Busy bees in Whitehorse

Ah, summer in Yukon!

Some City of Whitehorse workers were maintaining a flower bed today beside Two Mile Hill.

When I approached to take a picture I could see many bumblebees going flower-to-flower.

Paddling the Yukon River: Carmacks to Dawson city

Some friends and I recently paddled from Carmacks to Dawson City. The journey takes about 6 days.

It’s a very easy section to do as the current is strong. The river pushes you along at around 6km/hour without even paddling. With some paddling you can push to about a 10 km/hour average speed.

The distance of about 400 kilometres means about 40 hours of sustained paddling at this speed.

Rental places allow you to be dropped off in Carmacks then drop off the canoe and supplies in Dawson City before taking a bus back to Whitehorse.

Wildlife on the way to Carcross

The most useful thing I’ve learned over the years about photography is to keep your equipment ready.

When driving I test settings first, then keep the camera and zoom lens equipped on the passenger seat. The result is that I can react quickly when wildlife appears.

A trip to Carcross this week was very scenic and provided some great opportunities — no less than one bear, three moose (a mother and two yearlings) as well as a porcupine.

Edible plant walk at Miles Canyon

The Yukon Conservation Society offers guided walks in Whitehorse, for people who want to learn about local plants.

Guides point out what’s edible and what to avoid.

Testing the Sherp: Russian innovation

A company called Sherp Canada held a demonstration outside Whitehorse. These machines are made in Ukraine and can go through mud, water, ice, snow — you name it.

One thing I noticed though, is that they tear up the countryside. This is partly because of the huge wheels and the method of turning, which is like a tank. Wheels turning forwards and backwards, pivoting the vehicle, tend to mash the ground and dig into it.

The manufacturers hope the Canadian Forces will buy some.

Canada’s 150th parade in Whitehorse

Canada Day, July 1st, was marked with a parade in downtown Whitehorse. Canadian Rangers, horses, firetrucks even knights in armor (from the local medieval sports league..)

This year was the 150th anniversary of Confederation.

The last picture shows Teagyn Vallevand of Whitehorse holding a sign saying “150 years of resilience: Yukon First Nations.”

Rainy summer day in Whitehorse

A rainy summer day in Whitehorse. It hasn’t been very hot this summer but it’s been good for the flowers blooming downtown.

Yukon River Quest 2017 begins

Today was the start of the 700-kilometre journey from Whitehorse to Dawson City: The Yukon River Quest.

Some people use canoes, some use kayaks and some even use stand-up paddle boards.

There are two enforced rest stops totalling 10 hours in all, but other than that it’s go-go-go for a few days. Some people sleep while others paddle and some nights people don’t sleep at all.

Aboriginal Day 2017

This is the first year that Aboriginal Day is a statutory holiday in Yukon. This means government employees had the day off.

The celebration in Whitehorse included music, dancing, fish and bannock, and stories told around a campfire.

Whitehorse community garden

Whitehorse’s community garden gets plenty of sunlight even though it’s at the foot of this bluff.