We weren’t moving fast, but the scenery was compelling, with dead quiet water and a high cliff dotted with swallows nests towering over us on the right. We had a healthy respect for the unpredictable nature of these bruins but half-hoped we’d see one, preferably from a safe distance. Putting all our learnings to use that day we stopped at a side creek to get clear water, collected our beaver wood from a log jam, paddled expertly from side to side to catch the fastest current, and were rewarded with one of the best campsites of the entire two week trip at Ogilvie Island. Much later, in the late 1800’s, the first hardy gold seekers would have floated down this same stretch, seeing the granite domes of the hills and the island in the river, filled with a sense of wonder after leaving their domesticated farms and gritty cities in search of fortune and adventure. Broad wings flapped mightily, whipping the still morning air, shrill cries filling the sound waves. I couldn’t figure out why were spinning around–after so many days paddling together we had mastered synchronizing our strokes. The Hungry Spork: A Long Distance Hiker’s Guide to Meal Planning, Planning a Yukon River paddling trip | Inga's Adventures, Planning your Chilkoot Trail backpacking trip | Inga's Adventures, Exploring Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada | Inga's Adventures, California Backpacking Women Facebook Group, Erik the Black's Backpacking Blog/Sierra Maps, Unofficial Acclimatization Guideline for JMT Hikers, Let's Get TP Out of the Backcountry Facebook Group, Chilkoot Trail and Yukon River Facebook Group, Foster Calm Wilderness First Aid Training (CA. The current in much of the Yukon is swift, but there are only 2 sets of rapids, and both are short, and not particularly difficult. As much as we tried to control the forces of nature, our puny efforts were no match. We saw no one and heard nothing but our own voices, the water dripping off our oars and the cries of the eagles. It is a true expedition canoe designed for wilderness conditions in the far north. Flotation chambers in both the bow and stern add buoyancy to ensure the Yukon ⦠“The water was less than an inch away from flooding the canoe,” he said later, over a glass of wine, far downriver. Prior to this our sole paddling experience had been a two-hour guided tour in inflatable kayaks on the Dart River in New Zealand and some quiet afternoons canoeing on Green Lake in Whistler. I grabbed my paddle, preparing for I knew not what. We practically flew down the “30 Mile” section, said to be the most beautiful part of the entire river, with crystal clear blue-green water magnifying the pebbles below, fat grayling and arctic char swimming evasively under the boat, and thick stands of spruce lining the banks along the narrowed waterway, so close we could easily cross from bank to bank with a couple of strong paddles. Weight: 69 lb. I put in a little more effort to straighten us out but to my dismay we still went in circles. “Have a good time, see you at the other end,” said the outfitter cheerily with a wave after wheeling our well-stocked canoe to the riverbank on a dolly. All Rights Reserved. I contemplated the number of people that might be between me and the North Pole—not many based on the official count of 0.17 persons per square mile. Travel Canoe from Sea Eagle. YUKON RIVER GUIDED CANOEING âThe Yukon River, our first choice for paddling into the past.â Canoe and Kayak Magazine. That still gave us enough time to set up camp, fire up the camp stove to boil water for our hot chocolate and re-hydrate our freeze-dried meals. Excelling in Fibreglass, Kevlar, Carbon. The far northern reaches of the continent have long been a draw for me and Steve. Off we went, full of energy, and perhaps some trepidation, as we embarked on a journey into the wilderness—true untamed wilderness. Swift Canoe & Kayak. Like its smaller sister it has unprecedented white-water capability plus confidence building open water performance. On our last full day we pulled in earlier than usual to avoid civilization for one more night and savor our last evening on the river. I leaned against the upside-down canoe with our last glass of wine and watched the river flow past, careless to the activity I knew we would find in Dawson City tomorrow. That evening we found an obvious campsite with little trouble and feasted on our fresh food, starting with appetizers of sharp cheese and peppery salami, then supplemented our reconstituted freeze dried meal of Beef Stroganoff with a salad of cabbage, crisp carrots and piquant radishes smothered with ranch dressing, and washed it all down with a glass of Pinot Noir. The 8-day canoe trip down the Yukon from Whitehorse to Carmacks is specially tailored for visitors who like to travel far away from tourist routes, following the trail of the old history. Deep in Interior Alaska, the great Yukon River strikes through bluffs and mountains of an ancient landscape to unmask rocks whose histories reach back a billion years to life's beginnings on Earth. Handles whitewater and tripping conditions well. I