Loving The Skin You’re In
In parts of Canada, winter will soon slowly begin to make its way out, and spring will make its way in. In other parts of the country…
Winter
Heating Up With Yukon Sauna
Yukon Sauna, started by Tyler and Joyce Rempel, originally came to be when the two wanted a portable sauna for their own use.
Safe Riders
Snowmobiling is a fun and safe activity for the whole family, and riders like you can help us keep it that way.
Yukoners At Canada Winter Games
The 2023 Canada Winter Games, officially called XXVII Canada Games, are taking place Feb. 18 to March 5 and will be hosted in P.E.I.
More Than A Road Trip
In all of the natural world, there are few sights that can match the spectacle of the great barren-ground caribou migrations.
Reimagining Valentine’s Day
Whether you feel that Valentine’s Day is overrated, highly commercialized or cheesy (or it’s your favourite holiday of the year)….
2023 Yukon Rendezvous
After two years of the pandemic, Rendezvous will be back to form and celebrating its 59th festival this February.
Sweet Potato Fries With Fancy Mayo
Sweet potato fries are fast and easy and feel vaguely healthy, which checks all the boxes for something you want to eat…
Finger Food For Dark Nights
The MI5 agents came into the house by stealth, wrapped in worn, crinkled purple tissue paper. The package nestled under the tree…
Fried Okra With Spicy Mayo
Okra can be polarizing. Some people are really turned off by the texture, which can tend towards slimy. But if you embrace the slime…
Books To Read On A Trapline
When the evenings get longer, we enjoy reading a good book. So here we go with the books to hunker down with on a cold, dark night
How’s your etiquette?
Yes, as much as you don’t want to, you really should mind your table manners. However, there’s more to life than just the dinner table…
Kicksledding Together with Elderactive
This active program will see participants improve their endurance and kicksled technique, including efficient and balanced kicking, turning, and safe downhill and braking. One of the best parts of the kicksled is that it has a built-in seat, so part of our weekly adventure will include a break where we visit each other while seated …
The Beauty Of Yukon’s Winter
Early winter in the Yukon is a special time of year, and yet it can also be a very bleak time of year. The shorter days feel dreary…
Let There Be Light
The longest night, the shortest day. Either way you measure, if you celebrate during or near midwinter, or Winter Solstice…
Basic Winter Safety
Where we live, winter uses up a lot of our time each year. The duration varies a bit, but it’s still a lengthy period…
Dog Culture – Yukon’s Best Friend
Hello Everyone, Share your Fur-Babies photos with us! Send your high resolution photos with a description to: [email protected]
Awakening into Advent: Holden Evening Prayer
Advent song and prayer, using Marty Haugen’s beloved Holden Evening Prayer at Christ Church Cathedral. All are welcome!
Awakening into Advent: Holden Evening Prayer
Advent song and prayer, using Marty Haugen’s beloved Holden Evening Prayer at Riverdale Baptist Church. All are welcome!
Awakening into Advent: Holden Evening Prayer
Advent song and prayer, using Marty Haugen’s beloved Holden Evening Prayer at Trinity Lutheran Church. All are welcome!
Freeze-Proof Animals
Each winter, our furry neighbours don an extra-thick coat of fur and fat to make it through the winter. But a coat isn’t the only strategy…
So, You Need A Snowmobile
Two- or four-stroke? Long- or short-track? Utility or crossover? Snowmobile shopping can be overwhelming for a beginner…
On Mount Sima With Mavik MacKinnon
If you have ever been in Takhini North on a winter afternoon, you have probably come across Mavik’s “freestyle playground.”
Prep That Ride!
Always have a snow brush to clean your entire vehicle off. Snow blowing off of your vehicle will make it invisible to other motorists.
Apple Brown Sugar Grunt
Chances are you know someone from Atlantic Canada, you’re related to someone from Atlantic Canada, or you are from Atlantic Canada.
Sauna Season
Saunas have grown a lot in popularity recently. Instagram is filled with pictures of stylish barrel saunas and wood-fired hot tubs.
Winter Fun In The Yukon
We are very lucky to live in the Yukon: we have incredible indoor facilities and the spectacular outdoors.
Dawson City International Bonspiel
The Yukon’s oldest continuously run event. Hit the ice throw some stones and share some laughs at Dawson City’s Annual International Bonspiel.
Seasonal Change
We are in a state of seasonal change. Not only is the weather changing, but the roads are changing as well.
Photo-bombed by a moose
I didn’t see the moose when I took the pictures, nor when I looked at the images the first time. I was too busy enjoying the shots of the sun-kissed Three Guardsmen peaks and the brilliant skyline. I had been photo-bombed by a moose—twice! Imagine the story the moose had to tell back with his buddies.
Know before you go
James Minifie maintains one of the Yukon region’s remote weather stations. The data provided by these units is used to help produce the avalanche forecast. PHOTO: Jennifer Coulter If record-breaking snowfalls and COVID-19 cabin fever have you charging for the hills, come to a full-spray stop and make sure you know how to keep yourself, …
A chance on winter
The process of watching, listening and trying to identify a bird will help you remember that species, and perhaps that particular bird, forever.
Senior versus Snowmageddon
This is not a “fish tale.” I heard accounts of snowfall beyond normal, but there was “factual” info to confirm the enormity of the situation
Hot tips for cold camping
Let’s start from the ground up. There’s a reason thick sleeping pads are a hot item, so to speak. The more insulation you have from the ground, the more you’ll increase your warmth.
Ice road woes (and whoas)
I was driving back to Red Deer from Calgary the other day and got a speeding ticket in a blinding snowstorm. The cop told me there is a law in Alberta that states that speed limits are reduced to 80 km/h when winds exceed 70 km/h. I told him, in no uncertain terms, that I’d …
Yukon See It Here: Steve Wilson
The SS Klondike was doing its best to be seen through the ice fog rising from the Yukon River during our -40 cold snap in January.
Making a mark in the art world
Nicole Favron’s performance-based work is being recognized as the Yukon winner of the 2020 BMO 1st Art! Competition.
Dawson in the deep freeze
The most annoying thing about being fully dressed to walk outside at -45 degrees Celsius is that I can’t see my feet.
The Percy DeWolfe committee is ready for its last race, but the event will carry on
In its present form, the Percy DeWolfe Memorial Mail Race is a 210 mile (338 km) run from Dawson to Eagle, Alaska, and back. If you can do that, then you can try your hand at the Yukon Quest or the Iditarod.
Dawson’s Thaw di Gras
Dawson celebrates almost spring, sort of end of winter, with a local event called Thaw di Gras. An obvious play on New Orleans’ Mardi Gras.
Living With Wildlife – Steve Wilson
I was surprised to find a wolf blocking traffic on the road into the Whitehorse landfill site. Wolves are usually shy and avoid people and vehicles, but, lucky for me, this one stuck around long enough for me to get some photos. Camera: Nikon D7200 [box] We invite you to share your photos of Yukon …
Frozen fever
When we moved to the Yukon, nearly six years ago, one of the pictures from Takhini Hot Pools Hair Freezing Contest had gone viral and my friend said, “I hope you are doing this.” I’ve since learned that the annual competition has been around since 2011. The prizes have increased in value each winter. This …
Living with Wildlife – Christine Burke
These pictures were taken near the end of December 2019. We were driving along the Alaska Highway, west of Haines Junction near Kluane Lake. These (Dall sheep) were not bothered by us in the least; it appeared they were most intent on licking the salt off the road. Camera: iPhone 7+ [box] We invite you …
Yukon See It Here: Steve Wilson
The combination of Annie Lake Road and fresh snow create some beautiful photographs
Honoured to participate
The Canadian Armed Forces have a long history in the North (harking back to the Yukon Field Force in 1898), and JTFN is honoured to take part in YSR and celebrate Yukon Heritage Day events.
Here come the mushers
The Yukon Quest has been described as the hardest sled dog race in the world. Luckily the Yukon Quest organizers have created a series of events so the public can get involved with this iconic event without the risk of frostbite or sleep deprivation.
Living With Wildlife – Steve Wilson
The colder temperatures have made it a busy time in and around our bird feeders.
Get ready to howl
Buckwheat Donahue arrived in Skagway from Colorado in the 1980s. “He made an immediate impact in the establishments on Broadway,” said William Brady, secretary of the Log Cabin Ski Society. “After a winter in town, he famously said he’d like to start a ski race to bring more women to town in the winter.” He …
Rendezvous struts its stuff
The theme of this year’s Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous is local, community participation. With a theme like that, it makes sense that when designing the festival’s first-ever stand-alone fashion show, the organizers would look to the local design community to bring the event to life. The event will feature the work of Sportees, the Fashion Art Design …
Living With Wildlife – Steve Wilson
The warm flowing spring water keeps the water open all winter in the McIntyre Marsh. I counted 36 Mallard ducks enjoying this winter oasis on January 15, 2020 with a -37 air temperature. After thriving through the -40 cold spell, I expect these tough little birds to stay until spring. Camera: Nikon D7200 [box] We …
Living With Wildlife – Steve Wilson
I never expected to see a (winter) spider walking, albeit very slowly, across our driveway on November 20, 2019. Camera: Nikon P1000 [box] We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you used to [email protected][/box]
Yukon See It Here: Brenda Hummeny
I took these photos of Yukon hiking life during the winter on December 2, 2019. [box]We invite you to share your photos of Yukon life. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you used to <a href=”mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected]</a>[/box]
Yukon See It Here – Steve Wilson
I grabbed these sparkling photos in March 2018. Hey Rihanna, come to the Yukon! We have “Diamonds in the Snow!” Camera: Nikon Coolpix B500 [box] We invite you to share your photos of Yukon life. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you used to [email protected][/box]
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 coldest pool party north of 60
‘I jumped into cold water in the Yukon at -45.’ I figure it’s in line with ‘I used to have to walk two miles to school through waist deep snow, uphill both ways.’
