Day 39, Sunday, 5/27/18
Whitehorse, YT

We slept in today. After a breakfast of coffee and bagels, we left the B&B to explore Whitehorse. While putting a few things away in the van, Dave, a friend of Pam's ( owner of the B&B) came out and commented on how far from home we were. We chatted a while and he gave us a few suggestions about what to see in Whitehorse.

Our first stop was the Whitehorse Rapids Dam. There's a fish ladder that the salmon use when they spawn, but we were too early in the season to see any salmon. Behind the dam is a lake created by  damming the Yukon River, Schwatka Lake. Frederick Schwatka was a US cavalry officer and in 1883 was sent to scope out the Yukon River by the army. Along the way, Schwatka named just about every landmark after people he knew, apparently in the hopes of currying favor. The 1883 expedition was sent without informing the Canadian government, an alarming event that spurred the setting of the border between Canada and the lower 48.

We left the dam and took a ride on Chadburne Lake Rd, which winds its way along Schwatka Lake for a bit then heads off to Chadburne Lake. It's a dirt road and at one point was crowded with kids on their mountain bikes.

On our way back on Chadburne, we stopped at a high point overlooking Whitehorse. We continued to the visitor center, parked the van and took a walk along the river. The  clouds were coming in and it looked like it might rain. It being close to 1 PM, we went into a small cafe for some food and a WiFi connection. We got the food, not the WiFi. While we were inside, it started to hail! No, still not spring yet!

Whitehorse, looks like rain

Hail

Our next stop was the MacBride Museum. As we were walking in, Jim and Melanie were walking out. I showed Jim the picture of what I thought was a lynx and he agreed, even though this particular cat didn't have the characteristic tufts on its ears. The MacBride is a pretty nice museum. There's a display of most of the wildlife (stuffed) found in the Yukon.

Gas Pump, ALCAN Style

There's also a history of the ALCAN, its early days pretty much summarized by this anonymous ditty:

"The Alaska Highway, Winding in and winding out,
  Fills my mind with serious doubt,
  As to whether the lout that built this route,
  Was going to Hell or coming out!"

The museum also has a few outdoor displays, one being panning for gold practice and instruction! Another is Sam McGee's original cabin. It's of note because of a somewhat famous poem by Robert Service, the fictionalized 'The Cremation of  Sam McGee'

It was a good day in Whitehorse. We went to a supermarket for supplies, then went back to the B&B for a light salad dinner and to do some work on the blog.