Has anybody canoed the Yukon River, above and below Lake Le Barge. I would love to see where Sam McGee (from Tenesee) turned to ash. Know of any trip reports, outfitters, car shuttlers, etc?
yeah i saw sams ashes.
ive paddled from WHitehorse to Dawson. Awesome.
Dont bother to haul your own canoe up there…hassle.
Rent from “Kanoe People” In Whitehorse. They have great canoes and do a shuttle for you too. DO a search for them in Google for their web site.
Stay close to shore or LaBerge, its big and cold!
Get Mike Rourke maps(book) well detailed…
Do a Seach for Fireweed Books Whithorse and ask them to mail you a copy.
Man, I love that poem
I always read it to the kids on camping trips. They still love it.
I’d love to get up there some time.
I saw em to…Highly recommend
– Last Updated: Jan-13-05 9:17 AM EST –
Klondike Fever by Berton a must read for anyone doing the Yukon..put-in at Robert Service camp ground at Whitehorse...drop yer gear at RS camp ground and drive to Dawson City and leave your vehicle in Dawson...then take the bus back to Whitehorse and shove off...stay on the right hand side of the lake..and get off if the wind picks up any and camp on the shore...
Whitehorse to Dawson
I agree–rent from Kanoe people and take the bus back from Dawson. River is fast in June. Took us 10 days with over 40 miles/day without any strain. Get food supplies in Carmacks about halfway down. Stay to right in LaBarge as others have indicated. Don’t drink the water until you leave LaBarge. Very scenic route. Nice provincial campground in Dawson on the water. The water is COLD! Air temps are quite warm. Midnight sun makes it difficult to sleep we found. Camp on islands or the mosquitos will get ya!
Yukon
MJ. …
I’ve got some great maps and info for you if you’d like? I kayaked the Yukon in 2003 and would be glad to give a hand (to a fellow Minnesotan).
Dan
Thank you all for the advice.
My trip is probably two to three years away. So I have time to read, consult maps, and consult old p-net threads. I haven’t heard anyone say it is not worth the time, so I look forward to it. It sounds like a nice experience with the exception that Lake Le Barge can get nasty(yea, stay to the right). Just read a spooky story on myccr about a dual (black and grizzly) “attack” on group on the Yukon. BWCA bears have never acted like that, yikes!
Thanks
Old Sternwheeler maps
mj,
check out Barnes and Noble, search for Archie Satterfield’s,“Exploring the Yukon River.” this book is a must for all Yukon travelers. These are copies of the maps used by the sternwheeler captains during the gold rush and are very detailed (topo and historical sights).
later,
Dan
From what I understand you can
go all the way up to Eagle, Alaska without much hassle since there is a water taxis that will haul you and your canoe back to Dawson. I’m starting to plan for a trip down the Yukon too, but want to go to the Bering Sea. Trying to figure out how to get back to Whitehorse without costing an arm and a leg.
If you’re serious about making the trip down the Yukon in a couple of years, maybe we can work something out. Would feel safer with another boat.
way back from bering
If your serious i can get you the email to the guy who planned the transportation back from the sea during the big verlen kruger 80th birthday trip from bennet lake to the sea. They chartered a plane that could carry 15 canoes and people. It only cost about 1000 each. obviously you wont need that big of plane.
Email your questions about Whitehorse
– Last Updated: Feb-02-05 9:00 AM EST –
to the Bering on this board..many people up here have made the trip and can give you excellent advice... http://www.kck.org/listserver/rules.html
I’m serious –
I’ve been thinking about paddling the Yukon for several years. A few years ago I was at Dawson and seen some canoes zoom past. I thought, I have to do that. Later I hiked the Chilkoot and that really peaked my interest. I read a few trip reports and it seems doable without an excessive risk to life and limb. I know up to Dawson it doesn’t take too much planning. I talked to several Brits last year while up in Canada who just completed the trip. They didn’t have any canoe experience and said the trip wasn’t difficult. They arrived in Dawson on a Saturday when the bus didn’t run so they arranged a ride with a tourist back to Whitehorse.
Anyway, the trip reports I read of the trip to the Bering Sea didn’t mention any particular difficulties so it seems with enough planning it would be a great trip. I need to link up with other people interested in the trip. I’m retired and have time, but little money. I know people do the trip solo all the time, but I’d rather go with another boat. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Serious also
At least two years away. I am not retired. Don’t make much money. Have three kids. Don’t have much vacation time. All the usual excuses. Would have to have part of family with me (can’t justify using that much vacation without them). I’ll know more after this summer whether current 14 yo might be up for it in two years, or else I’d wait until my 11 yo is 16 or 17. I think he will be up for it. It sounds like a common, well documented trip. And something I’ve wanted to do. I also wouldn’t do it in one boat, unless I was solo after the kids have grown.
I would not recommend you do
the trip solo especialy if you go as far as the Bering…Whitehorse to Dawson is a wonderful float/camping trip…the river will float you to Dawson at about 6-8 mph and the only rapids that you need to be awake for are about 1/2 way, near Carmacks…once you get past Ft. Yukon the logistics get a little more tricker for resupply and near the Bearing you can be exposed to some large wave action…
Don’t paddle the Tanana
I lived in Fairbanks a few years back and I would not recommend paddling in the Tannana. Big and Nasty are the best words to describe it. You would always see large trees floating by at a very high rate of speed. I don’t recall ever seeing non-motorized craft on the river. There are probably 10-15 or more major braids and it is all very convoluted…Do your research well before hand at the least! Good luck, there is not a more beautifull place in the world!
Derek