From the town of Whitehorse, we continued northwest towards the Kluane National Park and Reserve in Yukon, Canada specifically to see ovis dalli, otherwise known as Dall sheep!
Due to heavy rain and low clouds, the trip towards Haines Junction was a bit of grind. My mood, like the weather, was glum and whether the scenery was or not, this is how I experienced it that day. I grabbed a few pictures between downpours and only two things really snapped me out of my funk – our first moose and a couple bicycling in the pouring rain! Wow! That’s some commitment to your travels!
With a brief fuel stop in Haines Junction we continued towards Destruction Bay. The approach to Kluane Lake had an eerie feel to it. Shadows of small islands and mounds in the lake were barely visible behind heavy clouds, making the area feel like the opening scene of mystery where a body had just been discovered.
When we arrived at the Sheep Mountain Visitor Center, the ranger noted that like the rest of us, the sheep were likely undercover so there wouldn’t be much to see.
We did learn a few facts. The Dall sheep
- are typically found at elevations between 4,000 and 8,000 feet.
- male’s large, curled horns grow throughout their lifetime and similar to tree rings, the indentations in them represent each winter the ram has been alive.
- live in social groups with ewes living with their lambs (one lamb born to each typically end of May or early June), leaving the rams to be bachelors.
It wasn’t until around 6pm that the rain stopped, and we were willing to venture down to the lake from our campground where we could finally see the rugged mountains these sheep call home!
We woke to a blue-sky day and backtracked to Sheep Mountain. Sure enough, the Dall sheep were enjoying breakfast on the sunny slopes!
To get a closer look, we hiked Soldier’s Summit Interpretive Trail, which leads to the site of the 1942 official opening of the Alaska Highway. This incredible feat to cross challenging terrain was driven by a perceived military need and was complete in record time, just under 10 months. Soldier’s Summit Interpretive Trail was short, easy, had great historical information, good views of the sheep, and wonderful views of the lake.
We didn’t need the day to get any better, but back on the road and just past the campsite, it did. We spotted and watched a light brown grizzly from the RV!
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What a difference a day makes.
One of the best things about being full-time in an RV that is outfitted well for boondocking is that we’re often able to adjust our plans to changing weather conditions or how we’re feeling about travelling or staying put. We were so lucky to have the flexibility to say hello to this great experience.
