The Red Bulletin August 2020 (US)

Do it
G U I D E
WILDERNESS SUP ON
THE YUKON RIVER
If—since the COVID-19 era
began—the thought of being
around crowds of people
makes you break out in
anxious hives, consider
Canada’s Yukon Territory.
It has an area larger than
California with onethousandth
the population.
(Twice as many moose as
humans, they say.) And
consider, then, how to get
away from the Yukon
standards. The answer? A
multiday SUP trip on the
Yukon River, which rushes
up to 8 mph past wolves and
moose and mink, Klondike-era
cabins and creepy remains of
sternwheelers the length of
Boeing 737s. You and your
inflatable paddleboards and
bear-proof barrels of grub can
all be dropped by floatplane
at the headwaters, where the
first section of water, Thirty
Mile, pours out of moody Lake
Laberge—and is considered
one of the finest stretches of
paddling on the continent.
From there, it’s the Wild West:
You don’t have cell service,
you don’t have to wrangle a
permit, there’s no road access
for miles, and you can camp
wherever the hell you want as
long as Leave No Trace is your
religion. It’s no whitewater
gauntlet, either; even relative
newbies can handle the
Yukon’s cruise control. If you
want guidance—and portable,
propane-powered hot tubs
that simmer under the
Northern Lights—reserve a
four-day, 120-mile trip from
Laberge to Carmacks with
Stand Up Paddle Yukon, the
only outfitter who runs the
river. The laid-back owner,
Stuart Knaack, can tell river
yarns all day (and will feed
you really good fire-grilled
steak). “Understanding the
Yukon, for me, is like trying to
understand the sun setting
over the ocean,” says Knaack.
“It’s one of those things you
just have to see for yourself.”
Stay The stylish, just-opened
Raven Inn—cabin chic, with
a hot tub looking over the
Yukon River—is the first new
hotel in Whitehorse since the
1970s. The floor-to-ceiling
windows of the “glass chalets”
at Northern Lights Resort and
Spa, about 20 minutes from
town, are perfect for viewing
the aurora.
Eat Opened last year,
Wayfarer’s Oyster House has
its shellfish flown in from both
coasts and feels more L.A.
than lumberjack. Pre-mission,
fill your belly with an ABC
(avocado, bacon, cumin
gouda) from Montreal-style
Bullet Hole Bagels or some
Sleep can wait if
you stay in the
glass chalets at
the Northern
Lights Resort.
There is getting
away from it all,
and then there is
an SUP adventure
on the Yukon River.
carrot-lox toast from brandnew,
vegan Kind Café.
Drink The beer on tap at
Woodcutter’s Blanket, a
refurbished 1930s-era log
cabin, changes constantly at
the whim of quirky brewer
Scott Shailer—and cocktails
are mixed with foraged,
boreal bitters from Free Pour
Jenny’s. For good cocktails
and fancy bar food, hit Dirty
Northern Public House. Divey,
historic 98 Hotel is one of
the Yukon’s two remaining
“breakfast clubs” (it opens
at 10 a.m.).
Guide Stand Up Paddle Yukon
checks off all the highlights,
including the floatplane ride
from Schwatka Lake to the
headwaters of the Yukon.
80 THE RED BULLETIN