I'm not sure if I mentioned it or not, but Dawson City is built at the confluence of the Klondike and Yukon Rivers.
The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. The source of the river is located in British Columbia and the next portion lies in, and gives its name to, Yukon. The lower half of the river lies in Alaska. The river is 3,190 kilometres long and empties into the Bering Sea. The longest river in Alaska and Yukon, it was one of the principal means of transportation during the 1896–1903 Klondike Goldrush.
The Klondike River, is 160 kilometres and is a tributary of the Yukon River. The Klondike River has its source in the Ogilvie Mountains and flows into the Yukon River at Dawson City.
Both are beautiful rivers, and it is really interesting here in Dawson City to clearly see where the water of the two rivers join.
You can see here where the two river waters are flowing together. The clearer water in the foreground is from where the Klondike River is flowing into the Yukon River. The Yukon River is glacial fed and this far down river there is still lots of silt from the glaciers, whereas the river is much clearer looking down in Whitehorse.
This is the ferry that runs 24/7 during the summer between west and east Dawson City. People live on both sides of the river - during the summer they can take the ferry across, during the winter they just walk, or drive, or snowmobile, or dogsled across. And for about a month both when the river is freezing and again when it's thawing there is no transportation across at all - so everyone has to stay on their respective side of the river. Seeing as how 'downtown' Dawson City is on the east side, people who live on the west side really have to be prepared for these times.
This is a recreation of a paddlewheel that now does dinner and short river cruises
Apparently it is not uncommon for Dawson City to find itself the 'home' of a raft or two that is travelling the Yukon River during the summer time and anchors in Dawson City for a period of time. This year was no exception, and tonight two or three of these rafts banded together to put on a concert to which several boaters, as well as swimmers, attended...while many others (me included) took in the concert from the shore.
No trip to Dawson City would be complete without going to the top of the Midnight Dome; a wonderful vantage point to take in a panoramic view of the region.
This is one of the local mine sites, south of Dawson City, still operating today
Looking north along the Yukon River
Although I drove to the top you can also hike up, or instead of going all the way to the top you can also hike along the side of the mountain which takes you over to the area known as Moosehide Slide. One story of Moosehide slide is:
"Many years ago, before the white man came into this country, people of the Han tribe lived at the mouth of the Klondike, where Dawson City is currently situated. Sometimes a member of the tribe would go missing, and it was said another tribe, from the south, was stealing them. One day, members of the Han tribe were at the very top of the hillside at the north end of Dawson City and the other tribe was at the foot of the hill. They were fighting and someone at the top cut down a tree and this started a slide. The rock slide buried and killed all the members of the tribe from the south."
The land slide site is now called the Moosehide Slide in English and Edda dadhecha, literally “weathered Moosehide hanging”, in the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in traditional language.
The beginning of this trail passes by the Yukon Order of Pioneers cemetery. This memorial site pays tribute to members of this fraternal organization, which dates back to 1894 and is still running today. Lodge # 1 - in Dawson City - still meets monthly. For many years the focus of the organization was to look after the welfare of the 'old timers', but with the 'old timers' gone the focus of the Lodge today is to help those in need within the community.
Another experience I had here in Dawson City was to take a tour with a local First Nations gentleman, Tommy. I went out in his boat which was definitely a shade smaller than the sternwheelers that would have been operating during the heyday (or the recreation paddlewheel that also does river tours).
Tommy was born and grew up on the Yukon River. He is one of 16 siblings and his parents both lived until they were over 100 years old. Tommy's father was a fisherman, and it's from his father that Tommy learned how to make his fish wheels.
Once the fish are caught Tommy takes them to dry.
There aren't any fish drying right now, but this is the spot Tommy uses
Nowadays Tommy lives in Dawson City during the summer and in his house about 10 kms upriver during the winter. There is also a guest cabin on this property, complete with outhouse, cache and fish wheel. Tommy, as well as any guests, live completely off the grid on this property.
We were in and out of rain during the time I was with Tommy, but regardless it was still wonderful cruising along the river.
This is the wreck of an old sternwheel
