YUKON RIVER DAY 6

Day 6 was a much quieter day after all the excitement of the rapids. We woke up to a promising day, which unfortunately turned into a rainy day by the time we were packed up and back on the river. But we were looking forward to seeing some new sights.

Rachel and Ray were the most experienced canoers in the group. They made the whole trip look so easy. While Brian and I were working hard just to keep up they seemed to be effortlessly paddling yet managing to stay well ahead of everyone else. (Rachel told me later that she was working hard too.) They rarely made mistakes in reading the river currents. So, it was with great amusement that we watched them get stuck on this sand bar.
One of the interesting points today was Minto. Apparently there is a settlement at Minto and Brian had his heart set on getting some pie. We never found pie here unfortunately. I think we just missed the town. We did, however, find the barge that transports mining trucks across the river. It looked like a pretty quiet day for the barge, so we pulled over at the opposite bank and had a lunch break.

We were keeping close watch in case the barge needed to move across the river. Of course, that is exactly what happened. So, we quickly packed up our lunch stuff and raced back to the canoes to get out of the way. The captain of the barge was very accommodating and gave us time to clear the area before he landed.
We really didn't expect to see so much barge traffic on the river. These barges (there are actually 2 here) are used to haul supplies to various mines along the river. They are based in Fort Selkirk.Our destination for the day was Fort Selkirk. Brian was convinced that he would get his pie here. But his plans were thwarted again.
They had a really nice camping area, so we pitched our tents and continued the drying process.
There was a fabulous dining shelter complete with drying racks for all our gear. Since we were the only ones at the site we quickly took over the shelter. Some people arrived a couple hours later, but had only put in at Minto and had no need to dry out yet.
The gang.

The settlement of Fort Selkirk is an historical site for the Northern Tutchone people. They are restoring all the buildings. It was a very interesting stop. Here is a virtual museum.

The dining shelter.
It was quite a haul up some rickety steps with our gear.Another successful day on the Yukon River. But, still no pie.

YUKON RIVER DAY 5

On day 5 we left Carmacks at about noon. Everyone was so exhausted from the long day before that a more leisurely morning was deemed necessary. It proved to be a great decision as it started to rain during the night and we wanted to dry out our tents as much as possible before packing them up. So, once again Rachel made us an amazing breakfast. Complete with 3 pounds of bacon - it had to be used up. We ate a LOT of bacon, then packed up the rest and took it with us. We had planned to borrow bikes from the campground and bike to the store in the morning, but it was raining so hard we decided just to stop by the store when we canoed past.

Here we are heading off for the day.
While we were in Carmacks we met a group from Switzerland - 2 couples and 2 kids. They built this raft, complete with blue water barrels for flotation, a wood stove and a steering rudder. They plan to take the raft all the way along the Yukon River to the Bering Sea, a journey of approx. 3000 km.
The bridge in Carmacks.
It poured rain all afternoon, but in spite of this we were still in good spirits.
Taking a much needed break on this miserable day.

When the rain let up it was such a relief. Everyone began to smile and laugh again.
This is approaching the 5 finger rapids. You can see the stairway that leads down to the viewpoint overlooking the rapids. This is the part of the journey that had me the most terrified. I have never been through rapids before and it was with great trepidation that I faced this part of the trip. The river was fairly high so they were not as bad as they could have been, but even so, the waves were 2-4 feet - enough for a rookie like me. I made sure that everything was tethered into the canoe and I was well protected in case of immersion. Then I yelled at Brian most of the way through until I realized that it wasn't that bad and I was actually enjoying it. In fact when we got to the Rink rapids 8km later we wanted to shoot the rapids in the middle, but we ended up too far to the right and missed most of the excitement there. Here is a video from youtube of someone going through the rapids. It's taken by someone watching from the bluff and gives an idea of what we were in.

Brian and Phil looking a little wet after the rapids.
Yes, I was very wet too. That's what happens when you are in the front.Kendra and Phil's canoe - everything was floating. I think they hit the rapids more to the right hand side and ended up getting into rougher water.
We managed to find this fantastic high water camp that night. The rain had stopped so we were able to dry things out before we went to bed.
I think the site was an old NWMP site. There were a couple old buildings still standing.
Rachel getting the chili ready for supper. It was a big hit on such a rainy day.

