Porcupine River Expedition

This was a twenty-one day canoe trip in the Arctic Circle. We put in on the Eagle River at the Eagle River bridge on the Dempster Highway, proceeded to the Bell River, and then joined the Porcupine River. We ended the trip by going up the Yukon River to Fort Yukon, Alaska, and then flying to Fairbanks by bush plane.

I had the opportunity to take a three week canoe trip on the Eagle, Bell, Porcupine, and (a teeny bit of the) Yukon Rivers in the Yukon and Alaska. The trip was offered by Wilderness Inquiry, the same folks who offered the Missouri River trip I took last year. This canoe trip covered 600-ish miles, went into the Arctic Circle and spent time in ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) and Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge. I really wanted to go to Alaska, but I didn’t want to just “look” at it, as if I were at home watching the Travel Channel. I wanted to experience it… be cold (and, hot, as it turns out), experience those famous Alaska mosquitoes, and feel like I actually accomplished something. This appeared to fit the bill, so I signed up. So did 7 others.

We met at Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, early one morning. We were transported up the Dempster Highway nearly to the Arctic Circle, and dropped off at the point where the Dempster Highway intersects the Eagle River. We spent the next 20 days working our way down (and up) four rivers, through canyons, flats and sloughs, by hills and mountains, historic sites and remote villages. One thing on the outfitter’s description about this trip kept bouncing around in my head… “once you start there is no turning back.” In order to get home--or anyplace else--I was going to have to paddle my way out. So I paddled. I have had Carpel Tunnel issues in the past, from using a feathered kayak paddle, and sometimes from using a canoe paddle to steer, so I planned on using an unfeathered kayak paddle and paddling in the bow. By day two it became apparent that the kayak paddle wasn’t going to work, and I switched to a canoe paddle. By night two, I was experiencing Carpel Tunnel agony, and it never went away. Everynight, Carpel Tunnel pain visited. However, in order to get home, I had to paddle, so I paddled and took Ibuprofen. Lots and lots of Ibuprofen. Here’s how it went…

Oh, here's my gear list, if you're interested in such stuff. And if you're an outdoors person, of course you're interested!

From the beginning...