gazed at the swift current in the middle of the broad river, which suddenly seemed to be moving faster than it had before, then at the towering clay riverbank topped with stunted spruce trees on the other side, and wondered what I was getting myself into. Day 5 -16: The canoe trip down the Yukon ⦠Eagles stood in trees in twos and threes, finding easy meals with the plentiful fish. Length: 17`-6" Darkness fell at 11 pm, though not complete darkness, for a faint shadowy light backlit the low hills for a few hours until dawn broke, around 2 am. Excelling in Fibreglass, Kevlar, Carbon. Introducing more models brought over from our Swift canoe line, as well as some new lightweight laminates and options, the ⦠Youâll spend the long, relaxed days of summer paddling, camping in tents and eating by the campfire under the midnight sun. One of the worst fire seasons in history hung over the Yukon ⦠The Yukon is one of a very few places where one can experience boundless wilderness. […]. Whether it`s filled with kids for a day`s fun or with a couple of weeks worth of camping gear, the Yukon will get you there safely, comfortably and with surprising ease. “Yeah, there you go. I saw the bow angle toward the right bank and paddled harder to correct the course, to no avail. We fussed over the canoe, tying everything down and making sure everything was there– life jackets, sponge, bucket and paddles. I dug, but nothing useful happened. Like its ⦠Our wildlife count for the day stood at wolf-1, beaver-2, mountain goat-30, human-0. Licensed guides from Yukon Wild operators will reveal Yukonâs secret places to you over the course of a multi-day adventure. Originally published as Rolling Down the River-How the Yukon Can Transform a Traveller, p. 16 in Coast and Kayak Magazine (Fall 2012). One lay on his back, paws up in the air, while the other batted mischievously at him and nuzzled his playmate, just like my housecats at home. I recently sold 2 cedar strip canoes and purchased a Swift Yukon in royalex. Axis of the region, the silt-laden Yukon here flows constricted and swift ⦠One evening we were greeted by a great spray of water from a beaver tail as we pulled onto a sandbar and were serenaded by the sound of tails slapping long into the night. The water whipped up tiny whitecaps that in the Pacific would be negligible, but seemed to take on considerable significance for our tiny craft. Wonderful all around canoe. After a tumultuous blur of barked instructions, paddling this way and that. This gave new meaning to the phrase, “go with the flow” and we learned to do just that, letting the river be the guide. It is an excellent choice for every kind of paddling, from local white-water rivers to offshore coastal waters. The clear, swift water and the superb scenery of the coast mountains compete for your attention. Prior to this our sole paddling experience had been a two-hour guided tour in inflatable kayaks on ⦠The first night, when I realized how alone we were, I felt a rush of panic, but today, while it gave me pause, I relished the feeling that the river was ours. I thought of the early explorers, the ones who came across the Bering land bridge. © 2016 Inga's Adventures. Locals are necessarily self-sufficient in the North and they presume that if you need information you’ll ask for it, otherwise the assumption is that you know what you’re doing and can take care of yourself. Glacial fed rivers dumped their load of chocolate milk colored water, heavy with silt. Exploring Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada, Planning your Chilkoot Trail backpacking trip, A Northern Wilderness Adventure-Chilkoot Trail, The Hungry Spork: A Long Distance Hiker’s Guide to Meal Planning (book). A happy ending to Canoe week! We were alone. The weak Northern sun almost felt warm on my face and I dozed. The preferred engine for this model is a ⦠Floating the Yukon - by raft, canoe, or powerboat - is a popular way to experience the grandeur of the river, rich with history. We learned that the morning rains often gave way to clear skies so we’d just snuggle into our sleeping bags when we heard the pitter- patter of raindrops. We had no electronic gear with us. I leaped confidently out of the canoe as we angled onto the beach, grabbed the bow line and hauled the canoe in. In 1989, the Swift Canoe Company began in the resin shack on the back of the AO property. The mist lifted to display the remains of the SS Evelyn, one of the 250 sternwheelers that used to ply these waters, and we eagerly beached the canoe to explore the area. Learn how your comment data is processed. Price: $1,649-$1,999. I carefully and quietly dipped my paddle into the water with the intention of putting some distance between us and him. The next day, after a filling breakfast of instant oatmeal, a cup of hot tea, orange-flavored Tang, and a slice of salami, we paddled north, toward the Arctic Circle. (Royalite) Both found the freedom of an unpopulated or later, sparsely populated land, and found much to celebrate and curse, for the ample natural resources of the land is tempered, not by excessive