Time on the land – take a child with you
In my fairly lengthy experience dealing with kids in and about outdoor activities, I have found that they are like sponges when it comes to absorbing information. It is rare to find a child who isn’t interested in nature and the environment. Sadly too many youngsters (and adults) have become addicted to the small screen …
Living With Wildlife – Steve Wilson
Coyote travelling along the Alaska Highway near the Carcross Cut-off
Yukon See It Here: Steve Wilson
Spectacular sunrise over Montana Mountain in Carcross. We invite you to share your photos of Yukon life. Email your high-resolution images
Christmas bird counts are fun for kids too
Julie Bauer loves birding with kids. The-long-time Haines Junction resident and birder is leading Canada’s most northerly Christmas Bird Count (CBC) for Kids on Dec. 14. The unique event is part of an international citizen science program for monitoring and conserving birds.
Living With Wildlife – Steve Wilson
I saw these beautiful mule deer does on the side of the Alaska Highway south of the Carcross Cut-off on October 17th. Hopefully the recent right-of-way clearing on the sides of the highway will keep the deer further from the edge of pavement. Camera: Nikon D7200 [box] We invite you to share your photos of …
Living With Wildlife – Steve Wilson
A flock of about 200 Bohemian waxwings showed up at Yukon College on November 18, 2019. They arrived hungry and took turns eating up most of the mountain ash berries. Camera: Nikon D7200 [box] We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s …
Yukon See It Here – Bernd Gruninger
After the Remembrance Day ceremony, I took a bike trip to Miles Canyon where I discovered what looked like the beginning of another ice age. As I arrived at the suspension bridge, I saw a few ice sheets floating through the canyon. One got caught and the next one was pushed over the first. Along …
Yukon See It Here – Steve Wilson
This is what a sunrise over the Yukon River looks like. The open water creates this steam when temperatures hit -30o. These photos were taken on Feb, 16, 2019, from the SS Klondike parking lot. Camera: Nikon Coolpix B500. [box] We invite you to share your photos of Yukon life. Email your high-resolution images with …
Feather adventures
It was 7 a.m. on a Sunday in late January. We put all the ski touring equipment in the car while trying to simultaneously keep the three dogs from escaping the vehicle. I introduced myself to Bryan, who I had just met in person for the first time after connecting on Facebook, and off we went …
Much ado about nothing
Zero may be nothing in the world of math, but in weather the significance of this integer is amazing. October is a good time to start talking about zero, as we recently saw the results of a few days of below freezing weather in Whitehorse and the southern Yukon. I will be making much ado …
Snow can keep you warm
With a little know-how and little or no tools, a snow shelter can save your life. It will amaze you how warm you are inside a snow structure.
Däch’äw’s debut
Whitehorse 2020 Arctic Winter Games (AWG) was cancelled due to COVID, but the mascot Däch’äw’s landed well with Air North.
Living With Wildlife – Steve Wilson
A nice flock of Redpolls visited us in February and hung around until the snow began to melt. Camera: Nikon D7200 [box] We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you used to [email protected][/box]
Living with Wildlife – Christine Burke
I took these photos at the Yukon Wildlife Preserve on Friday March 18, 2019. Camera: iPhone 8 [box] We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you used to [email protected][/box]
Yukon See It Here: Shauna MacLean
Life if the Yukon with those box-store parking lot ravens. I think he wanted my attention. I took many more pictures of him, but this is my favourite. [box] We invite you to share your photos of Yukon life. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you …
Bicycle bison hunt
The Porter Creek Secondary School bison hunt changed from a snowmobile hunt to a bicycle hunt due to lack of snow in March. The planning had been done for the 13 participants, six students, six adults (staff and parents) and Hunter Education Coordinator, Jim Welsh. The Porter Creek Secondary School group was part of the …
Living With Wildlife: Doug Spencer
This fox decided to take an afternoon nap on my shed on New Year’s Day. After the 45-minute nap, the fox stretched with a big yawn. My camera and lens combo allowed for the close-up images, yet from a safe distance. Camera: Nikon D7500 with 200-500mm lens [box] We invite you to share your photos of …
Living with Wildlife – Chris Morgan
I caught this fox sitting contently on the SS Tutshi while watching my dog in Carcross [box] We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you used to [email protected][/box]
Yukon See It Here: Atticus Baker
Almost every weekend I wake up early just to go skiing. I love skiing. I love storming down steep hills, hitting big jumps and experiencing the feeling of that smooth landing … though I don’t always land the big jumps. I also like racing through the trees and flowing with the trail, no wind blowing against …
Ice-fishing with kids
If you don’t make it fun, they won’t like it. Going out again will be unlikely. In that respect, it’s like summer fishing, only it’s cold as well as boring. Kids need to be entertained and that’s your job. They also do better if they have stuff to eat and numerous cups of hot chocolate …
Living With Wildlife: Steve Wilson
I found this flock of grouse on the road. They were picking up freshly-laid coarse sand that had been put down for tire traction on hills. There were nine of them! When I stopped, four flew away, but after a few minutes, all of them came back. When my hands started freezing, I decided to …
Yukon See It Here – Murray Martin
Scenic Whitehorse was a “Winter Wonderland” as we walked along the shore of the Yukon River towards the S.S. Klondike. [box] We invite you to share your photos of Yukon life. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you used to [email protected][/box]
Living With Wildlife: Steve Wilson
It’s always a pleasant surprise when some crossbills come to visit our deck in Golden Horn. Camera: Nikon Coolpix L840 [box] We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you used to [email protected][/box]
Yukon See It Here: Steve Wilson
On Christmas Eve, I was able to take some interesting photos of Grey Mountain with a very distinct layer of fog/cloud stretching across the valley in front of the mountains. Above was taken at 2 p.m. from Mt. Sima Road Below was taken at 2:30 p.m. from the McCrae subdivision Camera: Nikon Coolpix B500 [box] …
Everyone’s heading to shred town
With April right around the corner, Yukoners are getting some spring into their step. For many, it means the bittersweet transition from winter to summer sports. The warm weather wax comes out, the jackets come off and soft, warm snow appeals to most outdoor enthusiasts. It’s here for a good time, not a long time …
A raven conspiracy?
Back in Inuvik, when the powers that be were trying to figure out why they could not keep ravens from shorting out and blowing power transformers in the winter.
Snowmobile survival gear
A little planning and preparation can save your day in many situations. The winter bison hunts and Dempster Highway caribou hunts are true examples of the extremes in planning and preparation when it comes to snowmobile travel. Some operators, who realize that bad things can happen, carry survival equipment. Others take off without so much …
Snowmobile ice travel
Larry Leigh has some tips to stay safe when venturing out onto ice on your snowmobile
So long, smug Victoria. Welcome to Canada
The allure of even a well-crafted, lightweight shovel begins to pale after days upon numberless days of snow upon snow upon snow. There is wisdom in the old saw that everybody likes to complain about the weather, but nobody does anything about it. I have no quarrel with that assertion, and harbour no ill will …
Living With Wildlife: Steve Wilson
Most of the ravens that visit our deck are pretty shy and they definitely do not like it when I point my camera at them. The exception is Buddy. He likes to strike a pose. Camera: Nikon Coolpix B500 [box] We invite you to share your photos of Yukon life. Email your high-resolution images with …
Yukon See It Here – Murray Martin
It was a frosty day for the SS Klondike, as it lay in hibernation along the Millennium Trail. [box] We invite you to share your photos of Yukon life. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you used to [email protected][/box]
Thaw di Gras is Coming Soon
[two_third] It’s perhaps still a bit wintery by March 15, but that is the annual date when Dawson City celebrates what is nearly the end of that season with its Thaw di Gras “Spring” carnival. The event runs over a weekend, from March 15 to 17. If climate change doesn’t make too many changes there …
Living With Wildlife: Steve Wilson
A pair of Canada Jays took a break from eating to enjoy a bit of sunshine. Camera: Nikon Coolpix B500 [box] We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you used to [email protected][/box]
Living With Wildlife: Steve Wilson
I took this photo on January 22 at midday on Range Road north of the trailer parks. I thought it was a coyote when I took the photo, but when I looked at the photo when I got home and saw how thick and stocky it was, I started thinking it could be a wolf. …
Yukon See It Here: Murray Martin
Hoogan the raven, to the left, and Princess, his mate, on the right. Hoogan, has been with Lisa and Murray Martin for 11 years and feeds daily in their backyard, often right along side of Avalanche, their Siberian Husky dog. Ravens are said to mate for life. “What love birds!” [box] We invite you to …
Living With Wildlife: Steve Wilson
This male Downy Woodpecker showed up on December 23 while we were doing our Christmas Bird Count. I was so happy that we had something a little less common to report. Camera: Nikon Coolpix B500 [box] We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s …
Long johns—the cure for the common cold
These days, long johns are referred to as a “base layer” and are usually made from some very scientific-sounding material and come with a big, obvious logo to satisfy status-seekers.
