Catch me if Yukon; Kelly Barker on a whirlwind tour of the Canadian wilds.

THERE are strange things done in the midnight sun... but none so strange as sipping White Russian cocktails in a bear-riddled forest. But anything goes in the Yukon, where you can be following in the footsteps of historic Klondike stampeders one day, and watching aboriginal tribal dancers the next.

My journey around the vast Canadian territory began in a canoe and ended in the middle of the dense woods at the mercy of grizzlies, drink in hand.

In between, my once-in-a-lifetime adventures included panning for gold, braving the challenging Chilkoot Trail, rubbing shoulders with Lady Luck, as well as hitting the Dempster Highway and touching down on Lake Lindemann in a float plane in true James Bond style.

Located next to Alaska, the Yukon is world-renowned as a legendary land imbued with rich history, frontier spirit and First Nation culture. A century ago, thousands struggled through the churning waters of the White Horse Rapids to make it big when the Klondike Gold Rush struck. But a poignant, yet recurring motto - instilled throughout the stunning territory - is that you can always make more money, but you can never make more time.

So it comes as no surprise that the Yukon is home to the "colourful five per cent," a select breed of quirky characters including Caveman Bill, who, as his name suggests, lives in a cave. And Captain Dick Stevenson who invented the famous, yet gruesome, Sourtoe Cocktail - a Dawson City tradition where daring drinkers have to down a shot of alcohol containing a real frostbitten human toe.

I was instantly blown away and somewhat humbled by such a strong sense of identity, where lifestyles are immersed in the great outdoors; in endless days of fishing, river rafting, trekking, hiking, camping and canoeing.

I got the chance to experience the spectacular and unspoiled wilderness for myself in the most impressive ways (I would recommend planning ahead to make sure the opportunities on offer are available).

I must admit I was quite nervous about becoming meals on wheels when we ventured into the forest on mountain bikes. I wasn't much reassured by our guides armed with bear spray, who told us no one had been devoured by a grizzly "recently".

As it happened, we saw nothing of the killer creatures, despite the Yukon being home to 25% of Canada's bears. I'd given up on the idea of seeing one at all by the end of the week when I was brave, or maybe stupid, enough to sup my cocktail within their stunning habitat, just metres from my traditional log cabin.

. Kelly (aircanada.For further accomodation Admiring beautifully-eerie pink and purple sunsets close to my refuge overlooking Lake Laberge melted away what was left of my fear.

And it's not just from the ground that Mother Nature's artwork can be appreciated in the Yukon. Be it by boat, plane, train or automobile, the place makes you feel nothing more than an insignificant blotch on the most stunning of paintings.

Sitting in a helicopter as it made its way between snow-coated peaks, I watched in awe as the world seemed to drop away beneath us when we entered a staggering territorial park known as Tombstone. The sky was also the only place to take in Kluane's glimmering glaciers and immense icefields - so perfect they looked almost unreal.

Another part of the territory with an artificial air to it (and I mean that in a good way), was my favourite place, Dawson City, where row after row of colourful shops, bars and saloons made it seem as if I'd just stepped back in time onto an old film set.

The city reeks of its own proud history where, in 1896, three Yukon "sourdoughs", George Carmack, Tagish Charlie and Skookum Jim, found gold in Rabbit Creek and changed the history of the world.

Their discovery triggered what was arguably the world's greatest gold rush stampede as nearly 100,000 souls yearned to strike it rich in the Klondike fields.

Much of its charm and sense of luck remains, as I found out for myself while panning for the precious metal.

The feeling continued into the night, when we headed to Canada's oldest gambling hall, Diamond Tooth Gerties, named after a woman who wedged a diamond between her two front gnashers and made her fortune by mining the lonely prospectors, who readily opened their gold pokes in return for her affections.

There we watched the amazing cancan dancers while many revellers played blackjack, roulette, and Texas Hold'em poker before heading back to former brothel Bombay Peggy's, a hotel that still bears the name of its former madam.

There are not enough words to sum up my enthralling experience of the Yukon, but its spell is perfectly defined by poet Robert Service who says: "It's the great, big broad land way up yonder, it's the forests where silence has lease, it's the beauty that thrills me with wonder, it's the stillness that fills me with peace."

the TRAVEL INFORMATION . Kelly flew with Air Canada (aircanada.com) from Manchester.

on the area, For further information and activities accomodation com or visit travelyukon.

just canada.travel

CAPTION(S):

Views from the Chilkoot Trail (main picture) and (from left) Dawson City, Quill Creek in Yukon, and the Kluane National Park glaciers seen from a plane