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Lake Laberge
Left Whitehorse and drove Rt 2 towards Dawson City. Just had to stop at Lake Laberge, made famous by one of my favorite Canadian poets, Robert W Service in his poem The Cremation of Sam McGee (Read the poem). Further along we stopped at the Yukon River’s Five Finger Rapids and hiked down 219 stairs then a mile on a trail covered with volcanic and forest fire (from a 1996 fire) ash, it was like walking on talcum powder – very dusty. It’s amazing that stern wheel river boats could traverse these rapids, but they did, this river was the major highway of the time, even with it’s 10 knot current.
219 Stairs
I Just Love Stairs
Five Finger Rapids
The further towards Dawson City we moved the more forest fires we encountered; dark smoke clouds, the sky extremely hazy with smoke and at times our eyes stung because of the smoke. To make things more fun the road was muddy, dusty gravel. Camped at the Dawson City RV park.
Fire – one of many