Living With Wildlife: Steve Wilson
Is there a better way to decorate a tree for the holidays? Seasons greetings from the Pine Grosbeaks in Golden Horn! Camera: Nikon Coolpix B500 [box] We invite you to share your photos of Yukon widlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you used to [email protected][/box]
Yukon See It Here: Steve Wilson
These photos were taken at sunrise on December 20, 2018. Above was taken at 10:22 a.m. looking over the Yukon River, back towards Chadburn Lake Road Below was taken at 10:27 a.m. looking out over Schwatka Lake Steve Wilson Camera: Nikon Coolpix B500 [box] We invite you to share your photos of Yukon life. Email …
Yukon See It Here: Partick Gardiner
A staple of Yukon winters, these ravens lined up on a Yukon-made truck-rack for things to scavenge in the Walmart parking lot. [box] We invite you to share your photos of Yukon life. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you used to [email protected][/box]
Living With Wildlife: Adam Skrutkowski
During early January’s cold spell, a chickadee needs to fluff its down feathers to insulate itself. I captured this brave bird outdoors on January 9, 2019. Camera: Fujifilm Finepix HS50 EXR, F5.6, 1/100 sec, ISO800 [box] We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s …
Tips for cold hands and feet
In cold weather, a head without a hat on it can lose up to 50 per cent of your body heat and some of that wasted heat could have been going to your hands and feet to keep them warm. Your fingers and toes are the parts furthest away from the heat source that is …
A mountain of possibilities
What’s the best part of winter in the Yukon? Why, it’s sleeping in and still being up at the crack of dawn to go on an adventure, of course.
My first Christmas in the North: 1961
Donna found peace, happiness and calmness during her first simpler Christmas in the North.
The last great road race
The 50th running of the Alcan 200 International Snow Machine Road Rally takes place on the third weekend in January, attracting snow-machine enthusiasts from Alaska, the Yukon and northern B.C.
Yukon See It Here: Snowman-making
We gave a call-out for some readers to submit photos of their snowman-making exploits after the big snowfall in November.
Water and rock – Hiking and loving “the mystery of it all”
The landscape east of the Klondike Highway, between Log Cabin and Fraser, B.C., is a giant jigsaw puzzle of water and rock. Large, round rocky outcrops are surrounded by water, with scattered vegetation growing in-between the rocks.
He builds them (and they are coming)
Tyler Nichol, originally from Dawson City, has been building parks since he was a kid on the Dawson Dome and has gone from gold miner to a nationally renowned park creator in Canada.
Managing avalanche terrain
Eirik Sharp, owner and operator of The Sharp End: Mountain Adventures, with his extensive avalanche background, is bringing change to how the Yukon manages avalanche terrain.
Living With Wildlife: Steve Wilson
Hello Everybody, We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you used to [email protected] Living With Wildlife by Steve Wilson Chickadees are the perfect Yukon bird. The crappier the weather, the happier they seem to be. Camera: Nikon …
Living With Wildlife: Steve Wilson
Hello Everybody, We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you used to [email protected] Living With Wildlife by Steve Wilson Driving into Whitehorse on the south access, just past the Robert Service Campground, I had to stop and …
Snow!
Thanks to snow-nerd scientists. Their lives revolve around snow and they couldn’t wait to “nerd-out” on the subject:
Autumn sunlight and shadows
We’re past the halfway mark in October as I write this. The sun rose today at 9:16 and will set at 18:49 (6:49 for most of us civilians), so we’re down to less than half a day of actual sunlight. That’s in spite of the fact we can count on extended, refracted light on either …
Like porcupine courtship, timing is everything
Every now and then, a fella happens to hit the sweet spot, even if it is more by good luck than good management. I rest my case on a recent example. Early in the week, I casually mentioned to “Herself” that it was time to consider remounting the winter tires on her modest chariot, and …
Making the ‘impossible’ possible
Darryl Tait, from Atlin, didn’t allow an accident slow his passion for freestyle sports. Adaptive Skiing is now part of Mt. Sima training.
Volunteers make Rendezvous!
It is no secret that without volunteers, there would be no Rendezvous. Each year hundreds of Yukon residents step up to continue a tradition that started over 55 years ago. It is these volunteers who contribute to the success of the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous festival and make it such a memorable event and experience. Rendezvous …
Living With Wildlife: Steve Wilson
Hello Everybody, We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you used to [email protected] Living With Wildlife by Steve Wilson Here is a photo of a raven trying to get as close as possible to the sun this …
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 …
What’s on the river? – A winter warm-up to the Christmas Bird Count
It’s snowy and cold outside, and most of the Yukon’s migratory birds, such as swans, pretty yellow warblers, ducks and shorebirds, have long fled the territory. There’s always a few species, however, that linger. A favoured habitat for some of these birds is the Yukon River, just below the Rotary Centennial Bridge (“blue bridge”) near …
What’s on the river? – A winter warm-up to the Christmas Bird Count Read More »
It’s time for Mr. Green Jeans to hang it all up
It’s official. Apart from a few hardy species that relish cold weather for some absurd reason, backyard garden 2018 has now been decommissioned. Several less-hardy species—tomatoes, peppers, et alia—clung valiantly to life in their wheeled, rodent-resistant enclosures much longer than I had expected. But once the overnight temperatures headed into negative territory on a regular …
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. …
It’s ‘snowing’ at Sima!
Every October, Mount Sima starts snow production and welcomes hundreds of athletes from all over Canada for pre-season training in November. Whitehorse, Yukon, is the perfect location and climate to have early snow production to build the national-level freestyle park terrain and have runs open for athletes to practice ahead of the winter competition season. …
Woodsmoke
I’ve always loved the smell of woodsmoke. I know this is not the case for everyone and that too many wood stoves in a small residential area can cause concern. I am lucky to live in a part of town where few people heat with wood. These days, my woodsmoke saga begins in late August, …
Batten down the hatches
I feel tumbled up against the advance of winter. All summer, the sun pulled me on with the force of a tearaway sled dog and, when the days shortened into fall, it was as if she slowed suddenly to sniff out a piece of news and I hurtled into her. I sit on the trail …
Didee & Didoo: When It’s 100 Below
I won’t saw wood. I won’t go snowshoeing. I won’t go skiing. I won’t go running. I won’t go walking. I won’t pack water. I won’t go biking. I won’t go hunting. I won’t go fishing. I won’t set snares. I won’t go camping. I won’t go sliding. I won’t go dog mushing. I won’t …
The Aussie Girl Guide to surviving Yukon winters
I first arrived in the Yukon on April 30, 2017—springtime. Throughout the summer, Yukoners would catch my accent and ask where I was from, to which I would reply, “Australia.” “Oh my, why would you move here?” they would say, as though they thought I had gotten lost on my way to Whistler. “Why would …
The Aussie Girl Guide to surviving Yukon winters Read More »
Take a walk in Kluane
Fall is upon us. When I leave the house in the mornings now, the sun has yet to awaken. It feels too early in the season to see my breath, but here we are. Winter whispering at us does come with some pretty wicked benefits, though: the air is crisp, giving us unreal clarity; the …
Yukon Ski Patrol
The Canadian Ski Patrol is a national organization is composed of more than 5,000 volunteers from coast to coast, in Canada, in 59 zones and nine divisions. The Yukon Ski Patrol is part of that non-profit organization providing a variety of services (not just ski patrol) year-round. What does a ski patroller do? The Yukon …
Living With Wildlife – Denise Paré
On Sunday, Feb. 10, a few Bohemian waxwings discovered there were still edible berries in the honeysuckle and cotoneaster bushes in our Riverdale yard.Early the next morning, a small flock of waxwings showed up and settled high in our fir tree, soaking up the sun and eating snow. They soon started to visit all the …
Living With Wildlife: Steve Wilson
Here are two photos of a male pine grosbeak in our backyard on Duncan Drive in the Golden Horn Subdivision.
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.
Yukon See It Here: Donald Graham
This snow curve developed in our backyard at 37 Teslin Road over a period of four or five days.
Cuba Impressions
Passion – that’s the word that comes to mind when I reflect on my recent Cuban holiday in January. The passion of our tour guides throughout our travels. Their devotion to sharing their love of Cuba and how Cubans are working to build a more equitable country.
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 …
Yukon See It Here: Marc and Mar Rodriguez
Even in winter you can see different colours in the Yukon River. We love it! Photo: Marc and Mar Rodriguez [box] We invite you to share your photos of Yukon life. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you used to [email protected][/box]
Party at the Hill
Since 1999, Simapalooza has become a yearly tradition for Yukoners to enjoy their local ski hill with a variety of events and prizes. Now in its 19th year, Simapalooza is bigger and better in anticipation for its 20th year anniversary next year.
Yukon spring sledding
As those cold, dark winter days start to fade like a bad memory, Yukoners emerge and many will dust off their snow machines, or sleds, in preparation for popular spring sledding.
Hoooo is that?
The Arctic Winter Games are fast approaching and Kechi (pronounced Kee-Chee), the snowy owl, is helping to spread the spirit of the games.
Top 10 Tips: Backcountry Ski Touring
With the prime backcountry skiing time of spring fast approaching, it’s important to know some safe tips and where to get information before heading out there.
Snow sculptures are snow cool…
Mount Sima’s snow guns, ready for action at Shipyards Park Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous has partnered with Air North, the City of Whitehorse, Days Inn, Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre and Shaw Direct to keep a favourite Rendezvous event. Fourteen years ago Whitehorse artist Don Watts, an internationally-renowned snow carver, started the International Snow Sculpting Challenge and …
Caring for the bison hunt rifle
Since the bison hunt started, hunters have had problems with their rifles. Steps to prep them for -25ºC to -40ºC range.
