By the time we left Whitehorse at about 6:15, there were already several other RVs out ahead of us. All we cared about was getting out early enough that we could make the sharp turn out of our spot. We may not have been able to do that if anyone had already connected their toad. Fortunately, we didn’t have any issues. We stopped at Braeburn Lodge for a photo. This stop was only a little over an hour after we departed, but it was still good to stretch our leg and let Ty have a walk. While Randy was waiting for his cinnamon bun, Steve (either the owner or manager) asked who owned the big black rig. Randy thought at first that he had done something wrong, but Steve was just admiring our RV. I ended up getting a picture of all of us while Randy was wearing his birthday hat.
Our next photo stop was at a viewing platform for the Five Fingers Rapids. The Five Fingers Rapids are located on the Yukon River, Yukon, Canada. Four islands divide the river into five narrow channels of which only the eastern channel is passable. I took a photo of Randy crawling up the steps. Some caravan members went down the steep staircase of 223 steps, but was glad we had not. Our final photo op was at Moose Creek Lodge and the 6’ mosquito. The lodge had several unusual sculptures in their yard. Even with all of the stops and the final fuel stop, we made good time and arrived at the Bonanza Gold Motel & RV Park before our 8-hour estimated drive time. John had asked us not to arrive before 3:00 so we were only a little early, and the Wagon Masters were ready for us. I don’t know how the Wagon Masters and Tail Gunners do it, but they supplied a nice dinner of grilled brauts with sauerkraut, cheese, and onions with a side pasta dish. It was great not to have to think about cooking after our longest drive yet.
I was pleasantly surprised by Dawson City. It is a town full of young, talented people. The gentleman that gave the Visitor Center walking tour was terrific. The program was about the city’s history as well as the unusual inhabitants of Dawson City, including Cave Man Bill, brothel owner Ruby Scott and even the undertaker. Peggy at the Visitor Center was extremely helpful to Randy in helping him identify some of his pictures from his trip in 1966. We would have had a difficult time trying to find the original RV park where he stayed on his previous visit, because that area is now part of the school.
Our next stop was Dredge No. 4 where we took a guided tour. Our original tour guide was French-Canadian and very engaging but he was pulled to do a tour in French. Our next tour guide was very dry so that part of the tour was informative but boring. Randy has a picture of this behemoth dredge from 1966 before it was a National Historic Site of Canada. Dredge No. 4 is one of the largest wooden-hulled bucketline sluice dredges in North America. Dredge No. 4 mined for placer gold on the Yukon River and Bonanza Creek from 1913 until 1959 where it operated 24 hours a day for approximately 200 days per year, digging gold bearing gravel at a rate of 22 buckets per minute. The tour guide told us it made enough noise that it could be heard in Dawson City which is over 12 km away. It cost $475,000 to build this huge dredge–two thirds the size of a football field in length and 8 stories high. It needed 11 feet of water for the dredge to float so that it could produce an average of 150 ounces of gold per day. This dredge was powered by electricity by an early hydroelectric plant on the North Fork of the Klondike River. Dawson Creek was one of the first places in the Yukon with hydroelectric power to power the 13 dredges operating in the Klondike and the city. Residents of the city paid their electric bill to the dredge company. Dredge No. 4 ceased operations in November 1959 when an upstream dam collapsed causing the dredge to sink in 18 feet of ice, silt and mud. Due to the cost to repair the dredge and the fixed cost of gold, it was not economically feasible to continue operations. Eventually, Parks Canada obtained the dredge for $1 where she was excavated, refloated, and relocated to the current location where restoration work could begin.
After a quick nap we met everyone at Diamond Tooth Gerties for a great show. This is also a gambling hall but we chose not to play any games or machines. We got there early so we could get the front row tables. The men in the very front row were part of the show. Some of the women also were singing with “Gerty.” After the first show, we all went to the Sourdough Saloon in the Downtown Hotel. Randy was awarded his “Sourtoe Certificate” by successfully completing the Sourtoe Cocktail club. Their motto says it all, “You can drink it fast; you can drink it slow, but your lips must touch the toe.”
Established in 1973, the Sour Toe Cocktail has become a time-honored tradition in Dawson City. To date, the club has over 100,000 members, hailing from every corner of the world. How Do I Become a Member? Step 1 – Come down to the Sourdough Saloon and ask for Captain River Rat. Step 2 – Purchase a shot (most club members prefer Yukon Jack) Step 3 – Pledge the ‘Sourtoe Oath’ Step 4 – Watch as a (genuine) dehydrated toe is dropped in your drink Step 5 – Drink your Sourtoe Cocktail Be sure to remember the most important rule: “You can drink it fast, you can drink it slow, but your lips have gotta touch the toe”Sourtoe Cocktail. Recipe:1 ounce (minimum) of alcohol, 1 dehydrated toe, garnish with courage. Origins:The legend of the first “sourtoe” dates back to the 1920’s and features a feisty rum-runner named Louie Linken and his brother Otto. During one of their cross-border deliveries, they ran into an awful blizzard. In an effort to help direct his dog team, Louie stepped off the sled and into some icy overflow—soaking his foot thoroughly. Fearing that the police were on their trail, they continued on their journey. Unfortunately, the prolonged exposure to the cold caused Louie’s big toe to be frozen solid. To prevent gangrene, the faithful Otto performed the amputation using a woodcutting axe (and some overproof rum for anesthesia). To commemorate this moment, the brothers preserved the toe in a jar of alcohol. Years later, while cleaning out an abandoned cabin, the toe was discovered by Captain Dick Stevenson. After conferring with friends, the Sourtoe Cocktail Club was established and the rules developed. Since its inception, the club has acquired (by donation) over 10 toes.
Almost everyone else went home after the Sourtoe challenge, but since we had a nap earlier in the day, I wanted to see the 12:00 show at Diamond Tooth Gerties. This show was different than the first. While I did not like the male singer, the female lead (Amy) was wonderful. I could even understand her. And with my hearing loss, that is important for me. Randy liked the 12:00 show much better than the 8:00 show. I liked them both! We did not get to sleep in the next morning, even after our late night, because we had a pancake breakfast starting at 8. That gave us just enough time to make the 10 am tour on the paddle wheeler, Klondike Spirit. The cruise lasted for an hour and a half where we could view the Native village of Moosehide, the ferry in operation and upstream to the convergence of the Klondike to the Yukon River. The Klondike is clear water where the Yukon is murky.
Before we left Dawson City, we celebrated our pending arrival in Alaska by driving to the Midnight Dome Lookout. The Midnight Dome is a metamorphic rock standing at 2911 feet above Dawson City. It is called the Midnight Dome because for decades people have gathered on the top of the hill to view the midnight sun, the night sky, views of Dawson City, the Yukon River, the Klondike Valley, Bonanza Creek, the Ogilvie Mountains and the Top of the World Highway. Everryone was excited to leave Canada and cross back into the US the next day to reach Alaska.
