16 June: Days-9, Total 10; Miles-52, Total-304
Fortunately, I was feeling better this morning. Since I was awake half of the night, I slept later than usual. It was nearly 7am; I quickly struck the tent and packed my gear. Bill gave me a mug of coffee, I used it to wash down one of the blueberry bagels he gave me yesterday and we got underway.
I had intended to write yesterday’s journal this morning over a few cups of coffee. Instead, I worked on it as we floated down the river. Bill kept paddling, so I would drift and write, then paddle hard to catch up. This went on much of the morning and the miles slipped by quickly.
We stopped to look at Minto Station, another old way station for the stagecoach line. About all that is left is a large flat cleared area where a small community once toiled to make a living in this remote land. The road to Dawson was built by the White Pass Line Company to carry the mail under a government contract. In the 1930’s it became cheaper to deliver mail to Dawson by air and way stations fell by the wayside. Then in 1955 the new Klondike highway was built to Dawson using a more direct route. Many little communities were on portions of the old stage road that was not part of the new highway, most of them are now ghost towns. Minto is one such town.
We overtook a group of seven Germans canoeing from Whitehorse to Dawson. Elizabeth Wiengard is leading the group. I chatted briefly with her when we caught up to them, then again when we stopped to see old Fort Selkirk. Elizabeth and her husband canoed to the Bering Sea in 1991. I had lots of questions for her.
Fort Selkirk is very interesting. It was an old Northwest Mounted Police outpost and it has been maintained wonderfully. Houses, cabins, out buildings, trading post, school house, a church, etc. (all log construction) are still functional, but only used as a museum. A First Nation historical preservation group maintains it. The fort was operational until about 1935. We had planned to camp at the fort but the German group planned to stay there so we moved on down river about five miles.
Earlier today the Pelly River joined the Yukon. That great river brought with it more glacial silt making the silt concentration in the Yukon even higher. For miles, the right bank of the Yukon has been lined with huge, steep volcanic/basalt cliffs; just beautiful.
My dinner was exceptional: raw carrots for an appetizer (shared with Bill), a lettuce and tomato salad, a spanish rice & pasta main course and for dessert, a dollop of banana nut bread/dough that Bill whipped up. Pretty high living for the outback!
17 June: Day-10, Total-11; Miles-52, Total-356
It was a cool, overcast day, a great day to canoe down the Yukon.
I worked on answering some email messages while floating, then paddled to catch up; the time and miles seemed to fly. We stopped at Selwyn Station to see an abandoned and decaying log house.
There are now a lot of islands in the river. Sometimes it just happens that Bill and I go on opposite sides of an island or maybe even a whole cluster of islands. While doing just that today, Bill saw a large moose and her calf. He was very close to them, about 50 feet, look for great photos coming, not so soon, on this very website.
Late afternoon, we saw our first live grizzly while on the river. It was just coming out of the water as we were crossing toward it. After shaking the water off, it stood and watched us, ambled a few yards and continued to watch as the current carried us downstream. It was a thrill!
It took us longer than normal to find a spot to camp this afternoon. We have had such great campsites that our standards are pretty high. It seemed that all the semi-clear flat spots had a muddy landing or were on a high bluff. We like a sand or gravel landing, preferably in an eddy (out of the current), deep enough to float the canoes without dragging, shallow and wide enough to easily wade around the canoes to pack & unpack. We like the tent site to face east so the morning sun will dry any dew, rain or condensation. Of course, we prefer to camp and eat on a grassy area and certainly not in the mud or on large rocks. A good breeze is nice too, it keeps the bugs away and makes for pleasant sleeping. We don’t get too concerned about having a good view because there are no bad ones here, really. Anyway, it took us awhile to find a suitable site, it was about 7 PM when we started unloading and 8:30 before we finished dinner. Bill sacked out right after dinner. It is now about 9:30, there is a light breeze, it is very quiet and the river silently rolls on.
18 June: Day-11, Total-12; Miles-33, Total-389
It started raining last night sometime after midnight. It almost stopped while we had breakfast and was increasing as we took our tents down. Paddling in the rain was not uncomfortable since the weather was not cold and we stayed dry. We went by a momma moose and her baby, both laying on the bank at water’s edge. When I yelled to tell Bill about them, they looked our way but never got up, they kept their eyes and ears trained on us as we drifed away.
