My Adventure Story
Wednesday, July 21, 2010. 30 nautical miles (by road). This day we moved from Inn on the Lake into Whitehorse to the Skky Hotel to be closer to the Century Flight Club activities.
On the way we took a leisurely drive past Miles Canyon on the Yukon River, upstream of Whitehorse. The only two major navigation obstacles to the stampeders of the 1898 gold rush making their way down the river to Dawson were the Miles Canyon rapids and the White Horse rapids. The canyon is cleft into rock with sides of hexagonal basalt columns, which reminded us of the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. The river flows strongly through the canyon.
Closer to Whitehorse the local seaplane base is a hub of flying activity.
In Whitehorse a preserved riverboat, the S.S. Klondike is a national historic site. It is a beautifully preserved giant of boat. The trip downstream to Dawson was 36 hours, but it was 4 to 5 days to return, burning a full cord of wood every hour.
The club held an outdoor barbecue in the evening at the MacBride Museum of Yukon History. Whitehorse has done an excellent job of preserving its history and making it a major part of the city. The museums and displays are excellent and historic displays are everywhere. The city itself, 25,000 population and capital of the Yukon, is very trim, neat and well kept. The residents universally seem to love their life here.
Tomorrow - train ride in the mountains.
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