|
We have timed our trip to this magnificent wilderness region for the long days of the northern midsummer, when wildflowers begin to carpet the alpine slopes, glacier-fed turquoise lakes gleam in deep valleys and snow-covered peaks of imposing mountains loom on the horizon.
We'll visit Kluane National Park in the southwest corner of the Yukon. This is a land of superlatives, with the highest mountain in Canada and the most extensive non-polar ice fields in the world. As we explore the wilderness fringes of northern highways, with fabled names like Dempster, Klondike and Alaska, there will be moose browsing in the dense willow thickets, snow-white dall sheep feeding on alpine grasses high among mountain peaks and mountain goats climbing the steep faces of the front ranges.
As we reach Tok, the gateway to Alaska, we'll be on the lookout for black and grizzly bears as they browse along the mountain slopes. This region is also an excellent habitat for the "royalty" of local waterfowl, the trumpeter swans. We'll spend a couple of nights in Skagway where we'll feel as though we have stepped back in time, as most of the town's historic buildings have been restored to their Gold Rush glory.
Join our Yukon and Alaska tour and let the spell of the true north captivate you. |
|
| FACTS: |
| • | 12-day trip |
| • | Maximum 8 participants |
| • | Start and finish in Whitehorse, Yukon |
|
| HIGHLIGHTS: |
| • | Mountains and ice fields of Kluane National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site |
| • | Watching moose browsing in the dense willow thickets, snow-white dall sheep feeding on alpine grasses and mountain goats climbing the steep faces of the front ranges |
| • | Looking for black and grizzly bears as they browse along the mountain slopes |
|
| ACTIVITY LEVEL: |
| • | Easy. While this is not a particularly strenuous trip and none of our walks are particularly long or fast, you should bear in mind that walking on rough paths is sometimes more difficult than on hard ground or pavement. The trip does involve a lot of driving however we do try to break up these drives with stops enroute. Walks will be short (less than 2 km) but do involve sometime steep ascents and descents, usually assisted by stairs or maintained trails. Good firm walking shoes, and perhaps a trekking pole for extra balance, should maximize your enjoyment of this trip. |
|
| ACCOMMODATIONS: |
| Westmark Klondike Inn |
| Westmark Inn, Dawson City |
| Eagle Plains Hotel |
| Young's Motel, Tok |
| The Raven Hotel, Haines Junction |
| Sgt. Preston's Lodge, Skagway |
|
|
|
| ITINERARY IN BRIEF: |
| Day 1: |
|
Arrive in Whitehorse |
| Day 2: |
|
Yukon River, Klondike Highway, Dawson |
| Day 3: |
|
Dawson and the gold creeks |
| Day 4: |
|
Dempster Highway & the Midnight Sun |
| Day 5: |
|
Tombstone Territorial Park |
| Day 6: |
|
Top of the World Highway |
| Day 7 - 8: |
|
Tetlin NWR, Kluane NP |
| Day 9: |
|
Coast at Haines, ferry to Skagway |
| Day 10: |
|
White Pass Summit & Dyea |
| Day 11: |
|
Skagway & Yukutania Point |
| Day 12: |
|
Return to Whitehorse and depart |
|
|
|
|
 Born in Southern Ontario, Gavan is a third-generation naturalist and a second-generation Quest tour leader. Growing up in Guelph, he attended the University of Guelph (BASc) and York University (MES) where he is currently completing a PhD in environmental education.
Some of Gavan's earliest memories involve birding with parents and grandparents. During his undergraduate degree, Gavan began working as an interpretive naturalist and moved to the Midland area after graduating to work as the Program Co-ordinator at the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre. While working full-time on his graduate degrees in Toronto, Gavan has continued to interpret the natural world, teaching popular experiential Natural History courses in the Faculty of Environmental Studies. An overall goal in all of his work is to introduce others to the natural world and inspire life-long learning about it.
Gavan has extensive travel experience, including the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, Peru, North-Western Europe and many Provinces and States within North America. As a Quest leader since 2007, Gavan has lead groups through the Yukon Territory and State of Alaska. Mature and thoughtful, he employs his sense of humour to help make the best of any situation. With a passion for the natural world, Gavan sees his role as a Quest leader to share the interesting & unseen connections between the ecology, geology, birds, plants and animals of a region in addition to ensuring that participants have a safe and inspiring trip.
Currently living in Toronto with his wife and two Border Terriers, he spends his free-time photographing in the ravines around his house, and becoming an (even) better botanist.
416-633-5666 / 1-800-387-1483
 Western Newfoundland and Labrador
On the Trail of the Vikings
Length: 9 days
Start: Deer Lake, Newfoundland
Finish: Deer Lake, Newfoundland
 Haida Gwaii
The Queen Charlotte Islands
Length: 11 days
Start: Sandspit, British Columbia
Finish: Sandspit, British Columbia
|
|
|
Our participants say...
Gavan was an excellent driver and guide and his knowledge of the area, the history, birds, plants, animals was amazing. Highlights for me include the night up at the Arctic Circle taking pictures of the sun at midnight, the grizzly bear alongside the road eating flowers, the train ride to the White Pass Summit and I am still amazed when I think of Dyea, the town that disappeared.
D.N., Kingston, ON
|
|
|
|
