Yukon, Canada

[Philip MacDougall]

One more bunch of pics. Hope this isn't overdoing it. I'll try to post some views and a desciption of the trip tomorrow. Philip

Eritricium aretiodes
 Eritricium splendens
 Anemone drummondii
 Anemone parviflora
 Crepis nana
 Dodecatheon frigidum
 Gentiana algida
 Gentiana glauca
 Eritricium splendens

[Luc Gilgemyn]

This can never be "overdone" Philip !  More fabulous plants and scenery !
 :oThanks a lot for sharing them !

[ChrisB]

I agree.  The Yukon is often presented as a bleak wilderness where very little grows, but your pictures prove otherwise.  Many thanks for this splendid show.  Must be a very short growing season up there though, the snow doesn't leave until June does it?  And returns end of August?  Maybe you can correct me Philip?

[Paul T]

Wonderful topic.  Yet another fascinating eco-system I knew nothing about.  Great stuff!!

That Dodecatheon is pretty speccy, isn't it!!  And the Salix, the Delphinium.... so many wonderful things.  Thanks so much. 

[Lvandelft]

Overdoing?? With such seldom seen or ever heard of plants? NEVER!
Very interesting to see.
Please show us more, Philip.

[Philip MacDougall]

Some details on this trip. The husband and wife team of Margaret C. and Charlie S. did the lion’s share of putting this trip together; unfortunately at the last minute Margaret was unable to join us. We started at Whitehorse, the Yukon’s capital, driving three camper vans we eventually named Testosterone I, Testosterone II and Estrogen I. Most of us had not experience with these small road tanks. Our first night was spent in Carmacks, 175 km north along the Alaska Highway. We then drove to the old Klondike gold fever town of Dawson City, pop. 1327, before turning back 30 km to the start of the Dempster Highway.  I was disappointed at not seeing the dancing Klondike girls but Margaret had been quite clear we should focus on getting to the Dempster; this was where we would see the best wildflower displays. Our second night was spent at the territorial park campground of Tombstone, no relation to the famous mid western town in the US. I had expected a small settlement; there was just an interpretive center and a few small campsites. Two further nights staying in old gravel pits and at km 364 along the Dempster we were at Eagle Plain, not so much a town as an expanded gas station. The bar here was fascinating, at one point in its history it had changed hands in a poker game. Practically every indigenous animal of the area was displayed here, stuffed and strategically placed to sit beside you in the bar. Our waitress had a heavy German accent, leaving me rife with speculation as to the circumstances that landed her in this remote outpost our country. This being the 21rst of June, despite our fatigue Silvia goaded us into driving the further 30 km. to the Arctic Circle. Here we stood in the midnight sun, swatting mosquitoes, woad fashioned from olive oil and grape juice crystals painted on our faces.
  Anne was our geologist who provided us with details of the mountains we were in. Hiking was straightforward, a lot of the mountains have a grade that could be tackled without trails and visibility is not limited by trees. We carried bear spray at all times away from the campers, the closest I got to using mine was during a particularly vicious attack by a couple of mating grouse.
  We reached the Northern point in this trip on the 23rd, crossing over into the Northwest Territory and stopping just short of the ferry ride across the Peel River to Fort McPherson at km 545 on the Dempster.  Another 180 km would have taken us to Canada’s northernmost settlement with highway assess, Inuvik, this territories capital, pop. 3484. It’s in the Mackenzie River delta, but with nothing ahead but drunken spruce, as Margaret calls them, and the taste of mosquitoes, we started back at this point. The sad tiny spruce trees all lean at mad angles, they grow in the thin soil covering the permafrost and never getting a stable toehold. In all fairness the mossies were only a problem on those evenings when the wind died or we were in lowland, we have songs in this country dedicated to the ferocity of the biting insects of the north. By the 27th we were back in Carmack. Allen’s niece ran the grocery and campground, she feted us both coming and going. We had run out of coffee that morning, nothing drives an addict like lack of drug.  There are 3 gas stations between Whitehorse and what had been our northern terminus. 75 km out of Carmack I had to tell Anne our empty light had come on; not only were we out of coffee , we were out of gas. My plan was to siphon off fuel from the other vehicles if we ran dry, not knowing at the time they were in the same state. Oddly it was a nice way to end the trip, coasting into Carmack on fumes, giggling, awash with relief, 75 km of nail biting behind us. I’ll admit my expectation had been of barrenness, I hadn’t expected so much, it turned out to be one of the nicest plant hunts I’ve been on. I hope you enjoy the rest of these pictures, Philip

