Yol xxYr - The Arctic Circle

82
LISfmI T0 1IIE WILD: KL'LIANE IIATIOIBL PARK *
Until very recently, tle stoq/ of Kluarie has rpt been the story of
nnn. It has been the story of rountains, ic-efieids, glacier-fed
lakes and wide vaJ_leys; of boreal forests, tundra ard spread.ing
patdrvorks of alpire wlldflcwers; of roaning DalJ- sheep, big Itnose
artd qrLzzly bears.
It was to preserve the trriqre and luj-ld beauty of Kh:ane that a
national perk was established in 1974. Kluane National Park covers
22,OL5 lanl in tlre southrnest coenrcr of the YiJcon, bordered on the
r,,iest, b1r Al-aska, ard on the soutl: bry British Cofu-nbia. It lies 160 km
rrcrth-west of T'tritehcrse along the Alaska ili@r,ay, vfiich skirts tlre
riestern fringe cf the park.
Those qdrc travel ttle Alaska Hidri,ay wij-1 enjoy only a glfurpse of
vrhat is qcntaired within the park's boundaries. To the r,vest of the
road loon tle St. Elias lburrtains, ruggd peaks that make the Rockies
Iook hrrnble by erparison. On a clear day, Ivlcunt Iogan (Canada's
highest peak at 5,947 rrctres) is visible, surrounded Lry other
mruntains of alrcst equal statr-Ee. As the A-l-aska Highway winds aror:rd
the foot of Sheep lburtail, travellers may spot DaJ-l sheep grazing
on its lower slopes.
Bijt it is wittr-in ttre park itself tlnt Kh:are's wilderness r:nfolds in
all its beauty. TWo najor nountain drains dcrninate thre land. ilbar
the Alaska Highaay, the Kh:ane lbuntains form an r.rrbroken ctrain of
peaks appnoxlrnatelry 2,4OO netres lr-igh. Tcrering above the Khnres,
on the Alaska-Yukon border, are tle St. E1ias lrtcr:ntains. Across
the sunmit lies the largest icefield in the ra,orld outside of polar
regions. In fact, tro-thirds of ttre l0i.:ane lardscape lies r:nder ice.
Between ttre two rrl:ntain ranges lies a namo\^r trou$r of ralleys and
plateau< kxftrn as tle D:ke Depression. These plateau