The Yukon Territory is a magical and spiritual place offering a window on one of largest areas of uninhabited wilderness on the planet.  The scale is vast and in canoeing or kayaking the Yukon River paddlers are transported on a fast moving conveyor belt of swirling water.  The route offers so much including the most remarkable scenery, with amazing views around each bend, diverse wildlife, wild camping and remnants of history of the various first nation tribes as well as more recent events such as the great Klondike Gold Rush.  What makes the artefacts and sites of abandoned settlements  so vivid is that much of it has been left or preserved as it was (primarily due to cost of moving artefacts). For example there are wrecks of paddle steamers, old abandoned log cabins, various pieces of machinery which were used to extract gold, and even vintage vehicles left on islands and in various places along the banks of the river.

Day 1 – Whitehorse to Policeman’s Point (South end of Laberge Lake) – 25 miles

After a long journey via Vancouver the team arrive in Whitehorse on the banks of the Yukon River.  Canadian Affair had again supported our adventures which was a blessing given the amount of paddling, expedition and camera kit we were travelling with.  Whitehorse itself played a key part in the more recent history of the Klondike Gold Rush of the late 1890’s as it acted as a gateway for the prospectors.  Given the economic downturn at that time tens of thousands flocked to the Yukon to find their fortune.  Many died along the way. Some of the toughest parts of the journey were the Chilkoot trail, and the rapids at Whitehorse and Miles Canyon on the Yukon River. A hydro electric dam and higher levels behind the dam has removed these rapids (we were of course saddened by this).  We leave Whitehorse with only 3 of the team paddling as Aisling is not well.  Mark from Up North Adventures who had helped by providing our canoes joins Martin and Aisling to wave us off.  Our plan is for Richard to solo for the first day with Matt and Gordon pairing up in the second canoe.  Despite some nifty J strokes and knifing J’s the double are slowed waiting for Richard.  The first day sees plenty of great wildlife including beavers close to the boat, eagles and moose.  The team ends the day and pitch their Vango Force 10’s on an exposed bluff.  Our plan is to meet with Martin (support team) and Aisling the following morning, and for Aisling to join us for the rest of the paddle.

Gordon’s fishing score: Fish 1 Gordon 0

Day 2 – Policeman’s Point to Lower Laberge – 30 miles on the Lake

The rendezvous time is 9am for Aisling to join the team and fingers are crossed that she would be back to full strength for the lake paddle, which she is. It is hard to describe how quickly the weather can change in the Yukon but the best way is to explain that we measure an average of 13 mph on the anemometer and gusts of 36 mph when a 10 minute squall comes through. Local advice is to skirt one shore, usually the righthand side and if it starts to blow to stop and make camp.  Waves on Lake Laberge form with a very short wavelength and can make paddling very difficult and dangerous. We are fairly lucky and enjoy pretty benign conditions (that is of course relative to what you are used to!). We are caught by a slight bumpy patch in the middle and then enjoy a tail wind for the final third.   We pass a group of school children, 11 canoes in total, who we had leapfrogged the previous day, and also a German couple heading down Laberge.  Just before we leave the lake we are lucky enough to spot a grizzly bear on the shore. As we approach, a cub emerges from the scrub before both pick up our scent on the wind and scarper for the hills. A pity, but a good sign that bears are shy of humans.  Finding the Yukon River at the end of a 30 mile lake which is hidden by the tree line proves to be a case of backing our instincts and heading for a point with a dip in the treeline.  Sure enough we arrive at the top of Thirty Mile River, described as one of the most beautiful stretches of the Yukon River.  We make camp at Lower Labarge at a fantastic campsite.  In the Yukon that means a deserted cabin or two, a couple of long drop toilets and a large helping of history. In this case Lower Laberge had been a fishing and hunting site for the First Nation people, then a camp for homesteaders and a stop for the stern wheelers.  The site includes an abandoned old Chevy truck and also the wreck of a paddle steamer (stern wheeler).

