A river flowing across the "Trans Canada Trail" - running through our own backyard.
This particular trail named “The Yukon River Trail” had Nikki and I taking public transit to Riverdale, which is the Southern tip of Whitehorse’s settlement on the East side of the Yukon River. From there it was all hiking as a short trail on the side of a paved road led us to a large dam, known as ‘The Whitehorse Dam and Fishway’. This dam was constructed in the 40’s to slow the dangerous pace of the Yukon River and allow for easier transportation and settlement along its shores. The Hydro electricity it generates powers much of Whitehorse and the surrounding area while offering a cheaper and more environmentally friendly source of energy. What fascinated us the most, however, was the fish ladder that ran alongside the shore. While the Yukon River hosts a plethora of salmon and other fish spawning areas, the Whitehorse Dam became a barrier to the fish’s Southern migration upstream in the summer. The fish ladder is a series of large wooden ‘steps’ that help the fish move around the dam and into safer waters on the other side. As we arrived, a young man working at the fish ladder happily toured us around the site and took us onto the fish ladder platform to explain the process. As Environmental Studies Majors, we were certainly aware of the epic journey of the Salmon from ocean to river and back, but to experience the efforts of people who were aiding the process to avoid human contamination was a treat.
The fish ladder (foreground) running the length of the river beside the dam (background)
After exiting the fish ladder centre we were pointed in the direction of a gravel trail criss-crossing up a rather large hill – The true beginning of our hike to Miles Canyon. Now, let me tell you that we came mentally prepared for a three hour trail through some classic outer-city wilderness, but we did not expect to be finding any summits along the way. We were dually flabbergasted as we began to pull ourselves and our large backpacking gear up the first of two giant hilltops; each of them greeting us with lots of wind but a beautiful view of the surrounding area nonetheless. Within twenty minutes it would have been hard to recognize that we hiked from inside the city as gorgeous forest, rocks and outlooks of Schwatka Lake were all that filled our vision. As the trailed neared the water again and plummeted deeper into the forest we found ourselves admiring how the river bellowed out into a much larger section where small numbers of folks enjoyed boating, camping or traversing the same trail we were on. It was apparent that the benefits of Schwatka Lake had not been lost on the locals or tourists alike.
Ridge number two with Schwatka Lake (Left).
After crossing a couple of alcoves and a boat launch on the South side of the Lake, the once massive waterway quickly turned into a narrow and tight Canyon. While the initial perspective from this side of Miles Canyon is stunning, you must watch your footing as the trail also narrows and creeps dangerously close to the Canyon’s edge. It is at this point where the water stars to move much faster and the strength of the current is felt in your bones. We carefully marvelled at the steep gorges while finally hiking to our final destination – The Miles Canyon Suspension Bridge. While this bridge was no match to the one in Lynn Canyon, it offered us a breath of fresh air as we could now rest and make camp for the night where the terrain opened up again into classic Yukon River terrain.
Miles Canyon
We picked a spot to set up our tent atop a small bluff with a small beach nestled below. After a few frustrating attempts to start a fire we finally cooked some yummy soup and ate sandwiches for dinner. While a nice sunset and midnight darkness just does not exist in The Yukon at this time of year, we tried to make the best of the situation anyway and rest before the hike back in the morning. Tried....And failed. On this edition of overnight adventures we both learned to invest in more than just one sleeping bag and not forget a foam or air mattress. Our total amount of sleep equalled to about four hours (together) BUT we did see a lonesome dear and sly fox during our evening of no sleep!
If you are wondering why there are no posts of pictures depicting the journey on the way home, it’s because that said journey was in the middle of an overcast rain storm at 5am. We decided to leave camp early to avoid flooding (it’s not like we could sleep anyway) and take the road back in fear of being trapped on some washed out trail. Even if I did have pictures, I would be too embarrassed to post our pathetic, water logged selves dragging back into Whitehorse and taking refuge at the Westmark Diner in front of some hot coffee and eggs. Next time we’ll be sure to check the weather!
All in all, we saw what we came to see and can’t wait to go back again – Next time all the way Canyon City! What an amazing first hike in this beautiful, wonderous place!
Cheers,
Aaron
