Canoeing in the Yukon

At the end of my first year of graduate school, my family celebrated my grandfather's 80th birthday in July. For this occasion he decided that it would be nice to have the whole family together (16 of us) for a cruise to Alaska. Departing from Vancouver, it was seven days through the Inside Passage in the southeast of Alaska. Our only days off the ship were Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan.

On the second stop (day four of the cruise) we came to port in Skagway. It's a nice little town of about 700 summer residents and four major cruise ships. The docked cruise passengers outnumbered the residents throughout the summer months. During the winter the population drops to about 400 or less.

The town of Skagway isn't as isolated as the capital, Juneau--there is one road that stretches out into Canada. Even in summer the weather can be chilly; a long-sleeve shirt and, occasionally, a jacket are needed.

On this day, I decided to take the opportunity to abandon my family and go out on my own for a canoe trip in the Yukon. As one of the official cruise tours, the day's trip was expensive. This journey required a long van ride along the only road out of town that leads into the wilderness of northern Canada. Fortunately, there were many beautiful sights along the drive. Unfortunately, we only stopped once for photo opportunities and we didn't know exactly what area we were in. But when you gaze at uninhabited wilderness, surrounded by pristine lakes and colorful, jutting mountains, there is no need to ask about the exact location.

Before arriving at our destination of Spirit Lake, we got to see the world's shortest river and smallest desert--both located in Carcross, Canada. Again, there was no stopping for photos--we were on a tight schedule to arrive for a quick lunch before getting out time on the lake.

It was a relaxing day in the silent mountains. I shared my canoe with a man from Trinidad who was on the trip with his daughters--I don't think he really enjoyed canoeing. We conversed about literature from around the world as we paddled around the calm and cold lake. The water in the lake was shallow--maybe a couple feet deep. We thought it was a tame trip until we reached the middle of the lake and noticed how dark the water had become. Our guide then mentioned that the depth dropped to about 200 feet. My companion wanted to paddle past this area as quickly as possible.

Upon my return to the ship, I had the excuse of being late for dinner and too tired to do anything with the family. Although, I was up for more drinking with my brother and cousins later on as we had to stay aboard the ship for a few more days before arriving in Ketchikan.