yukon | The Filson Journal

The Yukon Quest: The Toughest Race in the World

Toiling along in relative anonymity, Yukon Quest is a much grittier and demanding race than its older and more established cousin, the Iditarod. t has a relationship akin to that of K2 and Mt. Everest in the Himalayas. While the latter is the tallest peak on the planet and acts as a magnet for public attention, K2 is renowned among climbers as the harder and purer peak to summit. It’s the one that doesn’t have huge lines of people snaking up its slopes.

5 Min

vintage black and white image of large crowd of people all in suits at the oregon improvement co. facility

Field Notes

Journey to the Yukon: Passage Aboard the Steamships from Puget Sound to the Far North

The month of July 1897 was an exciting time to be living on the West Coast. Steamships with names like Excelsior and Portland were docking in the ports of San Francisco and Seattle, respectively, loaded down with tons of gold mined from the Klondike region of the Yukon territory of Canada. Alaska was the gateway by which anyone with a desire to strike it rich could make the journey northward and, if well prepared and lucky, eventually return to civilization a millionaire.

7 Min