We finish the day driving up to the Tachäl-Dhäl visitor centre at the south end of Kluane Lake . It ’ s a great place to take advantage of easy walking trails around Sheep Mountain to view and photograph the sheep during the waning daylight hours . The rocky lookouts provide a great view of the shoreline of Kluane Lake and the Slims River drainage from the Kaskawulsh Glacier .
The following day , armed with a fresh perspective on the terrain , we set out towards the local ice cave . Camera in hand , I clip on my cross-country skis and we follow along a snowmobile trail up the Mount Archibald drainage . ( Hiking or fat biking to the cave is also an option .) After a few hours , we have our first glimpse of the ice cave on the horizon , squeezed between two large peaks . We grapple around the frozen ground , staring in awe at the mass of suspended blue ice hanging from above — a marvel of nature that made the trek well worth the effort .
With half the day still at hand , I decide to enjoy a sunset cross-country ski on Kathleen Lake , located some 20
minutes south of Haines Junction . The setting sunbeams reflect on the snow and onto the windblown lake , while dark clouds roll over the Saint Elias range . It ’ s a great place to appreciate the vastness of the area and the possibilities of pristine wilderness adventures close at hand .
Access to the Kluane National Park and Reserve in early spring is often restricted due to snowy conditions . To gain a better appreciation of the monstrous mountain range , we hire Rocking Star Adventures and pilot Daniel to take us on an aerial sightseeing tour of the park .
For most tourists flying over the park , Mount Logan is the main attraction — it ’ s the second-highest mountain in North America , after Denali in Alaska . For my part , I ’ m more eager to view Centennial Peak . My grandfather , Hans Weber , was part of the Canadian Alpine Club team that first climbed and named Centennial Peak in 1967 during Canada ’ s centennial year . The expedition had multiple teams leaving from a glacier base camp aiming to summit and name 14 different peaks — one for each province and
six star magazine 13