Dawson City

I decided to take a side trip up into the Klondike, a scenic part of the Northern Yukon Territory . I headed due north off the Alcan Highway towards Dawson City, the location of the huge gold rush of 1897. The drive up the Klondike Highway was breathtaking, the wilderness went on and on. The temperature dropped as I headed north, nights were getting into the 20’s with days in the 40’s.

The Klondike gold rush was brief but huge. Dawson City became a thriving small city almost overnight. Miners poured in from all over the world. Dozens of hotels were built as were saloons, stores, whore houses, etc. Within 4 years, the “easy” gold was gone and the crowds disappeared. Investors and industrial mining took over using huge floating dredges that processed the gravel river beds. This was long before mine reclamation was required resulting in profound and total destruction of every river and stream bed within 20 miles. The roads are now lined with miles of mining waste, the waterways destroyed forever.

The city itself is a time capsule of late 19th century frontier architecture. Many buildings have been beautifully restored, many more are awaiting work. The mix of restoration and decay is fascinating, the wood sidewalks add a nice touch to the dirt streets, only main street is paved. Although at the end of the line, tourists are flocking here. Buses from cruise lines bring people in from the distant coast. The airport ( dirt runway ) has flights from Vancouver.

I departed Dawson City on the ferry boat that crosses the Mighty Yukon. My next destination was the Alaskan border over a 100 miles away on a gravel road through the wilderness. The ferry ride was free, provided by the Yukon Government.