Paddle To, Through, and Around Alaska Adventure

[sardog1]

Hey Nessmuk, you might want to keep an eye out for this guy on the Yukon if you're headed that way again:

Paddle To, Through, and Around Alaska Adventure

If he makes it in a single year, he deserves to be anointed Paddler of the Millennium. He posted on an Alaska outdoors forum that he needed advice about conditions along the Bering Sea coast:
"My question is what to expect for finding drinkable water along the way? Are the rivers and ponds/lakes near the coast brackish?
ps If my question seems naive, it's because I'm from Minnesota and know little of oceans and tides."



EDIT: Color me astonished. He's about to paddle into Whitehorse, having left Tacoma at the end of March: Position map

 

[Paradox]

Rather ambitious I'd say. Haven't had time to go through it all yet.

 

[Nessmuk]

Hey Nessmuk, you might want to keep an eye out for this guy on the Yukon if you're headed that way again:...
EDIT: Color me astonished. He's about to paddle into Whitehorse, having left Tacoma at the end of March: Position map

I've been following his progress for weeks. He spent a week in Skagway waiting for the weather to break on the Chilkoot, and was advised not to go because of severe avalanche potential. But he made it over the pass in record time with a 250 pound load (in several trips). The lakes beyond the pass seemed to ice out just in time, like within a day, for him to be able to paddle. He's in Whitehorse now.

At one time I thought and hoped we might catch up to him on the upcoming Yukon River Quest that begins in Whitehorse on June 26. But now he will certainly be beyond Dawson by the time we arrive there at the YRQ finish on June 28. I'm envious of the drive this guy has.

 

[sardog1]

Yeah, if I hadn't seen that picture of the Kruger boat atop Chilkoot Pass, I might have had my doubts. Now I'm just awestruck. Go Bob, go!

 

[Jay H]

That's a cool trip. There are some pretty serious gorges past Lake Bennett (upper Yukon River) in the Yukon territory.. wonder how frozen they will be... but I guess they are just fast moving... Could only sort of see into the gorges from the lake Bennett which was the end of my backpack there..

Jay

 

[erugs]

Loved my trip on the Chilkoot. Saw boats at the top of the pass, all wrapped up and waiting to go. Anyone?

 

[erugs]

This is the photo I meant to put up. Shows the collection of boats just waiting to be hauled to Lake Bennett and constructed. Construction materials in the Lake Bennett / Lindeman area were scarce back then.

The sign in the photo reads: No Wood Burning. No canvas burning, either, I should think.

 

[sardog1]

Loved my trip on the Chilkoot. Saw boats at the top of the pass, all wrapped up and waiting to go. Anyone?View attachment 4559

Only if you throw in a gold pan and enough bacon for the season.

 

[sardog1]

Today's position update: He's on a certain body of water made famous by the Bard of the Yukon: The Cremation of Sam McGee

Say hi to Sam if you see him, Bob. He's probably enjoying the warmth of summer ...

 

[Nessmuk]

Today's position update: He's on a certain body of water made famous by the Bard of the Yukon: The Cremation of Sam McGee

Say hi to Sam if you see him, Bob. He's probably enjoying the warmth of summer ...

The first photo is Miles Canyon, a few miles above Whitehorse. We were barely able to paddle upstream into it as a "warm up" before our race, and had a wild fast ride back down.

He spent last night on Lake Laberge, I believe near the point to the right of this photo (with my bowl of cherries and sausages). On the last Y1K we went through no less than 3 weather systems, started with good weather that soon developed into big tailwind with huge following swells, then a headwind storm that blasted us with spray, finally good weather at the end. I see he is already well past the lake and on what many think is the prettiest section of river known as the "30 Mile".

 

[erugs]

Johnny Cash does this poem well, though he changed a few words around. I listen to it frequently as it is on my "hiking/walking" playlist.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGhFNYll_mU