Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Spring 2018 | Page 12

COVER STORY
As an Arctic wildlife photographer, even with all of my
experience in Nunavut, the Yukon has long held my curiosity.
I visited Whitehorse as a teenager for the cross-country ski
races. I saw the untouched landscape with snow-covered
mountains and pristine wilderness—it seemed familiar to
me, it struck a chord.
The Yukon holds some of largest peaks in North America,
including those found in the Saint Elias Mountains, the
highest coastal mountain range on Earth. This area,
contained within the Kluane National Park and Reserve,
would be base camp for a catalogue of adventures.
A late morning departure from Kelowna International
Airport had me touching down early afternoon in
Whitehorse, the bustling capital city of the Yukon. With
our Subaru waiting at the local dealer, we’re ready to hit
the Alaskan Highway by late afternoon the same day. The
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Subaru is loaded up with adventure gear and clothing; a
dream road trip is quickly underway.
The crisp Arctic air fills my lungs and excitement fuels
my imagination: It’s not more than 45 minutes down the
Alaskan Highway when the white, jagged peaks of the Saint
Elias Mountains break the horizon above the yellow dividing
line in the road. We stop some 15 times along the way to take
in the scenery. Local wildlife such as elk and moose make
their presence known at the side of the road; the mountains
grow in size and scope as we draw closer to the town.
Home base for me is Revelstoke, British Columbia.
My weekend playground is Glacier National Park, so
mountains are not foreign to me—in fact, they dominate
the view from my kitchen window. But arriving in Haines
Junction, the gateway to Kluane National Park and
Reserve, absolutely blows my mind—the rugged chain of