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Yukon Ho - Canoe the Liard River

Canoeing in Canada with Wilds of Maine

Highlights

  • Float plane into remote Caribou Lake campsite
  • 185 miles of fast flowing, clear water; no portage
  • Fantastic fishing for Arctic Grayling and Bull Trout

Full Description

The finest remote wilderness canoeing expedition for both beginning & experienced paddlers.

The Liard River trip begins in Caribou Lake, a high mountain lake nestled between the Cassiar and Pelly Mountains. The outlet of Caribou Lake is a small stream, just wide enough in places to get a canoe through. Once in the river proper, it widens and braids making it a shallow, easy, clearwater river in which we will paddle, pole and fish. The fishing is GREAT; you can float over pools and see the Arctic grayling and bull trout just waiting for some food to come floating by.

The early white explorers entered this vast wilderness roughly 160 years ago. Gold was discovered here about 125 years ago, even before the famous Klondike Gold Rush. This is the “Land of the Midnight Sun” and we have planned this trip in late August so as to have some darkness - obviously better for sleeping, but also to have a chance to view the infamous “Northern Lights.” We will even hear from Robert Service around the campfire to get into the mood of the old sourdoughs.

Our expedition will meet with our Canadian team in Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon Territory. We will spend the night before the trip at our hotel in downtown Whitehorse and prepare ourselves for the expedition. (We encourage you to arrive a day earlier to do some touring around here.) On Day 1 we will drive to the floatplane base at Finlayson Lake and on Day 2 fly to one of the prettiest campsites anywhere - right on Caribou Lake and covered with spruce and reindeer moss. Next morning we paddle and pole our way down twisty little Caribou Stream, joining up with Liard River at the end of the day. The next eleven days will cover 185 miles to the take-out point at Liard Crossing on the Alaska Highway where our van will take us back to Whitehorse.

In August the weather should be warm and relatively dry (the Yukon only receives 13 inches of rain annually). It's like an Arctic desert, but surrounded by mountains covered with spruce, willow, birch and aspen. The great thing about this river is that it is not too challenging, so beginner paddlers can run this with confidence. It is an extremely fast flowing river, at times exceeding 9 mph, but never less than 3 mph. Good camping skills are required.

Includes:

  • A fully guided and outfitted expedition
  • All transportation to the river from the group's meeting location in Whitehorse
  • All meals from lunch on Day 1 through lunch on Day 13; dietary needs can be accommodated
  • Paddling and poling instruction as desired
  • All equipment available (canoes, PFDs, paddles and tents
  • All group camping gear (cooking gear, tarps, etc.)

Excludes:

  • Flights to and from Whitehorse
  • Travel to and from the hotel in Whitehorse
  • Pre- and post-trip hotel accommodation
  • Any food or snacks desired prior to lunch on Day 1 on the road and after lunch on Day 13
  • Canadian fishing license (available in Whitehorse)
  • Travel and medical insurance

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1

An early departure from Whitehorse, we will drive by van most of this day. The route will take us north along the Alaska Highway for a short distance before heading further north along the Klondike Highway to Carmacks; this is it, the last store! From here we travel the Robert Campbell Highway, following the Yukon River through the mountains. We’ll arrive at Finlayson Lake, our home for the night. Our plane will meet us in the morning, weather permitting. This would be a great place to have a book by Robert Service, the Bard of the Yukon, and the loons will put you to sleep tonight.

Day 2

A 45 minute float plane trip over Canadian wilderness through the Cyr Range of the Pelly Mountains, maybe spotting a caribou or bear. The camp at Caribou Lake is one of the prettiest ever; reindeer moss abounds and there’s fishing in the lake and creek. Today is spent getting in and getting the gear ready for the river tomorrow. It is always great when the last plane has departed and the mountains and lake settle down; no more engine noise. I believe it is so quiet that you can actually hear yourself think.

Day 3

We leave Caribou Lake via Caribou Stream, and that is just what it is, a stream - about ten feet wide and a foot deep. This goes on for eleven miles, twisting and turning, through meadows and hillsides of spruce and fir, and no portages. At day’s end we come to the confluence of Caribou Creek and the Liard River, the river/stream doubles in size, it’s now twenty feet across. Another great campsite, river fare and camaraderie.

Days 4-12

We joke about how awful the scenery is, you know, mountains all around, black spruce hanging out over the river, crystal clear water, you can see the fish in the holes, side streams coming in, incredible colored rocks, fireweed in blossom, a critter or two, eagles flying overhead, fresh fish frying, plenty of campfire wood, and what about those Northern Lights? There are a few big rivers that come into the lower section of the Liard, the Black River, rightly named as the silt that is coming out of it is black. Then there is the Frances River - the old timers, pre-gold rush tried it, some even used that route to get to Dawson City. This is an unspoiled river, there are very few established campsites, but we do have our favorite spots, like Quartz Creek, Old Gold Creek, Junkers Creek, and then there are the ones that we have named, Poplar, Slide, Mountain, Rainbow, Caribou Rack…

Day 13

After a final great breakfast on the river, a couple hours of floating and we’ll be at the Liard Crossing of the Alaska Highway where our van will be waiting for us. The drive back is Whitehorse is beautiful, crossing a number of rivers and the Cassiar Mountains. We arrive back in Whitehorse early evening for supper. Guests can fly out the next day or take the opportunity if you haven’t prior to the trip to check out the many interesting sites in and around town.

About The Operator:

Wilds of Maine

Headquarters:

Belfast, Maine

Established:

January 1995

Mike Patterson is the owner, head guide, and chief cook and bottle washer of the "Wilds of Maine Guide Service." An avid outdoor enthusiast, Mike's love of paddling started with earning his 'canoe merit' badge on the way to becoming an Eagle Scout. A native Mainer of Belfast, Maine, he worked in the shipbuilding industry following graduation from the Maine Maritime Academy in Marine Engineering. After 23 years of spending all his vacation and weekends on the water, he turned his real passion into his full-time profession. It's been fifteen years and millions of strokes since.

Mike is past president of the Professional Maine Guides Association and a 17-year veteran Boy Scouts of America leader. He is featured in Canoe & Kayak's Special Anniversary Issue, and his articles have appeared in National Geographic Adventure and Paddler Magazine. Over the years he has been a whitewater canoeing instructor for the Appalachian Mountain Club, and winner of the Northeast Divisional Championship for canoe poling. He continues to offer instruction in poling - see our Schedule. His other pursuits have included mountaineering, ice climbing and cross-country and downhill skiing, including instructing for Maine's ski resorts.

He's usually found paddling somewhere nine months of the year with guests and friends, and wife, Shauna. In November and December he's helping folks make their Christmas merrier by operating a Christmas tree and wreath lot. January finds him in the office and barn getting ready for the next paddling season, but he still finds time to participate in his winter pleasures of skiing and snowshoeing. Course he's always ready to talk about rivers, or his favorite haunts in Maine. Call anytime!