Yukon Territory 2017

Years ago, I returned home from a wonderful excitement-filled family vacation but with a sense of incompletion. Since then that feeling has hovered over me in a nagging sort of way. That trip was to Alaska and it really did turn out to be an exhilarating experience full of great accomplishments. The hikes and exploration of the area were impressive to say the least. Moose and bears were abundant but the caribou and dall sheep seemed a bit more difficult to find. The later two subjects have always seemed to find ways to elude me. So it became a quest to make contact with the caribou and dall sheep. Eventually, after some long endeavors I was able to make contact with some caribou. It was an intoxicating feeling of achievement that will last a life time. The dall sheep on the other hand, ran me ragged until the last second before boarding the flight home. As successful as that trip was, it had a hollow space that had yet to be filled.

A couple years has past since that adventure and that feeling of discontent has lingered like an itch you can't scratch. It was time to make another attempt at the dall sheep. Rams, that is what I wanted to see. After trying a multitude of times on numerous excursions to Alaska, my wife and I thought that I should try my luck elsewhere. We eventually decided that I should try my chances on the Yukon Territory, somewhere that the both of us had yet to experience.

The mission was on! We arrived in Juneau, Alaska for the first time on a late, rainy Tuesday night. Picked up our SUV that we rented and checked into our hotel. The next morning we woke up to torrential rain that would last the majority of the day. It really didn't have much of an impact on our plans because everything was impromptu for the next day or so until we boarded the ferry to Haines, Alaska. We did explore the 'rain forest' labeled area and saw bears and an innumerable number of bald eagles. Mendenhall Glacier as well as downtown Juneau lead to enjoyable experiences as well. Eventually, the time would arrive for us to board the ferry that would send us on our way to the Yukon Territory and fingers crossed, the dall sheep!