Cathers Wilderness Adventures

Retrace the Goldrush: 7 days/6 nights on the river (Optional pre-trip overnight at our wilderness home and sled dog kennel on Lake Laberge. Optional complimentary transportation from Dawson to Whitehorse on Day 8 if desired)

Optional Pre-trip Day
Pick up in Whitehorse mid-afternoon. Drive about 45 minutes to Lake Laberge. Boat trip to our wilderness home and sled dog kennel (about 30 to 45 minutes). Lakeshore supper. Overnight at home cabins.

Day 1 to 3
Boat trip to Carmacks. The first 20 miles (30 km) are on Lake Laberge before we reach the abandoned telegraph station and police post at Lower Laberge. From there we follow the Yukon River as it winds through the beautiful "Thirty-mile" section, and eventually is joined by the Teslin River, the Big Salmon River, and the Little Salmon River, which all add their water to the mighty Yukon. The river takes us past old wood camps where the paddle-wheelers used pick up firewood, the trading post at Hootalinqua, the old shipyard on Hootalinqua Island where the remains of the S.S. Evelyn (Norcom) lie in dry dock, the First Nations villages of Big Salmon and Little Salmon, the cabins at Lakeview.....The area is rich in history from the Gold Rush, and the paddle-wheel steamboat era, and the countless years that it was inhabited by First Nations people who hunted and fished along its river banks. Relics and stories remain from all of these eras and you recapture the spirit of those bygone times as we stop at many of the historical landmarks along the way.

Day 4 to 7
Boating from Carmacks to Dawson - This section of river contains other notable features from historic times, such as Five Finger Rapids and the abandoned (and now restored) village of Fort Selkirk, the oldest trading post on the Yukon River, which went on to become one of the most significant Yukon River communities during the days of the paddle-wheelers and was later abandoned when the steamboats stopped traveling the river in the 1950's. Throughout the river trip, we may see wildlife such as moose, bears, lynx, beaver, porcupine, eagles, water birds, or other species. On this stretch of river, we may also see mountain sheep.

On Day 7, we arrive in Dawson City, the heart of the Klondike Gold Rush, still kept in Gold Rush style with false-fronted buildings and boardwalks. There are numerous historic sites in and around Dawson such as the Palace Grand Theatre, Dredge #4, and the Commissioner's residence. Dawson is also home to Diamond Tooth Gertie's Gambling Casino with its 1898 style floor shows. Trip ends on Day 7.

Optional Day 8
You may choose to travel back to Whitehorse by road with us (complimentary) or may decide to stay longer to explore Dawson and travel back at a later time at your own expense. (Options for returning to Whitehorse later include flying with Air North or traveling back by bus.)

Prices & Dates