Gordon’s fishing score: Fish 2 Gordon 0 (he changed lure at this point)

Day 3 – Lower Laberge to Big Salmon River -  63 miles

We begin to get into our wild camping routines again, waking early (there is of course plenty of light with darkness (more like twilight) being at 1.30am!), getting a brew and food on and striking camp.  Our bear precautions are also back in play with food kept in barrels, making noise to scare away potential visitors and of course keeping bear spray handy.  We set off down the river pleased to be back with flow helping us maintain greater speeds.  The whole length of the Yukon River is fed by a huge network of tributaries including the Pelly River, White River, Stewart, Klondike and many others. Consequently the river continues to pick up speed which is great news for paddlers.  Our heavily laden Prospector canoes from Esquif were not designed to be racing machines but even so we managed to record 12 miles per hour at certain stages.  As the day continues we enjoy magnificent views of mountains, big scenery and are flanked by cliffs for much of the paddle. It is simply stunning and everything we had hoped for. The route is littered with islands and the flow ebbs and eddies and splits around this enormous obstacles.  Picking the best route is a developed skill and affects your speed significantly.

One of the highlights of this day is paddling down a short cut channel to the left of a big island and finding a wolf on the river-bank.   is right next to the waterline with about a 2 metre bank above so is forced to move for nearly 30 seconds with us filming and taking snaps before making an escape. To see such an animal in the wild is amazing and the chance of such sightings alone should encourage people to come to the Yukon and paddle.

The Yukon meets the Teslin river just north of Hootalinqua Island,  which used to be an old shipyard for the stern wheelers.  We almost paddle past the island on our left and are forced to ferry glide hard to make the island. Anytime you head upstream in the main flow you realise just how fast flowing the river is. We stop to take in the magnificent sight of the historic Evelyn. The Evelyn is an old stern-wheeler, resting here since the 1930s, and is still just about standing although slowly collapsing. Hootalinqua Island was a staging post that smaller paddle wheelers could access when the river was lower.

We end the day at another deserted settlement at Big Salmon River.  This camp included a number of run down huts, some still standing whilst others were being reclaimed by the land.

Gordon’s fishing score: Fish 3 Gordon 0 (tried back casting as well and some eddies)

Day 4 Big Salmon River to Coal Mine Campground, Carmacks – 70 miles

We are due to meet up with Martin in Carmacks (our support who is accompanying us in order for us to be able to transport the canoes back from the end at Circle to Whitehorse).  Despite the flow, 70 miles of canoeing means almost 9 hours of paddling.  We are experienced kayakers, but pushing the pace in canoes uses different muscle groups and different skills. So far the canoe training we had put in prior to our trip was paying off.

We pull into Little Salmon Village not long after lunch, only to find Martin there waiting for us with delicious water melon and cool drinking water. Little Salmon Village is a First Nation village which has several new buildings, and many spirit houses (First Nation grave markers).

We push on, eager to make the campground at Carmacks for some home cooking and a hot shower.  Martin had rented a cabin at the site adjacent to the river and despite Matt’s snoring we all sleep well.

Gordon’s fishing score: Fish 4  Gordon 0 (Switched to flies and bobs!)

Day 5 Carmacks to Minto (Forest fire and Five Finger Rapids) – 60 miles

Five Finger Rapids are described as one of the highlights of the trip and some guides warn of near certain death if the wrong channel is taken in high water levels.  We treat all advice seriously, but as white water paddlers we are looking forward to some waves and white-water flow. But the water levels are low and the rapids provide a gentle wave train. We manage some fun breaking in and out and ferry gliding over to investigate the other channels. This is one of the highlights of the trip. The channel furthest to river left provides some more interesting waves, eddies and whirlpools to play with.  We wait a while to spot for Dan, a solo-paddler we had met at Carmacks who is canoeing from Whitehorse to Dawson and then cycling back. Dan also makes it through the rapids without incident.

We push on down the river to the Rink Rapids which actually offer some good waves for surfing. Sadly we only skirt these as we had previously read of the wreck of one of the sternwheelers in the flow. Afterwards we discover that this was river left and we could have caught some waves in our canoes. Next time!

As we get closer to Minto we see smoke and haze from forest fires.  It starts with the sky bearing a hazy smog but as we get closer we see plumes of billowing smoke and then eventually burnt areas, cinders and smouldering.  As we approach Minto we spot a lonely sentry on duty waiting for us - it is Martin. Due to the forest fires the campsites and other amenities (there are few) have been commandeered by the fire fighters.  We end up staying in the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) shelter which looks like a bus stop, and is a hang-out for mossies. Two of the local mounties stop by when they see us camped for some friendly banter.