A Canadian flag on a 20-foot pole marked the path that led up the bank and 500 feet to Clayton Baker’s place. A sign at the base of the flagpole read: “Hund Friend, Kaffee”. It looked like a welcome sign to me and I looked for Bill, who had gone on the other side of an island. As I got out of the canoe I spotted him several hundred yards away and already downstream of my locatiion. It would be very difficult and time consuming for him to make it back up agains the swift current. I waved to him and met five barking dogs signaling my arrival. The six of us walked up to a cabin that had multiple additions. I yelled hello to a woman just going inside, she waved and disappeared into the cabin. A minute later Clayton came out. He told me they live in Dawson and come here by river (105 miles) every summer. A sign on their cabin advertised: Gold Nuggets For Sale,, Sandwiches, Coffee, Campground, Cabins. We talked for a few minutes and I asked if I could get a picture, then said good-bye.
About a mile downstream Bill was waiting in a little bay out of the current. He told me that apparently the nerve in the back of his neck and shoulder was pinched again, it was very painful for him to move his head or lift anything. He took some aspirin and we drifed with the current so he did not need to paddle but he did need to steer. We started looking for anyplace that we could use as a campsite, without applying the campsite criteria mentioned earlier. We checked the point of an island, but recent flowing ice had scoured it clean and the continuing rain was making it a mud hole. On the map we saw a place coming up called O’Neils Landing. Unfortunately, for us, it was being upgraded. The whole area had been bulldozed and it too was now a mud hole except where they had placed large rocks. As we floated along in the rain, Bill said he had just passed an old cabin. I swung in to check it out while Bill, now a couple hundred feet downstream, pulled in to await my report. I darted to the top of the bank and saw an old fire ring and places for at least rhee tents so I ran back with the good news. As Bill walked back along the bank towing his canoe, I check the site more thoroughly. The good news was, it was a great site and een met most of our “picky” criteria. The bad news was, there were bear tracks on the shore and what looked to be fresh droppings up near the fire ring. We considered the situation and decided to stay even though normally we would have yielded the site to the bear. Bill needed to lie flat on his back to relieve the intense pain. I knew he was in a really bad way when he said he wanted to have a doctor check it when we get to Dawson.
After we got his tent set up, we three in is mattress and sleeping bag and he was laid out for the night even though it was only 4pm. As I made dinner I asked if he would like anything to eat but he just wanted to lay flat. That was about four hours ago, nothing heard from Bill nor the bear and it is still raing. Hope Bill is much better tomorrow.
19 June: Day-12, Total-13; Miles-30, Total-419
Per our standing agreement, if it is pouring down rain in the mornings, we sleep in. That was an especially good arrangement this morning since Bill was recovering from his neck problems of yesterday. We were both getting a little stir crazy in our tents and about 9AM there was a short break in the rain and we were both out in a flash. Bill was feeling much better, but not a total recovery. He wanted to try paddling so we quickly packed and were on our way, even if much later than usual. It was raining again before we got on the river. As we were loading our canoes, a German couple in an aluminum canoe floated by. They are going to Circle, Alaska, farther than anyone else we have met on the river.
Bill tried paddling with a traditional canoe paddle instead of the double-ended kayak paddles we have both been using. It seemed to help, especially if he only steered to stay in the main flow and did little other paddling. The White River and the Stewart River both joined the Yukon today. The White was white, laden with glacial silt it made the Yukon even thicker. We can now only see about 4 inches into the water. The additional water from these two rivers increased the speed of the already fast Yukon. We made pretty good time today just floating.
The rain finally stopped in mid-afternoon. We passed a dredge/barge that may have been part of a copper mine operation we had heard about.
Not wanting Bill to have a relapse, we stopped early on the point of an island, which is filled with fresh moose tracks. Also, we wanted to have time to dry our tents and other gear. Just after dinner, a couple floated by in a red canoe. They were in the middle of the river and too far away to talk. They were in a rental canoe and lightly loaded, probably only going as far as Dawson.
