Alaska

Includes Yukon’s neighbours in Alaska, Skagway and Haines AK.

Skagway’s Garden City Market

A monthly gathering of talented local artisans sharing their creative wares.  Find hand crafted jewelry, paintings, organic and wild harvest

A reindeer

Reindeer Nation

Canada is home to many species such as the beaver, the common loon, the Canada lynx, moose, wolverines—and the list goes on.

Berry Song, A Story For Us All

Berry-picking season is an amazing time of year. Sweet wild strawberries, Soapberries and Saskatoons are all summer-time treats.

Two women in period clothing beside a wagon

Try to escape (if you can)

Skagway plays host to a unique venue for their first-ever escape room. At 777 Alaska Street, you will spot an old White Pass train car that hosts the challenging puzzle.

Moose Bush: The way-posts home

In the North, we measure distance by the amount of time it takes. A way-post is an item that marks your progress along a road or trail.

Spring snow-ventures

The Thursday evening of the 2018 Easter long weekend was predicted to be perfect bluebird weather with warm temperatures. The snow had not been the best during the season, so it was time to come up with an adventure.

The pinks are running

Whether you’re into fishing or not, now is a great time to pack up the car and head to Haines to check out the salmon run. At this time of year, the rivers around the small Alaskan town are spotted with a waders-clad population, all hoping to reel in something tasty.

Forgotten Town: Dyea, the town Alaska forgot

Two prominent American tourism publications hit the streets recently. Neither included much of a mention of Dyea, except to list the Dyea Campground in Skagway and note that it is the start of the Chilkoot Trail to the Klondike. Considering your roving RV reporter proclaimed from the top of the Golden Stairs last summer that …

Forgotten Town: Dyea, the town Alaska forgot Read More »

My road to redemption

I would not consider myself a runner, and yet, here I am at the start line of the Chena River to Ridge 25-mile race. For the second time. How on Earth did this happen? There must be something magical about living in the North. It has a way of tricking mere mortals into thinking they can …

My road to redemption Read More »

Alaska history

From now on, whenever Valentine’s Day pops up out of a snowbank in mid-February like a lost and lonely holiday heart/fart, my thoughts will be of Elizabeth Peratrovich and what she accomplished for all northerners.

Fairweather Skis

The small town of Haines, Alaska, lies near 72 miles of glacier terrain and 15,000 feet below the icy summit of Mount Fairweather, which is the namesake of Fairweather Ski Works. Here is where a small hobbyist’s dream has become synonymous with the ski industry in southeast Alaska. Graham Kraft, 33 (from British Columbia), was …

Fairweather Skis Read More »

A bird’s-eye view

Whether it’s for the annual bike race or a fishing holiday, Yukoners love Haines. The small southeast-Alaska port is a special destination for many. Come fall, the arrival of thousands of American Bald Eagles, in the nearby Chilkat River Valley, offers another reason to visit. From October to January, between two- and four-thousand bald eagles …

A bird’s-eye view Read More »

Keeping the trains on track

The famous White Pass & Yukon Route (WP&YR) Railway is a busy and beautiful journey through the White Pass of Alaska and the Yukon. Every year, as Alaska and the Yukon emerge from winter, so does the work to make sure these trains can carry tourists safely through avalanche paths and safely along the railway. …

Keeping the trains on track Read More »

The Northern Seduction

Sebastian Fricke and Rose Seguin share their journey, their “inner compasses” with us as they travel and write on their way through Alaska and the Yukon Having completed our undergraduate degrees, Rose and I were very eager to break free of the bureaucracy and daily grind of city life. We followed our inner compasses north, …

The Northern Seduction Read More »

Nude & Rude

The Nude & Rude Revue started with two best friends, Taylor Vidic and Cameron Brockett, and their love of performance art. Vidic, 25, was born and raised in Juneau, Alaska, and met Brockett during high school in Juneau. Brockett was born in Fairbanks, Alaska, and has lived in Colorado, Ketchikan and Kodiak before moving to …

Nude & Rude Read More »

Catch ‘the Kraken’!

Catch the Kraken offers Alaskan saltwater charter fishing (targeting halibut), but other species include rockfish, cod, flounder, wolf fish, pollock and shark.

