The Carcross Desert
The
Carcross desert, the world's smallest desert, is found in a most unusual
area: just south of the Town of Carcross, located between Whitehorse,
Yukon, and the Alaska Highway. Carcross is an abbreviation for Caribou
Crossing. During the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898 most prospectors, the
ones who survived the rugged one-hundred kilometer White Pass mountain
crossing from Skagway, were faced with the most unlikely prospect of
having to cross this desert. It must have been psychologically discouraging
at first not knowing how large this desert was, especially with the
cold always so near.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police patrolled the border between the United States and Canada forcing prospectors who were ill-equipped to return to Skagway. Many lives were lost trying to reach the Yukon in search for that pot of Gold. Today many enjoy the serenity of the area. This photo was taken just off the Klondike Highway.
(picture credit: Murray Lundberg, 2000)