Dog Culture – Murray Martin
Birds and dogs flock together? As seen in our backyard, when I or my wife Lisa throw out some dog food for the birds, our Siberian husky Avalanche joins them for the breakfast treat. [box] Meet our dogs, they live for us, we live for them, the Yukon would not be the Yukon without Dog …
Skagway shenanigans
Early morning at 7 a.m. on Saturday, December 23 I began my journey to Skagway. The brisk Whitehorse temperatures of -27ºC would be a distant memory once I got to Alaska. I arrived to a balmy -6ºC in Skagway and I started the trek up to Upper Dewey Lakes on the steep snowless tracks, regretting …
Freezing for the sake of art…
Ask most people what they do during the cold month of January, and they would say, “Stay inside and keep warm.” The (s)hiver Arts Society, however, wants to change that.
Hibernation
Ed. Note: This is part seven of a seven part series. Part six can be found in the June 14, 2017 issue of What’s Up Yukon. I’m living a dream and I look forward to the next step… At the end of 2016, I made many diverse acquaintances, each promising me future days, every one …
Winter’s white on white
Before I was married, and my wife Lisa and I moved to the Yukon, my home was built on the northern borders of the Township of Oro-Medonte, in Central Ontario, where I just happened to be the deputy mayor. It is a land of rolling hills, valleys and rippling cold water streams, where many a …
Through dark to the light
Winter Child, the first novel by Virginia Pésémapéo Bordeleau to be translated to English, is a lyrical journey through a mother’s grief of losing and outliving her child.
Big Air at Sima
The Yukon Freestyle Ski Association hosts the Canadian Cup November 23 to 26 at Mount Sima.
Dog Culture – Haley Stallabrass
Out for a walk in the new snow. Naomi Gladish’s dog, Blue, and my dog, Dezadeash, enjoy the beautiful trail after the first snowfall.
Whatever the season, hypothermia can be dangerous
It may come as a surprise, but more people are affected by, and die from, hypothermia in summer and other seasons than in the winter. That may be due to people being more prepared and being more careful in winter. Taking extra warm clothing with you at any time of the year can be a …
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Experiencing the Beauty of Canada
Heather Newman graduated from high school in 2007 from Robina State High School on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. Not exactly in 2009 and definitely not in Whitehorse. All the Whitehorse kids from the class of 2009 seem to be busy this summer; as I haven’t been running into any of them lately. Some …
A Bumpy Road to Citizenship
November, 1972. California-born musician Mike Stockstill and two friends packed their instruments into the car and headed for Alaska. The car was a 1942 Dodge truck that had six months earlier been a chicken coop. Mike, a mechanic, and his friends turned it back into a truck. “It broke down every 300 miles so we …
Ice Cave
On a spring hike to the ice cave near Haines Junction, we found that the ice cave looks more like a bridge. Neither did we cross that bridge nor did we go under it. After reading a CBC news story called “Once a local secret, visitors flock to Haines Junction ice caves,” by Karen McColl …
Ode to Winter
The warm winds of spring have brought with them the promise of little green shoots popping out of their seeds to generate the stuff of salads. There is a brief moment in our northern spring between the holding cold of winter and the heady 24-hour daylight, before our winter habits – frozen into trails through …
The Tripod Stands to Mark the River’s Breakup
Given the odd behavior of the Yukon River this year, it’s not at all certain just how and when spring breakup will occur, but however it happens, the ladies of the IODE have it covered. What were some very wide open leads in the river prevented the formation of the usual ice bridge across at …
Fata Morgana and other Atmospheric Optics
From “Don’s Descent,” the small hill behind our house, one can look as far as Haines Junction. Mount Decoeli and Mount Archibald loom on the western horizon when skies are clear. In front of Decoeli, I can clearly make out Paint Mountain. You might know Paint Mountain as the rock face towering over Pine Lake, …
An Ice Road Adventure
When I saw the post on Facebook from local Dawsonite Sarah Lenart, asking for two people to join her and friend Jeremy Herndl on a trip to Tuktoyaktuk from Inuvik via the winter ice road, I was elated. The ice road follows the Mackenzie River delta channels, and eventually ends up on the Arctic Ocean. …
The Last Ski Race of the Year
Volunteers are gearing up for the Buckwheat Ski Classic. The cross country ski race is on March 25, but starting in early March volunteers were driving up to Log Cabin, B.C. from Skagway, Alaska two times a week to set tracks for the course. The last two years the race was rough – the weather …
Adventure and Great Powder
Interest in backcountry skiing in the Yukon has taken off, especially among tourists, says backcountry ski expert and guide Claude Vallier. Vallier recently published a backcountry guide book to the Haines Pass, to accompany the guide book he produced in 2007 about the White Pass. The books, Haines Pass Backcountry Skiing and White Pass Backcountry …
Yukon’s Best Friend: DOG CULTURE, Natalya Keller
DOG CULTURE: Submitted by Natalya Keller I had a recreational dog team for the past 12 years. My dogs are not racing dogs or Quest dogs but touring/trekking dogs. We used to (most of them are old now) go on sledding trips in the winter and hiking trips in the summer and I liked to …
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A Long Race for a Big Finish
Registration is now open for the premiere Yukon Ski Marathon, hosted by the Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club. The 50 km race is being held on Sunday, March 5 and begins at Mount Lorne, runs from there to Cowley Lake, then to Wolf Creek, Mount Sima, Harvey’s Hut and finally finishes at Mount McIntyre. For …
May the Force Be With You at This Year’s Hut to Hut Ski Event on Saturday
The EDI Hut to Hut, taking place this Saturday, is a family, social event that aims to encourage skiers of all ages and ability to participate while discovering new trails and three trail huts. Those huts will be heated and stocked with snacks, drinks and special treats. Pat Tobler is a branch manager at EDI …
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The Trekkers Will Soon be Here
The Trekkers are coming again, and this year’s Trek Over the Top from Tok Alaska to Dawson City, will have a substantial increase in numbers over the last two years. Paul Robitaille, marketing and events manager with the Klondike Visitors Association (KVA), reports that the Tok Chamber of Commerce has taken over the promotion and …
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 …
Living with wildlife: Maggie Leary
Hello Everybody, We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you used to [email protected] Here’s a photo of two female pine grosbeaks arguing beak to beak about who’s turn it is on the birdfeeder.
Flowing Water and the Daily Light Show
It’s been a truly odd winter here in the Klondike. On the one hand it’s been colder, and colder for longer stretches than it has been for several years. Mostly, it hasn’t been really cold, which begins below, say, minus 35, and carries on down into the minus 50s, but we’ve had a lot of …
Yukon See It Here: Lenna Charlie
This picture is a selfie, hehe. It was taken on January 8th while walking my dog along the millennium trail downtown at -30.
High on Life
Between the years of 1991 and 2011 my husband and I used to pack up our son and drive to a mountain summit a few times every winter. They were once our favourite places to be: those white wide-open expanses. An active community of winter lovers is still going to the summits: skiers, snowboarders, snow …
Hold Onto that Heat
Woodstoves are still a very traditional heat source for our homes and cabins. Firewood and stoves have always been messy with chips and bark in a trail from the woodpile to the stove, but it’s the way of the north. Sadly firewood isn’t as close to town now as 25 years ago and permits are …
The Best Trend in Wine
This is a wine trend that anyone could enthusiastically embrace – wine and chips! Planning a casual night of watching a show or reading by the fire welcomes a glass of wine and a little snack into the evening. But the snack suggestions with wine are often fussy and complicated. Hard-to-find ingredients and instructions that …
Roasted Sausages with Arugula and Barley
2. While the sausages are roasting, whisk together remaining olive oil, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and grainy mustard and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss with cooked barley and let sit at room temperature. 3. When the sausages are fully cooked remove them from the oven and let them rest for 5 minutes. …
Why Fly South When You Can Tough it out Here
Mary Whitley felt surprise and compassion when she saw a robin perched in a tree in her Hillcrest yard on December 9th.
Yukon’s Best Friend: DOG CULTURE, Carl Maguire
DOG CULTURE: Submitted by Carl Maguire “I’m not bump starting your damn motorcycle. Its winter you idiot!” Or Seemed Like A Good Idea… Maybe Not. Norton, circa 1995. What’s Up Yukon is pleased to partner with the Yukon Transportation Museum’s Dog Culture Display, “Yukon’s Best Friend: Doggedness in Love and Labour”. Your photos will be on display at …
Burbot Fishing at Little Atlin Lodge
From the day we came to Whitehorse it was my partner’s dream to catch a burbot; the only freshwater member of the cod family is found in most Yukon lakes and large rivers. We were told that they are easily caught overnight on baited set lines, as they are bottom dwellers. In December we wanted …
Mush Rush 2017
The Yukon Quest … is so much more than just a race. It’s an opportunity as a community event, for businesses and people to come together,”
Volunteering with the Yukon Quest
We’ve followed the Yukon Quest over the internet for several years. When we came to Whitehorse a year ago, it was clear that we wanted to be part of this great race. We signed up as volunteers to experience this unique event up close, and we got closer to the race than we had ever …
DIDEE & DIDOO: Embrace Winter
You can go dog mushing. You can go snow shoeing. You can go skiing. You can go skating. You can make a snowman. You can see the northern lights. You can make an igloo. You can go for a ski-doo ride. You can go sliding You can go skijoring. You can go ice fishing. You …
Welcome 30 Below!