We had a short day, 30 miles, but it was good to have Bill end the day without being in pain. He still plans to see a doctor in Dawson.
20 June: Day-13, Total-14; Miles-51, Total-470
A beautiful day; blue skies, light breeze, fast current. The miles flew by as I completed a listing of equipment I brought on this trip. Bill continues to paddle very conservatively and with the single blade canoe paddle. Fortunately, the increasingly swift current moves us right along.
We stopped at Swede Creek to get clear drinking water because the Yukon has too much silt. It was amazing to see the division in the water where the creek first touches the Yukon, this is one thick river.
Our camp tonight is on the point of an island. It’s a little sandy but the breeze keeps the bugs somewhere else. We are about 8 miles from Dawson, tomorrow we will do our “town chores”: send out these journal entries, send & receive email, call loved ones, visit a laundromat, get maps for the next section of river, pick up packages at the post office, snail mail the equipment lists to Betty, buy some hardware items for the trip, get fresh veggies and some other groceries. And, maybe hit a restaurant and shower if it works out. Since tomorrow is Saturday we are concerned about the post office being open. We’ll see!
21 June: Day-14, Total-15; Miles-16, Total-486
We found a bit of a surprise when we checked the canoes this morning. The river level had risen several inches, probably due to the rains of a couple days ago. Plus, Scott, of Kanoe People back in Whitehorse, had told us the river would rise as the warmer temps melted more snow in the mountains. The rise was enough to float our canoes off the rocky shore. Mine was tied to the base of a clump of bushes about 10 feet from the shore. The higher water was now about a foot deep at the bushes and the bushes were now 15 feet out in the water. Bill had tied his canoe to a long log on the shore. Fortunately, when the log floated, it dragged and got hung up after only a few feet. We learned a good lesson!
It was a great day and we were headed to the big city of Dawson, about five miles down stream. We passed the mouth of the clear little Klondike River and there was Dawson, on our starboard and nestled at the junction of the two rivers. We pulled in to a gravel landing just below the S.S.Keno, which is now a museum up on the bank above the river.
What a great town, we both loved every minute we spent there. Our first stop was the Post Office; it was open until noon, great! They only had two of the three packages that we were expecting, not so great. We made arrangements for them to forward the remaining package. Bill received the PocketMail device, like mine, that Betty had sent and I got some film mailers she sent to me. Next stop, The Wash House, just what we need, pay showers and a coin laundry in the same building. Plus, there was a pay phone on the wall outside.
All scrubbed up, messages sent and some phone calls made, we treated ourselves to a great lunch at Joe’s Place (or something like that). The prawn sandwiches, veg-beef soup and cold Yukon Gold (beer) were all good.
We walked around this quaint little frontier like town with dirt/gravel streets and false fronted buildings it seems we either had gone back a hundred years or stumbled onto a movie set. I added some books to my little traveling library. I had deliberately not brought any nature guide books, partly to save space & weight and partly because I thought they might get wet a lot. I now know I’ve got the space and think I can keep them dry. Mostly I really miss not being able to identify wildlife, flowers, etc or answer important questions, like “How to tell the difference between a moose track and a caribou track. I’ve now got a guide for birds, mammals and wildflowers; all geared to northern Canada or Alaska. Also, picked up a paperback, Jack London’s “Call of the Wild” and some other short stories. It has been decades since I have been thrilled by Jack London and now seemed a good time to check in with him again.
While I made more phone calls, Bill visited a small First Nation cultural festival by the river. We both “grubbed-up” at the grocery and were ready to head on down the river.
We met Mark and Kevin by our canoes, they and Kevin’s brother-in-law & his wife were headed to the Bering Sea in two canoes lashed together like a catamaran. With four paddling and Mark with a drum for cadence and a whip for inspiration, they are really flying down the river.
As we floated away and Dawson grew smaller in our wake, we both wish we had stayed there for the night. It is a grand town, plus today is the Summer Solstice and they will celebrate the longest day of the year tonight. Traditionally, a lot of the townfolk walk up Midnight Dome which overlooks Dawson; of course they do this at midnight and it is still light.