Gordon’s fishing score: Fish 5  Gordon 0 (more from the book of excuses)

Day 6 Minto to Sleepy Hollow (Forest Fire and Fort Selkirk) – 65 miles

After a good night’s sleep we set out with craggy cliffs in the distance which provide a home to the Interior Falcon (according to the signs we read they are almost extinct).  We drift past the cliffs but smoke and fire seem to have driven the falcons off as we don’t spot any. We wonder if this fire might be the end of the species - a sobering thought.  We do see hundreds of swallow nests and swallows darting back and forth.  Later,  the Pelly River joins us marked by a beautiful bluff on the river right. In the distance a high bank on river left is home to Fort Selkirk.

Fort Selkirk settlement has been preserved as the trading hub that it once represented.  It truly provides a look through a microscope to the past, with restored buildings housing interesting artefacts. The buildings include two churches, the general store, and cabins which had been lived in . In the summer season the restoration continues and the place is a flurry of activity for 6-10 workers and the team of interpreters who are there to promote the heritage and culture and share information with visitors. Without doubt Fort Selkirk was one of the highlights of the expedition and we spent about 3 hours there. The First Nation Interpreter team was headed by, Awgawk (meaning Porcupine), a wise and sparkling character. Fort Selkirk was raided and burnt to the ground by the Chilkat First Nations tribe in 1852 and white men did not return to live in the area for another 30 years.  The site was abandoned around the 1950s. Fort Selkirk is truly a window on the past and a wonderfully peaceful and reflective place to pass time.

As we chat there it is like the old story of several buses turning up at once. Dan the canoeing cyclist paddles up, exhausted but happy to join the gathering.  He is making good progress, taking advantage of the long hours of daylight, and had paddled until 2am this morning. We are disappointed not to be camping in Fort Selkirk but leaving at 4.30pm we still have miles to go before we sleep (40 to be precise).  We get back into the paddling routine for another 3 hour stint and are rewarded with the sight of a moose swimming the river on a tight bend. It seems surprised to see anyone and stands posing for some time before making off into the bush. Without doubt canoeing and kayaking offers such a unique opportunity for seeing the great outdoors as it is such a quiet and stealth-like mode of transport.

We plan to camp at a place marked ‘Sleepy Hollow’ on the map but the muddy creek and tiny clearing in dense woods did not make an appealing campsite, not least because the area seemed a little too ‘bear friendly’. Sleepy Hollow is the site of an abandoned cabin but all that is left are one or two timbers at ground level. We decide to float down to the next couple of islands and see if they offer a better spot. It is now 10.30 and everyone is tired but the light makes life much easier when it comes to making such decisions, even though it is raining.  We scout a couple of islands and find one which meets our needs. The ground is a mixture of gravel, mud and sand covered with thin scrub so we decide to put the machete to use and cut some foliage as a carpet for our tents.  We got our heads down to catch up on some much needed sleep.

Gordon’s fishing score: Fish 6 Gordon 0 (takes advice from Shamen/elder- he suggests Gordon makes an offering!)

Day 7 Sleepy Hollow to Stewart Island (White River Inlet) – 60 miles

Morning sees the whole team in good spirits primarily as our camp site had been a good choice and the sun is shining. We pack our boats for the umpteenth time on the trip and get paddling.  The Yukon River is a huge network of connected rivers and is fed by a large number of navigable large rivers.  The White River joins the Yukon later in the day at a huge river delta.  The confluence is also the scene of more forest fires, smouldering and burning in the distance. We decide to stop at a creek on the opposite shore and climb the adjacent hill to get some photos of the delta and fires.  The view is magnificent and we witness the fire some 2-3 miles away sending plumes of smoke and huge flames from the tree line. We also begin to notice more bug activity as midges and no-see-ums hone in on us.

Towards the end of the day we are lucky to spot another black bear who is making his/her way up a steep incline. We notice two ravens in a ‘flap’ which draws our attention to the bear as the ravens are swooping around the bear making a loud racket.   We are also treated to more moose foraging by the river banks.  Given the success of last night’s camp we decide to again camp on an island in middle of river. We find a good spot just beyond the mouth of Stewart River. The site is very comfortable, although it seems to be on a main moose route with lots of hoof prints.  All day we have been chased by black clouds, thunder and dark skies and are convinced that our luck cannot hold. Despite expecting a thorough soaking the heavy weather seems to pass us by although there is some heavy rain in the night when we are tucked up in our tents.

Gordon’s fishing score: Fish 7 Gordon 0 (loses lure, claims strike but still no fish)

Day 8 Stewart Island to Dawson City (Stewart Island) – 67 miles

The stormy weather and scowling skies have passed overnight and we awake to more warm sunshine.  About a mile down the river is Stewart Island, another amazing settlement.  Again in times gone by this had been a thriving hub of trade and people seeking new lives and a good livelihood.

We drift down a slough and find a clearing and track. We follow this to a bigger clearing and find another Marie Celeste type deserted settlement that once housed over 1000 people.  Until the late 90’s the island was inhabited by a few die hards, literally.  Several buildings remain which provide a flashback to life on the Island when it was inhabited. We later see pictures in a museum in Dawson City of a house on Stewart Island toppling into the river as the bank eroded and collapsed. We do find one homesteader at the end of the island still trying to make things work.

All the way along the Yukon we witness trees, plants and communities clinging on to life in this tough environment.  Stewart Island is an amazing collection of old trucks, bulldozers and even vintage cars that would grace any museum.  An interesting thing had been the movement of the old store (part museum), off the island and then back again to avoid being lost in floods and the ice break-up. It stood isolated and neglected on an enormous transporter trailer.

Later that evening we arrive in Dawson, happy for a rest and a good clean up. The local campsite does not possess a shower and since personal hygiene was slipping we decide to treat ourselves to a bunk house. It feels great to remove sweaty togs and clothes and clean up. The funny thing is until you then revisit the clothes for washing you don’t really appreciate the hum or odour!

We head for Diamond Tooth Gerties, the once infamous saloon and gambling den to grab some food, a drink and take in the scene. Since none of us are much good at gambling we settle for the show (which is excellent and all in costume with a nudge and a wink) and enjoy the ambience.  We leave, it is late, but of course still pumping out sunshine and daylight. Gordon like a man possessed rushes around taking pictures in the near perfect light.

Gordon’s fishing score: Fish 8 Gordon 0 (claims no fish exist in river, couldn’t catch a cold that boy)

Days 9 – 12 – Dawson City

There is so much to tell about the time we had in Dawson City. It feels perfect to unwind in this incredible little town, previously city, that had captured the world’s attention for a few brief years. The Klondike Gold Rush only lasted a couple of years but made world news. Tens of thousands of people from all nations and backgrounds headed for Dawson City to try and seek their fortune. Many didn’t make it and those that did found many of the stakes already claimed.  The boom years of Dawson City literally lasted about 5 years.  Then it went into a slow decline. There are still placer miners and gold being prospected today but the main part of the town’s economy is now tourism.

We planned to spend a day in Dawson but extended it by another day as there was so much to see and do.  Over the two and a half days we spent there we saw so many amazing things.  The museum houses an incredible collection of the history of the gold rush and also a great collection of steam locomotives from the rail network.  We also visited the Jack London centre dedicated to the author of White Fang.  One of the best attractions was the Robert Service cabin where the poet had penned many of his great literary works.   Parks Canada staff the centre and the Interpreter provides an experience of the history and reads many of his poems most eloquently.  It was very moving and left us all buzzing.

Some of the other less obvious places of interest we found were Bombay Peggy’s bar which was chilled and served good beer, the Pit, a ramshackle establishment waiting to be condemned that played good music and the café on the waterfront.  The Midnight Sun Karaoke will go down as the worst singing ever, plus we witnessed some handbags at midnight with a few minor scuffles.  The diminutive barman ejected the much larger trouble makers with ease. Good to know!  We also got the chance to visit the large gold dredge No.4 which weighed 3000 tonnes and had replaced the work of many miners. That in itself was an incredible piece of engineering and history.  It had been refloated and restored by Parks Canada as one massive exhibit.

Our final night coincided with a story telling event at the First Nation cultural centre which was first class. Each story and entertainer was so different and engaging. It will be one of our highlights from our time in Dawson. We joined the story tellers for a few drinks in Bombay Peggy’s which turned into a long shift, a few more drinks and even a trip to Diamond Tooth Gerties.

We will look back on Dawson with much fondness, it is a great place to relax with so much to do.

Gordon’s fishing score: Fish 12 Gordon 0 (hangs rod up for a few days, eats well and takes a few snaps with his camera)

Days 13 Dawson City to 40 mile River - 52 miles

Leaving Dawson is a bit of a wrench. We had all relaxed having of course paddled 460 miles to get there. While we were in Dawson, fact that we still had 250 miles to paddle seemed to evaporate from our thoughts as we enjoyed the pace of life there. But as soon as we get back on the river it feels good. We are happy to be back to the peace and wonder of the wilds.  We are heading for 40 mile River and Fort Constantine, a settlement that had once housed about 1,000 people.  We leave Dawson at 2.30pm and paddle 500 metres down to the stern wheeler graveyard. Apparently there are 6 of them in the graveyard but it only looks like 3.  We paddle on, aware that we have 52 miles to cover. A couple of hours later Richard comes out with the classic quote “Has that log got ears?”.  The log does indeed have ears, and a lot more besides. The log is in fact a black bear, who we float beside for close to twenty minutes as it swims its way across the mighty Yukon. The bear is halfway across when we first spot it and  so is forced to endure the rest of its crossing with us taking some film footage and pictures.  It is amazing to be so close to such a magnificent animal in the wild for such a long time.  We also manage a brief stop at the derelict cabin of Percy De Wolfe, the Iron Man of the Yukon. He had been the postman amongst other things, covering huge distances between places either by dog team or canoe. While on the shore we get our first glimpse of the Yukon Queen, a tourist boat which runs from Eagle in Alaska to Dawson City, for overnight trips.

Our destination is the abandoned settlement at 40 Mile River. 40 Mile River at one point had housed over 1,000 people, had six saloons and had been a welcome haven for travellers. Now of course like so much of the Yukon River camps it is deserted but it is plain to see that someone is showing the site some TLC.  Many of the cabins and buildings are showing signs of restoration.  We set up camp on the south tip of the settlement.  We then walk most of the buildings, some of which have new floors, beams and walls.  It is great to see the place heading towards the historic record we had seen at Fort Selkirk.  One of the main cabins shows lots of signs of life but no-one is about and it has that Marie Celeste feel to it. It has food in the cupboards, the calendar on June 2010 and a logbook shows that some Germans had already been through this season.  It was also a base for the Yukon Quest, 1000 mile dog sled race.

Gordon and Rich decide to explore further afield on the land and tracks surrounding the camp.  We cross a dry ditch and skirt down a track, and after about 10 minutes we find a couple of ramshackle cabins with roofs caved in and in general disrepair. Well worth the walk.  We then wander on and find an old stage coach type wagon shrouded in greenery.  Then things take a different turn and we find the half eaten remains of a Moose leg. Still with flesh on, it is a sobering thought, and a reminder that the bears are never far away.  We spot two other cabins hidden deep in the woods, back on the other side of the ditch which at this point is filled with muddy water.  We find a place to cross and explore the remnants of a life from the past.  Given that only a handful of people come this way and that most wouldn’t venture deep into the forest we could only wonder when these sites had last been visited.

Gordon’s fishing score: Fish 13 Gordon 0 (not sure rod sees any action on this day, confidence at an all time low, sarcastic comments continue from rest of team)

Days 14  40 mile creek to Eagle, Alaska   55 miles

We awake to see the mountains of Alaska in the distance shrouded in mist and rain. Not the sunshine start we were hoping for.  We hear voices and are surprised to find two locals from Dawson City who are the guys who are renovating the site. For 9 years they have been working about 4-5 weeks in the summer season with state grants to rebuild the site.  We chat briefly and get some interview footage with these amazing characters. They had also been involved in salvaging the site at Stewart Island.

We are all looking forward to getting to Eagle and enjoying some downtime with a shower, food and a rest.  As with many days on the Yukon we are given a stunning gift of a wildlife encounter.  This time it is two moose who standing on the shore as we round a bend. The moose stay there as we paddle closer and then drift past. It is incredible. We cannot believe they do not head for the hills and run away. We get more great photos and video footage as they  seem to stand and pose.  We also get some company for a change with the Yukon Queen 2 fast cat passing us again when we have stopped for lunch.  It makes us laugh as when we saw the fast cat yesterday we were also stopped for lunch, and it passed us this morning as we were eating breakfast. Every time that they pass us we are stationary on the bank side eating. They must wonder how we make any progress at all.

We experience some more liquid sunshine and windy squalls which make for tough paddling and a bit of a slog.  We are not far from the Canada / US border which is another milestone and something we are a little sad about given our amazing experiences in the Yukon Territory.  We know we are at the border when we see a small Canadian Flat fluttering in the breeze from a short post. The US flag is missing. A metal post on the shore confirms that this is indeed the border between the two countries. What is particularly amazing is that there is a huge gap in the tree line following the border which must have been a gargantuan task and possibly a bit of a futile exercise!

As we approach Eagle we pass Eagle Creek (also an outdoor-gear brand) and wonder if there is any connection. We pass Eagle Village but there is not much to see from the river. We can see the main town in the distance so continue on. Then we see Martin sitting on a high bank with the support car flashing headlights. His first words don’t seem to make sense to us “Eagle has pretty much gone, taken away the ice during the breakup”. It is hard to convey at this point what this means but we find out later.

In summary ‘Nature 1, Eagle 0’ as the ice destroyed much of the town including the store, hotel, restaurant and other buildings. It has been described as an event that would occur once in 100 years or even once in 1000 years. It happened during the  4-8^th May 2009 and the tonnes of ice flowing down the Yukon River formed an ice dam, backed up and rose 54 feet. The water and ice flooded and crushed anything in its path. Buildings, cars and trucks were destroyed.  The town is slowly getting back on its feet with much of the damage not covered under insurance. We are amazed at the resilience of the local people who seem to have shrugged off this disaster, and are getting on with life in Eagle, working together to rebuild their homes. A number of external agencies and charities have also brought aid to bare.

As soon as we land in Eagle we are greeted by the local immigration official, Chuck Collins, who turns out to be a great character. Chuck offers us  an old cabin as shelter from the rain, but soon after our arrival the rain lets up so we decide to put up our trusty Vango Force 10 tents and the shelter.  Once the immigration formalities are out of the way we go for a guided tour (from Martin), in the comfort of the car, to witness the damage first hand.  It is a reminder of how powerful nature can be.  We find some of the locals playing baseball on a green with a spectacular view of the river.  Matt joins` in the fun and games in his best canoeing kit while the rest of us take up positions on the sideline and the generous offer of cans of beer from the friendly locals. We also meet with one of the local national park rangers, and we arrange to  visit the Forest Centre in the morning to find out more about the ice damage and flooding.

Gordon’s fishing score: Fish 14 Gordon 0 (Fishing cancelled today…again)

Days 15  Eagle Alaska to Nation River

The tour of the Forest Centre is amazing. We spend a couple of hours picking up useful information and watching films about the ice damage last year. One of the incredible bits about the footage is that the catastrophe unfolded over a few days.  The initial footage showed people laughing and joking at the ice flows and blocked ice, not realising that a few days later it would take away their homes, town and livelihoods. Towards the end the mood changed to one of shock as the disaster wiped out homes and businesses.

We leave Eagle in good spirits with 150 miles of paddling left through the Yukon Charley nature reserve.  We spend the morning stocking up on some goodies which we promptly leave behind in Martin’s car.  As we leave we paddle past the water front observing the rebuilding of the many of the main facilities in Eagle.  One of the highlights of the day is the amazing geology at Caleco Bluff. Literally layers and layers of sandstone and silt compressed over millions of years to provide a multicoloured spectacle. Despite only being 12 miles downriver it is a tough paddle to get there with 32km/hour winds blowing into our faces.  As we arrive to see Caleco the heavens open and we are rained on for the rest of the day. Not the best conditions for capturing the magic of Caleco Bluff on camera.

The remainder of the day is hard paddling in the rain and into headwinds with strong gusts. We arrive at the mouth of the Nation River to find another crew of people staying at the cabin.  We pitch our tents, grab a quick reward of a Be-Well ready made meal. The hot food makes us all feel better. We fall asleep to the sound of rain beating down on our tents.

Gordon’s fishing score: Fish 15 Gordon 0 (claims fish don’t operate in the rain)

Day 16 Nation River to Slaven’s Roadhouse, Coal Creek

Sunshine replaces rain and we wake up to a blue sky moving in to evict the grey.  We discover large fresh wolf footprints right next to our tents. To celebrate we decide to cook pancakes with maple syrup on the Trangia stove. Happy Days.

We are not long underway when we pass the Rock of Ages, which creates some rapids in the flow, which we have some fun in. Incredibly, the Rock of Ages, is a dolomite which is 4.7 billion years old! We take a few pictures and some film footage but leave, grappling with a whole new concept of time, and with the thought of how brief our time is in the history of the planet. (of course the cynics in the group did comment that they could claim any such age without many people able to challenge it!)

As the day goes on we become more and more aware of insects swarming around us.  We are all feeling very relaxed and conscious of soaking up the wonder of this special place as this is our second last day of paddling. We stop to check out the roadhouse at Washington Creek but despite a thorough search in the insect-plagued undergrowth, we don’t find any sign of the old roadhouse. The insects soon persuade us to paddle on.

We stop for lunch on an island and decide to really ‘go for broke’ and get some popcorn cooking.  The sun is hot and team morale could not be higher. Always the little things!  We do a photoshoot for sponsors with a typical Alaskan backdrop of huge mountains, beautiful scenery and of course the Yukon River. The previous days rainfall results in the levels on the river coming up almost 20cms whilst we are there.

Our evening destination is Slaven’s Roadhouse at Coal Creek. It is a state run cabin which is in great condition – it is 2 stories, bunks for 8-10 and plenty of floor space. In fact the only downside is the flies, mossies and midges lying in wait.

Gordon’s fishing score: Fish 16 Gordon 0 (few token casts, total fishing time 2 mins, can’t understand why he didn’t catch anything!)

Day 17 – Final Day, Slaven’s Roadhouse to Circle, Alaska

We manage to get on the water by 10.20am, one of our earlier starts of this trip. Our body clocks and programmes are still struggling with light through to 1.30-2am (that’s the official excuse anyway!).  Paddling this morning is slow as we all deal with the last day in different ways. The river keeps hurrying us along.

The bug situation has definitely turned in their favour and any stops we make coincide with scratching and swotting them away. We opt for lunch on a gravelly island in the breeze to keep the bugs away.  With the last day ticking by we also choose some smaller channels between islands and embrace that most popular pastime on several occasions - lying back in the boat, staring at the sky and just drifting with the flow. With only the noise of the river gurgling and hissing (from the sand and sediment), it is so peaceful.

Pretty soon our trip computer (well Garmin GPS) is reading only a few miles of paddling left. It is a great feeling but also a sad feeling to be near the end.  The final stretch weaves through a network of islands and the channel for Circle branches off to the left. We can see the town and slipway but no one around. We arrive to find the place deserted. There is a big hotel like structure which looks brand-new on the waterfront, boarded up and closed for good. The store / cafe is also  boarded and closed. Never have the words to the Specials song been more appropriate ‘This Town…Is coming like a Ghost Town…” . It is sad to see a community and town abandoned in this way and you have to wonder about the economic structure that allows this to happen.

There is a bit of celebration and Matt and Rich end up leaping into the Yukon River (OK, we admit it, wearing our Typhoon Drysuits!). We pose for some photos and then wander along the shore, - there is still no one around. It is probably just as well  the locals hadn’t witnessed our arrival in the bright yellow drysuits. They might have imagined a chemical attack was imminent, or an alien invasion or perhaps just a visit by mad canoeists!!  Martin and our transport out of there arrives about 10 minutes after we land.  We do another sponsors photoshoot and then begin to survey how to fit all our kit and canoes onto the 4x4. We manage having cut some wood to act as roof bars. Eat your heart out Thule!!!  Getting back from Circle to Fairbanks where we spent a day was an interesting journey passing through some winding mountain passes including Eagle Summit.

Gordon’s fishing score: Fish 17 Gordon 0 (heading home, fish will miss him and his way of fishing)

And in Summary...

What a trip!  We experienced an amazing time on the Inside Passage last year and had immediately planned this trip to experience more of the same. We were not disappointed. It was amazing to witness so much of the history and culture of the First Nations,   through to the crazy period called the Gold Rush and the time since then.  The wildlife, scenery and geology of the landscape have been breathtaking each and every day.  Of course that leaves two problems. One - there is plenty more of Canada and Alaska to explore, and the North West Territories are calling. Two – we have a missing link to fill in to join last year’s trip on the Inside Passage to this year’s trip on the Yukon -  we have the section from Juneau to Whitehorse including the Chilkoot Trail to complete.  See you in Scotland folks.

The team balanced pushing hard with also taking time for filming and documenting life on the Yukon River. The Yukon is known for a tough canoe and kayak race where paddlers race 460 miles to Dawson City in a matter of days. http://www.yukonriverquest.com/ and its bigger more arduous brother the 1000 mile http://yukon1000.com/ It is also the historic route for many of the first nation scouts as well as the prospectors who came to the region to find gold.