I was just getting started on working with Hollywood, my horse, out in Mendenhall (our home) when my grandparents were talking about the weather one night. As I lay in bed I couldn’t help to listen in when I heard “30 below.” Yikes! Anyway, he sucked it up after 20 minutes of walking in a …
(S)hiver Me Timbers
“The dark and the cold are conducive to creativity,” says Carly Woolner, one of the co-founders of Dawson’s (S)Hiver Arts Festival. Blair Douglas, the other half of the team, chimes in with a smile: “They are also conducive to everyone staying home.” Together these sum up the motivations behind the festival, which has a mandate …
Staying Eczema-free this Winter
For sufferers of eczema, the winter can be an especially uncomfortable time. The dry, overheated indoors and the harsh, cold outdoors can aggravate symptoms. Eczema, which is also called atopic dermatitis, is a condition that causes dry, thickened, itchy patches on the skin. Research points to it originating in the immune system. In those with …
Skiing With Our Dog
Whitehorse is not only lucky enough to be situated on Canada’s crowning jewel of cross country ski trails, but to have approximately ⅓ of that jewel welcome skiing with dogs! My dog happily wags her tail at the signs of going for a walk: puffy coats, warm socks and bulky mitts all point towards her …
Winter Bird Feeding
I feed the birds in winter because it makes me feel good to do it and the birds certainly seem to enjoy it as well. Squirrels certainly take advantage of the situation, but seem to be much less interested in the feeders that do not contain sunflower seeds. Squirrels can also be stopped by blocking …
The Most Yukonic Night Ever
The Yukon boasts of many iconic landscapes/experiences/situations and on one glorious night I experienced a few of them. Now in my Southern upbringing, I always thought “deer in the headlights” was just an expression. But, no, no, no! It’s a fact nature. The deer stood paralyzed in the same fear that prevented me from screaming. …
Heading Out? Check it Out!
For many Yukoners, enjoying the backcountry is an integral part of their lifestyle whether they love to ski, snow machine, snowshoe or run sled dogs. They rely on their own experiences and common sense to keep themselves safe. Some have tuned into avalanche forecasts that have been available since 2011 on the Canadian Avalanche website …
Every Revolution Begins with a Spark
The kicksled, or potkukelkka in Finnish, is part scooter, part sled. It has two long runners for self-propulsion on snow. With a wooden seat at the front, it can accommodate a backpack or two. It is widespread in Scandinavian countries, especially in Finland. “You don’t need any special equipment to kicksled, just a good pair …
Living With Wildlife: Maggie Leary
Hello Everybody, We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you used to [email protected] This little redpoll was by himself on our feeder on a forty below day in Mayo, when suddenly his breath puffed out. If you …
A Cozy Place to Spend the Winter
Fritz Mandl was enjoying a sunny day at Army Beach in September when he came across what looked like a dying butterfly. The fragile insect was flying past him on a cold gust of northern wind when it suddenly dropped from the air and went limp, becoming motionless. Assuming that the poor creature had died, …
Winter Sports Smackdown
So much winter, so little time. With Yukon’s abundance of winter recreation options, how do you choose your sport?
Yukon Trees in Winter
Trees that naturally grow in and around Whitehorse There are only three families of trees represented in the southwest Yukon. Sounds easy enough? It isn’t, so don’t feel bad if you can’t see the trees for the forest. The willow family (Salicaceae): willow and poplar The birch family (Betulaceae): alder and birch The pine family …
Natural Energy Boosts
It’s that time of year again. With the constant darkness and the cold, many of us are feeling – and looking – a little tired. Personally, I blame the fact that I’m pretty sure outside the hours of 10 to three it is straight-up midnight all the time. If you’re feeling a little rundown, you …
Winter Anticipation
December is the Friday of the year. The whole month is filled with giddy anticipation for the budding winter wonderland, parallel to the giddy anticipation one feels for the weekend, while staring at the clock Friday afternoon. That’s when the wise ones will let us know that Christmas doesn’t have to be perfect. Our idealist …
The Lake Below
Another strange phenomena occurred that happens to me in the mountains. We looked up the side hill for Nancy, but we couldn’t see her at all. We wondered where she had gone, It turned out that she indeed was climbing in plain view, and sure enough she could easily see us on the lake. We …
Aisy Doodles, December 14, 2016
Aislinn Cornett is an art therapist, writer, artist and adventurer born in Whitehorse, Yukon. She currently lives, writes and doodles on the beach in Mexico.
Winter Dog Walk
You know the drill. There’s a beautiful, warm, cozy and glowing fire in your living room. Sweat pants are on. A nice dinner’s been eaten. It would be so easy; it would be so great, just to lie on your couch and go to sleep. But, there’s one four-legged bundle of joy wreaking havoc in …
Mighty Neighbourly
After living in Vancouver for three years I’d become accustomed to people giving me strange looks if I smiled at them in the elevator or while waiting in line for a coffee. When I returned home to the Yukon it was a pleasure to rediscover its camaraderie and community. People band together to help one …
Waterbugs in Winter
I use the word ‘bug’ here, to describe little creatures with … legs. Insects, but more than that. Not everything I call ‘bug’ living underneath the ice are insects, some turn out to be crustaceans. In the beginning of October, before it started snowing, there was a brief period when the thermometer dropped below zero …
Yukon Chic
It’s a long time before a fashion designer will stage a runway down a catwalk of the snow-laden Millennium Trail, yet the Yukon does uphold a clothing culture. Our style parallels our environment. This leads Yukoners to a distinctive style. If there were fashion police upholding the laws of Yukon style, any Yukoner without an …
As the River Slowly Freezes
Living across the Yukon River from Dawson City in the communities of West Dawson or Sunnydale has its perks. You’re near town, but not in town. A 35-minute walk or 10-minute ferry ride is all it takes to partake of the amenities of town living, while still experiencing an off-the-grid lifestyle. But twice a year …
The Lure of the Aurora Borealis
Tourists visit the Yukon to see the aurora; it’s the heart of the winter tourism industry. Visitors who have done their research will also have other activities in mind. People arrive from around the world – including Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Korea, and of course the United States and other parts of …
Food is Medicine
Is your digestion slow? Feel cold all the time? Tired and achy? Low mood? Lack the energy to get through your day? If any of these symptoms are a problem for you and you’re struggling to feel well, no matter what you try, Chinese medicine and acupuncture might have the answer for you. You could be suffering the effects of Yukon’s long, dark, cold winters. But …
Training Ground
Mount Sima is “the first mountain in North America to have a jump line in.” That’s what Graham Pollock says. He’s the head coach of the Yukon freestyle ski team. A jump line means a skier can take more than one jump in a row while going down a hill. Sima has three jumps in …
Aisy Doodles, November 16, 2016
Aislinn Cornett is an art therapist, writer, artist and adventurer born in Whitehorse, Yukon. She currently lives, writes and doodles on the beach in Mexico.
Like the Man Said, Those Precious Days are Dwindling Down
The great American lyricist Maxwell Anderson summed up the imperatives of this time of year better than anyone else: “Oh, it’s a long, long while from May to December / But the days grow short when you reach September.” No, wait. We’ve already slid into November, for Pete’s sake. Definitely time to gather nuts, pack …
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Lonely Nights in an Old House
If you live all by yourself downtown Whitehorse, the last thing you want is somebody knocking at your door in the middle of the night – somebody who is strange, somebody who calls your name and you don`t know what they want from you. One night in early February I had just returned from a …
Your Guide to Vitamin D
Facebook friends are filling my feed with photos of stunning sunrises that they are seeing on their way to work. Everyone marvels at them, yet all I can focus on is how we are about to be plunged into months of darkness. It’s that time of year. If you’re looking to get a head start …
Strange things make a great story
Inspired by the Yukon winter and the road closures that lead to a feeling of isolation, Elle Wild wrote her first crime novel and set it in Dawson City. The novel, called Strange Things Done, won the Arthur Ellis Award 2015 for Best Unpublished First Crime Novel from the Crime Writers of Canada. Based in …
Oh, Chickadee!
Of all the birds of the forest, the chickadee is my favourite. Growing up in Nova Scotia, it was one of the first birds I knew. My family had a cottage in the forest on the shore of St. Margaret’s Bay, outside Halifax. The black caps regularly shared our play areas. This tiny, cheery bird …
Taking it to the Streets
The streets of Dawson vary in size, height, width and smoothness with the seasons. In spite of snowfall and the need to plough them, they are really at their best in the winter, when the hard-packed snow fills in all the possible places where potholes might form. In the summer, potholes are the bane of …
Winter: A Season for Change
“The more things change the more they stay the same” and “The only constant in life is change” are both very cliche and very true. In some sense farming and gardening means things are staying the same. We usually use the same plot of land and plant the same kinds of vegetables. We also raise …
We Burnt It Away
This past weekend, Yukoners burnt away their winter blues at the annual festival of the same name.Photographer Dylan Nelson was there to capture the action.
Stepping out for the Games
Five Special Olympics Yukon athletes went to Corner Brook, Newfoundland for the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games. Special Olympics Yukon sent two skating athletes and three cross country skiers. The team qualified by competing at the 2015 Special Olympics British Columbia Winter Games that were held in Kamloops, B.C. this past winter. On February 24th, …
My First Yukon Winter
I’ve been living out the season as the idiot to winter and the dunce to darkness. In hindsight, I should have seen it coming.
Ode to Kusawa Lake
Boxing Day: we drive out to Kusawa Lake. My beloved lake, Kusawa. The joys of the lake for me include swimming, boating, floating, skating, to be in it/ on it or crossing the lake. I have even bicycled on it and now I walk on it. I have often sunbathed on its sandy beaches or …
Of Heater Plugs and Roof Clearances
It’s not that there haven’t been warm winter spells at various times in Dawson, but this winter seems to be one for the books.
