| 16 Days McQuesten River |
| The McQuesten River |
 For canoeists, photographers, goldseekers, explorers and all those who are searching for adventure and solitude. A very secluded wilderness tour on the McQuesten, Stewart and Yukon rivers that will end in the goldrush town of Dawson City with a total distance of 360 km. Excellent fishing opportunities; good chances to watch moose, wolves and bears. The river is generally easy, there are no real whitewater spots. We will have to watch out for sweepers though and pay attention to some tight bends and sometimes a log jam in the lower part. This tour is suitable for beginners. Necessary skills will be taught before and during each tour. |
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| Day |
Itinerary |
| 01 |
| We'll greet you at Whitehorse airport and transfer you to our base operation near Takhini Hot Springs. Your guide will introduce himself and gives substantial introduction to wilderness rules and canoeing techniques at the beginning and during the tour. We also show an excellent video about bear safety prior to the trip. You have plenty of time to organize your gear and adapt to the wilderness setting for a very special experience far away from civilization: the next morning we will head north to the put in. |
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| 02-04 |
| Transfer to put in at South McQuesten Bridge near Mayo where we unload our gear and pack the canoe. For the rest of the day we canoe on the McQusten River. The McQuesten is a narrow wilderness river in the vast central Yukon. For a long time the river stays very narrow – sometimes even less then 10 metres. Tight bends will have to get negotiated; sweepers and shallows want to be avoided. Staying concentrated and alert is mandatory on the McQuesten. Portages – and the rapids which sometimes make them necessary – are not present on this river. Since the current alternates between swift and slow we will get a good mixture of fun-canoeing and the possibility of watching the rich wildlife. Many times you will not only see the ever present beavers, ducks, mergansers, loons, eagles and ravens - given the right wind direction and a quiet group, we likely will see such impressive animals as wolves, moose, black- and grizzly bears. |
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| 05 - 09 |
| Before we reach the confluence with the Stewart River after about 5 1/2 days we have spent time with exploring old trails and maybe even tried to line upstream the north fork of the McQuesten for a bit, as people in the old days did all the time – when rivers were the only way to get from one point to the other. Sure enough we will carry a gold pan and with some luck and work you might even be able to find some fine gold. The Stewart River has a rich gold seeker history. Definitely, we will run into it at the old settlement of Maisy May. There we will have plenty opportunity to examine old cabins – of which some are still in excellent shape – and a fascinating collection of old tools. With a little imagination this will give you an almost perfect picture of how people lived some generations earlier. But be reminded: this is only possible because the people before us left everything as they found it. We certainly should do the same! For those tours scheduled later in the season the aurora borealis is almost guaranteed in clear- and usually already crisp and cool – nights. |
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| 10 - 13 |
| After we have negotiated the Stewart we reach the last river of this tour – the mighty Yukon. From here it will take two more days until we get do Dawson City. Early afternoon we arrive in Dawson City where we set up our tents at the campground and enjoy a hot shower. Dawson city was the Yukon's first capital when it became a separate territory in 1898. In 1960 Parks Canada declared the town as a national historic site. Since this time the park service restored or reconstructed more than 35 historic properties within the area. Now everybody deserves to feel a little like one of the old prospectors and loose his “nuggets” to one of the Can-Can Girls… |
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| 14 |
| We have the full day to visit the various sights of Dawscon City. The steamship SS Keno – last steamer to run the Yukon River from Whitehorse, the Jack London Interpretive Center with the “poets” original cabin, the city museum with audiovisual presentations, Gold Dredge #4 – build in 1912 on famous Bonanza Creek, the Grand Palace Theatre – home of the " Gaslight Follies Show " and Diamond Tooth Gerties Casino with legal gambling tables and " Can-Can " floor shows. We won't miss the short drive on the Ridge Road to the top of the Midnight Dome with excellent views over Dawson, the Ogilvie Mountains, the Yukon - and Klondike River. |
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| 15 |
| After leaving Dawson City we pass Pelly Crossing before we stop at the famous Five-Finger-Rapids - once a navigational hazard for many stampeders on their way to the gold claims in Dawson. We follow the Yukon River to Carmacks - a trading post established in 1890 and continue to the ruins of Montague Roadhouse which was one of the 52 stopping places between Whitehorse and Dawson City in 1901. Via Twin Lakes - well known for their beauty and colors we stop at Conglomerate Mountain which was formed at the leading edge of volcanic mud flows some 185 million years ago. We will take our time for a good photo opportunity at beautiful Fox Lake and drive along Lake Laberge wich became famous from a poem by Robert W. Service. We arrive at our base operation near Takhini Hot Springs. |
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| 16 |
| Transfer Takhini Hot Springs to Whitehorse. |
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