#fieldandforest

SOUTHWEST ROADTRIP

The American Southwest feels like the spiritual home of the roadtrip. Our culture is steeped in these landscapes from our movies to our very foundational myths, and your first visit will likely feel like a homecoming. Whether it's the vast sagebrush highlands of Nevada, the stunning sculpted red rocks of Utah, or the sprawling canyons of Arizona, the landscapes and sun-bleached colours evoke an awesome sense of desolation and possibility. It's a trip everyone should take at least once in their life, and with the great variety of sights and stops you can fully customize it to your time and interests. 

This was our first trip to the area, and with just over a week we admittedly bit off more than we could chew. We wanted to see it all! From Zion to Arches to Monument Valley to the Alabama Hills, it was a whirlwind trip of beautiful locations, but next time I’d prefer longer stays in fewer spots. And pretty dang sure there’ll be a next time, yes yes

THE KLONDIKE HWY

The discovery of gold in the Klondike changed North America forever. The news spread around the world like wildfire and over 100,00 people began the journey north, establishing roads and infrastructure in the once illimitable wilderness, and even spurring the very creation of the Yukon itself. The gold rush only lasted a couple short years, but the epic saga shaped our very idea of the North, and inspired a body of literature that continues to spark a romantic fascination to this day.

It was a long and arduous journey for the first prospectors, travelling up from the coastal ports of Alaska through the rugged mountains of BC and deep into the wilds of the untamed Yukon. Today the official Klondike Highway links the little Alaskan town of Skagway to the distant Dawson City, roughly following the most famous route used by prospectors. And even though it’s a far easier trip today, it's still an incredible journey — travelling through 709 km (440 miles) of almost unimaginably vast wilderness, through treeless barrens and boreal forests as far as the eye can see, past picturesque lakes, and punctuated only occasionally by little far-flung towns.

The route is a long way from anywhere, so if you have the time we highly recommend adding a few extensions to make the most of your journey. We started our trip in Kluane, heading down to Haines and on to Skagway, adding side trips first to Atlin and then into the Tombstone section of the famed Dempster Hwy.