The Dempster and Dawson City

I hate to say this so early, I'm barely a third through my trip, but I may have just had the best days of the entire trip (except for Marne's visit, of course)! I left Whitehorse Wed. morning and drove northwest towards Dawson City. Finally, a two lane highway with no traffic and a real feeling of being in the middle of nowhere. 330 miles and all you passed was a gas station/store about every 100 miles.

Before I got to Dawson, I turned north up the Dempster Highway. Two lane gravel for about 50 more miles (the Dempster goes on for another 300 gravel miles). But what incredible scenery!!! Mountains and sub-artic valleys. I did not know what to expect here but the views blew me away.

I stayed at a very nice campground, Tombstone Mountain Territorial Park. I did a couple of strenuous day hikes. There are no flat trails in this part of the world. Everything starts at the bottom of a mountain and then you hike up...and up...and up...(you get the idea).

The first day's hike took you up to an overlook where you could see about 300 degrees all around you. (I made a short video to give you the view but it isn't downloading. I may have to try that again another day.)

 

 

On the road to Dawson, a roadhouse built in the stage coach days. They were built about 20 miles apart because that was a day's journey. They provided food and shelter.

 

 

I was at the trail's end. The 3 young people that took this picture then proceeded to climb the rest of the mountain without any trail. I had this spot to myself for over an hour until the next people showed up.

 

This sub artic valley is a major migration route for caribou in the spring and fall.

 

 

I finally found the isolation and solitude that I thought I would have all along the Alaskan Highway. I just had to travel just short of the Artic Circle to find that isolation. This was a very memorable 3 days.

 

On Friday I hiked the Grizzly Lake Trail. This trail was not very scenic at all. It was just an exercise in climbing UP UP UP. At least I know my heart is still sound if not my back.

 

After the Grizzly Lake hike I drove to Dawson City. Dawson is the historic frontier type of town I was looking for. The streets are gravel. It has many old, historic buildings that are still in use. Many are well maintained and painted in bright colors.

 

 

The Post Office.

 Boardwalks on every street and the gravel streets give the place a "western" feeling.

 The show house.

 

Marne, this is the Yukon Visual Arts Center. Care to take any classes up here?

 

These buildings are intentionally left alone to show visitors what happens when you build on permafrost and then heat the building. Everything around here is on permafrost.

Marne, the newspaper moved into this building in 1910. It didn't say when the paper actually began. I was going to see if they needed a creative person but it closed in 1954.

 

 Sod roof.

A bordello again. It started as a rooming house, became a house of ill repute, then in the 1930s it became a rooming house again.





Lavender.

 So I sadly leave this area tomorrow. The views along the Dempster Highway will always stay with me as highlights of this trip. Tomorrow I visit Chicken. I am not sure if I'm going to stay there or continue on to Tok. Tomorrow I drive the "Top Of The World HIghway".

Brother Jim, I'm not sure where I will be camping so I will wish you "Happy Birthday" now while I have the Wi-Fi available.