Yukon River Cedar Canoe Voyage > Detailed Itinerary

 

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This 20-day wilderness voyage takes participants on a trip through time and wilderness.  The Yukon River embodies the history of the Yukon.  It served as the main transportation corridor of the Yukon and Alaska for both First Nations and early gold-seekers.  As you travel the Yukon River you will gain an understanding of the Yukon’s rich frontier history from the Gold Rush of 1898 through to the sternwheeler riverboat era.  Many artifacts remain along the riverbanks for canoeists to experience first-hand.  The Yukon is a deep and broad river steeped in history and is therefore a perfect setting to use our hand-built cedar canoes.  Our cedar canoes are propelled with hand-carved hardwood paddles of cherry, walnut or maple along our path until we reach out destination, Dawson City Yukon where we will have an extra night and day to explore this scenic community.


Note: All meals included in this itinerary are listed as: ( B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner )


Day 0: WHITEHORSE, YUKON

Hopefully you have enjoyed your travels and arrived safely in Whitehorse, the Yukon’s capital city, nestled among the wilderness.
Please arrive in Whitehorse in time for an orientation meeting at 7:00 pm the night before our departure. Guests are responsible for accommodation and meals while in Whitehorse. Whitehorse is a splendid little city and we recommend booking some additional time at either the beginning or the end of your trip to see Whitehorse.  If you wish to fish on your trip but, have not had a chance to purchase a Yukon fishing license, you should do so this evening.  Your guides will let you know where they can be purchased.

Please Note:  Often our guests choose to come to the Yukon several days early, or to depart several days after their wilderness vacation.  Therefore we don't include accommodation in Whitehorse in order to provide flexibility for our guests. If you prefer, we can easily arrange your hotel accommodations in Whitehorse and add these details to your itinerary.

Day 1:  (L, D)

Cabin Fever Adventures staff will meet you at your hotels starting at 8:00 am. We will answer any final questions and depart Whitehorse by 9:00 am from Rotary Park. We will paddle out of town passing numerous business locations, industrial lands, and small residences. But soon enough the hustle and bustle of Whitehorse will fade into the background and the Yukon River will take on its wilderness character. We will paddle north into Lake Laberge, famed location of the final grizzly moments of Robert Service’s poem, “The Cremation of Sam McGee”. We will camp somewhere on the eastern shore of this huge 30-mile-long lake and await the sunset that may never come in this land of the midnight sun!

Day 2:   (B, L, D)

We will continue our journey north on Lake Laberge, admiring views of the Miners Range to the West, if the lake permits us good weather. If not we will wait in camp for the weather to improve and for the lake to calm. In the land of the midnight sun we need not push our luck on the large and cold Lake Laberge. We should arrive somewhere close to the north end of the lake by day’s end.

Day 3:   (B, L, D)

Today we will enter a section of the Yukon River known as the Thirty-Mile River. Here the Yukon is still a relatively small river and as such this section of river laid claim to more groundings and destruction to the White Pass and Yukon Route fleet of river steamers during the 60 years that these large, flat-bottomed ships moved people and freight up and down the Yukon River from Whitehorse to the Bering Sea.


Day 4-9:   (B, L,D )

After completing The Thirty-Mile River we will pass the confluence of the Teslin River, at least as large as the Yukon when its enters from the southeast. We continue our historic journey, traveling each day when the weather is best, taking advantage of the long northern summer days and enjoying good meals and fine company while resting in camp. On the morning of the eighth day we will arrive in the town of Carmacks, ending our first leg of the journey. At this point in the trip clients will have the option of continuing for another 390 km (242 miles) for the second leg of the trip that will take us to Dawson City. New paddlers may be joining our journey as we re-provision with fresh food and enjoy a riverside barbecue lunch brought to us by Cabin Fever Adventures staff. Clients who have chosen to canoe with us only as far as Carmacks will be transported back to their accommodations in Whitehorse. By late afternoon we will depart Carmacks and make camp somewhere downriver.


Day 10-18:   (B,L,D) Except day 18 dinner is not included

Over the next eight days we will continue our journey north passing such famous locations as the Five Finger Rapids, (not as scary as it sounds) Fort Selkirk, the Yukon Field Force Site, the Steward Island Museum, and then finally Dawson itself. We will arrive in Dawson City on the morning of the eighteenth day by early afternoon. After unloading our gear we will check in to our hotel rooms and enjoy a long, hot shower. The next two nights hotel accommodation in Dawson City are included in your package. Please note, meals are not included while in Dawson City, nor are any attractions.


Day 19-20:   No meals


The next two days are yours to explore this interesting northern frontier community made famous by the Klondike Goldrush of 1898, the biggest in North American history. There are several interesting historical tours that can be done from Dawson City, which ideally should be booked in advance to avoid disappointment. Visit this website to learn more. We will depart Dawson City on day 20 at 1:00 pm with arrival to Whitehorse by 7:00pm.

 

Please Note: This trip operates in an expedition format and due to the variables of weather, and the needs and safety of the participants, Cabin Fever Adventures can not guarantee that the itinerary will proceed as listed above. The itinerary may be modified at the discretion of the guide.


Cabin Fever Adventures expressly suggests that participants book at least one additional day in the Yukon at the end of their trip to avoid problems associated with delays such as, but not limited to:


Cabin Fever Adventures can not be held responsible for any expenses you may incur associated with delays of our wilderness trips. Delays could be several days in length under severe circumstances.

What if this itinerary doesn't quite fit your needs?

Cabin Fever Adventures is more than willing to modify an itinerary to fit your needs. We can:

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