We sleep well despite the midnight sun and wake up early. The lake is pristine in the early morning summer light.

We are on a busier stretch of road for the first  part of the day and want to get a jump on traffic. As it turns out, we have nothing to worry about. There just aren’t that many people in the Yukon, even in the peak summer season. And the cars and campers that do pass are unfailingly polite, many giving us a wave or thumbs up in encouragement, or our favorite, a hang loose sign. We are now riding east towards Whitehorse and as we climb, an immense view opens up behind us of the coastal mountain range we spent the past few days riding through. It is spectacular and, once again, we feel the vast scale and beauty of this place. The wild flowers are in peak bloom right now and we enjoy wild roses and many others along the way.

After a few hours of riding, we turn off for Champagne Landing, a forgotten little town with a well-tended Native cemetery (many grave sites with miniature painted houses built over them), some ornate hubcap art and one curious stop sign.

By mid morning, we stop for a roadside snack (sardines with mustard on crackers) and decide to detour along a gravel road towards Takhini River. We bump along the road for a few kilometers and down a steep hill until a milky green expanse of smooth river opens up before us, carving it’s way through a thick green pine forest. We pull off at a little peninsula jutting into the river and hike along the shore until we find the perfect wild camping spot. It’s right on the river bank at a beautiful bend in the river with mountain peaks in the background.

These are the moments when I know Allegra and I are well suited for one another. Not many people would tolerate a vacation that consists of serious physical challenge and occasional hardship, wild camping, hanging our food in trees to dissuade bears, bathing in rivers and eating meals from tin cans. But for us, immersing ourselves in this natural beauty and cultivating a sense of adventure makes us both feel alive and invigorated.

At midnight, I wake up to birds singing and take a photo from inside the tent. The midnight sun is enchanting.

We again get an early start and it’s chilly as we ride towards Whitehorse. It’s clear and the mountains look massive behind us. We see beaver dams and a beautiful elk.

As we roll into Whitehorse, we realize that there is a Canada Day parade and festival happening. The streets are packed with people in red and white and we pick up flags and stickers at a booth. More importantly, we stop at a Taiwanese food truck and eat some of the most delicious bowls of noodles we have ever had (definitely the best we have had in the Yukon). The noodles are fresh and perfectly chewy  and one bowl comes smothered in a sauce of spicy scallion, sesame, shredded chicken and a tea egg and the other in a comforting broth of tomato and egg. Admittedly, we are very hungry and anything would have tasted good, but we can’t believe our luck in finding this amazing place. Sated, we watch the Canada Day parade and find the small town atmosphere of folksy enthusiasm to be contagious. We chat with some Mounties and enjoy the stimulation after lots of nature time. A float goes by with a live rock band and mid-song the lead singer points to an older woman standing next to us and calls out “Doctor Sally McDonald!” After the float passes, she looks over at us, smiles, and says, “I delivered that boy!”