Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Spring 2018 | Page 13

snowy peaks towering over the town takes my breath away.
Many underestimate early March in the Yukon. Yes,
there’s still snow on the ground and the temperature can
dip blow -20 degrees Celsius for the first few days of the
month. But with each passing day, the temperatures rise
and the sun grows stronger. Still, for those who want to
enjoy the incredible scenery without having to deal with
tour buses, lines or people obstructing their view, it’s the
perfect time of year. Excitement starts early every morning. We wake in time
to catch the delicate orange and red beams of sun as they
crawl their way up the mountaintops around town. The first
day, we plan to cross-country ski and hike to a local ice cave
a few kilometres west along the Alaska Highway. The plan
quickly goes sideways: We wander the wrong mountain
runoff and arrive at the top of a beautiful bowl surrounded
by windblown peaks, Mount Decoeli being the only named
one in the immediate vicinity.
For our stay in Haines Junction, we selected a humble log
home, booked through Airbnb. This seemed the best route, as
we wanted to stay with someone with local knowledge of the
area and the best places to visit. Our host, Shawn, certainly fits
the description: He’s a wildlife biologist and Kluane National
Park is his domain. On our first evening in his home, we ask
his advice in planning out the following days’ adventures. The mountaintop views here give me an appreciation
for the different levels of vegetation. Black spruce forests
cover the valley bottom, then dwindle into the willow
and alder fields where the moose and grizzlies would
roam during the fall season. From there, the vegetation
thins into the high-alpine scree slopes, home of the snow-
coloured Dall sheep.
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