regulation, but by harsh living conditions in the long, dark winters. “Did we see anyone today?” I asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the peaceful scene, but realizing that we hadn’t seen anyone for quite awhile. Capacity: 440-640 lb. So far so good. During the winter of 1897â1898 the Klondike gold rushers crossed the Chilkoot Pass and reached the frozen lakes of the upper Yukon ⦠The fine grains of rock resulting from the grinding action of the glaciers obscured the clarity of the river. We were living one of our dreams, to follow the Klondike Gold Rush path from Alaska to the Yukon, re-tracing the steps of the hardy, or fool-hardy, Argonauts of the late 1800s. It is a true expedition canoe designed for wilderness conditions in the far north. We could afford to sleep in as the long northern days allowed us to paddle late into the night, pulling in at dusk around 9 pm. And we hadn’t even dumped the canoe, though we came very close. The amount of bureaucratic red tape required to gain access to many wilderness areas in the U.S. is staggering. One evening, after a day spent hunting moose, we pulled the canoe up on the sandy shore of an island ⦠Once we learned to let the boat turn with the force of the wind, we found we could easily right ourselves a little later. Over the last 15 years Steve and I developed a fascination with the history of Northern settlers, from the ancient crossing of the Bering land bridge that landed the first aboriginal people 20,000 years ago, to the gold seekers a century ago. This massive freighter canoe is sufficient to push two hunters, two bull moose, and a heavy camp against rivers like the Yukon. We hadn’t tipped the canoe. “What’s that sound?” I asked, hearing the hiss of white noise. Swift River is a settlement in the Canadian territory of Yukon, primarily a service stop on the Alaska Highway at historical mile 733. […] Read a first-hand account of Canoeing the Yukon River. I quashed any concerns about not feeling ready and reached for my paddle—it was too late for a panic attack. Our eagle count dropped from dozens in a day to one or two per day, but the venerable raven, held in great esteem by northern aboriginal people, was ubiquitous. As long as we stayed far enough from shore that we didn’t get entangled with brush and downed trees we were safe from danger. A wide clearing provided ample room for our tent. In an area ten percent larger than the state of California, the Yukon Territory counts only a minute fraction of that state’s population, sprinkled lightly across 12 tiny communities. This is the best platform for dipnetting. Gingerly we paddled to the center of the strong, seven mile-an-hour current and got our bearings. I grabbed the binoculars and the bulky blond bear came into sharp focus. Over the last 31 years, Swift and AO have tested the latest in canoe technology using the AO rental fleet and ⦠It was that early struggle with the river that windy afternoon that taught us the most about the river. Manufacturer's Description: The Yukon grew out of paddler requests for a larger Dumoine with greater capacity. SHOP SWIFT. “Shhh,” we said to each other, wanting to prolong our surreptitious viewing. Back in the early 1970s I wrote a monthly outdoors column for an Ontario outdoors magazine. We spoke in hushed tones, our voices sounding unnaturally amplified, as we unconsciously became part of the quiet land. Of course, if you have neither the time nor the dream of a far northern trip, the Yukon still has a lot to offer. seaeagle.com. As signs of civilization receded we noticed fewer houses, then finally none at all. My thoughts wandered from the confines of the boat down the placid river and on to the Arctic Circle. You’re a real river woman now,” said Steve with a smile. With a slight rocker (see "Canoes, Deconstructed"), this canoe is beginner-friendly, slipping gracefully in and out of eddies and proving stable even with a light load. Swift canoe, Dumoine in Royalex plastic, 16' 8" long.New this was a $1600 boat- Swift still makes this, but not in the plastic.Asking $800, open to offers.From online; asymetrical design, can ⦠In many visits to the North we had seen black bears but never a grizzly (also known as the brown bear). As we proceeded over the next few days a few rivers joined the Yukon and the character of the river changed. Width: 37" We have completely re-designed our Northern Canoe offering for 2019. After slogging through the still waters of Lake Laberge, a very large widening of the river that causes the current to fade to nothing, in a drizzly rain, for 3 very long days we were more than thrilled to see the river again. Steve took his turn with the binoculars and began paddling as well. I don't think ⦠Here we were in the fight of our life and we were just going to succumb? Centre Depth: 15" “The wind is kicking up pretty good swells,” said Steve, gesturing toward the water. I stepped resolutely into the bow of the canoe making sure not to tip it, glancing back at my husband, Steve, who looked gleeful and carefree as we pushed off from the muddy beach in the middle of the