Day Five - To Canada and Back

Today was the day we went to Carcross Yukon Territories by bus and back as far as Fraser BC. From there we took the Yukon and White Pass train. Peter had been hoping and dreaming of this trip since being ushered back down from the White Pass summit a few years ago but longing to go further. Today was the day! A very full day!

We started in Skagway and followed the Klondike Highway past Summit Lake, Bernard Lake, Shallow Lake, Tutshi Lake and at Tagish Lake reached the Yukon Territory. At CarCross (short version of the original name of Caribou Crossing) we literally crossed over the narrows between Tagish Lake and Bennet Lake the to a now derelict town slowly being revitalized as a tourist attraction. At Carcross we were first well fed at a massive "outdoor" bar-b-que before exploring the pens with some Ididarod race dog sled teams and up and coming puppies. It was easy to see the personalities of the dogs and how pairs were made for racing to gain the best advantage and ultimately winning. The puppies were plain cute resting in groups in any available shade. It was actually quite warm in Carcross. There were actual sand dunes just outside of town which gave an odd sense of desert in the far north! We also toured a private natural wildlife museum of a former taxidermist and adjoining gift shop. The work done was amazing right down to his own personal interpretation and creation of a Woolly Mammoth. Because of the distance traveled we didn't have a lot of time in both the aforementioned tourist attractions or across the Highway at the original town of Carcross.

We traveled back by bus to Fraser BC and there transferred over to the historic train for the remainder of our trip. If you have never travelled a narrow gauge train from such dizzying heights above tree-line to sea level in such a short span of space and time, it is well worth every penny spent! This is an experience made comfortable that many in the late 1800's struggled to achieve on foot for a dream of gold and a better life back home for families left behind!

The remainder of our time was spent poking around Skagway a bit and leisurely walking back to our ship docked front and center! A very full day but one that still brings a smile to my face, even after many days and a lot of events have happened since! I think Peter really enjoyed the "dream trip" as well!