We went about 11 miles down stream and found an island to pitch upon. I had a great tossed salad that filled my gold-pan salad bowl. About 11:30, I was awakened by music; some boats were tied together and folks were partying as they rafted down stream. A few more drifted by, then at midnight, someone called “Get up and celebrate the Summer Soltice”. I crawled halfway out of my tent to investigate and saw that Bill also was checking. We heard a bit more music and shouting but I quickly drifted off into dreamland.
22 June: Day-15, Total-16; Miles-52, Total-538
A couple miles after we started this morning, the boats and canoes that were so noisy, when floating by us last night, were docked or beached on the shore. Bill couldn’t resist shouting to ask if anyone still wanted to celebrate the Solstice, just in case any of them might be sleeping nearby.
About 8:30, the passenger ferry “Yukon Queen II” came down river. She also passed us last evening, as we were setting up camp she was going up stream. I had heard there was a ferry service between Dawson and Eagle. This afternoon she was going back up stream. Evidently they leave Dawson in the morning and return to Dawson each afternoon. The YQ II is a slick looking, fiberglass tour boat with two decks on a catamaran type hull, maybe 50 feet long. She throws a tremendous wake, especially when bucking the current going up stream. The skipper always slows that big rig down well before reaching us, even when our canoes are tied and floating at the shoreline. The last two times he has given us a blast on the ship’s horn while lots of folks come out on deck and wave. This morning, one guy yelled to ask if I was OK. When we get to Eagle, probably tomorrow, I’ll try to drop by the YK II office and have them pass our thanks to the skipper for being so courteous.
We are camped on Night Island and there are plenty of moose tracks. We were commenting that we had not seen even one moose today when a big one walked up out of the water about 200 yards away. We are not alone on this island.
We made 52 miles today and that put us over 500 miles for the trip, we may celebrate tomorrow night in Eagle. We have made reservations at the Eagle Trading Company. That is where Bill and I both have shipped our pistols. Bill has really been looking forward to getting his, he always has a few firearms when he is in the wilderness. I’ll be glad to have mine in the event I need to use it, otherwise, it is just one more thing to fool with.
Guess we’ll have to take a bath again tomorrow, this every other day thing is getting to be a nuisance 🙂
23 June: Day-16, Total-17; Miles-41, Total-579
Since we will arrive in Eagle this afternoon and I want to send all of the recent journal entries, I am typing (small keyboard, can only use two fingers) as I float downstream. It is about 7:30am, a clear blue sky, temp is in low sixties but in warm sun I am comfortable in walking shorts & tee shirt, plus the life vest is almost like a jacket. Sitting here in the canoe with my bare feet on top of the cooler (40 qt size, used as my kitchen pantry and as a table at camp) and looking at the magnificent scenery, I wonder why I am so fortunate. There are snow capped mountains off in the distance, the lower ones lining the Yukon valley at this point often have sheer rock cliffs. Usually, the outside of each bend in the river has the massive steep cliffs plunging abruptly into the water and the inside shore of the turns is lower, more flat and forested. The first few hundred feet back from the shore might have alder, aspen or birch. Farther back and at a higher elevation is fir. All of the hills and mountains, up to the tree line, are covered with fir trees. There are lots of rock outcroppings, often exposing steep rugged rock formations. There is a new spectacular view around each bend. The silence, as I drift along, is captivating. When not paddling it is so quiet that I think I can hear a faint soft scratching as the canoe floats through the silt in the water. Occasionally, the stillness is broken by the rush of water surging around some rocks. It is so picture perfect and peaceful that it is difficult to remember that the river has such massive force and that a mishap could result in a life threatening dunking in 38 degree water and possible loss of our gear. But, as long as I keep this thing right side up, the stunning views just keep unfolding in front of me…
… I just took a paddle break to keep the canoe in the main stream of flow. Reading the water correctly makes a big difference in how fast we move downstream and in how much effort is required. We only have about 20 miles before we reach the U.S. border then another ten or so to Eagle, Alaska.
We just crossed into the good ole US of A. There was an American Flag and a Canadian flag on the shore at the border. A cleared swath through the forest about 100 feet wide marks the border along the 141st Meridian.
Somehow the landscape seems even larger and more grand just knowing that it is our country. Eagle just appeared as we turned left around a bend, it is about two miles ahead on our port side.
