Alaska Adventure: Back to the Yukon and the Journey South

July 31 – Back to Canada and on to Dawson City

We slept in a little, got ourselves organized and finally pulled out of Chicken around 10:30.

It was time to leave Alaska behind and head back toward Canada.

The first 50 kilometres were classic northern backroad driving—gravel, washboard and plenty of bumps. The road then climbed into a series of switchbacks, which actually made for some fun driving.

We met about 20 RVs heading the other direction from Canada, but for the most part, the road felt like it belonged entirely to us.

Not long after leaving Chicken, we had one final Alaska wildlife sighting when we spotted a moose.

Then we joined the famous Top of the World Highway.

The route from Chicken toward Dawson City is approximately 127 kilometres and travels through some incredibly remote country. The final 15 kilometres approaching the Canadian border were the only paved stretch on the Alaska side.

The Yukon side returned to gravel, but thankfully it was smooth and easy driving.

We crossed into Canada at the Little Gold border station around noon.

Welcome back to the Yukon!

The next 100 kilometres from the border toward Dawson City were absolutely stunning. Although it was overcast with occasional light drizzle, this wasn’t a road travelling down in the valley. Instead, it followed high along the tops of the mountains.

The views were incredible.

Eventually, we reached the Yukon River ferry crossing into Dawson City—and our timing couldn’t have been better.

We drove up to the ferry landing just as the ferry was docking. We were the only motorhome, along with just three cars, and within minutes we were crossing the river.

Our entire ferry wait and crossing took less than five minutes!

We got settled into the campground, enjoyed happy hour and then went for a walk to start getting acquainted with Dawson City.

August 1 – A Big Day on the Bikes

Today turned into a serious cycling day.

We rode a total of 52 kilometres, starting with a trip out toward the airport before returning to town.

Then came the real challenge.

Midnight Dome.

The climb was one of the toughest hills we’d tackled in quite a while—seven kilometres with approximately 500 metres of climbing.

It was a grind.

But the views and the satisfaction of reaching the top made it worthwhile, even if a few tears were shed!

After cycling around more of Dawson City, we headed back home to change.

But we weren’t finished exploring yet.

We walked to the grocery store, stopped at a gold shop and eventually settled in for happy hour.

Not a bad way to finish a 52-kilometre day!

August 2 – A Rainy Day in Dawson City

The rain came and went throughout the day, putting a bit of a damper on our plans.

We still got out and walked around town, taking things a little slower and enjoying the historic atmosphere of Dawson City.

After several busy days of cycling and travelling, a quieter day wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

August 3 – Hiking Midnight Dome

Today we returned to Midnight Dome—but this time on foot.

We hiked up to the top, keeping our eyes open for wildlife but seeing none.

We did, however, find plenty of cool mushrooms along the trail.

Along the way, we chatted with a couple from the Netherlands who were travelling across Canada and Alaska. One of the best parts of a long trip like this is the people you meet along the way and the stories you get to share.

From Midnight Dome, we continued down toward Crocus Bluff and eventually back into town.

The hike covered about 9.5 kilometres and included roughly 560 metres of elevation from top to bottom.

It was another great way to experience the beautiful countryside surrounding Dawson City.

Then in the evening we headed to the Sourdough Salon and Larry became a member of the Sour Toe Club! The Sourtoe Cocktail is a famous Yukon tradition served at the Sourdough Saloon inside the Downtown Hotel in Dawson City, Canada. It consists of a shot of whiskey (often Yukon Jack) garnished with a real, mummified human toe

The Oath: “You can drink it fast, you can drink it slow, but your lips must touch that gnarly toe.”

The Penalty: Swallowing or stealing the toe results in a heavy fine (currently thousands of dollars), as replacement toes are hard to find.

August 4 – Dawson City’s History and a Night at the Cabaret

We were back on the bikes today, exploring more of Dawson City’s history.

Our first stop was the Jack London Museum. There was a lecture taking place when we arrived, so we weren’t able to go inside, but we did get to see the cabin.

We then continued on to see Robert Service’s cabin before making our way up to the old cemetery.

Dawson City has such an interesting history, and it seems that every corner has another connection to the Klondike Gold Rush and the colourful characters who once called this place home.

That evening, we went to Diamond Tooth Gerties for the cabaret show.

It was a fun night and a perfect way to experience some of Dawson City’s famous entertainment.

August 5 – A Long Drive to Carmacks

Today was mostly a travel day.

We faced a long drive south with three construction zones along the way. The trip took about six hours, and after everything we’d seen in Alaska and northern Yukon, the scenery wasn’t quite as exciting as what we’d become accustomed to.

We did see a few swans, which added a little wildlife interest to the day.

By evening, we arrived in Carmacks and settled in for the night.

August 6 – Back to Whitehorse

We had a relaxed morning before getting back on the road for the two-hour drive to Whitehorse.

Before checking into the campground, we stopped for gas and groceries.

Once we arrived, we washed the RV, got everything set up and then took the Jeep downtown.

June spent some time walking around while I took care of another important problem—my computer.

I took it in to see if it could be fixed.

Unfortunately, the answer wasn’t what I had hoped for.

So, I bought a new one.

Not exactly the planned expense for the trip, but sometimes technology makes the decision for you!

August 7 – Rain and a New Laptop

It was another overcast and rainy day.

We drove downtown to Triniti Computers and picked up my new laptop.

At least one computer problem was now behind us.

August 8 – The Aurora Surprise

We headed southeast out of Whitehorse this morning, once again following the Alaska Highway.

We drove as far as Teslin and checked back into the Yukon Motel—the same place where we’d stayed almost two months earlier.

It felt a little strange to be back somewhere that had been part of the beginning of our journey.

We went for a walk, did some reading and had a quiet evening.

Or at least, we thought it was going to be a quiet evening.

About an hour after midnight, we got up and checked the sky.

It was clear.

At first, we noticed just a little bit of green.

That was enough.

We got dressed and headed outside.

WOW!

What followed was an absolutely amazing aurora display.

The Northern Lights were swaying and moving across the sky. Waves of green appeared, followed by red and purple.

After spending so many weeks travelling through the North, we had finally been rewarded with a truly spectacular display of the Aurora Borealis.

It was one of those moments that photographs may capture, but never completely do justice to.

Standing outside in the Yukon, watching the sky dance in green, red and purple, was simply unforgettable.

August 9 – Watson Lake and the Signpost Forest

After our late-night aurora excitement, we slept in a little.

Then we packed up and drove from Teslin to Watson Lake.

Once we were settled, we got on the bikes and went for a nice ride out to the Watson Lake Airport.

We also stopped at Watson Lake’s main attraction—the famous Signpost Forest.

After weeks and weeks of travelling through Alaska and the Yukon, it was fun to wander among the thousands of signs left behind by travellers from around the world.

By the time we finished exploring, we’d ridden about 30 kilometres.

August 10 – Leaving the Yukon Behind

We left Watson Lake around 11:00 and headed south toward Liard Hot Springs.

As we crossed out of the Yukon, it marked the end of another major chapter of our journey.

We had spent weeks exploring this incredible northern territory—from Whitehorse to Teslin, Dawson City and the Top of the World Highway, with countless kilometres of cycling, hiking, wildlife encounters and some roads we won’t soon forget.

And now we were leaving the Yukon behind.

Another portion of our great northern adventure was coming to a close.

But there was still more road ahead.

Our route through the Yukon (above) and the path we have done for the past 2.5 months (below).