Day 28 - Arrived in Dawson City, YK

We left Mayo only to get 10 km down the road when we had our first grizzly bear sighting. He/she was about 300 yards off the road just at the tree line eating grass. Unfortunately, we were already past it by the time I stopped. I am not getting out of my truck for this one. We should see lots in Alaska.

As we continued on we made one more stop at Gravel Lake. The two white specs on the lake are Tundra Swans. There were a slew of ducks as well. The rest of the drive was pretty much uneventful as far as wildlife goes. But, we really got our first taste of what frost heaves are all about. If it says to slow down, trust me slow down. If you don’t, you could be skyrocketed into space…or worse.

Like so many before us we are on the doorstep of the greatest Gold Rush City in history. Yes, we are in Dawson City, Yukon “the Klondike”. As we drive towards town, for as far as the eye can see there’s nothing but tailings (the leftover mounds of rock that have been mined). We find our campground, which was built on tailings and quickly get set up because I’m eager to get exploring.

Since Dawson isn’t really big, walking is the best way to see things. The Dawson Historical Complex National Historic Site of Canada (that’s a mouthful) has over two dozen buildings in the downtown core that date back to the Klondike Gold Rush in 1898.

The grandest is the Palace Grand Theatre which was built in 1899. The owner wanted to prospect gold directly from the miners by offering vaudeville shows, comedy, and music. At midnight the dance hall girls would keep miners on their toes for a dollar a dance. Drinking and gambling would continue until breakfast.

There are several buildings on our walk we noted that had For Sale signs on them. Not sure what will become of them but they look like they were built in the Gold Rush Era.

Several structures caught our eye for one reason or another. This is Dawson City today.

We were getting close to calling it an afternoon when we heard fire engine sirens. Everyone was pointing to the top of a hill. I was wondering how they were going to get up there. Nothing serious I hope.

After supper we all went for a drive up to The Midnight Dome Lookout. For over 100 years, Dawsonites gathered on the Dome to watch the setting of midnight sun. What a spectacular view. These pictures were taken at 9 pm but they could have been taken at midnight since it doesn’t get dark here during the summer months.

Downtown Dawson City

Tailings from mining activity

The Mighty Yukon River

We found out where the black smoke earlier in the day had come from. The climb up to the dome is quite steep. It obviously was too much for this tour bus. No one was hurt I hope. 

Its so good to be in Dawson City. The people are great. Remember there are only 2100 year round people that live here.

Day 27 - Mayo, YK

The town of Mayo is named after Alfred Mayo, a riverboat captain and prospector who established himself in the Yukon as a trader in 1875.The discovery of silver ore on Keno Hill in 1919 started an economic boom for the Mayo area and lasted twenty years. Shallow water in the Stewart River caused a yearly problem for the sternwheelers. A road was built connecting Mayo to Whitehorse therefore, the silver ore was transported by truck after the 1950’s.
Today, Mayo is a service centre for mineral exploration. Yukon Energy operates a hydroelectric project, and tourism adds to the economy of the town. It has all the amenities such as gas/diesel, grocery store, post office, liquor store, motel, and campground.
We didn’t find Mayo as interesting as Keno Hill. They have several old sites but 99% of them were locked up tighter than a drum. The Binet House is by far the draw as far as old buildings go. Gene Binet climbed the Chilkoot Pass in 1895. Hearing rumors about the development of Mayo town site, Binet bought several lots for his hotel and homestead. In 1922 Binet built this house for his new bride and their son.

Isaac Taylor and William Drury met each other during the stampede to the Klondike in 1898. They started a trading business with the main store located in Whitehorse. Their chain of stores and trading posts spread all over the Yukon. The warehouse in Mayo was built in 1921 to supply Mayo and the surrounding mining camps.

This log building is the oldest structure on First Avenue. It was started in 1936 but not completed until 1950.

And that was pretty much for Mayo. We gassed/dieseled up on the way home then started beer thirty a little earlier today. Tomorrow we are off to where it all started, the Klondike.

Keno City, YK

We all decided that leaving the last stop ( Carmacks) early allowed us time at our new destination to explore, and explore we did. 

At the end of the Silver Trail is a historic frontier town called Keno City. But, our first stop is Minto Bridge. In 1903 gold was discovered along Mayo Lake prompting the building of a summer road. Minto Bridge became a key distribution point for travellers and suppliers. As exploration continued more roads were built from Minto Bridge to gold-producing creeks and later to silver mining claims near Elsa.
As mining grew in the area, the settlement of Minto Bridge became more established. By the 1920’s roadhouses were located every 16 km from Keno City to Mayo. They provided meals and accommodations for drivers and miners as well as stables for the horses. At the time it cost as much to ship silver ore from Keno to Mayo, a distance of 60 km as it was from Mayo to San Francisco.
Increased traffic meant a need for a new steel bridge which was constructed in the 1930’s. Better roads meant the need lessened for road houses. In 1951 the settlement of Minto Bridge was flooded for a hydroelectric project. All that remains today is the bridge.

