Day 16 - Dawson City

Dawson City is one of those almost mystical places I was dying to see.  Since the initial stages of my  planning for the trip to Alaska, Dawson City had been at the forefront of all the places I wanted to go through.  I had read so many ride reports on the Adventure Rider web site, so many riders make it a point of going there and now I was fast approaching it.

Not my picture, taken from the Wiki

About 25 miles before you reach Dawson City while travelling on the Klondike highway you pass the beginning of another highway I plan to ride on another trip.  I'm referring of course to the famous Dempster Highway.  I have heard the Dempster is even tougher than the Dalton.  It's supposed to be harder to ride and more unpredictable.  

From the Wiki: 

The Dempster Highway, also referred to as Yukon Highway 5 and Northwest Territories Highway 8, is a Canadian highway that connects the Klondike Highway in the Yukon to Inuvik, Northwest Territories on the Mackenzie River delta.

I walked over to the bridge and spend some time staring into the gravel road on the other side of the bridge, my brain spinning in thoughts, I could see myself riding into the distance all the way to Inuvik, 458 miles north of this spot.  Reluctantly I turn around and walk back to my bike, it was time to continue, the others were already waiting for me.  I mount the bike, take one last look at the bridge and quickly leave but not before making a promise to myself that I will return to ride the Dempster.

We ride the next 25 miles alongside a river and then see the sign for Dawson City. I have ridden a little over 4000 miles from my house, I finally made it to Dawson.  We stop for the obligatory picture.

A few miles down the road we come upon one last bridge and then we enter Dawson, I let the other guys go in front, I want to take my time and enjoy the moment. One of the guys had already contacted a campsite before we left Whitehorse and he had the directions.

All the roads in Dawson City are unpaved except for the Klondike that ends at the river's edge.  We soon find the campsite, the Gold Rush Campground, how original.  We register, get our spot and quickly setup our tents.  It is only 3:15pm, plenty time for sightseeing.

I grab my camera and with the other guys still busy unpacking, I head out to see the city I had read so much about it. Right across from the campground is this magnificent church.

A little further down the road is the Triple JJJ Hotel and then probably the best hotel in town, the beautiful Westmark Inn.  Most of Dawson's buildings look old-fashioned and that's because all new construction must  follow a standard look, it's government policy.

The rooms of the Westmark Inn

A little further up the road is the Aurora Inn and then a few apartments.  I continue down the road making a circle through the back before heading to the main part of town facing the Yukon River.

The St. Andrews church is next up the road, it was built in 1901 and it has seen better days. The structure is not in great shape, the door was closed and the windows boarded up.  I walk around imagining people riding their horses to church to attend service at the beginning of the 20 century.

In 1904 Thomas O'Brien opens the O'Brien Brewing & Malting Company in Dawson City.  The company operates for 12 years and then shuts down.  I imagine this wagon going up and down the street distributing beer to the bars with the screaming patrons paying for the beer with the gold they had just found in the area.

The St. Paul's Church is next.  In 1902, Naylor collects $12000 from the miners on the creeks to build the church and in 1907 it becomes Pro-Cathedral for Diocese of Yukon.  This building is in better shape.

The founders of Dawson city and the Yukon territory.

Some of the older hotels in the city.  They are open for business but I'm not sure about the condition inside.

The riverfront stores are very colorful and you find them selling souvenirs, ice cream, pizza and at Jimmy's Place "All Kinds of Stuff".  A very picturesque main street.

I walk over to the Yukon river's edge, look at the time on the park's clock and for a moment think it's time for dinner but then I realize the clock is wrong, someone must have forgotten to replace the batteries.

  

Two panoramas, facing the main street stores and in the opposite direction the Yukon River.

The city has gone through 22 floods but the worst was in 1979.  Within weeks of the flood, hydrologists called for the construction of a dike.  The two meter high dike was completed in 1987.

It is still early afternoon, I'm not hungry, dinner can wait, time to do more sightseeing but that will come next....... 

Google Street View

View Larger Map

Map

Day 16 - The Klondike Highway

With the First Yamaha Super Tenere Gathering over it's time to leave Whitehorse and head north.  Paul, my roommate was also heading to Alaska.  We had decided to continue together and while discussing  the trip during the barbecue the day before we had two other older guys join us for the trek north.  At first I wasn't too happy but reluctantly I accepted that the four of us would travel together.  It would turn out to be a mistake but I will leave that for later.
I was glad to be on the move again and heading towards Alaska and Prudhoe Bay, my goal for this trip.
The four of us had our bikes packed and ready to leave early in the morning and with the sun rising on the horizon we hit the road.  Just outside Whitehorse city limits we make a right leaving the Alaska Highway and take the famous Klondike Highway north.  The road is in good shape, no traffic at all, we make good time and were soon riding next to Fox Lake.

I led the group most of the time.  I love seeing the empty road in front of me and with the sound of the engine buzzing in my ears, I immerse myself in thoughts about life.  With the road going left, right, blue sky, green trees, empty road and soon I'm in a trance, it's the best feeling in the world.
We come upon the first of many bridges on the Klondike Highway and the first over the Yukon River.

Google Street View

View Larger Map

Map 1

A little later we stop at the Five Finger Rapid area to rest and enjoy the scenery.  This area is really beautiful and gives us a nice view of the Yukon River.  A quote from the sign.

The swift water and narrow channels through Five Finger Rapid posed a formidable danger to the overloaded boats and rafts of the 1898 Klondike Stampeders.

Soon we were riding on long straights, then beautiful winding curves and along the river or lakes. We continue at a brisk pace always minding for animals but we didn't see any, no bears on this road.

Before we get to the next bridge we run into these two guys on bicycles.  On a motorcycle it takes a long time to get to the next location, I can't even imagine doing this road on a bicycle.

The next bridge is at the Pelly Crossing, a community in Yukon, Canada. It lies where the Klondike Highway crosses the Pelly River. Population in 2008 was 291.  It is the home of the Selkirk First Nation, and home to the Northern Tutchone culture.  Wiki:
Apparently they have painted the bridge since Google captured the Street view.

Google Street View

View Larger Map

Map2

After crossing the Pelly River the road climbs for a while and then there's a lookout at the top where you can see the bridge and the surrounding area for miles.  We stop for a few pictures.

After the bridge we hit a long stretch of gravel but the road is dry and we continue at a fast pace.  Of course we are doing a fast pace, I'm leading the group.

At the next bridge we make a left after crossing the bridge and continue on the Klondike Highway.  The road to the right, Silver Trail goes northeast towards Mayo and then ends in the middle of nowhere.
Look around on the interactive map below.

Google Street View

View Larger Map

Map 3

A few miles up the road we run into another two bicycle riders coming in the opposite direction, two woman but I was only able to take a picture of the last one, we came up so fast on them I hardly had time to pull the camera out.

We cross another bridge and then it's more gravel for a while.  Eventually turns back to paved and we continue at the same fast pace.

Google Street View

View Larger Map

Map 4

Again we run into more bicycles, this time there's three guys from England on the way to Dawson City.  We pass them on the road but they catch up to us when we make our next stop at the Gravel Lake.
They are carrying a lot of stuff and tell us they do an average of 100 miles a day, they appear to be in good shape. <sarcastic smile>

We run into an impromptu traffic light in the middle of nowhere.  They are working on a bridge and we have to wait our turn.  We wait about 60 seconds before the light changes to green but no vehicles come by.

We continue along the water's edge for a while, beautiful scenery with blue sky above us, what else can one ask for.

Coming up next, the beginning of the Dempster Highway and the arrival in Dawson City.