So maybe Whitehorse in December is not high on your list of
preferred destinations. We got a lot of puzzled looks about our decision to go
there with our family this past year, however we were unfazed. Our plan was to
stay in log cabins at the spectacular Northern Lights Resort and Spa, do some
dogsledding and enjoy the Aurora Borealis. It sounded like a great plan to us.
We are always looking for something a little different. We were a bit concerned
that we were going to have trouble keeping everyone happy, but in the end, it
was a memorable vacation for all.
Our group consisted of Craig and Lynda, Craig’s daughters
(20 and 27), Craig’s mother (in her 80s) and Lynda’s mother (in her 70s). The girls were flying in from Kamloops,
so we met at Vancouver International Airport and boarded our two-hour flight to
Whitehorse. After all the long journeys we have made over the last five years,
it was wonderful to be a hop, skip and a jump away from our destination.
Knowing that our group was fairly large and that the
Northern Lights Resort and Spa was about 20 minutes out of town, we opted to
pre-arrange our own transportation. Upon our arrival in Whitehorse, we went
straight to the rental car counter and signed out our vehicle. The girl at the
counter was very specific in her instructions. “Go out the door, up the ramp
and you’ll find the vehicle at the back of the lot on the left hand side.” We
gathered our belongings together and exited the terminal. To make a long story
short, it was 17 degrees below zero outside, the vehicles in the lot were
covered with snow and we were not having any luck finding our 2014 Brown
Suburban. Craig and Lynda wandered around the lot for about ten minutes,
activating the alarm on the key fob, while the others huddled in a circle,
trying to stay warm. Finally, Craig went back inside the terminal, fingers
frozen. It turned out the girl’s instructions had been completely wrong. Once
he knew where to go, Craig found the vehicle in seconds and came and retrieved
the rest of us. (Note to self: In extreme temperatures, send one person to get
the vehicle and leave the others in the terminal building).
It was a short drive south down the Alaska Highway to our
lodgings. When you turn off the highway, you have to drive for about a mile,
before you turn again down the driveway. The absence of buildings and the trees
overhanging the snowy lane give you a feeling of isolation. Then the driveway
opens up and you are at the lodge house. We were warmly welcomed, by Renate and
Wolfgang, who took us to our individual cabins. After some brief instructions, we settled in.
Meals are delightful
at the Northern Lights Resort and Spa. We usually had breakfast at 9 am and
dinner at 7 pm. Renate does all the cooking and she is amazing. She is very
modest about it, saying that she is just a “home cook.” She is unlike any home
cook we have ever known. We were very appreciative of her efforts to
accommodate Craig’s daughter, Jenna, who is lactose intolerant. Wolfgang does
all the serving and clearing. While he attends to his duties, he gives
information about the history of Whitehorse, and tips about what to see and do.
On New Year’s Eve, we had a very festive dinner. Renate prepared a special
fondue with broth. It seemed like we were eating for hours, yet most of us
barely made a dent on our plates. Sadly, none of us had enough energy to stay
up until midnight. At about 10:30 pm, everyone called it a night and went to
bed.
Dogsledding was a
must-do on all our lists. Wolfgang made arrangements with Sky High Wilderness
Ranch, which is located about 30 minutes outside of Whitehorse. We chose Sky
High because each adult was allowed to run his/her own sled, and they also had
a specially made sled for taking people on escorted tours. We wanted the mums
to have an authentic sledding experience without the physical demands of
running their own sleds.
We were up early to make the trek to the wilderness for our
9 am appointment. Once we got
there, we were outfitted with expedition type winter clothing. We were all
dressed appropriately, but their snow boots were deluxe. Yes, they were a bit
big and bulky, but they were so warm. Once everyone was ready, the mums went
off with their musher and the four of us left with our guide. We headed down to
the dog yard. Nothing can prepare you for the sound of 150 sled dogs howling.
They were very excited about the preparations going on around them. Our guide
(Sorry we can’t remember his name) gave us some information about the dogs and
instructions on how to run the sled. The most important piece of advice he gave
us was …… “Don’t let go of your sled, even if you fall off!” If you do, there
is no way to stop the dogs from running away. Then we helped him harness up the
teams. The dogs were all chomping at the bit to leave the yard, but it was
apparent that some of them were way more intense than others. Craig took one of
those teams at the back of the line, which snapped a harness line before they even
left the yard. Too much enthusiasm!
Ahead of Craig was Lynda, then Jenna, and Kristin at the front behind the
guide.
Being a “musher” was exhilarating. The dogs’ boundless
energy allows you to fly across the flats and power up the hills. As soon as
you stop for a break, they are ready to go again. We felt a little sorry for
them because it was obviously too warm out, but they handled it by rolling in
the snow every chance they were given. We were out on the trails for a few
hours, experiencing a variety of terrain. Lynda had some issues with cornering,
but luckily for her, Jenna was there to stop her sled on the two occasions, she
fell off and didn’t hold on. (Oops!)
After we returned to the dog yard, we helped remove the
harnesses and feed the dogs their gruel. We made some new friends in the Yukon.
Most of them were of the four-legged canine variety. The dogs give you their
unconditional love. They not only have the will, but they also have the desire
to run with you. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to try it out yourself. And,
for the more adventurous types, Sky High has multi-day tours. (Yes Craig, it is
duly noted on your bucket list).
The McBride Museum is
located in the centre of town, close to the riverfront. If you stop at the
Visitor Centre first, they will give you a free parking pass for the downtown
area, which is good for a few days. The museum is a fantastic collection of
history and artifacts from the early days in the Yukon. There is an impressive
display of Northern animals in the main building, from small birds to huge bison.
We had fun taking “selfies” with the animals. The Gold Rush display was
interesting and informative. We enjoyed reading about the men and women who
came during that time. It must have been quite the life. The Museum is open
every day and is a great place to spend a couple of hours.
The Yukon Wildlife
Preserve is about 30 minutes outside of Whitehorse, on the road to Takhini
Hot Springs. We usually prefer to see wildlife in its natural environment, but
that is not always possible on a quick trip. This preserve tries to provide
their rescued animals with a natural area as large as possible, and returns as
many animals as they can to the wild after recovery. We went out for the
morning tour on New Year’s Day. It was pretty quiet and luckily, we had the
tour bus to ourselves. The tour makes a 5 km loop over a section of the
700-acre preserve. There are ample
opportunities to get on and off the bus. Our tour guide had a lot of knowledge
to share and some of the animals we saw were moose, elk, musk oxen, wood bison,
woodland caribou, lynx and the elusive arctic fox. For those who are really
sporty, you have the option of walking or cross-country skiing around the
property. Maybe next time…
Carcross is the
town formerly known as Caribou Crossing. It is bordered by Nares Lake on one
side and Bennett Lake on the other. It used to be a stopping point for miners
on their way to the gold fields. Nowadays, it is a tourist town. In the summer,
you can poke around the Carcross Commons or take a ride on the White Pass and
Yukon Railway. In the winter, it is pretty desolate. As we trudged along in
thigh high snow, we met a young couple from Whitehorse. They were spending a
few days at the family’s primitive lakeside cabin. There wasn’t much for us to do or see there since everything
was closed up tight, but Craig and Lynda and the girls had fun frolicking in
the snow while the mums waited in the warmth of the truck.
Photos
