August 13 – Teslin via Carcross

After fueling in Whitehorse ($1.40/liter) and sending off yesterday’s post, we decided to take advantage of a short day and take the Carcross/Tagish Loop via the South Klondike Highway instead of the Alaska Highway. It’s not much longer and it gave us a chance to visit Carcross. This is the route that leads to/from Skagway if you follow it further.

Emerald Lake was attracting lots of people including two tour buses, likely from Skagway cruise ships, as well as several other vehicles. Surprisingly, the road was actually busier than the Alaska Highway had been.

Carcross claims to be home to the world’s smallest desert. It’s small …

Carcross (originally one of three towns named Caribou Crossing) was a transition point between the train from Skagway and the steamers on the lake & river system leading to the Klondike. The route was also used for supplies when building the Alaska Highway. The narrow gauge train still runs as a tourist train and was in town when we arrived.

Across the street from the station was Yukon’s oldest surviving store, doing a brisk business selling souvenirs and ice cream, primarily to the cruise ship tourists.

I’m not sure if the lake rose or the houses sank, but there were several places that appeared to have very little difference between floor level and water level.

Home for the night is the Yukon Motel & RV Park at the Teslin River bridge in Teslin, YT, back on the Alaska Highway. They have gas at Whitehorse prices, a restaurant, laundry, and sites with power so we can run the air conditioner – seriously!

The post made possible by the public wifi at the Yukon Hotel restaurant.