Carcross

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Carcross
Golden Spike Monument at Carcross, Yukon
Golden Spike Monument at Carcross, Yukon
Carcross is located in Yukon
Carcross
Carcross
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Country Canada
Territory Yukon
Area[1]
 • Land 0.74 km2 (0.29 sq mi)
Elevation[2] 659 m (2,161 ft)
Population (2011)[1]
 • Total 289
 • Density 17.9/km2 (46/sq mi)
 • Change 2006-11 Increase3.2%
Time zone Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
 • Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7)

Carcross, originally known as Caribou Crossing, is an unincorporated community in Yukon, Canada, on Bennett Lake and Nares Lake. It is home to the Carcross/Tagish First Nation. At the 2011 census it had a population of 289.[1]

It is 74 km (46 mi) south-southeast by the Alaska Highway and the Klondike Highway from Whitehorse. The south end of the Tagish Road is in Carcross. Carcross is also on the White Pass and Yukon Route railway.

History

Caribou Crossing was a fishing and hunting camp for Inland Tlingit and Tagish people. 4,500-year-old artifacts from First Nations people living in the area have been found in the region.

Caribou Crossing was named after the migration of huge numbers of caribou across the natural land bridge between Lake Bennett and Nares Lake. That caribou herd was decimated during the Klondike Gold Rush, but a recovery program raised the number of animals to about 450.

File:Tourist stop in Carcross, Yukon.jpg
Tour buses at a large tourist stop in Carcross.

The modern village began in 1896, during the Klondike Gold Rush. At the time, Caribou Crossing was a popular stopping place for prospectors going to and from the gold fields of Dawson City.

Caribou Crossing was also a station for the Royal Mail and the Dominion Telegraph Line, and it served as a communications point on the Yukon River.

In 1904, Caribou Crossing was renamed Carcross as a result of some mail mix-ups with the Cariboo Regional District in nearby British Columbia.

Silver mining was promoted nearby in Conrad, Yukon in the early 1900s, but there was little to be found and mining efforts soon ended. Mineral exploration continues today, but tourism is far more important to the economy of the community. The book Fractured Veins & Broken Dreams by Murray Lundberg details a nearly complete history of Conrad.

Community population over time

Climate

Climate data for Carcross
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 8.9
(48)		 18.9
(66)		 13.5
(56.3)		 21.0
(69.8)		 28.0
(82.4)		 31.7
(89.1)		 32.5
(90.5)		 31.7
(89.1)		 26.7
(80.1)		 20.0
(68)		 13.3
(55.9)		 14.0
(57.2)		 32.5
(90.5)
Average high °C (°F) −13.2
(8.2)		 −7.8
(18)		 −0.6
(30.9)		 7.3
(45.1)		 — — 21.7
(71.1)		 20.6
(69.1)		 13.5
(56.3)		 5.6
(42.1)		 −3.7
(25.3)		 −7.3
(18.9)		 3.6
(38.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) −18.2
(−0.8)		 −13.9
(7)		 −7.8
(18)		 −0.7
(30.7)		 — — 14.2
(57.6)		 13.0
(55.4)		 7.9
(46.2)		 1.1
(34)		 −7.7
(18.1)		 −11.6
(11.1)		 −2.4
(27.7)
Average low °C (°F) −22.7
(−8.9)		 −20.0
(−4)		 −14.8
(5.4)		 −8.4
(16.9)		 — — 6.7
(44.1)		 5.1
(41.2)		 2.3
(36.1)		 −3.4
(25.9)		 −11.4
(11.5)		 −15.7
(3.7)		 −8.2
(17.2)
Record low °C (°F) −51.2
(−60.2)		 −48.3
(−54.9)		 −42.2
(−44)		 −32.8
(−27)		 −12.5
(9.5)		 −6.7
(19.9)		 −3.3
(26.1)		 −11.7
(10.9)		 −18.0
(−0.4)		 −30.0
(−22)		 −40.0
(−40)		 −55.0
(−67)		 −55.0
(−67)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 28.6
(1.126)		 23.4
(0.921)		 9.6
(0.378)		 5.5
(0.217)		 14.9
(0.587)		 28.5
(1.122)		 29.9
(1.177)		 28.1
(1.106)		 32.9
(1.295)		 27.0
(1.063)		 28.9
(1.138)		 22.5
(0.886)		 279.8
(11.016)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 0.5
(0.02)		 0.0
(0)		 0.2
(0.008)		 1.5
(0.059)		 14.8
(0.583)		 28.5
(1.122)		 29.9
(1.177)		 28.0
(1.102)		 30.1
(1.185)		 17.1
(0.673)		 1.4
(0.055)		 0.2
(0.008)		 152.2
(5.992)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 28.1
(11.06)		 23.4
(9.21)		 9.4
(3.7)		 4.0
(1.57)		 0.1
(0.04)		 0.0
(0)		 0.0
(0)		 0.1
(0.04)		 2.8
(1.1)		 9.9
(3.9)		 27.4
(10.79)		 22.4
(8.82)		 127.6
(50.24)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 7.5 6.0 3.5 2.1 4.7 6.4 8.1 7.4 9.0 7.9 7.3 6.5 76.3
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.6 4.8 6.4 8.1 7.4 8.5 5.0 0.4 0.1 41.7
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 7.3 6.0 3.4 1.5 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.7 3.5 7.1 6.5 35.9
Source: 1981-2010 Environment Canada[7]

Economy

Carcross relies on tourism to support the local economy. It lies on the Klondike Highway between Whitehorse and Skagway, Alaska and offers a variety of historic attractions and outdoor activities. Popular with road traffic including tour buses and RVs, in 2007 the White Pass railway also resumed service to Carcross railway station.

Just north of the town is the Carcross Desert, often referred to as the "world's smallest desert." There are two small airports located in the area, Carcross Airport is adjacent to the town and Carcross Water Aerodrome located on Tagish Lake.

Alaska cruises stopping in Skagway will offer day tours to Carcross. The day tours offer stops at the Yukon sign, the Caribou Crossing Wildlife Museum, Dog Sledding Zoo and the actual town of Carcross.[8]

Storytellers from Carcross

Media

Gallery

Around Carcross
The Barracks
The Barracks 
The White Pass Line starts here
The White Pass Line starts here 
The motorized "Jigger"
The motorized "Jigger" 
The Duchess History
The Duchess History 
The Chilcoot Outpost in Carcross
The Chilcoot Outpost in Carcross 
In winter, many businesses in Carcross close due to a lack of tourism.
In winter, many businesses in Carcross close due to a lack of tourism. 

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Elevation at Carcross Airport as per Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 24 July 2014 to 0901Z 18 September 2014
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "2001census" defined multiple times with different content
  4. ↑ The drop in population is due to a change in the boundary. See Population and dwelling counts. Carcross, Note A
  5. ↑ Community Populations by Age Groups, June 2008
  6. ↑ Community Populations by Age Groups, March 2012
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ http://www.cariboucrossing.ca/

External links

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