Frostbite is Back
Yukon’s winter music festival, Frostbite is back for 2016, finally. A small group of volunteers have been working hard to make this happen.
Is Winter Really That Wicked?
Yukoners are no stranger to harsh winters. However, we don’t mind it as we are used to the snow and the cold and we’ve found a way to adapt ourselves to this chilly side of mother nature. For the cigar company CAO they decided to capture the essence of winter in the form of a …
Winter Solstice
Winter solstice is the shortest day and, officially, the start of winter. But it also triggers the sun’s journey back, bringing us spring. This year, for us in the northern hemisphere, winter solstice occurred on Dec. 21. That was when the sun was directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, a line of latitude that encircles Earth …
Get your kit and skoot up that hill
Haines’ third annual Kat to Koot winter alpine adventure race begins at the Southeast Alaska State Fairgrounds and ends around six mile Lutak Road by way of Mt. Ripinski summit of 1097 metres. Lindsay Johnson and members of the Haines Alpine Touring Society (HATS) started the race in 2017 as a way to build human-powered …
Musings on Ice: A Changing Yukon Winter Story
Ice is important. It allows people and wildlife to use or cross lakes, ponds and rivers. Ice also provides access to what’s below: fish, muskrats and water, for example. Unfortunately, the mild fall temperatures in many parts of Yukon have again delayed ice formation. This isn’t new. Recorded observations of Yukon River freeze-up in Whitehorse …
West Dawson Time
I’m not sure where the second week of freeze up has gone. After the protracted nature of my preparations, the flurry of activity upon arrival, and the pleasantly systematic organization of the cabin once here, time itself has taken on a different feel. Maybe it was the sudden transition from fall to winter that came …
Making A Choice to Think Positive Thoughts
As the days become shorter and colder, the desire to hibernate like a bear becomes stronger. Those dealing with stress, anxiety or depression may be more likely to succumb to this feeling. The Mental Health Association of Yukon is offering a course to teach people a different way of thinking. In the course, called Living …
Jewels on the Water
The ice is coming down in a rush this year. While there was not a sign of the stuff in the river on the day they pulled the George Black Ferry out of the Yukon on October 29, it took just a few nights of minus teens temperatures to bring small pans of the greyish …
Winter: We Shutter to Feel it Coming
At a recent municipal candidates’ forum it was suggested that one of the solutions to Dawson’s perennial winter housing problem would be to arrange to rent out rooms in some of the establishments that only operate in the summer. It’s true that a good many places close up shop once the summer visitors slow to …
An Old Crow Halloween
I looked out our window in Old Crow Halloween Day, 2014. It was -10ºC outside. Trees were shaking as the wind howled making it much colder.
What to Do in Dawson in the Winter
Those who think that the Klondike is just a sleepy little place in winter between the tourists and the Yukon Quest would be mistaken.
Winter is Coming
Over the past few years the gardens have been producing more and more vegetables. So, come fall we start to look for places to store the root crops for the winter. Our main root crops are potatoes and carrots, which need a dark, cool space with a bit of humidity. We have been storing them …
Winter Is Not Coming
I’ve been online shopping. Specifically, I’ve been fixated on merino wool base layers on Amazon. Researching sizes, the best weave weight, which tops will work both as under and outer wear, what brands won’t pill. I’ve found some that are half price! With free shipping! And in the seven days since I’ve been home I’ve …
Three Books for Adventurous Souls
It’s the fall season, which means two things: the slow-creep of cold weather and a near-existential dread of the aforementioned. It also means, for thousands of Yukoners, a frantic dash to enjoy those last, fleeting moments of liveable outdoor weather in the form of fishing, hunting, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking or whatever your outdoor poison …
Swordplay and Flaming Arrows
Winter is coming. You might say that’s our motto above the 60th parallel, but they’re also words to live by in Winterfell, the northernmost kingdom of imaginary Westeros. The Game of Thrones saga has unexpectedly surpassed cult status, but its mythology may have special appeal for northerners and not just for its keen sense of …
February Seedlings
Anything can happen in February, weather-wise. It can be -30°C one day and 5°C a few days later. The sun can be very warm and the spring starts diminishing the snow and icing up the roads. January is a month of hibernation and rest. But February is a month of cabin fever; hence Rendezvous. February, the …
Cold Water Immersion
The 1-10-1 principle refers to time: one minute, 10 minutes, and one hour. “One minute” deals with cold-water shock; when you first fall into the cold water. There will be an immediate deep gasp followed by hyperventilation and possible panic. Controlling panic and your breathing are critical to survival. This situation will pass in about a …
Ice climbing ain’t for the faint of heart
I have been a rock climber for seven years; I went from being an indoor climbing warrior to outdoors enthusiast. I climb 1500 feet walls; I bushwhack for hours for a single climb and travel to exotic countries to taste the different rock. All the while, I keep a cool head. I don’t consider my …
Ice Fishing Equipment
Ice fishing is a cold weather activity and your hands are involved in every operation, including cutting holes, setting up equipment, and hopefully handling fish. High quality gloves, mitts, and hand warmers are essential to keep at it for any length of time. Long before power or even hand-powered augers were available, holes for winter …
An elusive mountain creature: Mary Whitley
As her husband describes her, Mary Whitley is an elusive mountain creature. Mary’s favorite bird is the northern wheatear. I am proud to say that Mary is also my good friend and hiking partner. Many Yukoners may know Mary as an avid outdoors woman, and for her knowledge of birds. I was happy that she …
A Christmas Tale Retold
Manufacturing, transportation — even writing styles — have all changed since Clement Moore’s famous ditty, A Visit from St. Nicholas, first appeared anonymously in the Troy, N.Y. Sentinel on December 23, 1823. As a public service, What’s Up Yukon is pleased to present a more contemporary version of this oft-told tale: Yo, Nick. Is that …
Sleeping bag selection
Sleeping bags are available from $25 to $2500, depending on your needs and budget. They will all be satisfactory if used as intended, but none will work very well if used other than what they were made for. Sleeping bags come in a couple of different shapes, a multitude of materials, and a variety of …
How About a Winter Road Trip?
Winterize the camper, stash the emergency parkas and boots, pack all the necessary clothing for three seasons (fall, winter, and spring), get coffee to go, and we are off. When you work in the construction industry as my guy does, you don’t always get to pick your vacation season. Unfortunately, slow times are rare when …
Hiking “Winter Mountain”
When the girl-gang goes hiking, we like to do as little driving as possible. The girls live in town. I don’t. So, we try to find a hike in the middle. I’d never done this hike before. But it is quite magnificent, a little comparable to the Coal Lake area, but in my opinion, even …
Why They Bike
We hear them before we see them; they squeak up behind us on the snowy trail or sidewalk. A muffled “on your left” as they slowly pedal by. Their LED headlight, taillight, and headlamp briefly illuminate the dusky winter daylight. The headlights of passing cars reflect off the back of their neon safety vest. Ski …
Don’s Famous Peaches
Famous Peaches SUBHEAD: A breakfast fit for the fit by Don Graham I normally buy two cases of Canadian grown peaches to last me one winter. They generally cost anywhere from $18 to $27 per case. My preferred variety is freestone peaches, where the pit is easy to remove. I store them in the basement …
An Epic Ski Day
My first day on Mount Sima — Sunday, January 12 — was so epic. The beautiful landscape, all dressed up in snow, looked like a postcard. It was so fun to hear all the laughter from people coming down as I rode up the mountain on the ski lift. The sky is there for those …
A Frozen Pipe Dream
I went to Vancouver a few weeks ago. I wasn’t looking forward to trading sunny skies for rainy ones — although the temperatures were going to be much warmer than the -24°C temperatures here. Before I left, Allan asked me to bring back some spring with me. When I got there, it was indeed spring. …
Touching Moments Make the Games Unforgettable
Sochi marks my 6th Paralympic Games — the first three as an athlete, the next three with the Canadian Paralympic Committee. I have watched the awareness around the Paralympics grow considerably over the 15 years, and the games here in Sochi have once again brought Paralympic sport to a whole new level. All of the …
The Lives of Retired Athletes
What happens to Yukon Quest dogs after they retire? Many live out their lives at the kennel they were raised in, enjoying the perks of retirement: running loose, puppy training and wrangling, and the lucky task of cleaning up spilled kibble, or fish and meat scraps. Some dogs though, get to go to their own …
Tobogganing, Adult-Style
The last time I was sledding with Casey Lee McLaughlin, she took me out at the knees. But then my dog rode her and her crazy carpet down the hill, like a snowy surfer, growling at the base of her neck. So that was okay. McLaughlin loves sledding. Her weapon of choice is a crazy …
Come On and Take a Free Ride
What do you get when you dump 38 truckloads of snow and ice at the doorstep of Yukon College? A 28-foot-high ice slide that’s fun for all ages. Marco Paquet, a multimedia student at Yukon College, is the brains behind the structure. “I have two children (a two-and-a-half year old daughter and a 13-year-old son) …
Winter Blues Breaker
During Yukon winters it’s important to keep yourself motivated to stay active, and to seek ways of making it fun. While suffering from my own lack of motivation, I searched for something that could rekindle my desire to move again. I spoke to Mike Gladish, organizer of the upcoming Northwestel Hut to Hut cross country …
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, …
Ice; It’s Always Changing
With warm weather things change quickly, as we have seen this year. By mid-December there was a great freeze on most lakes, with little snow. Then the pineapple express brought warm weather and bad ice. But as the weather cooled, the winds came up, and the ice blew clear, so it is back to ideal …
A Season in the Mist
Freeze-up on the Yukon River is not proceeding according to custom this year. Despite the lack of ice at the regular crossing down by the ferry landing in Dawson City, people did begin to cross the river south of the confluence of the Yukon and Klondike about two and a half weeks after the George …
Keep warm, stay watching: Winter star gazing is fun, but you have to know how
Living in the North has many advantages. We have crystal clear skies, no air pollution and many hours of darkness in the winter season. This adds up to excellent opportunities for viewing and taking pictures of the Northern Lights. Another great advantage of living in the North is the extremely dry air. In humid parts …
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Taking on the Winter Cold
It would seem that winter is here in full force, bringing icy cold temperatures that chill you to the bone, unless you are prepared for the onslaught. Are you prepared? Is your observing equipment ready to go out in the frosty Yukon deep winter night for another evening of observing? I have recently received multiple …
Sunshine Paradox
BY DAN DAVIDSON Luminous ice-fogged sunshine haze sits upon the earth; mocks our avenues and days with signs of nature’s mirth. Sunshine should bring warmer weather so we have been told; this light’s touch is a frosty feather tickling us with the cold. We bundle up in parkas thick as down the streets we lurch, …
Le Beaujolais Nouveau est Arrive!