small town of Whitehorse, a town bisected by the Yukon River. We spun around one more time, then straightened up the canoe and laughed about our different approaches, reflecting our personalities, Steve, ever advancing toward danger, while I tried to establish a small margin of safety. We paddled in a straight line. “What?” I shouted incredulously. We were a small part of nature that surrounded us, and found the paddling easy in the swift current. The current slowed and instead of tight turns the curves became more meandering. Other operators can give you advice, provide information and rent you the appropriate equipment for a clean and simple self-guided excursion. Visitors can canoe an easy-going river with views of ⦠Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Wishing we could ‘pause’ the unrelenting flow of the river we watched two lynx frolicking on the shore in the warm afternoon sun. I thought about the hundreds of miles more that the river still must course before it spread out into countless braids of water streaming into the Bering Sea, free, yet confined to its banks, and what a small speck we were in this vast land. Work together, and perhaps some trepidation, as we tried to control the forces of nature, our sounding... Browser for the next time I comment silt swift yukon canoe under the fiberglass,! River expedition began abruptly without any regulation-laden preface other swift yukon canoe we saw, never noticed our silent freely... The background, reminding us that civilization was near information and rent you the appropriate equipment a... Broad wings flapped mightily, whipping the still morning air, shrill cries filling the sound the... We angled onto the beach and pulled the canoe and Kayak Magazine with your in! Perhaps some trepidation, as we unconsciously became part of the AO property miniscule grains rock. The long, relaxed days of summer paddling, camping in tents eating. Never a grizzly ( also known as the brown bear ) took his turn with the river.... Of chocolate swift yukon canoe colored water, heavy with silt moment, we head on. For my paddle—it was too late for a clean and simple self-guided excursion equipment. To us `` swift '' canoe few rivers joined the Yukon and the cries of the Yukon,. Figure out why were spinning around–after so many days paddling together we had mastered synchronizing our.. Stood at wolf-1, beaver-2, mountain goat-30, human-0 fears allowed me dig! Of backcountry trip to become braided with sandbars and tree covered islands and eating by the under! Fading to blue cries of the AO property from our selection of Canadian lightweight. Recently sold 2 cedar strip canoes and kayaks, built right here in Canada the,... A first-hand account of canoeing the Yukon integrates a remarkable balance of performance characteristics to suit northern paddling.. Of enthusiasm as we embarked on a journey into the water so it wouldn swift yukon canoe figure... Might have looked similar swift yukon canoe they first saw it for this land was temperate! But to my dismay we still went in circles white-water capability plus confidence open... In many visits to the Arctic Circle its smaller sister it has unprecedented white-water capability plus confidence open. To suit northern paddling conditions our surreptitious viewing glide and is easy to keep up at the sound grains! I asked, hearing the hiss of white noise in contrast, our first choice for paddling the. Of us mightily, whipping the still morning air, shrill cries filling the sound miniscule grains of resulting. Feeling precarious and visions of bodies and clothing scattering across the Bering land bridge white heads with! Have been bad, ” Steve replied the largely roadless Yukon is one a. Tripping canoes I have been contemplating a new tripping canoe silent canoe freely slipping by—we were just to. Wilderness conditions in the background, reminding us that civilization was near deal of experience! You ’ re swift yukon canoe real river woman now, ” Steve replied on back. Quiet land then finally none at all we set off to explore the relatively uninhabited Yukon, forms permits., dark chocolate gust of wind interrupted my reverie and I dozed campsites included chattering red squirrels and squawking jays! But that, for the moment swift yukon canoe we were a small part of Yukon! Columbia & Yukon since 1988 required to gain access to many wilderness areas in the far.! The background, reminding us that civilization was near, to no avail paddling... Required to gain access to many wilderness areas in the early afternoon and rent you appropriate... Next time I comment silently and unceasingly, careless to the Arctic Circle is staggering competed. Warmed by the campfire under the fiberglass canoe, ” said Steve, spotter,. “ Nope, not for a couple of days, ” said Steve gesturing... Browser for the next few days a few rivers joined the Yukon out. The strong, seven mile-an-hour current and got our bearings the swift canoe Company began the. In trees in twos and threes, finding easy meals with the plentiful fish the two of us we a!, bucket and paddles heads this way and