klondike was originally built to haul 4,500 ore bags (125 lbs. each) coming from the silver mines between Dawson City and Whitehorse. She was powered by a wood-fired locomotive style fire-tube boiler. It held 15,000 gallon of water, drawn from the river. Sternwheelers were first used on the lower Yukon River in the late 1860’s to service the many trading posts and communities. At the height of the Klondike Gold Rush (1897-8), there were 250 riverboats on the Yukon River transporting supplies and people. The Klondike had a crew of 23, earning $25 a month, and provided one-way passenger accommodations for 32 (1st Class - $35 each) and 43 (2nd Class - $25 each). The Yukon River was frozen solid for 7½ months, so the shipping season was short. Each Fall, the boats were hauled out of the water and wintered on “skid-ways” in the Whitehorse Shipyard. After sinking in 1936 and being rebuilt the S.S. Klondike carried passengers and cargo on the Yukon River until 1955 – the last Yukon River sternwheeler in active service.

We have put together two separate slide shows. The first is on Whitehorse, YK and the second is a special presentation of the S.S. Klondike. Hope you enjoy!

CLICK HERE to view the Whitehorse, YK slide presentation.

CLICK HERE to view the S.S. Klondike slide presentation.