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December 11, 2021, marks International Mountain Day, celebrated annually to raise awareness of the importance of mountains for humankind’s wellbeing and the plight of mountain dwellers in developing countries.
Home to the tallest mountains in Canada, Yukon Territory in the country’s north-west is affectionately known as the ‘land of the giants’, and its residents are passionate about protecting its wild topography.
“Mountains are critical to the wellbeing of much of the world’s population,” says Yas Yamamoto, Market Development Manager, Asia Pacific, Tourism Yukon. “We rely on these ancient formations for fresh water and it’s critical to protect and foster the incredible biodiversity found within mountains.”
“In the Yukon, we celebrate our mountains, not only for the support they provide for agricultural tourism, but also for the cultural diversity, leisure and enjoyment they offer to all who are willing to immerse themselves in an epic wilderness environment.”
Read on for two mountain adventures you can only have in the Yukon.
Explore the granddaddy of them all
The tallest mountains in Canada are found in Kluane National Park and Reserve. The highest of them all (and the second highest in North America) is Mount Logan, coming in at a staggering 5,959 metres.
Take a flightseeing tour of this staggering chunk of rock, ice and snow, framed by a sea of glaciers, with Icefield Discovery Tours. Make a safe landing on the ancient icefields and soak up the breathtaking panorama of the many facets of the north face of Mount Logan.
In the summer, Kluane comes alive with sunshine, songbirds and wildflowers, and becomes the ultimate backcountry hiking and mountain biking destination. Start at the Parks Canada Visitor Centre in Haines Junction to get your bearings and then explore the network of hiking and biking tails, keeping your eyes peeled for mountain goats and Dall sheep along the way.
The campground next to beautiful Kathleen Lake, just south of Haines Junction, is the perfect pitstop. The area features several hiking trails and a boat launch for anyone with a hankering for rainbow trout. Challenge yourself to make the ascent to the King’s Throne nestled in an amphitheatre of rocky ridges. If you’re enthusiastic enough to make it all the way to the summit, you’ll be rewarded with magnificent views of valleys, rivers, lakes and mountains that seem to go on forever.
Immerse yourself in the Tombstones
With its dramatic wind-carved mountains, including the craggy granite peak of Tombstone Mountain, Tombstone Territorial Park is often referred to as the ‘Patagonia of the North’.
At the south end of the park, forests follow the river valleys. Rainbows of alpine tundra carpet the slopes between dramatic rock formations. At the north end, a slender arm of Canada’s Arctic reaches down into the park. In this treeless, windswept tundra, look for ground hugging plants and unusual permafrost landforms such as pingos and palsas.
A variety of habitats means a diversity of life. Caribou, moose, Dall’s sheep, grizzly and black bears, wolves, hoary marmots, pikas, shrews and voles all call Tombstone Territorial Park home. Along with subarctic mammals, the park harbours rare Beringian plants and insects found nowhere else on earth. Birders have spotted more than 148 species of birds. Arctic tundra breeders bump up against northern boreal species.
The park is a legacy of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in land claims agreement and lies entirely within their Traditional Territory. The Tombstone Interpretive Centre (where you can purchase maps) is a 1.5 hour drive from Dawson City and seven hours from Whitehorse.