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MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2011

Yukon River: Whitehorse to Dawson City Canoe Trip

The Yukon River was the major route during the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush which saw thousands of men, women and children make their way to Dawson City. On June 3, 1898, thousands of watercraft made their way from Bennett - through dangerous water hazards, wilderness and rugged landscape. Following in their footsteps, we rented a canoe and set off from Whitehorse, Yukon Territory and arrived in Dawson City thirteen days later. We had the unique opportunity to see spectacular wilderness, creatures and remnants of the River's gold rush history.

Canoes at Whitehorse, Yukon Territory The Yukon River is the third largest River in North America, winding through Yukon Territory, Canada and emptying into the Bering Sea in Alaska, United States of America. During the Gold Rush, stampeders cast off from Bennett, British Columbia and met up with the Yukon River at Marsh Lake. From there, perils such as Miles Canyon, Whitehorse rapids, Lake Laberge, the Five Finger rapids and Rink rapids awaited those who braved the voyage. Today, canoeists set off from Whitehorse as we did, a safer but still thrilling route through the heart of Canada's Yukon:

ROUTE: Whitehorse to Dawson City
DURATION: Anywhere from 10 - 16 days (Our trip: 13)
DISTANCE: 700 kilometres
RESOURCES: maps of the entire Yukon River are difficult to find. Yukon River: Marsh Lake to Dawson City by Mike Rourke was very useful as it had accurate maps, outlined potential campsites and also included information and photos about the historic sites found along the River.

THE YUKON RIVER: LANDSCAPE
Spanning 700 kilometres, the landscape of the Yukon River is different on each stretch. From Whitehorse it flows quickly into Lake Laberge where mountains, rocky beaches and forests dominate the shoreline. When the lake narrows back into the River in the stretch known as the Thirty Mile - one of the most scenic on the trip - high sandy cliffs and clear water dominate until several large rivers flow into the Yukon River. The River winds increasingly with gravel bars and small islands dominating bends. As more rivers filled with silt enter they Yukon, Islands become more numerous and high basalt walls, overgrown slopes and mountainsides until Dawson City, Yukon Territory.

Yukon River near Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. Canoe on the rocky shorelines of Lake Laberge in the Yukon Territory. Lake Laberge and high rocky mountains and forests along the eastern shoreline. Sunset on Lake Laberge in Yukon Territory. Yukon River near Carmacks, Yukon Territory. The landmark Sam McGee's Ashes - a layer of volcanic ashes seen along the edge of the Yukon River. Five Finger Rapids along the Yukon River in Yukon Territory. Waterfall along the Yukon River. Sunset along the Yukon River in Yukon Territory. Storm over the Yukon River near Dawson City, Yukon Territory.

Wild Strawberries along the Yukon River. Wild Blueberries along the Yukon River. Wild Raspberries along the Yukon River.

THE YUKON RIVER: ANIMALS
Yukon Territory is home to a wide range creatures from birds to fish to mammals. Long, unbroken stretches of wilderness are a haven for thousands of wild animals. On our thirteen day canoe trip along the river we spotted bears, moose, porcupine, Dall Sheep, otters, beavers, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, fish, several species of birds including spotted sandpipers, Bald Eagles, Golden Eagles, Common Loons, owls, and waterfowl most of which we spotted around the narrow passageways between the islands along the Yukon River.

Bald Eagle on tree branch along the Yukon River. Bald Eagle on treetop along the Yukon River. Shorebirds along the shores of Lake Laberge, Yukon Territory. Seagull nesting rock along Lake Laberge, Yukon Territory. Surf Scooters taking flight from the Yukon River. Moose on the shores of Lake Laberge in Yukon Territory. Moose eating breakfast along the Yukon River. Beavers, wary of the presence of humans, would slap their tails against the water as a warning along the Yukon River. Porcupine along the Yukon River. Beaver carrying its dinner into the Yukon River. Black Bear searching for food along the shores of Lake Laberge in Yukon Territory. Black Bear and two cubs along the Yukon River. Ermine in a woodpile along the Yukon River. Dall Sheep on Minto Bluff above the Yukon River. Arctic Grayling caught from the Thirty Mile River section of the Yukon River. -

THE YUKON RIVER: HISTORY
The history of Canada's North spans back thousands of years, but its formation into the Yukon Territory known today began less than two hundred years ago. In 1840, Hudson's Bay trader Robert Campbell began exploring the region and set up a post at the mouth of the Pelly River called Fort Selkirk. After flooding washed the Fort away it was moved to higher ground in 1852 where it operated for a short period until it was burned and looted by the Chilcat First Nations. Abandoned, the next explorations into the Yukon River region were by trappers, early prospectors and missionaries. In 1898 the landscape of the Yukon was forever changed by the news that Gold had been discovered at Rabbit Creek (renamed Bonanza Creek) which heralded in the last great Gold Rush. Thousands made their way to Dawson City and as steamboats and stage coaches opened up a regular route via the Yukon River, settlements and wood camps sprang up. After the 1950's Whitehorse because the Capital of the Territory and the Yukon River soon saw its last steamboats chugging through its waters. Dozens of settlements were abandoned along the River allowing paddlers the unique experience to explore old cabins, empty villages and even the wrecks of the steamboats that once made their way between Whitehorse and Dawson City. Today, these sites are mostly in a state of disrepair as harsh winters have reduced historic sites to ruins. The Yukon Government in partnership with local First Nations groups has been working to restore some of the Yukon River's historic locales. Fort Selkirk is one of the most stunning examples of this partnership as buildings have been repaired, exhibits and signage created and First Nations interpreters are on site to conduct tours during the summer.

Abandoned Village of Upper Laberge in Yukon Territory. Dilapidated cabin at Upper Laberge Village in Yukon Territory. Wreck of the Casca #1 at the foot of Lower Laberge Village in Yukon Territory. Plaque about the Thirty Mile stretch of the Yukon River which is designated a Canadian Heritage River System. Abandoned truck at Lower Laberge Village in Yukon Territory. Lower Laberge Village Telegraph Station in Yukon Territory. Trappers Cabin in Lower Laberge Village, Yukon Territory. Yukon Government sign for 17 Mile Wood Camp along the Yukon River, Abandoned wood hauling supplies at an old Wood Camp along the Yukon River. Ruins of a cabin at 17 Mile Wood Camp along the Yukon River. Hootalinqua Village Telegraph Station, Yukon Territory. Remains of the S.S. Evelyn / Norcom on Shipyard Island, Yukon Territory. Cabin in the abandoned village of Hootalinqua along the Yukon River. Remains of Big Salmon Village along the Yukon River. Big Salmon Trading Post in Big Salmon Village along the Yukon River. St. Frances Xaviers Church, Fort Selkirk, Yukon Territory. Fort Selkirk First Nations Cemetery, Yukon Territory. St. Andrew's Anglican Church in Fort Selkirk - the most photographed building along the Yukon River. Stone House Interpretive Centre at Fort Selkirk, Yukon Territory. The Fort Selkirk Schoolhouse - oldest building in the Yukon Territory. Big Jonathan House Interpretive Centre in Fort Selkirk, Yukon Territory, RCMP Building and other cabins at Fort Selkirk, Yukon Territory. Inside the Fort Selkirk Schoolhouse along the Yukon River. Kirkman Creek along the Yukon River was once inhabited by a French-Canadian man who was rumoured to have the ability to curse people - today it is a family operated bakery and campsite. Dawson City and the Moosehide Slide behind it coming into view from the Yukon River.