More tomorrow, stay tuned!
24 June: Days-17, Total-18; Miles-14, Total-593
Eagle is a beautiful little village of about 150 year round residents. Everyone we have met has been very friendly and helpful. Kay at the Post Office and Betty Borg at the Eagle Trading Company, gave us the mail that had been forwarded to us. I received a re-supply package that I had sent to myself via UPS when I was in Iowa about a month ago. It has 25 dinner meals, 12 breakfasts, 12 lunches and my .44 magnum revolver. Bill also sent his .44 but it wasn’t here so he is checking.
We had dinner at the Trading Company restaurant, hot showers and clean sheets. Neither of us slept well, Bill thinks it was because he misses his tent, I think it was because it was a “dry” town.
Yesterday, we learned there was an historical walking tour of the older parts of Eagle and we planned to go on it. Since it didn’t start until 9am we had some free time this morning. I went for a run and did some push-ups, sit-ups, and stretching. Bill worked on his new PocketMail and we met at the restaurant for a big breakfast.
The tour started at the old courthouse which is now a museum. Betty Borg greeted us. She said that yesterday she had her Trading Company hat on and today she has her volunteer hat. The tour was excellent. It was given by Carl Stapler, a National Park Service Ranger. The Eagle Historical Society has really done a good job preserving the buildings and this important part of their history. Also on the tour were Ron & Marge McElfresh, Marge is the new Principal/Teacher (K-4) at the Eagle school. The tour lasted a little over two hours, so we had lunch at the restaurant before we packed our gear for departure.
On the way out of town, we stopped by the NPS Visitors Center to get more information from Carl and to file a float plan. It was almost 3pm before we floated away.
The wind was in our teeth at about 20 kts but it was a warm, sunny day, the views like a postcard and we were still on a high from the great experience we had in Eagle. After 14 miles, we pitched near Calico Bluff. This is a huge rock formation, which the river has cut away leaving a beautiful cross-section and exposing wavy sedimentary lines. Within a few feet of where we pulled our canoes to shore we saw three different sets of fresh tracks in the sand. They were made by a large moose, a porcupine and a wolf. Just as we finished with the tents, dark clouds were sending rain showers our way. I try to keep a couple meals available that do not require cooking and are fast to fix. I inhaled some cheese and crackers and a large carrot then got in the tent as the rain started.
It was a good time to write this journal entry and answer some email.
25 June: Days-18, Total-19; Miles-44, Total-637
Picture this: Rainy night, drift off to sleep, 5:30am awakened by something trotting in water just outside the tent. It was a moose, a big moose. As I was scrambling to get the tent door unzipped, Bill shouted my name, he was standing by his canoe at the water’s edge and the moose had been coming directly toward him. The noise caused it to turn into the water. I got a picture as it swam and the current carried it downstream.
Later, Bill started down river while I unpacked the re-supply box that I picked up in Eagle. Finding space in the canoe to store additional items is a challenge. I also needed to put a fresh battery in my camera, fill water bottles from the five gallon jug stored in the bow and refill my fuel bottle. After taking some pictures, I was on my way, an hour and fifteen minutes behind Bill. It takes me about three hours to catch up a one hour lead. Bill’s canoe is shorter, wider and more heavily loaded than mine, all these factors reduce speed and increase the required effort. We both like to spend several hours each day alone so it works out well.
In early afternoon a squall whipped up winds over 30 mph. It was raining sideways and the wind was pushing me across an open area so fast that I might have been planing. Meanwhile, Bill must have been in a protected area and noticed very little rain or wind.
We are passing through the Yukon Charley Rivers National Preserve for about a hundred miles. They have acquired a few old cabins and maintain them for public use. Tonight we are at one of them, the Glen Creek cabin.
26 June: Day-19, Total-20; Miles-38, Total-675
Last night I pitched outside the cabin and Bill put his tent up inside the cabin due to the mosquitoes. The cabin was built by Dr. Lafever of Fairbanks who was active in state politics; his picture is on the wall.
