Taiga Journeys
A northern wilderness paddling experience with a float plane ride back to civilization.
Day 1: Individual arrival in Whitehorse and meeting with your guide for a trip briefing. We will help you to organize any missing items to make this a trip of a lifetime. Accommodation in downtown hotel.
Day 2: The tour starts with a short drive to Johnson's Crossing. Here we will put our canoes in the water and the adventure begins. After a few hours on the river, we will pitch our tents for the first camping night. There are only a few established campsites and we are basically free to tent wherever we want to call home for a night! Together we cook our meal on the wood fire. You will have plenty of opportunities to learn the fine details of wilderness travel, wilderness camping and cooking!
Day 3 to 6: The beginning of the Teslin River has little current which helps us getting used to handling our loaded canoes. Later the current picks up speed. Chances are good we'll encounter wildlife such as bear, wolf, moose and eagle. Beautiful mountain views surround us as we paddle down the river. Camping in tents and eating by the campfire while under the midnight sun provides a truly unique wilderness experience. On our fourth day on the water, the Teslin River merges with the Yukon River. Here we visit the abandoned telegraph post of Hootalinqua. Now it's time to transition. We will pack up all gear and nest the canoes together. They will be strapped to the floats of the float plan which will bring us back to Whitehorse. During the 30-minute flight you will see the Teslin River and surrounding wilderness with a new appreciation, and despite the noise of the plane’s motor you will carry the stillness of the last 5 days in your memory.
Day 7: After a good night’s sleep you transfer to the airport or you continue on your own schedule.
Teslin River
Taiga Journeys
We were looking for a once-in-a-lifetime experience for my husband’s 50th birthday. We got that and so much more. Andrea was the perfect guide for novice paddlers like us. She guided us not only in the basics of paddling, but also shared her knowledge about the land and the history of the land. It was a bonus that she too was an avid bird watcher and we enjoyed sharing that hobby with her. She provided and prepared delicious meals over an open fire and there were plenty of snacks for in between meals. We never felt unsafe with her as our guide. Nothing can beat the beauty of paddling on the Teslin River. Everything right to our float plane flight back to Whitehorse was an awesome experience.
I spent an amazing week hiking in Kluane with Andrea and a small group of four. Before the trip, Andrea answered all my questions and even helped me create a plan for my road trip post hiking. Every day of hiking started with an amazing breakfast at The Cabins, accompanied by very interesting conversations. This is the reason we get away from the "busy-ness" of life, right? Andrea created daily plans for hiking based on what the group wanted. We did everything from easy two-hour hikes to climbing the relatively steep mountains for six hours to see Dall sheep. I really enjoyed her descriptions of various flowers, trees and birds. Dinners by Kathleen Lake were another highlight of the trip. She was able to meet the dietary needs of our group, including gluten free food for me. We could feel that Andrea really loved exploring nature and sharing it with others, and puts her heart into making the trip successful.
I took a lot of pleasure with my three teenage kids going on a five-day canoeing trip on the Yukon River from Lake Laberge to Little Salmon by the end of August 2019. The trip was perfectly organized (a must when going into the wild outdoors) and yet we had the complete feeling of freedom that one can enjoy in such a natural landscape. Andrea knows how to guide the group so that we could all move safely and enjoy each and every moment. We even tried pike fishing, saw salmon going upstream ... Besides being an experienced guide, Andrea is a passionate nature lover, sharing and explaining, and there is a lot on the Yukon.