Unfrozen After 85 Years
Parks Canada got the call late last August—a cache of items left behind in 1937 (by legendary photographer Bradford Washburn…
Kluane National Park
When the Mountains Call, Bring Your Sketchbook
When opportunity knocked for Kluane National Park and Reserve to host an Artist in Residence program this past summer, enthusiasm was high.
Wandering Into the Known and Unknown
I decided to take myself for a drive to somewhere I had never been before. I ended up in the Donjek River Valley & Kluane National Park.
New kid in the park: Hello, bonjour! Welcome to Kluane National Park and Reserve
I’d moved 2,000 kilometres north, alone, for a 4-year term in a little place called Haines Junction. At Kluane National Park and Reserve
Getting to the Other Side: Tips for safe creek crossings
There it is, a roiling torrent of water in place of the babbling brook you crossed in the morning. Here are some things to keep in mind.
A hidden gem – Thechàl Dhâl’ Visitor Centre in Kluane National Park
The beautifully renovated Thechàl Dhâl’ Visitor Centre in Kluane National Park and Reserve opens for the 2021 season.
Racing the clock
The only rule that water seems to obey is that of gravity. Parks Canada collects water samples of The Dezadeash twice per season.
Yukon’s Best Friend: Ti Brin and Loki
Ti-Brin and Loki with their human Eric Buchi at Kathleen Lake on the homemade engineered canoe deck.. Submit your Yukon dog photo
How to have it all at Thechàl Dhâl’
Round the curve north of Haines Junction at the base of Thechàl Dhâl’ in Kluane and you may encounter Dall sheep.
Get schooled!
Kluane National Park and Reserve protects the northernmost population of kokanee, sockeye salmon that became land-locked.
A junction of mountain film, culture and science in Kluane country
The Haines Junction Mountain Festival is in its third year and is a celebration of the United Nations (UN) International Mountain Day (IMD).
Oh Les Filles
Yukon Backcountry Skiing’s owner, Claude Vallier, introduces his two girls, Kiona and Heidi, to the world by making a movie of skiing the wild Yukon mountains. “I didn’t really want to make a movie, but after participating in other movies and TV shows, I wanted to show more what I want,” said Vallier. “People always …
The Junction and JAR (Junction Artist in Residence)
Landing in Whitehorse for the first time, Henry Navarro Delgado arrived in the Yukon knowing nothing about the place. Delgado wanted to remain as open-minded as possible when he settled into the coveted Junction Artist in Residence (JAR) Program in Haines Junction.
Google the Top of the World
Located on the northeastern corner of Ellesmere Island in Nunavut, Quttinirpaaq National Park is Canada’s northernmost national park. Until recently it was virtually inaccessible to your average earthling. Quttinirpaaq just became a bit more reachable with the completion of a partnership project between Parks Canada and Google Street View, which aims to increase access to …
The White River Ash, the mega eruption next door – Part 4
Past volcanic eruptions in Alaska have resulted in massive displacement of peoples and widespread environmental damage in the Yukon.
Kathleen & Kokanee in Kluane – Part 3 of 6
Kathleen Lake, which is the only place in Kluane National Park you can sleep (legally) if you have rubber wheels for your mode of transportation (rather than flying machines, skis, hiking boots or birchbark).
Kluane’s ‘not-so-secret’ Ice Cave
The sheer size of the ice cave was unexpected. The photos do not do the beauty, magnificence and intrigue of its multi-textured layers justice.
Top 10 tips for your first summer in Whitehorse
Here are some tips and tricks to starting out in Whitehorse as a Cheechako (which is the name for being new to the north of 60th parallel).
5 Hikes to Get a Taste of Southern Yukon
Here are the top hikes to give you an introduction to the diversity of southern Yukon.
Helping the community climb to new heights
Chris Gishler, owner and operator of Equinox Adventures, has spent the last 15 years building and developing his outdoor adventure and education company as the Yukon has continued to grow. Back in 1999, Gishler arrived to Whitehorse in preparation for a Mount Logan trip in Kluane National Park, only to discover plane issues, which led …
Late Fall Season in the Kluane National Park
The colourful fall season is over very early in the Yukon – much earlier than in my home country, Switzerland. But I found that the month of October is also very attractive for an amateur photographer like me, even if the coloured leaves have almost all fallen to the ground. Here are some suggestions for …
Turn Your Eyes to the Skies
Yukoners – and others – who enjoy celestial pursuits may want to follow the stars to Kluane’s “Northern Nights” Dark Sky Festival at Kathleen Lake this weekend. This is the second time around for this event, which is jointly sponsored by Parks Canada and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC). Viktor Zsohar is a …
Like the Beauty of the Yukon? You’ll Love Hiking Japan
He would leave home at 6:30 a.m. and return at 10 or 11 p.m. When Japan’s economy faltered, he wanted a change. He came to Canada, trained as a mountain guide, and moved to the Yukon to set up its Yamnuska branch in 2007. Today, he still works in an office, marketing and organizing. “But …
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Yukon’s First Lady of Physiotherapy
Mentioning Yvonne Emson’s name can trigger a response like my neighbour’s: “Oh, she saved my life! My husband’s, too.” Physiotherapists are not in the business of saving lives, but for people with severe or chronic pain, getting the right treatment can feel like rebirth. After nearly 40 years practicing physiotherapy in the north, Emson is …
Welcome to the outhouse
I’m not saying my daughter Emily is soft when it comes to roughing it. She just happened to have spent her first three and a half years living in the total comfort of a warm bed, running water, and the ability to flush her business down a toilet anytime she wants. That all changed last …
Slim’s River West Trail
I am making my way up a mountain. I am alone, tired, and very thirsty. The nearest road or person is 30 km away. The sun has just disappeared behind a mountain; I know it will be dark shortly. I must make it back to my tent soon, or risk crossing a rushing creek in …
Ecologically-inspired Cuisine
When I first arrived in Kluane as an aspiring biologist, it seemed fitting that I would land in the place where the famous lynx-snowshoe hare cycles had been studied since the ’70s. Famous – at least to ecology students and trappers – graphs showing their staggered 10-year oscillations had figured prominently in my university courses. …
Kennedys: Making Waves and Making Headlines
The wild beauty of the Yukon is the décor of our daily lives. But when famous types make a special trip to the Yukon, it’s a reminder that this is a special place. We will soon have a Kennedy in our midst, and it’ll be the second visit from the Kennedy family in nearly 50 …
A guest column: The Yukon’s peaceful, easy feeling
by the Globe and Mail‘s Gary Mason A couple of years ago, I flew to Whitehorse for the opening of the Canada Winter Games. Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in town and, as a columnist with The Globe and Mail, I was sent to chronicle his time in the Yukon capital. It was my second …
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Ray Cuthbert
Part 2 of 6 I’d been in the Yukon for less than a week when I was dragged on a trek into Kluane National Park. Old hiking hands, Denis and Marshall, were worryingly keen to test my mettle. It was early May and we were going to hike Slims River to Observation Mountain over the …
Celebrating parks
“This is a celebration of all kinds of parks,” says Hillarie Zimmermann, external relations manager with Parks Canada. “Territorial parks, city parks, community parks … anywhere people enjoy the outside.” After 125 years of enjoying these parks, the 20th annual Parks Day will see celebrations across Canada on Saturday, July 17. With the help of …
