Canada
Yukon Wilderness Dreams
Article and photography by Steve Gillick
On my first morning in the Yukon, I opened the door of my cabin to see the silhouetted mountains around Tagish Lake. I heard the hooting of a parliament of Great Horned Owls echoing off the crystal clear surface of the water. A long, billowy cloud sat suspended between the mountain tops and the lake. And then, just as the sun peaked through the spruce trees’ jagged outlines at the lake’s far end, a realm of Belted Kingfishers broke the silence with their rattling calls. Another day of Yukon wilderness tranquility.
Ciarán Nolan, our pilot from Capital Helicopters, observed that many cities go out of their way to create wilderness areas. But then, he paused and reminded us,” Whitehorse is a wilderness”.
Ciarán spoke of his dream come true. He was far from his home in the small village of Donore, Ireland, and now flying amongst the mountains in the most stunning scenery on earth.
Our helicopter flew from Whitehorse to Southern Lake Resort on Tagish Lake, but it was really not a helicopter ‘ride’ as much as it was an inspirational view of Yukon wilderness. On the way, we flew toward the Whitehorse Dam on the Yukon River, gazed at Schwatka Lake, dipped toward Miles Canyon, climbed up to Montana Mountain, and then over to Bennett Lake and the community of Carcross.
The landscape was dotted with deep blue lakes enveloped by thousands of tall green spruce trees. When we flew over the suspension bridge in Miles Canyon, it served as a historical exclamation mark. Here, the rapids by Canyon City were so intense that the Klondikers thought they resembled a flowing horse’s mane and referred to ‘The White Horse’. The name was officially changed to Whitehorse in 1957. But thousands of years prior, the first nation people used the Canon City area for trading and banding together. Kwanlin Dun refers to “the people of the water running through the canyon.” And a visit to the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre in downtown Whitehorse provides a fascinating insight into the history and culture of the first nation on whose territory the city rests today.
And the wilderness is omni-present; from a walk along the Yukon River in Whitehorse, to the dramatic cliffs by Fish Lake Road, and from the Carcross Desert to Emerald Lake, to a glimpse of the Northern Lights.
At Winterlong, Meghan Marjanovic noted that the craft beers they produce reflected their passion for the Yukon: hiking, outdoors, and mountains. Pingo, a light tangerine-flavoured pale ale, showcased Muskox from the Dempster Highway, while Sweater Weather, an oatmeal stout, depicted Mountain Sheep from Kluane National Park.
And even Yukon cuisine captures the spirit of the wilderness. Chef Sandra Jost prepared an amazing lunch of Cucumber apple salad with cold smoked salmon and juniper berries, Yukon Arancini, Bison chorizo, Yukon root vegetable crumble and Haskap Berry Pannacotta. Even Air North turned out to be a flight with a difference. The economy class lunch of Bison Shepherd’s Pie with a hot chocolate chip cookie was reason enough to want to fly Air North again.
When you are in the Yukon, your spirit is tranquilized by the beauty and serenity of the land. And when you return home, those sweet wilderness dreams make you want to return as soon as possible.