November is my favourite month of the wine year. While it is the month where we have to acknowledge, especially in the Yukon, that we are plunging irretrievably into the depths of darkness and winter, at the same time there is a day that for me is the harbinger of the holiday season. That day …
Imaging the Cosmos … Is It For Me?
Welcome to the Yukon Winter Night Sky and all the cosmic treasures that are just waiting for you to discover and photograph them. The weather has been unstable, with storm fronts continually moving in, bringing lots of clouds and very uncertain night skies. These are trying times for amateur astronomers and completely frustrating times for …
Decembers Planetary Pile Up
If you were taking note of the High Lights in the last issue (and this one), you would have discovered that December is chock full of planetary action. The month started off with a very rare event: on December 1st, Venus, Jupiter and the Crescent Moon joined together in the western sky in the early …
The Astronomers Christmas Wish List
The snow is flying, the sky is full of clouds and apparently this is the way it is to be for a while. What is a budding young Yukon amateur astronomer to do? This is a time to re-grease your telescope with winter grease and double check all your gear and make sure that everything …
Bi-‘Sicles Built for Two
BY DAN DAVIDSON Two months trapped in the cold, ironically chained to this post, snow-ploughed up to the axles, rimed with forty-below hoar frost, two cycles lean front to back as if they could support each other against the weather. Ridden through summer’s dust and mud they ended here, stopped here, transfixed by this impromtu …
He followed the Quest to Whitehorse
Alex Olesen has been around dogs his whole life. Growing up in Fairbanks, his family owned a team of sled dogs. “I remember sitting in the basket getting peppered by the snow and ice off their feet and hoping they didn’t crap on the fly.” His father, Lee Olesen, was one of the first judges …
Aprils Comet and Galaxy Adventure
We have been watching Comet PanSTARRS for the last week and it has been fascinating to see it change. When the comet first appeared high enough in the night sky to be seen, around the third week in March, it was quite easy to view with the unaided eye, from my front porch with local …
What Could Be More Canadian Than Snow and Ice?
It has come to my attention that Canada is cold. Or, more to the point, people have needed to direct my attention to this fact – on numerous occasions. If I scour my generally addled brain for a distant memory of my first move to the Yukon, it’s filled with potentially dire warnings. “But – …
Burn this winter away
This could be the most-anticipated Burning Away the Winter Blues event in its history. says Arlin McFarlane. “It has been a long winter.”
Those Frosty Night Skies
It is Friday evening, the sky is crystal clear and the temperature is a balmy –23 degrees. Add to that a 30-kilometre wind from the south, and you have a wind chill of –39 degrees. For most people this is a good time to stay indoors and sip a nice warm cup of hot chocolate. …
Northern Romance, February 14, 2013
Q: What should I do if I don’t have a date on Valentine’s Day? –Dateless on Donjek Charlie Says: Count your blessings Dateless. Valentine’s Day can be an expensive Hallmark holiday full of pressures, expectations and annoying restaurant line-ups. With the time you would have otherwise spent aggravating your hay fever at a flower shop, …
Winter Beer to Warm the Cockles
The weather outside is frightful but a beer could be delightful — even if it’s not the first drink that comes to mind after a brisk day in a wintery wonderland. Most people don’t crave beer after freezing their extremities. Hot chocolate with Baileys? Maybe. Hot toddy? Yes please. Most beer can’t transition from cold-and-carbonated …
Tucking Your Greenhouse in for a Winter’s Sleep
Getting your greenhouse ready for winter may be a matter of just closing the door and walking away, to worry about next spring, but you will be much better prepared for the next gardening season if a few minutes are spent now to winterize the greenhouse. Removing all plant residues from the greenhouse is one …
It’s Cheechako’s first winter
This is a column for Cheechakos. Sourdough, you know this stuff. …February, March & April are your reward for November, December & January…
Surviving and Thriving in Winter
Northern gardeners understanding the concept of winter hardiness. “Will my perennial plants or bushes survive the winter?” is no easy task.
The Icing on the Season
BY DAN DAVIDSON There are signs of seasons changing that we all can recognize: falling leaves and boarded windows, filled with plywood cut to size.??Hotels close and shops cut hours and the RV parks shut down, and the last canoing Germans take their tours around the town.??But the icing on the season’s when the snow …
Flaming Dustballs and a Fistful of Planets
As winter sets in, the planets are making a spectacular showing. In the morning hours, the planet Venus is clearly visible even at 7 a.m. While waiting to take the bus to work in the morning, I happen to look to the eastern horizon and, much to my surprise, resting high above the horizon, brilliant …
Christmas for Farmers
I love Christmas … the lights that light up Main Street, the smells of Christmas baking, the excitement of wrapping up secrets and putting them under the tree. I love just about everything about Christmas … except the commercialization of it. So when doing my shopping, I try to look for things that haven’t been …
The Snowplough Went By at Noon Today
??BY DAN DAVIDSON The snowplough went by at noon today; I think it’ll go by again. The reason I think this is plain to the eye: you can’t even see where it’s been.??It started to snow in the morning on Friday, big, fluffy, white flakes wafting down. The lawn disappeared, then our boardwalk filled in …
Grey Mountain Adventures
As December begins, we reflect on the “High Lights” of November. Unsettled weather, with cloudy nights, high winds and snow flurries, offered few good opportunities for observing. From the observer’s log … After being “closed down” for five Saturdays in a row, due to nasty weather, I headed out. The temperature was a balmy minus-eight …
December’s Dazzling Delights
December is, as always, an action-packed viewing experience full of discovery and adventure for all Yukon amateur astronomers. There are dazzling delights for anyone with binoculars or a telescope and the inclination to look up. All we need now is some clear transparent night skies. November’s weather had proved to be so cloudy that we …
Snapshot in Time
Another year is coming to a close and it is time to reflect on the great cosmic events we have seen, and all the fabulous people we have met on this galactic journey. Most people assume astronomy, as a hobby, is sitting all alone in a field with a telescope in the middle of nowhere. …
Would you Listen to a non-‘iceologist’?