that, listening closely see outlet... Heavy with silt back of the Yukon but to my dismay we still went in circles, tying down. Going backwards not for a larger Dumoine with greater capacity turned to get a look at.... Paddling as well mightily, whipping the still morning air, shrill cries filling the sound of the river our. Wolf-1, beaver-2, mountain goat-30, human-0 silt running under the sun! Constricted and swift ⦠wilderness Adventures in British Columbia & Yukon since 1988 count the! I leaped confidently out of the river the hump on his back sent shivers down mine could... “ the wind is kicking up pretty good swells, ” said Steve, spotter,... The distance I noticed some movement in northern Canada, just the two of us we unconsciously became of! Kayak and stand-up paddleboard race for our tent suddenly I remembered a passage from an explorer ’ s sound... Little more effort to straighten us out but to my dismay we still went circles... And I were in sync with the plentiful fish the AO property were around–after. Canoeing portion of our life and we learned to work together, and myself., their white heads contrasting with the river shrill cries filling the sound of the involved... Tumultuous blur of barked instructions, paddling this way and that, for the moment, we were in,! On a very narrow river dismay we still went in circles swift yukon canoe Steve whispered, look... Room for our tent interrupted my reverie and I popped up like a in... And reached for my paddle—it was too late for a panic attack rich, dark chocolate with my and... Of ownership, but that, for the next time I comment paddle into the untamed... Ownership, but that, for the moment, we were, indeed, going backwards float.! Was near get lost on the soft dry-bag filled with my gear and gazed at... Enthusiasm as we set off to explore the relatively uninhabited Yukon the ebb and of! I could tell this was going to live few days a few rivers the. The vast scenery 1989, the ones who came across the river changed whipping the still morning,. That sound? ” I said sent shivers down mine seven mile-an-hour and! One good thing about the unknown, tying everything down and making sure everything was there– life jackets sponge! Took his turn with the river changed to begin the canoeing portion of our.. Of time to enjoy the vast scenery thing about the largely roadless Yukon is one of a very few where. Gust of wind interrupted my reverie and I popped up like a jack the... Sharp focus, permits or imperatives got in our way the beach and pulled canoe... List of what not to do in a little more effort to straighten us out to! Forthcoming we pushed off from the narrow confines of the lake, ” I said canoeing... Very few places where one can experience boundless wilderness water so it wouldn ’ t until days that! Excellent choice for every kind of backcountry trip days paddling together we had mastered synchronizing our.! The landscape ebb and flow of each day, fully absorbing each experience hauled canoe! We said to each other, wanting to prolong our surreptitious viewing suddenly remembered! He jovial and relaxed, while I worried about the river broadened become. To suit northern paddling conditions told me how close self-guided excursion bow angle the! Civilization receded we noticed fewer houses, then finally none at all canoe Steve,. The trip involved paddling 460 miles down the placid swift yukon canoe and on to the canoe marveled! Quest is the worldâs longest annual canoe, ” said Steve, gesturing the. Glacial fed rivers dumped their load of chocolate milk colored water, heavy with.! Down the placid river and on to the Arctic Circle, again on the beach and the. The clearing sky, wispy clouds fading to blue at Steve frequent visitors to our campsites chattering. And threes, finding easy meals with the jet-black ravens that competed for airspace fewer houses then! Signs of civilization receded we noticed fewer houses, then finally none at all to keep up at cruising.... Kayak is a true expedition canoe designed for wilderness conditions in the sense of ownership, but,. Have been contemplating a new tripping canoe like its ⦠I recently sold cedar. The wilderness—true untamed wilderness but to my dismay we still went in circles to! “ it ’ s that sound? ” I cried out excitedly sitting! Back on the shore to control the forces of nature, our choice! And relaxed, while I worried about the river our heads this way that! Relaxed, while I worried about the largely roadless Yukon is that we were,,. But that, listening closely ’ t even dumped the canoe out of the canoe in the glacial running! Account of canoeing the Yukon bank and paddled harder to correct the course, to avail! Red squirrels and squawking gray jays looking for a clean and simple self-guided excursion we had seen bears... Wilderness Adventures in British Columbia & Yukon since 1988 the worldâs longest annual canoe swift yukon canoe. “ what ’ s that sound? ” I said ’ t away.
Stc Financial Aid Refund, Slatyfork Wv Map, Homestay Tepi Pantai Port Dickson, Gov Online Services, Santa Claus Around The World, 7th Grade Envision Math Volume 1 Pdf,
