Travel Guides to Canada

REFUEL YOUR WANDERLUST A summertime road trip through the Yukon is high on many bucket lists. The famed Alaska Highway passes through the western reaches of the Yukon, a vital link to the smaller areas of Watson Lake, Teslin, Whitehorse, Haines Junction and Beaver Creek. On two wheels or four, it's a road trip made in heaven! THE GREAT YUKON GETAWAY— YEAR-ROUND Yukoners know how to embrace the guaran- teed snow of the season and they savour it with a host of outdoor activities, eccentric festivals, world-class races and competi- tions. Bundle up and jump in for sled dog mushing experiences, snow sculpture competitions, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. After a long day, dip into thermal hot springs. In the warmer months, the "Land of the Midnight Sun" means light-filled days and nights of summer, perfect for enjoying the outdoors. The June solstice sun doesn't set at the Arctic Circle, so golfing at midnight or hiking into the wee hours are both possible. In Whitehorse, the June sun brings an average of 269 hours of sunshine. There are all sorts of ways to connect— across the territory you'll find both accessible experiences and off the beaten path escapes. HEAD OUTDOORS— THE GRAPHICS ARE AMAZING! The Yukon can lay claim to true wilderness like nowhere else south of the 60 th parallel. More than 80 percent of the territory is still pristine forests, tundra and even desert. The territory is home to the protected lands of several vast Parks Canada sites, including wild, uninhabited parks like Kluane, Ivvavik and Vuntut. The chance of encountering Yukon wildlife is excellent. Bears and mountain sheep create "wildlife jams" as passersby spot them beside the roadways; caribou, moose and grizzly bears are found across the territory. The wilderness knocks at the back doors of the Yukon's few urban areas—the City of Whitehorse and the historic town of Dawson City. Dense greenery edges ribbons of highway and, in summer, brilliant magenta fireweed—the Yukon's territorial flower— lines many roadsides. Mountains, lakes, rivers and some of the country's most majestic glaciers provide a photographer's dream. Outfitters like Nature Tours of Yukon offer Arctic Circle nature photo tours, designed for shutter enthusiasts (www.naturetoursyukon.com) CULTURAL FOOTPRINTS The territory's dynamic 1890s Klondike Gold Rush history is still on display. Museums, roadside stops and the entire downtown of Dawson City are lessons of a time when desperate stampeders surmounted unimaginable hardships to reach stream beds they believed were thick with gold nuggets. Few found these riches and many lost their lives or their savings in the quest for instant wealth. Gold is still a vibrant part of the Yukon economy, but modern machinery has replaced the gold pan, although visitors can still pan for gold in the creeksides. For the Klondike gold seekers, the Yukon's many waterways were the highways into the north. Today's paddlers trace many of the same water-borne routes, this time in search of canoeing and kayaking adventures on the territory's many lakes and 70 wilderness rivers. In winter, the frozen rivers are the routes of world-class sled dog endurance races; some commemorate the wintertime "highway of the north" along the frozen Yukon River, the traditional route to the goldfields of the Klondike. The people long connected to the land are the members of the First Nations. Across the Yukon, visitors can observe or immerse themselves in authentic experiences like drum making, herbal nature hikes, circle healing and sweat lodge ceremonies. WHAT'S NEW? Mt. Logan Eco Lodge, overlooking breath- taking Kluane National Park, has announced new, all-inclusive packages that include gourmet dinners and daily breakfasts on two-night stays (www.mountloganlodge.com). Near Whitehorse, the Yukon Wildlife Preserve debuts new VIP Tours, available year round. The exclusive experience is a private, 2-1/2 hour tour of the Preserve led by an interpretive guide with a chance to have an animal feeding experience or a behind-the- scenes tour of the rehabilitation and research centre (www.yukonwildlife.ca). The iconic Yukon Quest sled dog race has been reconfigured to happen completely within the boundaries of the territory. The Yukon Quest will start in Whitehorse in mid- February and consist of three races—a 100- mile race, a 250-mile race and a 450-mile race—following the traditional Quest trail through Braeburn, Carmacks, Pelly Crossing and Dawson City (www.yukonquest.com). The Klondike Experience is now offering year-round, multi-day educational tours in Whitehorse and Dawson City, exploring topics like climate change, wilderness adventure and First Nations history and culture. Tours are available in English, French, Japanese and German (www.klondikeexperience.com). At Kluane National Park, the Thechàl Dhâl' Visitor Centre has new exhibits, developed in close collaboration with local First Nations. YT 99 NORTHERN LIGHTS, NARES LAKE • JONATHAN TUCKER MOOSE OUTNUMBER YUKONERS 2:1 AND CARIBOU OUTNUMBER YUKONERS 6:1. Quick Fact

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