Ray rigged up this contraption for drying out his shoes, etc.
All in all it was a fantastic day even with the rain. However, at this point we didn't realize that the rain would continue for another 4 days.

YUKON RIVER DAY 4

Day 4 was a very long day. We traveled 110 km. Our goal that day was Carmacks, which we reached. We were so tired when we arrived we basically just staggered out of the canoes and up to the snack shack. We started out the day with a head wind, but it quickly eased up and overall we had another fabulous day.

We found this old canoe, actually only about 2/3 of it. The beavers have started to build a dam around it.

Brian and Ray just taking it easy.

The highlight of the day for Brian and I was seeing this young moose. We had decided to take a short cut - a smaller diversion out of the main channel. We were quietly paddling through - actually we were racing because we really wanted to beat everyone else to the other end - when this moose came stumbling out of the bush. She lost her footing and slipped on the edge of the bank, then decided to just lumber into the river. Brian and I became very quiet and just floated along on the river. She had no idea we were there. She was playing in the water - putting her head in and tossing it around in the water. Suddenly she looked up and saw us, but clearly had no idea that people could be dangerous. She watched us, took a few steps towards us, watched us some more, then scrambled up the bank before turning to watch us again. All the while we were getting closer and closer to her. I was beginning to worry that we were going to get attacked by a moose. However, it ended well. Needless to say we lost the race to the end, but at the point it really didn't matter.



This picture of Kendra needs no explanation.Our camp in Carmacks. Since it rained during the night we were here we were able to use the dining shelter to dry out our gear in the morning and cook our 3 pounds of bacon in relative dryness.

YUKON RIVER DAY 3

Day 3: The day started out absolutely gorgeous. The sun was shining and everyone was eager to experience the adventures the day had in store for us.

Looking ahead. It was amazing to be so far in the wilderness - away from civilization. The scenery was spectacular.

After paddling for an hour or so, we would often raft up our canoes and just float along the river. Kendra, Rachel and I would just put our feet up and lean back. It was a great time to relax, chat, and soak up the sun.

We made a stop at the historic site Hootalinqua. There were some buildings still standing, left over from the settlement. I believe this was the main building where much of the trading took place.
The cemetary at Hootalinqua. Brian braved the mosquitos to go in search of the cemetary. He had read the guidebooks and was determined to see everything.
He even located this double outhouse. Enough room for 2!
Then we were back on the river. Apparently we felt the need to raft up and discuss our adventures again.
Later in the day, before the wind picked up - obviously Brian felt the need for more sleep.
Early in the afternoon the wind was really strong. We paddled hard, but the wind was so strong it almost felt like we were going backwards. Finally, everyone had enough and we called it a day. We found this island to camp on and Rachel made us a delicious supper before everyone collapsed into bed.

Yukon River Day 2

Day 2 started out with about 35km left to paddle across Lake LaBerge. Again we were very fortunate to have a slight tail wind. The lake seemed to stretch out forever ahead of us. However, we were still in good spirits and excited about the adventures to come. The weather was gorgeous again and we were all beginning to unwind.
Taking a long look down the rest of the lake as we started paddling on day 2.


Brian gave me opportunity to practice my steering skills. I think he just wanted time to eat his trail mix and study his map.

During one of our breaks Brian and Phil climbed to the top of this hill just to stretch their legs.

Taking a lunch break.

Approaching the end of the lake at last.

I did it!

Right at the re-start of the river there is a wreck from one of the many steamboats that plied the river during the gold rush.

I had to take the opportunity to wash my hair in the icy cold water. Now I could finally take off the bandana. The water was so cold, it was almost as it the ice had just come off.

There was an abandoned North West Mounted Police station here also. The building was still standing across from this rusted old truck. The mosquitoes were very thick here and we didn't waste much time.

Back out on the river. There were these boils that kept coming up from the bottom. If you got caught in one it could spin the canoe around.

Brian relaxing at our camp. There were a few camps along the way with tables and outhouses. The trick was finding them at the appropriate time of day. We only managed a couple of these.