(WIP) The Yukon River | Part 1: Reverie and Me, What Else Do I Need?

*ALL of my Yukon posts are rough drafts … not particularly coherent at the moment, sometimes just a smattering of notes I wrote down or satellite messages to family*

🎶 “‘Cause now I’m knee deep in the water somewhereGot the blue sky breeze blowing wind through my hairOnly worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chairSunrise there’s a fire in the skyNever been so happyNever felt so highAnd I think I might have found me my own kind of paradise” 🎶— “Knee Deep” by Zac Brown Band ft. Jimmy BuffetThe theme song for my Yukon River paddle!

May 31st, 2024 to June 7th, 2024

Week 1 — White Horse to Carsmacks

I have set out on the Yukon River, and it has been AMAZING!!! Worth every moment and more. 😀🌳🐻

I was worried spitless about Day 1, as I’ve only kayaked twice in my life, many years ago, and if everything is going to blow up in my face–expectations horribly misplaced, dreams dashed against the rocks–it’s most likely to happen on Day 1.

Quickly followed by Day 2 … Day 3 …

Really, the first week of any expedition is the most defining. Prime for disaster, critical for success.

Lucky for me, transitioning to life on the river has been smooth sailing! The best start I could have hoped for!

A tremendous thank you to Scott, the owner of Kanoe People, for his guidance and expertise in purchasing gear. I had a wonderful experience at his shop in White Horse where I got outfitted with my 15.5 foot, banana-yellow kayak who I have named

“Reverie”
meaning: a state of being pleasantly lost in one’s thoughts; a daydream

I spent weeeeeks agonizing over whether to get a kayak or canoe, only for everyone in White Horse to be #TeamCanoe, which somehow, counterintuitively, drove me into the arms of a kayak. And I couldn’t be happier with my choice! I am filled with such immense relief, knowing I have made the right one for me.

After a tumultuous launch, I’m quickly picking up on how to paddle well. I have learned what a rudder is and how to use mine, about “eddies” and “sweepers,” and all sorts of fun stuff on the fly. For instance–

Already, in early June, the sun never sets here in the far north!
It feels 10-15 degrees warmer than the temperature suggests (so if it’s 60°F it feels more like 70-75°F)
Mercifully, the mosquitoes aren’t out much yet!

I thought the Yukon would be like the Appalachian Trail for paddlers, popping with people, but it’s quiet as can be! Apparently it’s early in the season and less thru-paddlers attempt the river every year than I had anticipated. It’s incredible! Though while I love being solitary in nature, I am excited to see who catches up to me too, as I bet there’s a few people on my tail already.

Lake Laberge and “The Thirty Mile River” (the section of the Yukon immediately after the lake and the last stretch with clear blue water before silt pours in) were unbelievably beautiful. Wow!!

So far, I have seen lots of bald eagles, falcons, ducks, and geese. One juvenile elk, a black bear, and my first MOOSE! Also some sort of creature that cannonballs into the water, I could not tell if it were a beaver or otter.

I just got to the town of Carmacks after a week in the backcountry which marks my first time seeing other people in 3-4 days!! Wow!

Tomorrow I have to go through Five Finger Rapids which is the only Class 3 rapids on the entire river and the biggest obstacle to the next town of Dawson City. Wish me luck!! 😄

A week before departure (gloriously last minute-the threat of a deadline is the ultimate motivator!), I pulled the trigger on my first shotgun, both literally and metaphorically. I bought a Mossberg Maverick 88, a 12-guage pump action. (Aka the poor man’s Mossberg 500. Apparently, the 88 is identical in build to the 500, just with cheaper parts.) My dream shotgun would have been a Marine Magnum Remington 870 but they’re too costly, phew!

I opted for a folding stock to make it easier to store in my kayak. I also glued a rubber flip flop to the end of my stock to function as a hillbilly recoil pad.
I’ve taken to calling my shotgun “Maverick,” so if I meet any creepy men along the Yukon who ask me if I have a boyfriend, I can tell them “Yes, his name is Maverick,” and have a little laugh.

Thank you to my friend T.J. for his support in buying a shotgun and the apt advice in all things Alaska!!

Here’s a list of worries I initially had about carrying a shotgun that, thankfully, were dispelled over time:

1. Recoil.

I had heard that shotguns kick like a mule and can easily bruise your shoulder or face. This possibility concerned me so much that I strapped two rubber recoil pads onto the stock of my shotgun and wore a heavy coat my first time firing it, hahaha. After a few painless shots, I downgraded to just one rubber recoil pad, no coat, and have been fine ever since. No pain or bruising! I imagine my shoulder and cheek weld are to thank for this!
Amusingly, holding a shotgun is akin to passing behind a mule. It’s considered far safer to press against a mule’s rear end in passing so that, if they kick, they will strike low and with less force, compared to if you walk 2-3 behind them where they can clock you straight in the head with full force. Same philosophy with a shotgun, apparently. You want to hold it tight against your shoulder with your cheek firmly resting on the stock, so that when it kicks, you’re not being hit as hard.

2. Fit.

Prior to departure, I didn’t know whether a shotgun could fit within the hatches of a touring kayak. There is remarkably little information on the internet about this! I resorted to asking in a Facebook group for duck hunters and still got no definitive answers. I thought I may have to store Maverick awkwardly in between my legs while paddling. Really, I was resigned to this fate until I discovered in person that . . . a shotgun easily fits into the front or back hatch of a touring kayak. In fact, with a kayaks long yet slender design, it’s a perfect fit!

3. Customs.

I’ve never flown internationally before, nor with a firearm, so trying to travel to White Horse, Canada, with my shotgun made me nervous. In the same way that I fear “what if I have drugs on me?” every time I go through TSA security checkpoints even though I have never once in my life had drugs on me. Luckily, it was a seamless importation! No permit needed. Only a 1-page form to fill out and $25 to hand over, plus the transportation requirements (a hard shell, locked case, ammo stored separately, etc.)

I would rather have a 9 or 10 mm (9 mm is better for concealment, 10 mm is better for bears/being dual purpose) but handguns are prohibited in Canada except in select circumstances, and it’s illegal to have one shipped to a post office in the U.S. along my route.

My shotgun seems like it would be for bears, and it is, but I fear the threat of men more.

The whole “man vs bear” debate that has sprang up on social media recently cracks me up, because I’ve always told my family that I feel far safer in bear country than any urban area. I’d rather be killed by a bear than a man too, which may sound screwy. After all, bear mauling’s are grizzly (har har). My overly-bored, homebound teenaged self has read up on nearly every fatality to date. But I stand by that choice, because when a bear kills you, it takes no sick pleasure in it, it doesn’t intentionally prolong your suffering for its sexual gratification. It’s simply an animal, going about its natural way, doing what it thinks it needs to to survive in the wild. While a man, the backwoods serial killer kind, will rape and torture its victims for fun. And to fall prey to such a sadistic psychopath, I’d be seen as just another sad statistic for some chronically online person to make a podcast about for click-revenue. Worse, there would be people online quick to say I had it coming, it was just a matter of time, given my adventurous, solo lifestyle, and they’d use it to justify sheltering themselves. Whereas if I got taken out by a bear, yeah, that would suck, but given we all have to die someday, it’s kind of an epic way to go out fighting, too. (I can see my mom shaking her head disapprovingly at this whole conversation. “Why do you have to say such things?” Sorry, Mom!)

Around the same time, I saw this sign hanging at a thrift store and it made me smile.

A good omen.

While flying over Vancouver, I was amazed to see all this lumber being stored in a river channel. I never knew this practice existed before, and I’m still baffled by it. How does the wood not rot being submerged 24/7? Huh!

My first glimpse of the Yukon River on the landing into White Horse at 11:15 p.m. Wow!!

I did much-needed recon before landing in White Horse to confirm that it’s possible to overnight at the airport. They have a lounge upstairs, sheltered from the hustle and bustle of the terminals, where it’s best to make camp. I laid claim to these particular chairs. There were no overnight flights scheduled for after mine landed, so it was quiet … if not entirely comfortable. Shove my shotgun under.

A wonderful sign at the White Horse, Canada, airport:

“It’s just like a fairytale. But if the animals start talking to you, be concerned. It’s a different world up here.”

Left: I stupidly got my pink Darn Tough socks wet, but I don’t want to pay to use the dryer at my motel for a single item, so this is my low budget, in-house method to dry them. (Attempt failed.)
Right: Not me googling “how to” videos on kayaking the night before I set out on the Yukon River … ugh, how do you paddle? What is a rudder and skeg again?

After much waffling, I decided on a kayak rather than a canoe and am very happy with my choice. A yellow Delta 15.5 L I have named Reverie.

Thank you to Scott at Kanoe People for getting me outfitted and for all his guidance!!! Had the greatest experience at his shop in White Horse.

Once out, my kayak started tipping to the left or right a lot unexpectedly. When I tried paddling on the opposite side to correct that, nothing would happen which freaked me out as my boat started going perpendicular. But I figured out how to put my paddle stationary in the water next to my boat in the same rather than opposite direction I wanted to turn and that fixed the problem. Then I learned real quick how to use my rudders. Never had rudders before so I was scared of the idea of them, but they are so simple and fun!! Press right peddle to turn right, left to turn left. No need to compensate with my paddle as much.

Kayak feels very balanced, not tippy at all so far. Water doesn’t splash into my kayak when paddling on calm waters, great! Turns out I wear my spray skirt all the time even if I don’t have it up in action.

I’m quickly picking up on how to paddle well. And I have learned how to use a rudder and what an eddy is and all sorts of fun stuff. Like that already in early June the sun never sets here and that it feels 10-15 degrees warmer than the temperature is (so if it’s 60F it feels more like 70-75F) and that the mosquitoes aren’t out much yet.

The river is very narrow right now which is great safety wise. Even in the middle I could swim to either shore.

Made it 13 miles to Egg Island.

Man from Ghana tried to set me up for marriage with his friend at the boat launch

I’ll paddle as close as possible to the right hand shore. Sometimes eddy’s prevent me from hugging it too tightly but I’ll be close. Saw white geese and gray-and-white ducks. Heard these splashes like a bowling ball being plunged into the water this morning. Finally saw that it’s an otter! No current to move me [on Lake Laberge] so I have to paddle or sit in place. 3 mph average.

Sunny. Cloudy. Windy. Little wind. Windy. Bipolar weather.

I must learn how to be content where I am. Context irrelevant. I always feel like I’m in a rush/need to be moving faster/worried I’m not making it in time. This constant fixation ironically does not instill much drive and discipline in me, just anxiety and stress that turns to deep tiredness. Also staying hydrated. My two cruxes.

River is slower than anticipated and all the warnings of the lake have spiked my “gogogo” mindset, which I did not anticipate. Figured this would be a leisurely trip. So it will be an active process of learning to be OK where I am.

Loosely imagining what life would have been like with the pretty orange fiberglass Swift.

Also I don’t know: when it rains do I flip my kayak upside down or just pump out whatever water gets into it in the morning? Don’t want to crush rudder. Hmm. Thankfully tourist season hasn’t started so it’s more bear safe. The water is really cold but not much different to a sink faucet when you turn it to the cold setting

My right arm is so dominant while paddling. Even when I TRY to focus on using my left, my right arm is like “NO. I PADDLE.”

Should I keep more weight in the front or back of my kayak for stability?

Saw two different gray falcons/ hawks flying low along the bank looking for prey, very pretty!

Lots of wild onions out here except I’m not actually sure what wild onions look like but they smell like onions and I’m eating them and they’re kind of good. They have one green stalk with a small purple bulb at the end. What is that? A chive? If only I knew what a chive was.

The universe heard me complaining about the river being slow and shut me up. Must adjust to this change. Sleep on it! The 12-15 mph headwind and gloomy clouds /with/ the fast water was freaking me out.

Ice cream water soup for dessert then I’m off to filter river so all my bottles are full before the silt hits tomorrow.

Happy I have a kayak. When I’m anxious about the water I think “well imagine if I were out here in a canoe!” and that makes me feel better. Also I remind myself that my boat WANTS to stay upright.

I love my rudder so much and for that reason I swear it’s going to break tomorrow.

Low water levels means this island [I’m camping on] is no longer an island, connected to shore by a rocky dry river bed on the one side.

Lake Laberge and “The Thirty Mile River” (the section of the Yukon immediately after the lake and the last stretch with clear blue water before silt pours in) were unbelievably beautiful. Wow!! I have seen lots of bald eagles, falcons, ducks, and geese. One juvenile elk, a black bear, and a moose so far! Also some sort of beaver/otter.

I thought there would be more people on the river but apparently it’s early in the season and less thru-paddlers attempt the river every year than I had thought. I know of a pair of retired German men who left the same day as me. We leapfrogged each other twice but I don’t suppose we will see each other again because they’re going much more leisurely in a canoe. But it will be exciting to see what other thru-paddlers catch up to me, as I bet there’s a few on my tail now.

I’m nervous about leaving my kayak unattended at any sort of dock/river access point but apparently that’s what people do? Wish I had a cable lock.

Lower back pains. 18 miles to Carmacks.

What’s a slough? I ask as I see the first marked one on my map. (I don’t know what an eddy is at launch.)

“Watery swamp, usually”

“Metaphorical: a depression; the slough of despair”

I finally did it, I swamped one of my boots. Just being stupid too not paying attention to a drop off setting my kayak back in the water. But honestly the water is not that cold, like regular river, actually feels kind of nice with the hot day.

I used to wear the same socks to bed that I had on for the day and after two days, stiff and stinky! Now I’m switching pairs overnight and GAME CHANGER. Letting my day socks air inside out, they are still going good 8 days later!

I just got to the town of Carmacks after a week in the backcountry which also marks my first time seeing people in four days!

Tomorrow I have to go through Five Finger Rapids which is the only Class 3 rapids on the entire river and the biggest obstacle to the next town of Dawson City, so wish me luck. 🌊🙏

“Come on in the water it’s niceFind yourself a little sliceGrab a backpack of liesYou never know until you tryWhen you lose yourselfYou find the key to paradise”

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