Yukon - "Larger than life"

'Larger than life" is the Yukon's tourism motto and it refers to the territory's almost pristine nature. Twice the size of the United Kingdom and with only 35,000 inhabitants of which two thirds live in and around the capital Whitehorse, the territory is sparsely inhabited. In addition to the vast wilderness the Yukon is home to 14 different First Nations who make up most of the population, the famous Klondike Gold Rush, iconic drives such as the Dempster Highway and the Yukon Quest, an annual 1000-mile dogsled race from Whitehorse to Fairbanks.

We flew into Whitehorse and it was quite a difference to see the city in the summer as the first time we visited Whitehorse in February 2012, the streets were covered in snow and it was -32oC.

We started to travel along the scenic South Klondike Highway to Carcross, a First Nations settlement and home to the Carcross desert known as the world's smallest desert.

Carcross Desert

Carcross

The border between the US and Canada is bizarre, we first passed Canada Customs and then for a few miles, we were in no-mans land. The official US-Canadian border is on top of the legendary White Pass, known for the famous White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad, however, US Customs is another few miles down the road. The immigration officers are definitely more laid back than at the border crossings near Vancouver, the officer was actually friendly and had time for a chat. Our first destination was Skagway on the Alaskan Panhandle.

South Klondike Highway

US/Canadian border - South Klondike Highway

Skagway is a popular stop for cruise ships during the summer months and accordingly, the town is full of tourist shops and cruise ship passengers. However some of the old wooden buildings as well as the now touristy White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad are remnants of the area's mining past. During the Klondike gold rush, many prospectors arrived in Skagway by ship and prepared for their long journey northwards across the White Pass into the Yukon.

Skagway

Skagway is also the southern end of the South Klondike Highway and is also a gateway to the Alaska Marine Highway, Alaska's ferry system that services towns as well as remote areas along the Alaskan coast that are only accessible by sea or by air. We took the ferry to Haines, Alaska, it's an 1 1/2-hour ferry ride but by car, it's a 570km drive that would have taken us about 8 hours.

There isn't much to see in Haines and we used the occasion to stock up on groceries. During a short stop at Chilkoot Lake, we observed a grizzly bear how it turned over a little rowing boat looking for food. To his disappointment, there was nothing in the boat except for an empty plastic bag.

Heading northwards on the Haines Highway towards the Yukon, we were looking for a campground and ended up stopping at the 33 Mile Roadhouse in the middle of nowhere. The owner kindly offered us to set up camp on his land, we had all the space we wanted but we were also at the mercy of thousands of mosquitos!