Whitehorse, YT to Dawson City, YT 6/26/14

Day 55 of our summer trip.  On the Klondike Highway.

 

We left the Alaska Highway and traveled north on the Klondike Highway to Dawson City, YT.  We passed the Fox Lake which is a long narrow lake to our left.  It is a popular stopping point, for waterfowl, during the spring and fall migrations.

 

 

This sign warned that elk were in the area, however, we saw no large animals of any kind today.

 

 

We stopped in Braeburn, YT to purchase one of their “world famous cinnamon buns" at the Braeburn Lodge.  There they are, laid out on the counter, waiting for hungry travelers to buy and eat them.

 

 

 

You know, Bumble loves sweet things and this looks very yummy to her and, in fact, they ARE very yummy.  These huge cinnamon buns are almost as big as she is!  There is even a small airstrip across the street from the Braeburn Lodge.  It has a dirt runway.  The name and the airplane are quite cute, I think.  Think how big the cinnamon bun would have to be to fly like that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are conglomerate rocks or puddingstone  It is formed when volcanic mud flows and picks up smaller rocks in its path.  The composition of the mud in the flow determines the color of the cementing material around the smaller rocks after it solidifies.  I think that the granite that we have in our kitchen at home must be a type of conglomerate rock.  It is so interesting to look at all of the different rocks on our countertop.  Of course, the puddingstone below would look a little different and better, if it were cut and polished, but maybe it is not as hard as granite.

 

 

This is one of the many roadhouses that were along the stagecoach trail between Whitehorse, YT and Dawson City, YT in the early 1900’s  The roadhouses provided a stop for food and lodging for the passengers and driver of the stagecoach as well as rest and food for the horses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New sign of the day.  Watch for school busses entering from the left.

 

This area is called the Five Finger Rapids, named such by the miners because the four rocks form five channels for the river to flow through.  The safest route for the paddlewheel steamboats to navigate through the rapids was the closest one in these pictures.  A cable was strung along the shore and securely attached at each end, but with enough slack that the steamboats could grab on to it and winch their way through without being pushed into the rocks by the current.  See the looped line in the water part of the map?  The other line going through the green area is a trail that can be taken down from the view point to the river.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Close up of the channel near shore, in the left photo, where the cable was and a close up of the far shore of the rapids.  I’ll leave them close together so it is almost a panorama.

 

 

Now, of course, we do not seem to be able to avoid the construction zones and today was no exception.  They were building a bridge in this area and shoring up the river.  Massive boulders and massive equipment!  You can see how the man , next to the back hoe, compares in size.  The wait wasn't very long, just a few minutes. 

 

Moose Creek Lodge is an historic log building that is now a restaurant with cabins to stay in and a bed and breakfast.  Very interesting building.  Very northwestern, woodsy architecture.



Gravel Lake is "a place to rest, for a home or for special guests", according to the interpretive sign.  The guests, I believe, would be waterfowl and other water loving animals.  It is covered with water lilies.








We made it to Dawson City, YT about 8 PM.

 

We settled in and had dinner.  Tomorrow, we will explore the area.