Further down the dirt road is the old abandoned town of Elsa. In 1924 Charlie Brefalt staked a lead-zinc-silver claim at Galena Hill which is just behind the town site. Over the years Elsa grew to a population of 700 people. Between 1945 and 1989 the mine produced 150 million ounces of silver, 490 million pounds of lead, and 370 million pounds of zinc. This little town was the top silver producer in all Canada during this time. Like most mining industries, communities rise and fall with the price of metals. After the mine closed in 1989, a small maintenance crew remained behind to protect the otherwise abandoned town. Today a crew is still there. Some say it’s because the area is so toxic they don’t want trespassers.

In 1919, John Kinman found silver ore above Lightning Creek, he staked some claims and built a cabin on the site where Keno City now sits. By 1920, Keno City was a busy community with cabins, stables, and a hotel. Today, Keno City is a year round home to approximately 12 individuals. The one road into Keno City is virtually impassable during the winter therefore, for 2-3 months they are isolated from the rest of the world. We walked the town, it was like stepping back 100 years.

A 1919 Cat

After walking around for an hour I wanted to check out the Keno City Hotel which was built in 1920. So we just moseyed on up to the bar and sat for a spell.

What a great time. After supper we all sat by the fire until the rain started. The Yukon gov't does supply a shelter area quipped with a large pot bellied stove if wanted to seek shelter but the mosquitoes came out so it was time to go in. The little creators are the size of elephants...and that's the truth.

Day 26 - Five Mile Lake Campground, YK

We left Carmacks at the usual time knowing we were going to get to our destination early. That is exactly what we wanted to do since we were hoping to boon dock again, this time in one of Yukon’s Provincial Parks. Our first stop was just a short distance down the road at Five Fingers Rapids.

During the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush, thousands of prospectors navigated their handmade boats and rafts 1,300 km or 800 miles from Bennett Lake to Dawson City. Five Finger Rapids was a major obstacle along the route. More than a few stampeders ended up in the water after choosing the wrong channel. Whitehorse bound sternwheelers had to winch themselves over a 30 – 60 cm (1 – 2 foot) drop in the navigation channel until the underwater channel was blasted away.

The Five Fingers Island and riverbanks are composed of conglomerate rock (pebbles and boulders embedded in sand and mud matrix) which is more resistant to erosion than the surrounding mudstone layers. This is a good example of a conglomerate boulder.

Our next short stop was Pelly Crossing. In 1840, Hudson’s Bay Company trader Robert Campbell came into the Yukon from the south east to explore the country and expand the company’s territory. When his company reached these headwaters, Campbell named it after Sir John Henry Pelly, a governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company. Today, the area is now home to the North Tutchone First Nations.

We turned off the Klondike Loop onto the Silver Trail Road which takes us into Mayo, YK.

Fifty-eight km later we see our destination, Five Mile Lake Campground. It’s a first come, first serve gov’t campground. We spot two back in sites right away but we need three. Hallelujah, right in front of me there are two pull-thru sites that are beautiful. We take the first, Bob and Kathy, Ted and Bev take the second. Their site would fit all three of us if we wanted. We get set up and I have a fantastic view out my side window…the beach, lake, and hills. All  Yukon gov't campgrounds provide firewood...free. Bonus

We all saw this contraption which I figured was a place for tenters to hang their food so the bears couldn't get it. Now neat.

What a great find...now its time to do some touring around.

Day 25 - Carmacks, YK

Today we are heading to the small town of Carmacks, YK which is only a 2 hour drive. The road started out nice and straight but quickly became twisty turny if that's a word. I think my top speed was 80 km/hr. That's okay its all about the adventure.

In 1998, on the July long weekend campers failed to properly extinguish their campfire near Little Fox River, just south of this point. The fire danger was extreme. Strong winds and high temperatures took the small blaze and quickly whipped it into a major crown fire. Efforts continued all summer to contain the fire. It stayed alive throughout the winter smoldering underground. The fire was finally extinguished in the spring. The fire cost was $2.2 million.

Carmacks is located at the confluence of the Yukon and Nordenskiold Rivers. It is the traditional territory of the Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation. Before the Klondike Gold Rush, George Carmack built a trading post and started to mine coal from the hills behind his place. Hence the name of the town.

We started our walking/driving tour of Carmacks at the visitors centre. The young lady working there was very informative.

A series of roadhouses were built along the Whitehorse-Dawson City winter road while it was being constructed in 1902. The roadhouses were spaced every 30 miles to provide a change of horses and offer travellers a hot meal and a bed. During its heyday, the Carmacks roadhouse was a 12 room two story building.

Coal deposits were first discovered in Carmacks in 1887. Since then there has been three successful coal mines in the area. These coal cars are probably from Tantalus Butte. The enormous need for fuel to power the river steamers created a demand for coal.

Orloff King was a prospector who roamed the area around Carmacks. He built this cabin in the 1920s.

In 1902, White Pass & Yukon Route acquired contracts to build the winter road between Whitehorse and Dawson City. This stable was owned by WP&YR where they owned a large herd of horses.

Beautiful bridge over the mighty Yukon River. We will be using that bridge tomorrow as we continue on with our travels.