Nothing is up to date in Dawson City

We scheduled a down day today in Dawson City. Greg’s idea of a down day means taking two walking tours and running a few errands while we still have access to a grocery store.

Both tours were run by Parks Canada (ou Parcs Canada pour les Québecois), which owns 30 buildings in the area of Dawson. They highlight the history of the Klondike Gold Rush. The tour guides dress in period costumes. Tourism is the second biggest industry around here after mining, so they play up the history.

The first tour was a walking tour of the downtown. We were able to go into three buildings that are not otherwise open to the public. The first was the first bank. There was a huge need for banking to handle any gold found locally. The second was the Red Feather Saloon, which was one of many saloons in town. The third was the post office, which was established at the end of the gold rush and was overkill for the community by the time it was built.

Our second tour was of the SS Kino, one of only two paddle wheel boats from the Klondike River that still remains. The other one is the SS Klondike in Whitehorse that is currently in a multi year renovation, so we were unable to tour when we were in Whitehorse.

The first paddle wheel boats were designed for the Mississippi River. In the initial design, the paddle wheel was in the midship for better maneuverability. For the Yukon and Klondike rivers, they had to put the paddle wheel in the back due to the rough conditions on the rivers. We were able to see how they powered the steam engine, using a cord of wood per hour, and how they steered and determined the speed. All not easy.

The season is short, since the Klondike river freezes. The miners and settlers needed to get all their supplies by September to get through the brutal winter. The guide said that it can get down to -40 degrees. Luckily we didn’t have to ask if that was Fahrenheit or Celsius!

After we got groceries and finished laundry, we put out our chairs and are sitting outside in the warm Yukon sun (yes, really). The neighbors are very friendly. Tomorrow we start the long drive North. Make sure to follow our progress on the live map.