Whitehorse and a hillside of Penstemon
 Charlie, I think you need to see a Dr..
 Big horn sheep
 Eagle plain
 Eagle Plains bar.
 Gravel pit three , one of many
 Me, Caroboo horn and bear spray
 Midnight, the arctic circle, solstice.Our team, Charlie, Don , Allen, Marcy,Silvia, Anne and me
 Northern terminus to trip, Fort McPherson in distance
 When birds go bad.

[Lesley Cox]

Must have been a fun trip. We can't get away with taking our dog into a bar, let alone a tame caribou!

[Philip MacDougall]

Some views

 27062008_157_01.JPG
 27062008_221.JPG
 27062008_225.JPG
 Allen and Don specks in the distance .JPG
 Allen near peak at Tombstone P6218153.JPG
 dempster 2.jpg
 P6238992.JPG
 P6249413.JPG
 P6259441.JPG
 P6269598.JPG

[Philip MacDougall]

The joke was I couldn't walk by an Arnica without taking a picture. There are 12 species in the Yukon.

 Anemone ricardsonii
 Arnica lessingii
 Arnica sp..
 Arnica sp. on hilside.
 Campanula uniflora
 Saxifraga oppositifolia.
 Salix rotundifolia
 Rubus chamaemorus
 Rhododendron lapponicum
 Papaver sp..

[Paul T]

Philip,

Thanks for the continuing tour.  Wonderful pics!! 

[Lesley Cox]

I adore those flat willows, and the rubus too. Lost mine again, dammit, too dry here. And OHHHHHH for the fruit!

[art600]

I had almost passed this by - how glad I am I decided to dip into the Yukon.  Wonderful plants and views.

[Maggi Young]

I had almost passed this by - how glad I am I decided to dip into the Yukon.  Wonderful plants and views.

Just shows what a good idea it is to give the Forum a thorough inspection regularly, doesn't it?!!
Philip's description of the trip has added greatly to my enjoyment of this thread.... an added dimension to the great pix!  Who knew the dangers of the Yukon included rampant grouse and stuffed deer?

[art600]

Maggi
Dipping into the Forum is my daily treat, and it makes a welcome alternative to the very necessary, but very boring task of repotting.  Of course it helps when the bulbs emerge plump and more numerous than last year - but it isn't always the case....

[Kristl Walek]

at km 364 along the Dempster we were at Eagle Plain, not so much a town as an expanded gas station. Our waitress had a heavy German accent, leaving me rife with speculation as to the circumstances that landed her in this remote outpost our country.

Philip,
Thank you so much for this (and the memories)!!!
I too did the exact (unpaved) Dempster Highway trip some years ago, in August, on my own, in a small rental car---did you mention that there is NOTHING between km1 and km364 except beautiful wilderness?

No gas station, no settlement, no food provisions until you get to Eagle Plain. One needs to be well-prepared, especially in a place where bear outnumber people 10 to 1. And that very same Deutsche waitress was there in my day as well---I did the Arctic Circle in the pouring rain at midnight, and then stayed the night at the expanded gas station/hotel before turning around and doing it all again in reverse. The rented car was unrecognizeable when I returned to Dawson City.

It's a pity that 99% of those beautiful plants hate life outside the far north. I had a special "Yukon  Collection" in my seed catalogue that winter and grew out all of the 300+ species I had collected seed of. I can count on half of one hand, the ones that survived more than 2 years --- and are still growing in my "Yukon trough" ---a representative 2 species (Dryas and Arctostaphyllos). The dwarf willows didn't even make it through a year!!!!

I have travelled a lot but never to a more beautiful (and pristine) part of the world. I recall walking on the alpine tundra (always watching for grizzlies over my shoulder) and thinking that this might be the very first time I had put my foot in a spot where (perhaps) no other foot had ever been. I have never forgotten that feeling!!!!!!

Could the yellow poppy be P. lapponicum?