It was a cool, breezy, rainy day, and actually a pretty good day to paddle. Everyday more creeks and rivers join the Yukon. Today we stopped at the junction with Charley River and I tried panning for gold. The water coming in this little side river is clear and cold, so we filled our water containers. I think I found a couple of very small gold flecks, this would not be a good way to make a living.
After checking the Slavin Roadhouse and Public use cabin, no one at either, we moved downstream a mile and pitched on an island with a good breeze. Nice camp. I had Italian pasta and rice, augmented with half an onion. Bill whipped up some banana nut dough bread and gave me a dollop for dessert.
As Tiph would say when we were camped on the Colorado Trail, “Life is Sweet”.
27 June: Days-20, Total-21; Miles-53, Total-728
It rained most of the night, but a dry, cool, overcast day greeted us. Bill left a half-hour before me which gives us both some really quality quiet time on the river; we love it. Bill has worked out a system of paddling that seems to avoid the problem with his pinched nerve. He paddles with a single blade canoe paddle rather than the more efficient double blade kayak paddle. Plus, he takes it really easy, trying not to put a strain on his neck/shoulder. Those of you who know Bill will understand what a difficult time he is having. This very competitive All-American and very high-ranking Masters swimmer is really frustrated. My suggestions that it is an opportunity to learn a bit of humility have not been well received 🙂 The important thing is that he has worked his way through it and our journey of a life-time continues.
Today we entered the portion of the Yukon known as the Yukon Flats. This is the one part of the river that I have dreaded. The river becomes braided with many islands and numerous channels to choose from and there are many false leads that can result in wasted hours of paddling on the wrong route. The terrain here is very flat; the high snow capped mountains that we saw yesterday are gone. Also, the swift current that we have enjoyed will slow somewhat.
Bill likes to do about 40 miles per day, so we started looking for a campsite early in the afternoon. I checked one island as a possible campsite, the mud was so sticky that I could hardly lift my feet, the mud encapsulated my feet and sandals and they looked like footballs of mud. We searched for an island with a gravel shore but nothing. We decided to push on to the little village of Circle, population-175. Soon we were on the beach landing directly in front of the Yukon Trading Post/Cafe/Saloon/Package Store. Chuck John, an Athabaskan Indian was at the counter. He informed us that the cafe and the saloon were closed because the town had no municipal water source. I asked Chuck if we could buy some salmon. He said they had just started “running” and that he would ask around. The little store had a lot of bare shelves. Chuck said there was one other store in town, plus a laundromat and shower house. They only sold beer by the twelve pack and the only brand was Milwaukee’s Best, I tried it. We went to the H.C. Company Store and met Dick Hutchinson, who told us his wife ran the store and a lot of people told her to fire him.
I took advantage of the pay phone and sent emails, we showered and did our laundry then returned to our campsite by the river. A truck drove up and Chuck John gave us some salmon, it was already cleaned and ready to cook. We decided to save it for breakfast.
Bill turned in and as I was typing this, Dick Hutchinson drove up and gave us today’s copy of the Anchorage Daily News. He said that after 3 weeks on the river we might want to know the current news.
28 June: Day-21, Total-22; Miles-50, Total-778
Bill cooked the salmon in his pressure cooker with some rice and onions; we had a feast for breakfast. We left Chuck John a note telling him how much we enjoyed the salmon then bid Circle farewell. The town was so named because years ago they thought it was on or very near the Arctic Circle, it is really about 70 miles south.
For the next 200 miles we will be in an area known as the Yukon Flats. The river is very braided and has hundreds of islands. Locals sometimes have difficulty getting through this part. The waterways and the islands are constantly changing. Large banks will be undercut 10-20 feet, then break off and plunge into the water, often with large trees. The dirt, rocks and trees are carried away by the swift current and deposited downstream. Trees, alive & dead, litter sand bars, shorelines, and the channels. It is really spectacular. We have seen and heard many chunks break off and splash into the water. Sometimes small splashes and some large ones that echo like a gunshot and splash water 20 feet high.
Since we started, we have been using strip-maps, similar to ones used by the old sternwheelers, to navigate. They are really good and very easy to use. The area we are on now gets very little outside traffic and strip-maps are not available. Bill bought a 1:250,000 map at the Yukon-Charley Rivers office, but the scale is so small that we mostly just try to follow the current. Many times the current divides and it is hard to discern the correct channel. We took one side trip today. At the first split the current in each appears to be about equal, then a side channel may split again, and again until there is little or no current.
