Al and I had a fantastic week mountain biking with Boréale Explorers. We opted for the "6 days of Yukon Riding" package which included meals and accommodation, along with a guide and land transportation. The latter was important because it would have been difficult to get around the Whitehorse/Carcross area without a vehicle. Though given the amounts of delicious food I ate, maybe I should have done more riding!
We flew Vancouver to Whitehorse (and return) with Air North. It was only $25 to check a bike! Whitehorse seems so far away, but it's only a two-hour flight from Vancouver. This was our first trip but it won't be our last.
What about the biking? See the maps below. Days 1, 3, 4, and 6 were in the Whitehorse area (first map); Day 2 we rode Montana Mountain near Carcross (second map), and Day 5 was a day off the bikes, paddling on the Yukon River. Boréale Ranch, where we stayed, is between Whitehorse and Carcross, so every day starts and ends with a ride in a van. Return trips from Whitehorse often detoured to a craft brewery, of which there are two in Whitehorse.
On our arrival day, we had a couple of hours to wander downtown Whitehorse (such as it is). This giant chunk of native copper is outside the MacBride Museum (which we didn't have time to visit that day).
On Day 1, we rode Mt McIntyre, contrary to the standard itinerary which has Grey Mountain for the first day. Itineraries are only guidelines, after all.
On Day 2, we continued to ignore the standard itinerary. Another couple and their guide were going to Carcross so we joined them in the shuttle up the mountain.
From a Carcross tourist info web page: "Montana Mountain lies in the traditional territory of the Carcross/Tagish First Nation (CTFN), which assumed ownership of much of mountain through its 2006 land claim settlement. Since that time, CTFN has overseen the creation of 40 kilometers of multi-use trails through the Carcross Singletrack to Success Project. Plans for more trails and world-class adventure are in the works."
A really cool project. For more info, search "Carcross Teens Develop World-Class Mountain Bike Trail"
View from our high point on Montana Mountain. This is as far as we rode up the access road--just past the McDonald Creek trailhead.
The tourist area of Carcross, near the railway station, has been prettied up with timber plazas and small shop buildings. Many of the buildings (not this one, though) are on wheels. The train runs between Carcross and Skagway. It used to run all the way to Whitehorse but that part of the track has been abandoned.
The other Boréale group heading off in the other direction. We did a little out-and-back in the alpine to let them get well ahead. The other guests are much better riders (than me, anyway) so we would not be catching them. We saw nobody else all day.
Miles Canyon, seen from the road-accessible viewpoint. That trail opposite is the Rim Trail, rated "most difficult, and we certainly won't be riding it! The Yukon River Trail is further upstream.
Our rest day! We kayaked down the Yukon River which wasn't the fast-moving cold water we expected, judging from its colour and speed as seen from the boardwalk downtown. The current slowed down just north of town and the colour isn't glacial flour; it's from copper-bearing mineral silt (I think that's what I heard). No photos from the river. After we'd been picked up and returned to town, we had lunch and visited the SS Klondike National Historic Site. I'll make this a separate page (later)
Just behind the lodge, this hare actually ran toward us! This photo was taken with my phone.
I included this because I wasn't aware that summer temperatures could be in the high 20s (Celsius) in Whitehorse. This busy spray park is adjacent to the very busy playground,
Our last day of biking we rode the Yukon River Trail. It was fabulous! One of the trails we took to get there from where we were dropped off were challenging (for me), but the Yukon River Trail itself was not too technical.
One of the most difficult parts of riding the Yukon River Trail is concentrating on where you are going instead of looking at the scenery!
This was the perfect last full day for our first trip to the Yukon. It won't be our last!
PS: On the day we flew out, we had some time at the lodge before we needed to get into the van for the trip to the airport. Our bikes were packed so we used a couple of the rental bikes to explore a bit. We rode to the end of Lewes Lake, which was "accidentally partially drained during construction of the White Pass & Yukon Route railway a century ago."
Al riding on the super-fine glacial silt that used to be under Lewes Lake.