Inspired by Place

Kristin Link is a visual artist based in McCarthy, Alaska, who works in natural history and science art. She creates interpretive signs and educational material about nature.

A Kenai kickoff to a new series – Part 1 of 6

Homer, on the west side of the Kenai Peninsula, is the farthest south you can drive and became my favourite place to RV camp in Alaska because of this surprise: it felt like California.

Enjoying a ‘Skagway Quickie’

Enjoy one of the brothel tours with the lovely and knowledgeable Madam Toler Skagway holds its quirky charms with its Klondike-themed buildings and summer staff dressed similar to the time period. It’s no different as you step inside the Red Onion Saloon. The blood-red walls, wooden furniture and old-time music gives the feeling of stepping …

Enjoying a ‘Skagway Quickie’ Read More »

It’s all about the shared suffering…

Alaskans seem to embrace their long winters more than anywhere else I’ve seen in the north. Their affinity for crazy adventure races is a testament to their celebration of northern living.

Skagwegian Camping 101

Our American neighbours do things a little differently… I have not made the trip to mainland Alaska yet, but my experience of those oddballs and genuinely interesting characters that live in the tiny village of Skagway truly are one of a kind. Hiking and camping are certainly a great way to get out and explore …

Skagwegian Camping 101 Read More »

Struggling against gravity

  Race director Bobby Gillis gets ready at the start line. PHOTOS: Matt Bosford   Matt Hosford tells us about his personal experience of the Chena River to Ridge: 25 and 50 Mile Multi-Sport Endurance Race – Part 1 of 2 Start of Race I looked up at the cawing ravens flying over head, passively …

Struggling against gravity Read More »

The Northern Review remembers World War I

Volume 44 of The Northern Review contains the complete list of the papers from The North and the First World War Conference that was held in Whitehorse, and in Dawson City, May 9-12 2016.

Bringing the White Pass story to musical life

Any of the millions of passengers who have ridden the White Pass and Yukon Route – “the scenic railway of the world” – in the 117 years since its completion, would immediately recognize it as a marvellous technological achievement. Indeed, the White Pass and Yukon Route is recognized by the American Society of Civil Engineers …

Bringing the White Pass story to musical life Read More »

A Memorable Night in a Red Caboose in the Forest

Choo-choo-choosing to camp in an old red caboose in the middle of the largest national forest in the United States was certainly very wet, but an experience I won’t forget. During a visit to Skagway over the May long weekend, I had taken the White Pass and Yukon Route train to the White Pass summit. …

A Memorable Night in a Red Caboose in the Forest Read More »

Fishnets and Chainsaws

From antique carousel and ferris wheel rides, to wearable art and cake bake off contests, to beer and wine gardens, to beach wrestling and the Fisherman’s Rodeo, the Southeast Alaska State Fair really does have something for everyone. The longstanding annual festival, which takes over the 25-acre fairgrounds in the small town of Haines, Alaska, …

Fishnets and Chainsaws Read More »

Something for Everyone

However, the Koot to Kat Alpine Adventure Race has a list of requirements: a partner, beacon, shovel, probe, communication device (phone or GPS) and the ability to get yourself up and over Mount Ripinski. The Winter Fest runs from Friday, March 3rd to Sunday, 5th. The Haines “First Friday” event also takes place on March …

Something for Everyone Read More »

Ptarmigan, Yukon wildlife

Ptarmigan: Nothing but facts

The Ptarmigan is the territorial bird of the Yukon. Ed. Note:  The distinction of being known as the Yukon’s territorial bird goes to the raven, which, Canada Post recently announced, is to be featured on a stamp.  Ravens are more widespread than ptarmigan. They are found throughout the territory and are totally black.  The Ptarmigan …

Ptarmigan: Nothing but facts Read More »

The Tale of the Tinder-Q

Say you’re a single person throwing a barbecue. No stranger to the rigours of quality event coordination, you line up a food and drink theme, secure a donated fire pit, invite all your friends and lots of peeps you know but never really hang out with. Cute flyers are made. Fancy sausages ordered from the …

The Tale of the Tinder-Q Read More »

