RV the Yukon? Now's a good time to make plans

Yukon: In the language of the First Nations it means "Great River." In the language of the visitors it means Great Views. At 19,551 feet it's hard to miss Canada's highest mountain, Logan, second only in height for North America to Alaska's Mount McKinley. But there's so much more to see.

Yukon's tourism officials call it a larger-than-life wilderness. And it is huge, and in it's largeness you'll find large wildlife: Try on moose and grizzlies for size. And large roadways, the Alaska Highway, the Dempster, the Silver Trail. Some of the world's most renowned road trips are up here, and some of the smallest number of vehicles per driven mile.

But consider the long, cold winters and the short, short summers. It may be a long way to Tipperary, but it's a real long way to say, Whitehorse, the territorial capital. Got your motorhome parked in Denver? Figure a bit of a trip, 2,500 miles one way. For some, that's just 'too fur a piece' to drag the fifth wheel.

There are alternatives: Plenty of visitors to Canada's westernmost (and smallest) territory find that flying in and renting an RV saves not only time, but wear and tear on both their RV and their backside. Writing in the Baltimore Sun, Lester Picker recalls a happy August trip with five friends to the vast landscape of the Yukon. He recommends sticking with a couple of mainstream RV rental agencies out of Whitehorse, and he makes a valid point. While some of the 'smaller' rental agencies may have lower rates, they may also 'stick' you with a poorly maintained rental unit, or worse, with charges on your return for invented damages. You'll find Picker's memoirs will stir you to digging out Yukon maps.

Planning your trip should begin with a visit to the territory's tourism outlet on the Internet. They'll offer you plenty of suggestions on things to see, routes to take, and more than enough places to spend your Yankee dollar. Pay attention to the "Weather and Climate" section under the "Plan Your Trip" tab to see just what season matches your druthers. As we said, winter around the fire is a great time to make plans for a trip to the Yukon.

photo: Emerald Lake, Alan Vernon on flickr.com