A moose, which had recently died, was washed up on the shore; it was a young bull with velvet still on his antlers. There are lots of ducks and seagulls in this water maze.
A low, exposed island with a nice, bug clearing breeze became home for the night. A thunderstorm arrived just minutes after we did. Perfect timing; we tied our canoes to some shrubs on the shore, grabbed our rain gear and watched as Mother Nature washed our campsite for us. It was the hardest rain yet but only lasted 20 minutes or so and we pitched our tents. I made a great salad, filling the gold pan that doubles as a salad bowl.
Working on the journal, answering email messages and reading, I was still up at midnight. When I extended my arm, the sun was two fingers above the horizon.
We expect to arrive at Fort Yukon tomorrow. It has no roads to it; people and supplies get there by either boat or air. Fort Yukon IS north of the Arctic Circle.
29 June 2003: Day-22, Total-23; Miles-45, Total-823
Again, we are floating down the mighty Yukon and I’m trying to get today’s journal entry ready to send off at the next stop, Fort Yukon.
It is a great day, not a cloud in the sky, light breeze, temps in the 70’s, fast current and booms & splashes from undercut banks crashing into the river.
Today we are tracking our exact position by GPS. We will be crossing the Arctic Circle in an hour or so and want to note the momentous event.
Bingo, we just arrived at a North Latitude of 66 degrees, 33 minutes. At this point, the sun never sets during the summer solstice and even more days in more northerly latitudes.
The Yukon River is now moving Northwest, at Fort Yukon it will turn more westerly for about 50 miles, then turn Southwest and go below the Arctic Circle. It will continue SW for hundreds of miles before turning NW for its final dash into the Bering Sea, about 1400 river miles from here.
30 June: Day-23, Total-24; Miles-40, Total-863
FLASH: As you may have noted previously, Bill dropped his PocketMail computer device in the water a few days ago. It was only wet for a second but it hasn’t worked right since. He will be working with the folks at PocketMail to get back in the email mode, in the meantime he will send hand written journal notes to Betty and she will type them and have them posted on the website.
Yesterday, we pulled our canoes up on the gravel slope at the east end of Fort Yukon. After tying them to some bushes, we set off to see what was open on a Sunday afternoon. While passing the very first house, a woman stepped outside into a fenced backyard, chatted a minute and invited us inside for “tea”. We begged off and she insisted. I asked if I could take her picture, she said “Sure, they call me Millie the Model”. As I snapped the shutter, we were making a hasty retreat. A couple minutes later, a young guy named Eric, came out of another house and wanted to know about us and then wanted to show us around the town. We walked to “Jean’s Store” to ask about using a phone. Jean, a Frenchman, directed us to the town’s only pay phone, which is at the airport, a half-mile away. Eric followed along with us and hit us up for ten dollars so he could buy some bootleg whiskey. I had already bought him a soft drink at Jean’s. A few steps after we said no, he gave up on us. Bill was uneasy about the town and decided to go back and watch the canoes while I made some phone calls.
I had to wait 20 minutes for the phone then after several calls, started walking back. I stopped at the Yukon Outpost, a gas station/store to see if they had veggies, etc. They had only a few items that campers might need. I talked with Trader Dan Teague, the owner, about the town and found out he used to work on a river barge. After making lotsa notes, I found that it had been 20 years since he had been on the river, so all his info is pretty dated.
When I got back to the canoes, Bill was gone so I sat in a shady spot and started reading. After a few minutes Bill returned worried that I might have had trouble. He really had bad vibes about the town and was ready to leave. I agreed that it would probably be best. After pushing off, we missed seeing the entrance of the Porcupine River, it was behind an island. We found a quiet island about five miles downstream and pitched camp.
This morning we continued through the “flats”. The wind was on our nose the whole day at about 15 knots. The wind also disturbs the water surface making it difficult to follow the strongest flow. We found another good island to pitch on. We both took baths in the river and had dinner. I think the river water is getting warmer, Bill thinks it is still just as cold as ever but that I am getting accustomed to it.