Chasing Stories in Skagway

My shakedown cruise for our trailer has come to be my annual pilgrimage to the town of Skagway to attend the North Words Writers’ Symposium, held this year from May 25-28 in the windy town. This was the seventh annual event, of which I have attended all but one since the first in 2010. The …

Chasing Stories in Skagway Read More »

Tlingit Treasure

On Saturday May 14th, under sunny skies, hundreds of spectators celebrated the Grand Opening of the Jilkaat Kwaan Cultural Heritage Centre and Bald Eagle Preserve Visitor Centre, amidst some of the most spectacular scenery in Alaska. The cultural heritage centre was built to house treasures of the Tlingit People, and is a treasure in and …

Tlingit Treasure Read More »

Oh, Beer. Maybe Next Year?

It’s a gathering where you may sip the tingly bitterness of a pale ale, sample salty snacks from the “bacon booth” and lock eyes magically with your future spouse. No wonder tickets to the Haines Beer Fest have sold out faster than ever this year.  The event takes place May 27 and 28, in Haines, …

Oh, Beer. Maybe Next Year? Read More »

Art Nights in Alaska

Haines is said to have more artists per capita than any town in Southeast Alaska. On Friday April 1st, the creative spirit of Haines was clearly demonstrated as artists, artisans, craftsmen and members of the public gathered for the unveiling of an exhibit compiled by renowned scrimshaw artist Heidi Robichaud. The exhibit, which is sponsored …

Art Nights in Alaska Read More »

An International Celebration of Talent

The Folk Society of Whitehorse has been hosting the famous Yukon-Alaska Coffee House for  more than 25 years. This event features two coffee house evenings, back-to-back, in Skagway and Whitehorse. The Yukon evening of talent, which takes place on Saturday, will also serve as the finale to a series of Whitehorse coffee houses that happen …

An International Celebration of Talent Read More »

You Know It’s Spring When the Swans Arrive

“Last year was a big year,” says Scott Cameron, Environment Yukon’s Wildlife Viewing Technician. “We were up to 2,000 swans every day for a few days.” The height, he says, was April 9, when 2,200 were counted out on M’Clintock Bay. Typically that number is closer to 1,200. “And early too – usually you expect …

You Know It’s Spring When the Swans Arrive Read More »

Repurpose, Recycle, Reintegrate

Reducing our solid waste is not an easily digested subject. An upcoming conference in Whitehorse hopes to break down solutions into manageable bites. The Working Towards Zero Waste in the North Conference will bring together approximately 120 representatives from governments, businesses, non-profits, academia and the public to share success stories from other northern regions. The …

Repurpose, Recycle, Reintegrate Read More »

Visiting the Glaciers

We always said that when the kids were old enough we would take them for an Alaskan kayaking expedition, just like the one we had gone on before the kids were born. So last summer we did just that, and what we learned is that an eight-year-old and a 13-year-old are awesome ages for such …

Visiting the Glaciers Read More »

The Story of Eagles Paradise

Every November up to 3,600 eagles gather in one place: the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve in Haines, Alaska. It is the largest gathering of eagles on earth. The Preserve holds unique conditions for these magnificent birds: Sections of the Chilkat River remain ice-free and an unusually late run of salmon from November until January provides …

The Story of Eagles Paradise Read More »

Alaska Haunting

Wherever your travels take you, there is bound to be a place that has a ghost living in the shadows. England has the ghastly Tower of London, Romania has the mysterious Hoia Baciu forest, Japan has the eerie Hanging Ruins… Just over the border in Alaksa, our American neighbours have their fair share of haunting. …

Alaska Haunting Read More »

Lucy Come Home

Living on a knife’s edge isn’t as exciting as it sounds. It can actually be downright tedious, and that’s what Wendy and Lucy captures — the daily grind of staying upright in a treacherous situation. On the way to Alaska with her dog Lucy, Wendy’s car breaks down and it becomes apparent that this trip …

Lucy Come Home Read More »

Alexander Supertramp Was Here

In the North, peril can strike anyone in the summer, or the winter. But when Christopher McCandless died at the age of 24 in August, in an abandoned bus near Denali Park in Alaska, apparently of starvation, the response was intensely mixed: bewilderment, contempt, and for some, awe. Many people have known someone bright, charismatic, …

