You’ll be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel in Whitehorse. At our afternoon orientation, get acquainted with your fellow adventurers. The group size is small (no more than 12) to provide the most intimate canoeing experience in the pristine wilderness of the Yukon River.
We’ll review your gear and you’ll have a chance to pick-up any missing items late this afternoon. Dinner: At the hotelEvening: Presentation: The Mighty YukonLodging: Westmark Klondike Inn WhitehorseMeals Included: Dinner
Lake Laberge has left its mark in history due to the famous poem by Robert W. Service “The Cremation of Sam McGee,” and two books by Jack London where the lake is mentioned: Grit of Women and The Call of the Wild. With the backdrop of this rugged and scenic area, both author’s writings take on new meaning. Dinner: Join your other adventurers to prepare a delicious dinner, much deserved after our first delightful day on the River.Evening: Relax and discuss as your guide shares the history of this area. Each evening will vary, but topics may include: Gold Rush history and lore, First Nation culture, history and lore, magnificent wildlife of the Yukon, climatic effects on the region and its wildlife, the dramatic North country - Northern Lights and long days/short nights. The best of all though are the spontaneous discussions provoked by our daily adventures! Lodging: CampingMeals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We will experience all the delights listed in the following days, but be aware that the day and the delight may vary from the day listed in order to allow us the freedom of adventure. Lunch: Pull out for a relaxing lunch.Afternoon: Far from the tourist routes, you’ll start to really experience the pristine wilderness as we travel on this afternoon, following in the trail of rugged miners and prospectors.Dinner: Another delightful concoction of our own doing to enjoy this evening.Evening: Gather around the fire for stories of about historic events and travelers on this river.Lodging: CampingMeals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
As the riverboats plyed the Yukon in days gone by, there were over 100 wood camps set up along the River, each producing 200-300 cords of wood to supply the riverboats with fuel. The woodyards were spaced at intervals along the River so the paddleboats could stop and get their fuel for the next leg of the trip.
Step back in time to what “used to be,” as you stop at 17 Mile Wood Camp, and wander amongst these remnants of history….the remains of a two-room cabin and remnants of others. Standing in the steps of a bygone era….is for many people, an awesome experience. Lunch: picnic lunchAfternoon: Back on the River, keep an eye out on the shore for the ever-present bears and other wildlife foraging.
The Yukon River is a delightful river to paddle and explore due to it’s consistently swift current, yet lack of technical water. There are no rapids on the River nor portages. The rapids were dynamited years ago by the Canadian Government to accommodate the sternwheelers and paddleboats traveling from Whitehorse to Dawson City. Dinner: Another welcome culinary creationEvening: Gather ‘round to learn about Early Native American lore and history.Lodging: CampingMeals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lunch: Picnic lunchAfternoon: Explore the abandoned settlement of Hootalinqua, where once about 100 miners lived. This settlement became a supply point, and a N.W.M.P post was built here. You could even find a telegraph office and a Taylor and Drury store here, and the roadhouse and telegraph office remain yet today along with remnants of other buildings.
Dinner: What’s up tonight for dinner? A yummy delight of our making!Evening: Maybe tonight’s the night for a little fishing, or maybe just to relax with your feet in the river under the stars!Lodging: CampingMeals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lunch: Pull out for a picnic lunch.Afternoon: Maybe this afternoon is the time for a break and some fishing. Or maybe you want to troll with a streamer behind your canoe as you paddle. Either way, it’s a great adventure to capture a Yukon pike.
Set up camp on the gravel and sand banks of the mighty River, and enjoy a refreshing bath in the Yukon. Dinner: Enjoy a relaxing dinner after a refreshing day.Evening: Time to share some tales from the Tutchone and other First Nations Peoples.Lodging: CampingMeals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Moose are numerous in the forested foothills and bald eagles nest along the river banks. Beavers are busy getting their winter supplies in. Several times we have seen grizzly bears strolling the shoreline. Lunch: Picnic lunchAfternoon: Other relics along the way…. fascinating remains of trappers cabins and wood camps, and then there is….Shipyard Island, where standing in the middle of nowhere, are the remains of the steamer “Evelyn.”
As we paddle on, we’ll “experience” the confluence of the Teslin and the Salmon Rivers from our unique River vantage point.
Dinner: Hungry again after a refreshing day, enjoy dining in the great outdoors.Evening: Gather around to learn more about survival methods during the harsh winters and dramatic climate changes in this far North Country. How does one acclimatize to 20 hours of darkness and only 4 hours of light a day?Lodging: CampingMeals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Look at the ridges, the hills, the river banks, and consider….could this valley of the Yukon really have been as many anthropologists believe, the main immigration route for North America’s first human inhabitants…. traveling across a now-submerged isthmus joining present-day Alaska with Russia’ Siberia? Lunch: Picnic lunchAfternoon: The history of the River unveils another of its treasures - Cyrs Gold Dredge, which was floated down the river for some summer gold mining. It was ingeniously made from a stripped-down caterpillar tractor, a car motor and various home-made parts. Although the partners mined 72 ounces of gold from the river bars in 20 days, they did not return and the dredge remains as another remnant of the River’s lore.Dinner: Another great concoction by our team!Evening: One more night under the beautiful Northern skies. Stars galore! Enjoy the peace or spend some time with our guide learning about the fabulous Northern Lights. Lodging: CampingMeals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Discover the culture underlying this ancient village. Lunch: Picnic lunchAfternoon: There are only 4 bridges that cross the Yukon River in its length of 430 miles. At Carmacks, we find one of those bridges, and part from our canoes here.
Travel the Klondike Highway back to Whitehorse by charter van, a journey of just under 3 hours and transfer to our hotel. Dinner: Our celebratory dinner of our journey....at the hotel.Evening: Time to relax after our adventure and to share stories with your new friends.Lodging: Westmark Klondike Inn WhitehorseMeals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner