The Yukon River Canoe Adventure

Lake Laberge - 52 Miles
Lake Laberge is 30 miles from Whitehorse, which is about the right distance for your first day of paddling. You can either camp on the shore of Lake Laberge or at several of the campsites located across from Jim Boss Cutoff (49 mile mark) just before the entrance to the lake. Lake Laberge is noted for it's strong and sudden storms lasting anywhere from several hours to all day. Because of the possibility of a sudden change in the weather and the size of the lake, 30 miles long and 2 to 3 miles wide, whichever side of the lake you start on plan on staying on during your crossing. Most people choose the east shore, which offers many sheltered bays, protected coves and pebbled beaches. Whichever side you chose for your crossing if the water gets rough or you see white horses get off the lake.

Livingstone Trail - Located at the 55-Mile mark on the east side of the lake is the Livingstone Trail. The trail, which is visible from the shore goes over to the Teslin River which at the turn of the century had a supply outpost for the Livingstone Creek gold diggings. If you hike the trail for a short distance you run into a small perfectly circular pond. The pond was dry last year except for a small puddle in its center. You could see the bear tracks in the mud going out to the middle of the pond for water. Because of the strong current of the Yukon if you know something is coming up you want to see make sure your on the right side of the river close to shore and ready to land. If you miss your location you won't be able to go back. At the end of Lake Laberge and the beginning of Canada's 30 mile heritage river is Joe Creek Village. Here you will find an abandoned cabin and the remains of several old trucks. If you walk around the back of the cabin the wild roses may be in bloom. You can either camp at Joe Creek Village or there is a potential campsite on the other side of the river shortly downstream.

Seventeen Mile Woodyard - 100.5 Miles
At one time there were 100 -150 woodcamps along the Yukon each producing 200-300 cord of wood to supply the riverboats with boiler fuel. It was necessary to have woodyards spaced throughout their route so when out of fuel the paddleboats could just stop at the next woodyard and resupply. Here, at Old Camp 17 you can view the remains of one 2 roomed cabin and the remnants of others. There's also a latrine and firepit. There's and indescribable exhilaration and sense of history that comes from camping at some of these historic sites. You get a real feeling for what the lives of the people who lived and worked in these settlements might have been like.

Hottalinqua - 113 Miles
With the discovery of small amounts of gold in the lower Teslin and upper Yukon, Hottalinqua became a supply point for the estimated 100 miners living in the area. In 1848 there was a N.W.M.P. post built there. Hottalinqua also contained a telegraph office and Taylor and Drury store. The roadhouse and telegraph office are still there along with the remnants of other buildings. Hottalinqua makes a nice campsite and has a latrine and firepit. Next stop right around the corner Shipyard Island

Shipyard Island - 113.5 Miles
On an island in the middle of nowhere there she stands majestically and proud, the remains of the steamer "Evelyn". I met one fellow there who was in tears because of the way she deteriorated in recent years. The last time he was there was 10 years ago. A point to ponder that the remains of these woodcamps, trappers cabins, the Evelyn and Yukon Crossing are all deteriorating a little more each year and if you want to see them you have to do it soon.

Cyr's Gold Dredge - 157 Miles     
In the spring of 1940 Cyr and Boyd Gordon of Whitehorse built a gold dredge out of parts made from a 1930 Catepillar tractor. Despite the fact that they found 70 ounces of flower gold they didn't return the next year. The price of gold at the time was $32 an ounce amounting to $2,240 for 70 ounces. The dredge cost an estimated $10,000 to build. Here you can view the remains of their dredge

Carmacks - 217.5 Miles
Located at approximately the halfway mark between Whitehorse and Dawson is the town of Carmacks, a community of 500 named after George Washington Carmacks, one of the co-discoverer's of Klondike gold. The town has hotels, restaurants, campgrounds, a general store, bank, post office and a laundromat and nursing station. Almost 1/4 of the canoers end their trip here at Carmacks. Whitehorse to Carmacks is a nice 5 to 6 day trip and is the only place you can resupply until reaching Dawson City.

Five Finger Coal Mine - 233 Miles
In 1897, geologist G.M. Dawson found seams of coal here, part of a large deposit extending to Carmacks. C.J. Miller started the area's first mine at this location. The original workings, located under the river have filled with water and collapsed. However you can still view the entranceways to the mine here. Five Finger Coal Mine makes an excellent campsite. As you paddle along the rivers edge you can see the seams of coal extending about a foot above the river.

Yukon Crossing - 249 Miles
Winter travel from Dawson to Whitehorse initially followed the Yukon River ice. Increased traffic led to the replacement of the traditional dogsled with horses: Then the building of The Overland Trail in 1902 shortened the trip by 160 km. Here, at Mckay's Roadhouse, the road crossed the river using either horse-drawn sleighs or ferries. "Mckay's Crossing" eventually became known as Yukon Crossing. Here you can see the remains of 3 of the roadhouses. If you walk back into the woods the stagecoach trail is still visible. Yukon crossing has a latrine and makes a nice campsite.

Fort Selkirk/Pelly River - 296 Miles (Hudson's Bay Trading Co.)
The Yukon Field Force was established in 1898 and based her at Fort Selkirk. The Yukon Field Force had three objectives. To enforce the gold and liquor tax, to keep peace among the miners and to enforce the sovereignty of the Yukon for Canada which at the time, was inhabited mainly by foreigners. Unlike the U.S. Canada tries to preserve it's history where economically possibly. The settlement is in the process of being restored by work crews from Selkirk 1st Nations as a reminder of the historic communities which once thrived along the Yukon. Here you can view the Hudson's Bay Trading Co. store, Protestant and Catholic churches, the town schoolhouse, officer and enlisted mens quarters and Fort Selkirk cemetery. Fort Selkirk has potable water, latrines, firepits and free campsites

Coffee John's on Coffee Creek - 360 Miles
No trip down the Yukon is complete without stopping at Coffee John's Bodnarek's on Coffee Creek. Located at the 360-Mile make on the S.W. side of the Yukon. Coffee John's is easily identifiable by his raised flag which reads "Welcome to Coffee Creek". John allows camping there for a $4.00 fee per tent which includes bear protection courtesy of his 2 dogs which will sleep by your tents at night. There is a short reference to Coffee John and his lifestyle on page 100 of the July 98' issue of National Geographic. John also sells little hand carved bears he carves during the winter as souvenirs to the canoeists.
(2000 update) There is no more camping at Coffee Creek. John passed away January 30, 1999. If you stop there is a craving of a bear with his memorial on it.
In Loving Memory of "Coffee John"

Bears
There are approximately 6-7000 grizzly bears and 10,000 black bears in the Yukon. Almost everywhere you camp along the Yukon there is evidence of bears, ranging from tracks in the soft ground along the river to bear scat, to markings on the trees. As long as you triangulate your campsite and keep it clean you should be fine. However, if you sight some bears close to your camp you may want to move several miles downstream.

Fishing
Yes, if you plan on fishing you will need a Yukon Fishing License cost 35.00 C.D. The two main types of fish are artic grayling and pike. However, fishing on the Yukon can be tricky. One good technique is to troll a black streamer behind your canoe. (Make sure the streamer is black another color will not work.) This should be good for 2 or 3 fish a day just by trolling your streamer behind your canoe as you paddle down the river. For pike try casting plugs in the slower water behind the islands. For grayling try fishing where the smaller streams and tributaries merge with the Yukon.
(2000 update) Because of the Salmon conservation Project you must use a single-pointed barbless hook, with a distance of 2 cm (3/4 in.) or less between the point and the shank, while angling in the following waters from June 1 to October 15: Yukon River, Teslin River, Takhini River, Klondike River, Smart River, Morley River, Lapie River, Blind Creek.

Water
Water will have to be treated to make it safe for drinking. Some people bring along a 1 quart steam kettle and boil the water for ten minutes. Others prefer to use any of the number of commercially available water filters. Where the White River merges with the Yukon at the 391 mile mark and after you will need a bucket to let the glacial silt in the water settle before filtering so you won't clog your water filter.

Length of Trip
"O MA ole canoe! w'at's matter wit' you,
Don't I work hard enough on de paddle, an'
still you don't seem to go-
No win' at all on de fronte side, an' current
she don't be strong,
Den w'y are you lak lazy feller, too sleepy for move along?"

The trip from Whitehorse to Dawson can be made in 10 to 14 days with most outfitters allowing 16 days for the trip which leaves plenty of time for fishing, hiking, layovers on Lake Laberge due to bad weather etc. The length of the trip is 430 miles and there are no portages or rapids. The rapids were dynamited years ago by the Canadian Government to accommodate the sternwheelers and paddleboats that went down the Yukon from Whitehorse to Dawson City.

So dat's de reason I drink tonight
To de men of de Grand Nor' Wes',
For hees heart was young, an' hees heart was light
So long as he's leevin' dere-
I'm proud of de sam' blood in my vein,
I'm a son of de Nort' Win wance again-