Is the ice safe? A common question this time year. Memories of falling through ditch ice, as a child, come back … or hearing of people not making it. Either way, getting your lower extremities wet at minus 24 degrees Celsius is gonna suck. Surely, it’s been cold enough, for long enough, with a non-insulating …
Wine for a Winter’s Eve
So now the rich, velvety darkness of the Yukon winter has descended and the temperatures at my cabin have dropped below minus 20, several evenings. And yet, it is probably my favourite time of year here. The blue lights are strung in the trees along Main Street and are alight by 4 p.m., as the …
Cosmic Silhouettes
The weather is returning to a more normal routine, and although I do love the warmer weather, it does make for cloudy nights, offering few opportunities for deep-sky observing. It is Saturday night, the temperature is minus 18 and the wind is light. All my astronomical viewing forecasters (The Weather Network, Clear Sky Clock and …
Avalanche warnings: What you think you know, can kill you
“You can’t read the Avalanche Conditions Report and make it apply to backcountry skiing,” Jennifer Magnuson warns me. She’s the communication analyst for the Department of Highways and Public Works. She’s talking about the frequent reports they make on highway conditions, specifically avalanches in about four areas of highways known for frequent avalanches. She’s seen …
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Dead Planet vs. Tolerable Winters
Rhythmic drips from the roof flash by the window, something other than the raven calling in the morning, and the occasional whiff of thawed soil. Can it be? The whisper of spring in the air? One can’t help but get excited. The myth of the early spring: superstitious people are reluctant to talk about it, …
The Marvelous Tale of Musher McHugh
There are strange things done on the Percy run when the mushers hit the trail. There are tales that are told of the ice and cold that make novice mushers quail. But the strangest story we’ve heard of late is the tale of Matthew McHugh, how he stopped on the jog, just to check his …
The Blahs Get a Good Exorcise
Man, could I ever have used a Rendezvous this year. The past month was a particularly dark sinkhole of a time for yours truly, and unfortunately these flatlanders in the town they call “Toon”, only seem to get together and celebrate when the Riders are on the field. I’m not sure exactly how February got …
Boardwalk Users Take the High Road
Dawson’s council got to talking about bylaws and boardwalks the other day and one councillor made the comment that there didn’t seem to be any point in keeping our boardwalks clear in the winter because it appeared that nobody used them anyway. Now, this column isn’t the place for me to engage in political badinage, …
Winter Snow Dropped Early this Year
My experience in Dawson says we first snow before Thanksgiving. But there are exceptions. One memorable year we had snow early in September
Jupiter Takes Centre Stage Through December
Here comes the Yuletide observing season, so get ready to tilt your neck up. There are plenty of cosmic events happening in those amazing Yukon night skies throughout the entire month of December. The month starts off with Jupiter rising at sunset and setting at sunrise. This means that Jupiter is in the sky all …
Winterize Your Greenhouse
Getting your greenhouse ready for winter could be a matter of just closing the door and walking away, something to worry about next spring. But you will be much better prepared for the next gardening season if you spend a few minutes winterizing the greenhouse now. Removing all plant residues from the greenhouse is one …
November’s Celestial Musings
The Yukon Night Skies are coming alive with winter constellations like Orion, Taurus, and Gemini. Using a pair of humble binoculars, star clusters, galaxies, and nebula can all be easily seen. The Yukon Night Skies also holds an easily-seen comet, and several planets. So what did I see on my last observing session up on …
Choosing sides for the Klondike winter
Twice a year in Dawson City, lives are disrupted, homes are abandoned and the big question is, “What side will you be on?” Is Dawson City in the middle of political unrest? No, it’s Mother Nature we’re talking about. Those of us who live in West Dawson, located across the Yukon River from Dawson City, …
No Round of Resolutions for Me
Before I seem like more of a curmudgeon than I actually am, allow me to state right off the bat: I’m not against New Year’s resolutions. I just know they ain’t for me. Not that you should necessarily follow my track, lying on the couch in a turkey-induced coma. I just know that as we …
Tasting France’s Most Famous Wine
Now that the Yukon snows have finally arrived and the all-too-brief weeks of skating the magically bare icy surface of my lake are done, I am looking forward to short, early twilights leading into our the long winter nights. For me this is the time of year to reconnect with friends, sit over long dinners …
Olympics are just not normal
Point your toes! Point your toes!” I yelled at Sam Edney. He likely didn’t hear me because my mouth was full of Bacon Ranch Pringles Potato Chips at the time. Or, maybe it was the fact that he was racing down the luge track in Whistler while I was shouting at him through my television. …
Funky Hand Controllers
The biggest problems experienced by amateur astronomers, who live in the Yukon and the northern limits of civilization, is the cold. The cold is brutal on the human element, and is capable of wreaking all kinds of havoc on astronomy gear — from poorly made eyepieces and telescope mounts, to laptop computers. One would think …
Meat, My Friend, Bessie
My name is Anthony, and I love meat. This past holiday season I was granted a Christmas miracle: a miracle of the meaty kind. Some friends and I were pulling into Edmonton from a stand-up comedy gig in High Level, Alberta. For those geographically challenged, that’s an eight-hour drive, straight up, pretty much scraping the …
Club Welcomes Beginner Dogs and People to Races
Whether you have a poodle, a retired sled dog, or a dog in race form, the Dog Powered Sports Association (DPSA) of the Yukon has an event for you. The association runs events year-round and provides dogs -— and their owners — lots of opportunities for exercise, skill-improvement and socializing. In the summer, the Hot …
The Blues for Burning
As a theatre designer, Stéphanie Lambert is used to creating things that aren’t meant to last. But not all of them are destined to go up in flames. That’s what will happen this weekend when her four-faced effigy of winter is sacrificed on a ceremonial bonfire at Robert Service Park. Lambert, a 2008 graduate in …
Lasers, Photons and Northern Lights
Astronomy, the Yukon night skies, and non-stop springtime action go hand in hand. After having cloudy skies and the odd snowstorm dropping by to visit, we are finally getting a long deserved break. It all started on a frosty Tuesday evening, with the temperature hovering around -30 degrees Celsius, and a brisk north wind at …
Bitter and Batter
If you read Dennis Zimmermann’s article last week on ice fishing and combined it with the weather in Whitehorse this weekend, you may well have grabbed your auger and hightailed it down to Pumphouse. Or maybe, like us, you still have a freezer full of fish from last summer’s amazing season and got inspired to …
The Shadows Know
In the afternoon glare of October elongated shadows stretch north across the town,reaching for winter.
Flash freeze-up: Speculation and rumours
There is excitement in the air, at least for those of us living on the west side of the Yukon River in Dawson City. Freeze-up is coming, and it’s only a matter of time before the ferry, our only connection to town, will be pulled. Speculation and rumours abound. Judging by the slush coming down …
World of Words: Concierge at a wilderness dog camp
I haven’t seen a Yukon Quest or Arctic Ultra race start in seven years now because, along with my husband Mike, I’m usually deep in the wilderness at a remote checkpoint. We initially honed our skills with the Arctic Ultra race at a wall tent camp at Dog Grave Lake, 40 miles south of Braeburn, …
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The Artful Orchestration of Ferry Extraction
In Dawson we usually get 24-hours notice before the George Black ferry gets pulled for the winter. That’s time enough for one last big haul of potable water, one last really big trip to the grocery stores; time to stock up on fuel for the generator; time to lay in supplies for what can be …
Whitehorse Club Offers Cross-Country Skiiers Dream Conditions
“When I travel down south for meetings, other clubs are astounded and in awe of what we have here in Whitehorse,” said Claude Chabot, Executive Director of the Whitehorse Cross-Country Ski Club. “On our trails you can be cross-country skiing by moonlight, watching the magic of the northern lights dance over the Lower Valley trails …
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Easing Into winter
OK, so it’s been a bit cold out, the light is going, your skis have cobwebs on them and you can’t find your mitts. Enough excuses already! As I write this, Whitehorse is approaching record snowfalls for the month of November. November is often a month suitable only for the diehards, picking their way among …
The Skijorer’s Lament
Spring is a time of confusion for skijorers. The words “yes, but” are used more and more often as the days progress. “Isn’t the heat just wonderful?” gushes a spring enthusiast. “Yes, but,” answers the skijorer, “it’s too warm for the dogs.” “Doesn’t the sun feel so good?” enthuses another. “Yes, but,” says the skijorer …
Unsolicited Winter Tips
Sure, he teased us all with an above average fall, but once again Old Man Winter has settled in. Every year there is a hope he might just bypass us all together and maybe visit Osoyoos, but he never does, and therefore we all must learn to adapt. Now by no means do I consider …
Avalanche Aware
As the first fatality of the 2011-2012 snow season is reported (a snowmobiler in Prince George, B.C.), Kristie Simpson muses that the timing for the new Yukon avalanche forecast system couldn’t be more crucial. Simpson, a board member of the Yukon Avalanche Association and owner/operator of Avalanche North, is one of several dedicated volunteers who …
Skiing the Animal Trail
Bison and foxes and sheep. Oh my! The Yukon Wildlife Preserve on the Takhini Hot Springs Road offers all of these and more—and it’s recently added a series of track-set ski trails to give visitors a new way to get up close and personal with the animals. The Wildlife Preserve covers over 700 acres of …
Fat Tracks
Have you ever driven past someone on a bike at -35 in a blizzard and thought they were crazy? You’re probably not alone. Let’s face it, it’s cold and miserable outside, and bikes aren’t really designed to tackle winter conditions (anyone who has ever tried to ride their mountain bike down a toboggan hill knows …
Sunshine and Shadow in the Winter
Our dog, Shadow, is outside this afternoon and has been for about half an hour. The sun has reached the point where it actually shines directly on 7th Avenue for an hour or so, and she wants to take in as much of it as she can. In the darkest part of the winter she …
Checkpoint checklist
As I stand behind the counter of the Dawson City Visitor Information Centre, I look at the eight people sitting in a semicircle around me. They have pens, notepads and wear expectant looks on their faces. We are at the volunteer meeting for the Yukon Quest 1,000 Mile International Sled Dog Race and everyone is …
Glorious 40 Below
Sunday we woke up to -40. Minus forty is the same in Fahrenheit and Celsius. To me that means everybody understands: no matter which system you use, – 40 is -40. But to really know how that feels, you have to live it. At 40 below things do change. From the usual cold it is …
The Warriors of -35
The eventuality has come to pass – the cold snap has finally caught up with us. After spending the winter to date enjoying generally mild temperatures, allowing even the most cold-averse of us to enjoy skiing, snowshoeing, and pond hockey, we are facing the fact that -35 (without wind chill) has become our new reality. …
January’s Cosmic Jewels
Here comes another year with plenty of amazing sights for the cosmic tourist in this great northern land of ice and snow. Now if the weather would cooperate, we would be rocking! January appears to be an action-packed month of viewing, including some old familiar sights. For example, Venus is making a comeback and can …
The Little Blue Blur
Have you ever watched downhill skiing on television and caught the flash of a blue jacket running out of frame as the racer gracefully (or recklessly, depending on your take) carves down the slope? If so, you’ve probably caught a rare glimpse of the elusive course crew. The course crew member is a hardy species, …
Barbecue in the Winter! Are You Nuts?
The primeval need to flash-up the grill is totally irresistible … an innate, desperate need passed down through time. The outside temperature will never deter the intrepid grillmeister from accomplishing his task (it will just freeze the barbecue knobs. And I don’t mean his buddies). “Intelligence is something we are born with. Barbecuing is a …
Winter Camping and Skiing? Get Out and Get the Sun!
Winter weather … cold, crisp and clear. When the sun shines, get outside. Ski, snowshoe, sled or run your dog to get that sun full on your face. The sun can help immensely in lifting your spirits as well as getting much-needed Vitamin D. When travelling in cold temperatures, make sure you pack lots of …
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