Lee and Karen Duquette,
The Two RV Gypsies: Full-Time RVers

in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
,
June 3, 2009

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 Smith House gave the two RV Gypsies a free 3-day parking pass for use in the city.

Whitehorse is the capital of the Yukon, and the largest city in Northern Canada. It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at Historic Mile 918 on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas occupy both shores of the Yukon River, which rises in British Columbia and meets the Bering Sea in Alaska. The city was named after the White Horse Rapids for their resemblance to the mane of a white horse, near Miles Canyon, before the river was dammed.

Because of the city's location in the Whitehorse valley and relative proximity to the Pacific Ocean, the climate is milder than comparable northern communities. At this latitude, winter days are short and summer days have up to about 19 hours of daylight. Whitehorse, as reported by Guinness World Records, is the city with the least air pollution in the world.

history bookWhitehorse has been the Capital of Yukon Territory since 1953, and serves as the center for transportation, communications, and supplies for The 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.
sign - Welcome to Whitehouse
sign - Pioneer RV Park
2000 Arctic Winter Games Torch Monument
People walking on the iced snow
on the river
2000 Artic Winter Games Torch Monument
a river in town with snow on it
history bookOne 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 SS 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.
Karen and the sign for S.S. Klondike
S.S. Klondike
MILES CANYON
history bookThe 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.
first look at Miles Canyon
first look at Miles Canyon
Lee Duquette filming Miles Canyon
the Robert Lowe Suspension Bridge
history bookMILES 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.
Miles Canyon
Miles Canyon
Miles Canyon
a boat in Miles Canyon
Miles Canyon
Lee Duquette
The Robert Lowe Suspension Bridge
Karen Duquette on the bridge
Karen Duquette on the bridge
Lee Duquette on the bridge
the suspension bridge
A BIG rock as seen from the bridge
a great rock as seen from the bridge
a great rock as seen from the bridge
a great rock as seen from the bridge
Below: The trail to the rock
The trail to the rock
The trail to the rock
Below: Looking down from the trail
looking down from the trail
looking down from the trail
Below: The trail to the rock
the trail to the rock
the trail to the rock
the trail to the rock
Below: The bridge as seen from the rock
the bridge as seen from the rock
the bridge as seen from the rock
the bridge as seen from the rock
the bridge as seen from the rock and Lee
the excursion boat
the bridge as seen from the rock
the excursion boat
Karen Duquette
Karen Duquette
Karen Duquette and the bridge
Below: KAYAKERS
KAYAKERS
KAYAKERS
KAYAKERS
KAYAKERS
Below: MOB peeking through the trees. (FYI: The two RV Gypsies named their toad MOB - My Orange Baby because it is a small orange HHR. Their RV is AWO - All We Own because they do not have a house anymore. Of course, this and more was explained on the home page of this website, which is a must read for full enjoyment of these travels.)
MOB peeking through the trees
MOB peeking through the trees
Below: The other side of the bridge - and the observation area
the other side of the bridge - and the observation area
the observation area
Miles Canyon
Below: Lee Duquette on the Hiking trail
hiking trail
LEE Duquette on  the hiking trail
LEE Duquette on  the hiking trail
LEE Duquette on  the hiking trail
hiking trail
LEE Duquette on  the hiking trail
tree
Lee
Below: View from the observation area
view from the observation area
view from the observation area
view from the observation area
view from the observation area
Lee Duquette
Karen Duquette
Below: The trail across the river that the two RV Gypsies walked on earlier
- as viewed from the observation area.
trail
history bookGrey Mountain: The grey rocks are lime stones that formed in ancient tropical seas containing coral reefs. These 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.
Grey Mountain
history bookMount 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.
Mount Lorne
Below: Golden Horn
Golden Horn
history bookCopper 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.

Below: A DC-3 weathervane at the airport is a Whitehorse landmark. It actually spins in the wind. The photos were taken through the window of the moving RV, thus the reflections.

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.
look below
go to the next adventure of the two RV Gypsies in CanadaThe two RV Gypsies recommend that you continue on to Lake Kluane, the Haines Junction monument plus a wild coyote and more

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