During stage 1 we will kayak 1,400 miles from Seattle, Washington to Skagway, Alaska. The Pacific Northwest is home to a wide range of aquatic and terrestrial animals. We will be studying whales and other marine mammals, kelp forests, salmon, and many other species.
The Pacific Northwest is home to a variety of large land mammals including Grizzly Bears, and Black Bears. Above and below the surface we are sure to find plenty of things to learn about. Many of these large mammals need large undeveloped spaces to thrive and the roadless sections of British Columbia and Alaska provide the perfect habitat.
From Skagway, Alaska we will hike over the Chilkoot Pass in the footsteps of thousands of gold seekers who struggled across the pass to reach the Klondike. Many of artifacts remain from those early days, and we will follow their path all the way to Dawson City along the mighty Yukon River.
From Bennet Lake on the eastern side of the Chilkoot Pass we will canoe through a chain of lakes that form the headwaters of the Yukon River past White Horse and down the swift flowing Yukon River to Dawson City. 
From Dawson we will hike 100 miles through the mountains to the headwaters of the Blackstone River. The Blackstone flows into the Peel River, which flows in the McKenzie River, which will lead us to the Arctic Ocean. The rivers flowing through these rugged mountains as some of the most pristine wild rivers in North America, with hundreds of miles of flowing waterways between towns or roads.
After over 2,600 miles of paddling and hiking we hope to reach the Arctic Ocean before freeze up. We will spend the month of October,2010 training our dogs, and learning about native life in the Arctic. In November we will head south along the McKenzie River by dog team, crossing 1,800 miles of frozen wilderness. There are many remote native communities along our way and we are sure to learn a lot from the people we encounter.
When the ice melts in the Spring of 2011 we will transition from dogsled to canoe and paddle 2,300 miles along the historic travel and trade route pioneered by Alexander McKenzie, Samuel Hearne, and other Canadian Explorers in the 1700's. We will finish this stage of our journey in the fall of 2011 by completing the 8 1/2 mile Grand Portage which will lead us to the rock shore of Lake Superior.
After spending the winter giving presentations and making final preparations we will begin 4,800 mile kayak journey from Grand Portage, Minnesota to Key West, Florida. The first 2,200 miles will take us through the Great Lakes and out the Saint Lawrence Seaway. 
During the final stage of our journey we will kayak the length of the Atlantic Coast from the Saint Lawrence Seaway to Key West, Florida. We will be following the seasonal whale migration from the Bay of Fundy in Maine to the warm clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way we will visit cities large and small, and study a variety of ecosystems and environmental topics. We also plan to take side trips into the cyprus swamps and Everglades National Park looking for Alligators, birds, and other critters.
Expedition Blog Reflecting on our Journey from Whitehorse to Carmacks
Reflecting on our Journey from Whitehorse to Carmacks
Wednesday, 17 November 2010 15:35
by Amy Freeman
We were met in Whitehorse by a group of folks from the Shedd Aquarium. It was a joy to increase our team size from two to seven for the trip to Carmacks. Three college students, one teacher, and one Shedd staff member hopped into two canoes and two kayaks with the intent to cover 190 miles on the Yukon River in 10 days.
Prior to heading down the river with all of our gear, we had a practice day. The new team members got to practice paddle strokes and eddy turns in the fast moving current north of Whitehorse. The Kanoe People provided us with a shuttle from the Takini Bridge.
The following day was the real thing-- we loaded all of our food and gear into the boats for the first time and hit the river. That first day brought us well past the Takini Bridge. Thanks to ideal conditions, we were able to get a few miles into a glassy Lake Laberge. Camped on the eastern shore, the sun blazed intensely until well into the evening. A swim was had by all to cool off.
We had all heard stories about the dangers of Lake Laberge, so we were a bit tentative to realize that a south wind had picked up overnight. We launched in the 10 knot wind and half foot chop, keeping in mind that we might need to pull off the water if wind and waves increased. To our surprise, the wind never increased. In fact, it died down as we headed north. Bam—that was our experience of Lake Laberge—two quick days of paddling, one on glass and the second with a mellow tail wind. We camped at the bustling Lower Laberge campground, where we met an authentic Yukon character—Ben Learmont, as well as three Swiss gentlemen who had rafted their canoes together and were carrying enough beer and Coke to last an army for a week. Ben told us some great stories and gave us some hiking ideas. He has paddled the stretch of river from Whitehorse to Dawson every summer since the 1960s.
After the wide open space and slower current on Lake Laberge, it was a treat to be on the fast-flowing river again. Established campsites, complete with picnic tables and fire rings have been plentiful. This probably goes without saying, but historic sites abound. The 30 mile stretch of river from the Lower Laberge campground to Hootalinqua is a Canadian Heritage River. We noticed that this stretch is well traveled and there are several campgrounds complete with outhouses.
A stop at Hootalinqua is a must. There one can see several old cabins, the cemetery, and take a beautiful hike up on top of the bluff for a panorama view of the bend in the river. The S.S. Evelyn rests on Shipyard Island near Hootalinqua. We also stopped at Big Salmon and Little Salmon Villages.
Our luck didn't run out with the fair weather on Lake Laberge. We have had sunny, warm days for the duration. Actually, most days, we are so hot when we get to camp, that a swim is required to cool down. One day, overcast skies threatened rain. However, we didn't see a drop. It seems like late July is an excellent time to do the trip.
We have also had good luck with a
nimal sightings. We have seen three black bears on shore. One was spotted across the river from our campsite and we were able to spend a good hour watching it munch blueberries as it meandered down the shore. Another bear must have been only a year old, it was so scrawny. As we paddled by, we watched it wade into the water for a mid-afternoon, cool-down swim. Beavers have been spotted regularly. One campsite was filled with the chirping of crossbills. Hands-down, the best animal encounter occurred just a couple of miles south of Carmacks. We were rounding a bend in the river. All boats except one kayak were staying in the faster current to the outside of the bend. The lucky kayaker who took the inside of the bend got to see two Canadian Lynx up close. The rest of us watched with binoculars, totally jealous of her experience. We're not sure if they were catching fish or maybe just getting a drink of water, whatever the reason, we were glad to see them hanging out on shore.
The salmon run is late, we hear. So far, we have seen one fish camp in the act of drying their catch. We have also seen a couple of nets, strung out at the mouths of smaller tributaries. Dave and I remain hopeful that we will encounter more salmon and have a chance to talk to the people who depend on the salmon run.
Our arrival in Carmacks was three days ahead of schedule. Sure, we had been conservative when planning the trip. 10 days would have meant 20 miles per day. Most people do the trip in 6 to 8 days. We wanted to take it easy since many of the people joining us had little or no canoeing experience. Also, Dave and I were expecting at least one wind-bound day on Lake Laberge. As it turned out, these folks were paddling rockstars and the weather was phenomenal.
Ben told us that the Coal Mine Campground is the place to stay, just two miles south of Carmacks. There is road access into town, if so desired, where one can find a gas station, grocery store, hotel, and restaurant. We just spent enough time in Carmacks to buy some cheese and apples, and have a picnic lunch in the shade. This group is continuing with us to Minto, 60 extra miles. By next week, we'll have a report of our experience in the Five Finger Rapids and the journey to Dawson.
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