Yukon Guided Canoeing Adventure Tours 

2012 Departure Dates

Yukon River 7 Day Canoeing Trip
July 21 (Sat) to July 27 (Fri)
Aug 4 (Sat) to Aug 10 (Fri)
Aug 11 (Sat) to Aug 17 (Fri)
Aug 18 (Sat) to Aug 24 (Fri)
Other custom dates available

Teslin River
Aug 25 (Sat) to Sep 1 (Sat)

Fall Color Tour - 7 days
Sep 1 (Sat) to Sep 7 (Fri)
Sep 8 (Sat) to Sep 14 (Fri)

Custom Trips
May to Sept
Nov to April

Fox Bay Winter Aurora Tour - 5 days
Feb 5 (Sun) to Feb 9 (Thur)
Feb 11 (Sat) to Feb 15 (Wed)

Fox Bay Summer Midnight Sun Tour
Choose your own date May 1 to Sep 30

Our fully guided adventure tours are geared to all levels of expertise with an enjoyable, leisurely paced, wilderness experience being the priority.

Our guides combine the teaching of basic paddling and wilderness skills with the exploration of the natural and cultural history of the Yukon Territory and its waterways.

Along the way, we visit an abandoned, turn of the century village or homestead and a long deserted shipyard complete with a derelict steamboat on the ways. You are also treated to some of the finest backwoods fishing anywhere.

We provide everything needed to make the trip. This includes boats, canoes or kayaks, all group food, camping equipment and tents. You provide your own sleeping bag, field mattress and personal gear. You are also responsible for your own fishing license and gear. Ultra light to light spinning tackle is suggested. A list of recommended equipment will be sent to you well in advance of the scheduled departure date.

Fully Guided Trips

TOUR DESCRIPTION
No. 1 - YUKON RIVER – 7 days – fully guided
(7-day itinerary includes the arrival and departure days)

Our favourite! From the time you step on board the floatplane at Schwatka Lake for your flight over Lake Laberge, the vast Yukon wilderness spreading out in every direction as far as the eye can see will astound you. From the air you will have an enviable view of this famous body of water that our northern poet Robert Service immortalized in his rendition of “The Cremation of Sam McGee.” Our camping equipment and supplies have been transferred by boat and as your pilot sets up a landing at the abandoned Village of Lower Laberge, the colourful array of canoes and gear resting on the beach awaiting your arrival marks the start of your Yukon River adventure.

After touring the remnants of the once bustling village that in its heyday was a haven for winter trappers and summer river people, you change your mode of transport from an airplane to the canoe. Everything that you are dependant on for the next five days will have to be carried and we all get to share a part of the load. The first two days are spent in the famous Thirty-Mile part of the Yukon River. This was declared a Canadian Heritage River in 1991.

The Thirty-Mile is a Yukon treasure and a wonderful introduction to a paddling trip on the river. Magnificently wind-sculptured clay bluffs limit the width of the river and confines the current, which speeds up and directs your canoe almost effortlessly to its destination downstream. The campsites are chosen for their scenic surroundings and the almost perpetual daylight will make the day seem everlasting and it will take a little getting used to.

If fishing is your passion, now is the time to indulge. Arctic grayling and the great northern pike abound. The guides are experts at cooking the catch and believe me, there is nothing better than a fresh-caught grayling at breakfast time. You’ll get a first hand look at a Bald Eagle’s nest and marvel at the bird’s graceful flight. The antics of the plentiful swallows that nest in the clay cliffs along the river are also a continual source of entertainment. Have your camera ready, as wildlife likes this part of the river just as much as we do.

The historic significance of the river is revealed in the occasional view of the dilapidated remains of a long-abandoned cabin and a visit to a once working shipyard, complete with a derelict steamer on the ways, at the abandoned village of Hootalinqua situated at the confluence of the Teslin and Yukon Rivers.

The Yukon now grows in volume and as we drift further downriver, the Big Salmon is the next major waterway to add its flow. At the confluence, a tour of the turn-of-the century native village and trading post provides an interesting insight into life on the river during the days when it was the highway to the north.

In the afternoon of day six (Thursday) the river portion of your trip ends at Little Salmon Village, located at the confluence of the Little Salmon and Yukon Rivers. There is a large graveyard on the river bank almost hidden amongst the aspen trees, a sad memorial to the flu epidemic in 1917/1918.

After loading up the canoes and gear we travel the Campbell Highway to Carmacks from where we follow the North Klondike Highway back to Whitehorse. The evening concludes with a BBQ dinner at the Kanoe People facility in downtown Whitehorse.

We include:
Airport service. Hotel accommodation on day 1 (Sat) and day 6 (Thur) – double occupancy. Air flight from Schwatka Lake at Whitehorse to Lower Laberge. All food, beverages, canoes and equipment while on the river trip. All required road transport.

Not included:
Meals in Whitehorse except where indicated. Personal sleeping bag and field mattress. Alcoholic beverages although they are allowed. A list of recommended personal equipment is supplied well in advance of the scheduled departure date.

Cost $2,195.00 per person
6 person minimum
Single supplement $150.00

No. 2 - Teslin River - 8 days
August 15th – September 3rd
(includes arrival and departure days)

This trip takes in the full length of the Teslin River —115mi / 184km— from the community of Johnson’s Crossing that is located on the Alaska Highway just 85mi / 138km south-east of Whitehorse, Yukon to its confluence with the Yukon River at Hootalinqua, a traditional meeting place for trade between first nation people and a predominant location for sternwheeler traffic in the Klondike Gold Rush period.

The Teslin River is a canoe friendly river that at the turn of the last century was a secondary route to the Klondike Gold Fields. Today the river has largely reverted to its wilderness state and only occasionally do you get a glimpse into the past as you explore some of the old cabin sites and trails along the way.

Clear water, awesome campsites, great fishing makes this one of our premier guided excursions.

The trip includes: First and last night hotel accommodation (double occupancy) -airport pickup and all road transport - all food on the river – all necessary camping equipment – canoes – terrific guides and the air flight out of Hootalinqua. There is also the special bonus of a farewell BBQ dinner at the end of your trip.

August 25th departure date — CA$2,495.00 per person plus GST
Single supplement CA$150.00

Custom Guided Trips

Have you ever wanted to do a special wilderness trip? Perhaps a powerboat trip on the Yukon River to Dawson City, a canoe trip on the South Macmillan, a hike over the famous Golden Stairs of the Chilkoot Pass or whatever fits into your dreams. We can make it happen. We have a number of staff that specialize in guiding wilderness trips throughout the Yukon. All are experienced in virtually every aspect of wilderness travel including paddling a canoe or kayak as well as hiking or taking a mountain bike through the backwoods. All are qualified in wilderness first-aid and have years of experience in their field. Let us make up a truly memorable trip for you. You can start by contacting us today at:

Kanoe People Ltd. | (867) 668-4899 | Fax: (867) 668-4891 info@kanoepeople.com