Anybody ever hiked along the Yukon River in the Yukon Delta of Alaska?
If yes, what can you tell me about it? Terrain, footing, wildlife, your overall experience, what you discovered, what equipment worked for you and what didn’t? That sort of thing.
Thanks, Conan
Conan
Never hiked it but, I have an interest in it. I saw a documentry on a couple of people who floated it in a home made raft. I have been interested in the area since. Read about it as well in books about that areas gold rush period. They wrote about some of the towns along the river. Those that floated it talked of a railroad system that could drop a person off and pick them up by flagging it down anywhere along the track. Something to think about for re-supply. Bear proof boxes dropped off at mile so and so… Transportation is known to be costly. Good luck with it all. Perhaps you will be the one to inform me on how to go about it in the future.
Peace, Wilderness Bob
WB
Don’t know what you’re looking for in a hike but I have hiked the Canol Heritage Trail from the Yukon Territory to Norman Wells, NMT. Lifetime hike. If interested reply or search in Trail Journals site, “Canol” or Goggle Canol Trail.
BeerMan
I haven’t hiked along the Yukon, but we did spend several weeks wandering in Alaska this year including a couple of crossings of the river. Expect very wet conditions - bog, muskeag, wet tundra. Tundra hiking is hard! You’ll be bushwhacking through willow, alder and black spruce. The river winds and has multiple channels, so you won’t be able to hike in a straight line most of the time. Resupply will likely be a problem. Don’t expect any supplies in the small villages. Most long term hikers in Alaska seem to do airdrops.
Where do you expect to start and stop? We have a friend who canoed the Yukon from Canada to a little village near the Bering Sea (They didn’t go to the end because there was no way to get home from the ocean. The village had an airstrip.) Her journal was interesting and that sounds like something I’d like to do (if I knew how to canoe). But I don’t think I’d like to walk it. There are other places in Alaska that interest me more for that kind of trek.
Ginny
Hah! We canoed some stretches and live within 140 miles of the Yukon River. I think you should do some serious research. Much of the Yukon Riverbank is cliff, at least from it’s source in the mountains of BC as far west as Nulato.
If you want to hike along that river, consider going during the winter when the river is a road, but expect some serious weather. I like the idea of the Canol Trail and hope to hike that some day.
You also might want to consider a hike in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It’s rugged. It’s remote. And it’s about to be drilled. Some do it every year taking a different route as there are no trails. They usually end up in the villages of Ft. Yukon or Arctic Village.
If you want to talk to someone who likes to hike and lives along the Yukon River, send me a private message.
Pound Hound
the one essential piece of gear to have in the spring, summer, and fall seasons along the River is a boat in which to float/access islands in the middle of the River away from the skeeters. Don’t run out of deet. if you want to learn a lot about AK, head to Buck Nelson’s blog at bucktrack dot blogspot dot com. he has as much recent walking experience in AK as anyone. If you want to see/photograph wildlife, floating the River is the best way to go.
Fenu
Wow, a canol trail thru hiker… you are a rarity… congrats …:)… how was it ? I haver heard some pretty amazing stories.
yappy
my email is screwed up… you would have to contact me first… is that cool ? did you go with Steve back in the early 90s ? I hear it is am unreal " trail "… not for the faint of heart.
yappy
You might be interested in a book called Rowing to Latitude. Among her journeys, the author explored the length of the Yukon River.
rambler