On the Yukon

Day 1 We took our first paddle strokes at 12:30 pm on Friday, July 3. The weather was a bit threatening. We could hear thunder in the distance, and could see several storms, but we didn’t get a drop of rain. We saw lots of eagles perched high in trees along the river. At about 6:00 we entered Lake Laberge. Our first attempt at a campsite was thwarted by a greeting party: a swarm of mosquitos. “Run away! Run away!” we jumped back in our boats and paddled farther until we found a beautiful point with a lot less bugs.

Day 2 The weather was sunny and beautiful, and the water was glassy. Today was a short day of paddling, due to our late arrival at camp the night before. At camp, Dawson Dan and Klondike Kate took a swim. Along with Yukon Johann and GrizzLee, we climbed to a viewpoint and watched the sun set.

Day 3 Another beautiful day, glassy smooth water. But by afternoon, a wind had kicked up a good chop, going against us. We stayed close to the edge, as the lake can be quite dangerous in high winds. Still, we all made it to the end of the lake. DD and KK saw a porcupine feeding on wildflowers.

Day 4
Today we paddled down a famous section of the Yukon called the 30 mile river. The water moves fast here with lots of riffles. Dawson Dan and Yukon Johann found a premier fishing spot by Dolman creek and pulled in a couple of Arctic Grayling, which we ate for dinner. We camped at Shipyard Island, near the remains of the paddlewheeler Evelyn, aka Norcom.
Below is a typical island camp. Often we stayed on islands in the river in order to avoid wildlife such as bears, moose, and especially mosquitos.

Time for relaxation for Klondike Kate and Yukon Johann.

Caught in a thunderstorm right before DD and KK reached Carmacks. Some of the only rain we received during the whole trip.

Carmacks: Hamburgers, milkshakes, laundry, showers and phone calls. What an oasis. Here we end week 1 on the Yukon.

Upon leaving the comforts of hamburgers and milkshakes at Carmacks, we prepared to encounter the challenging Five Finger Rapids. Klondike Kate was a little apprehensive after reading about the many prospectors who died in these rapids; so many that they put a net downstream to catch the corpses. During the sternwheeler days, they removed the dangerous rocks and widened the channel, making it much safer. As it turned out, the rapids were no big deal and easy to negotiate for experienced paddlers. Here we are approaching the right finger.

Whew! Safely through.

GrizzLee and Yukon Johann, in their more seaworthy kayak, took a more exciting route through the biggest waves, where they took water over the bow.

IF you look closely, you may see the dall sheep on the hilside. They are the little white dots. We saw several dozen on the hillsides near Minto.

Yukon Johann takes a break in a long day of paddling.

July 11,12 - Fort Selkirk

We spent two days at this magical and historical place. Fort Selkirk was a small town populated by First Nation peoples, missionaries, mounties, and military men from the late 1800's until the 1950's, when the Klondike Highway was completed and the people moved to Pelly Crossing. One man, Danny Roberts, stayed behind and kept the buildings well preserved. Now the area is a park full of rich history. A team for first nations people are restoring the buildings during the summer months. Meeting Papa Don, a First Nations Shaman, was an enriching experience. He has many interesting stories and is a man of wisdom and strong values.

This is a typical First Nations graveyard. Each person's grave is surrounded by a "spirit house". The many crosses indicate the influence of the missionaries in this community. One Anglican woman who lived in Fort Selkirk for many years was especially loved and respected. She also loved and respected the natives.

July 13th - our campsite.

Trying out different positions keeps Klondike Kate from getting stiff from long days in the canoe.

July 14- We camped at Kirkman Creek, a private campground. This is the summer cabin of the woman who runs the campground. She sells baked goods, homemade jam, and meals. Below, GrizzLee enjoys his steak dinner. Dawson Dan and Klondike Kate had a delicious breakfast of bacon, eggs, potatoes, toast and homemade jam. What a treat.

July 15 - One of the few less than stellar days. Still, it didn't rain much. The headwinds were problematic, though.

Fireweed is the official flower of the Yukon Territory. It was especially beautiful in the burned areas.

Our campsite had been recently visited by moose. We found such tracks on most of the islands where we camped. The advantage of these small islands: very few bugs and less danger of bears. We still kept our bear spray handy, though.

July 16th - our last full day of paddling. The river was moving very fast, so Dawson Dan could take it easy.

We camped on 12 mile island, just 12 easy miles from Dawson City.

Some of the fine rocks along the trip.

July 17 - Arrival at Dawson City is celebrated with great joy and a victory sign!!! The Yukon Quest is ended. We were all happy to be able to enjoy a hot shower, restaurant food and flush toilets, but a little sorry to see it all end.