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Yukon Territory - North/Black/Liard River Canoe Trip, Human Impacts List

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This is a listing of the wonders man has left in his wake. Other than one on North Lake and then a couple places on the Liard, I saw no signs of campsites, no surprise to me because of the low level of use of this river route. Clean up what you can (yup, it is possible to take out more than you brought in), don't cut a larger campsite than you absolutely need, and camp on beaches below the high water line when you can. Also, watch the fire ring placement, and use driftwood for your fire so as to not scar up the woods. Leave the place as you found it for the next person, who would probably also like a pristine wilderness feel.

You might want to check on the mining progress to make sure the whole area hasn't undergone massive strip mining before you head this direction. There will almost certainly be a road into North/Fire Lakes very soon if the mining exploration proves fruitful. Civilization will probably reach it eventually, even without it.

Human Impact

North Lakes Area

Mine sampling activity on ridges around North Lakes (not obtrusive yet).
Grid lines and survey stakes evident on mountain sides.
Survey stakes all over, with orange (and other color) survey tape flags.
Bent up aluminium rowboat on the east shore of Lower North Lake.
Hunter's tent cabin framework (two of them, actually) near the outlet of Lower North Lake, and some garbage laying around it (old cans, etc).

Fire Lake Area

Gauge on North River just before Fire Lake.
Mining bush camp half way down east shore of Fire Lake.
Gridlines cut on mountain sides.
Vacation or hunter's cabins (4 of them) with horse corrals, food cache, outhouses, greenhouse(?), etc. at south end of lake.

North and Black Rivers below Fire Lake

Gauge on North River just after leaving Fire Lake.
Cut grid lines, some down to river bank

On Black Lake

Jim Botti's cabin, and quite a lot of 'trapping essentials' strewn about
Don't remember any claim stakes or grid lines here or below here

Below Black Lake

Pristine, except for an overgrown snowmobile track that crosses the Black River just before the mouth

On the Liard River

Cabins space intermittantly all the way down, both sides of river (most are indicated on the 50K topo maps)
A couple or three road cuts visible, no road in yet, just a logged, and maybe path bulldozed to river (there are dirt roads both sides, not visible from the water)
Couple of hunters camps
Houses near take-out, both sides of river
Take-out bridge and Water Survey gauge station

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