YUKON and NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

 OK, time to say goodbye to Atlin and head up to Whitehorse. We will spend a few days in Whitehorse and then off we go north. Or west... The totem pole welcomes everyone to Atlin. Of course there isn't one for those of us leaving.. just a mileage sign telling us how far you have to drive so best be on your way. The meaning of the carving is represented by the three humans that are side by side. The first is represented by the Taku River Tlinglit First Nation who are close to Mother Earth and are holding up the welcome pole ethics. The second represents the people who have settled in the community of Atlin and the visitors. The third represents the hunters and the gatherers, the story and language keepers, the protectors and worriers who keep us safe and watch over the Atlin community. The rope that connects the three humans represents the umbilical cord that connects all of us those who call Atlin home. I was surprised at the number of swans that we saw on many of the lakes we...

Leaving Carcross for Atlin. The Carcross area is full of history and very interesting. I wasn't much on history but this trip has me doing extra research. Hopefully you, the reader are not bored. The scenery 'up here' is incredibly beautiful. Beyond anything I have ever imagined or seen in all my travels including other countries. Canada truly is a beautiful country. I thought Russia was spectacular, but, sorry Russia, we have a bit more beauty. We drove through Tagish, without stopping and crossed this bridge over the Tagish River. On the way to Atlin, we passed Snafu Creek, Snafu Lake and Tarfu Creek. They are named after WWll military slang.  "SNAFU" stands for "Situation Normal, All Fouled Up," while "TARFU" means "Things Are Really Fouled Up" or   Situation  All F*%$#d Up and  Things Are Really F*%$#d Up.   The names were added to the Yukon map in the early 1950s, likely by Canadian army engineers working on the Atlin Road after ...