Alexander Supertramp Was Here Read More »

Exploring the Bittersweet Beauty of the Juneau Ice Cave

The Zhange Danxia landform in Gansu, China; The Great Blue Hole in Belize; Tulip Fields in the Netherlands; Mount Roraima in Venezuela, Brazil, and Guana, and 23 more places make up a Buzzfeed list of “27 Surreal Places to Visit Before You Die”. Most of the time these placesto-see-before-you-die are oceans away in remote and …

Exploring the Bittersweet Beauty of the Juneau Ice Cave Read More »

Homage to a Yukon Birder

Yukon birds, and its birding community, have lost a true friend. When he died last month, at 75, Helmut Grünberg had spent over 40 years promoting the enjoyment, study, and conservation of Yukon’s bird life. He found his way to Whitehorse in the early ‘70s when, en route to climb Denali in Alaska, he was …

Homage to a Yukon Birder Read More »

A Handler’s Tale

When I showcased my subpar dog handling skills in a race for the first time, it was the 2006 Yukon Quest. But I was no stranger to the Quest, because I had covered it five times before that as a reporter for the Yukon News. I figured I knew a thing or two (or three, …

A Handler’s Tale Read More »

From handler to racer

After almost a decade of being a Yukon Quest handler, partner, sponsor, and anything else required, Tamra Reynolds is embarking on her very own Yukon Quest. Her journey to the Quest start-line started in 2003. While living in Vancouver, Reynolds ventured up the Dalton Highway in Alaska to the Arctic Circle. On that trip, she …

From handler to racer Read More »

The Trek Will Be Coming Soon

The 21st running of the Trek Over the Top snowmobile run from Tok, Alaska, to Dawson City and back will take place from March 6 to 9. It’s a 200-mile (382 km) trip each way, over the spectacular scenery provided by the Top of the World Highway. Trekkers will ride out of Tok on Thursday, …

The Trek Will Be Coming Soon Read More »

Roy, The Kindred Spirit

“How’d you get here? Why’d you stay?” Ubiquitous phrases heard in the Yukon indeed. With the sheer number of transients coming through the territory, it’s a natural inclination to pose these questions to the ever-increasing population of the North. The getting there. Some people have long stories, grand tales of wanderlust adventuring, where they suddenly, …

Roy, The Kindred Spirit Read More »

A Broom With a View

March 28th marks the 30th anniversary of the Yukon Broomball Association. “We’ve come a long way from our humble beginnings playing on local community rinks,” says Scott Smith, the association’s travel team coach. “We outgrew the community rinks pretty quickly, causing us to build two outdoor rinks in the Takhini North neighbourhood. They were pretty …

A Broom With a View Read More »

Add Some Wit to Your Winter

One of the perks of spewing your beer brain onto a white page every couple of weeks is that people occasionally give you beer and suggest you write a column about it. One of my colleagues came back from a trip to Alaska in mid-October with a six-pack of Alaskan Wit, so I figured I’d …

Add Some Wit to Your Winter Read More »

Passion for the Planet

Passion and excitement practically explode over the phone as I speak with Veronica Huggard. Huggard is one of five young people chosen to represent Yukon at the Northern Forum’s Youth Eco Forum in Anchorage, Alaska from May 1-8. “There is so much we can learn from each other and our different approaches to dealing with …

Passion for the Planet Read More »

To Gas or Not to Gas?

We here at Beer Cache have just returned from a three-week brewery tour of the great craft brew state of Alaska. We were lucky enough to stroll around bright tanks, peak into mash tuns, hang out in chilled serving fridges and pull nails from barrels to sample back-room casked ales with the generous owners and …

To Gas or Not to Gas? Read More »

Awash in Brew

I must be getting old: asleep in my hotel room by 10 p.m. the night of Haines Beer Fest this year. A poor display of anti-beerfest behaviour. The first year I went to the Great Alaskan Craft Beer and Home Brew Festival it was 2001 and it was held on the Fort Seward grounds. I …

Awash in Brew Read More »

Scroll to Top