Yukon Territory - North/Black/Liard River Canoe Trip, Logistics Hassles

Personal and Personnel

You need people capable of running this river. That includes you. Everywhere above Black Lake is high gradient, which means lots of rapids, heavy and continuous. Below Black Lake there are still lots of rapids, they are just not as continuous. Fast current is everywhere, even on the flat Liard River.

Solid class 3+, tight, technical experience would be required above Fire Lake. The only time I have ever pinned a boat in over 20 years of this sort of paddling was in the section between North and Fire Lakes (we were lucky it wasn't any worse). I would recommend a small group of two or three canoes maximum, and you had better be awfully good -- and very confident of your skills -- if you plan to run this river stretch without company.

Because this isn't a commonly done run -- none to few cut campsites -- camping will be tight in pretty much the whole North/Black portion. Keep groups small in order to find useable campsites. No problems on the Liard except for maybe some short stretches in low swampy areas.

I'd also recommend making sure the group is compatible. A difficult run can try marital relationships as well as those between friends. I'm trying to provide enough info in these pages to reduce such problems, but you do have to be able to handle the whitewater, for sure.

We actually picked the North/Black because of its logistical simplicity and low cost for our situation. It may not work this way for your exact needs, though. For us it was drive to the floatplane base, fly to the put-in, then paddle back to the car, and drive off. It will be a little more complicated than that for some groups, and much more so for others.

Boats required:

Okay paddlers, this is plastic canoe country (ABS or polyethylene) -- don't bring the lightweight fiberglass or Kevlar boats for this run. Inflatables would be okay for paddlers who can stand their performance characteristics. I would not recommend folding boats of any kind. I'm not saying it cannot be done in other than plastic boats, it's just that there is lots of very fast, shallow, rocky water all the way to the Liard River, so you'd better be competent, and have a good repair kit along, just in case.

I would recommend no 'glass sea kayaks, even on the easier stuff from Black Lake down as it was shallow in spots when we were there. Plastic ones would be okay as long as you understand that you will probably bottom out a lot, unless the water is pretty high. Anyone in a sea kayak had better have much whitewater experience. You want to catch the water on the way down from peak runnoff. Definitely not on the way up.

Getting to the Area:

Well, you can drive or fly. If you drive, bringing as much gear as you can, including the food, is the cheapest alternative. There are no canoe rentals available in the immediate Watson Lake area. The roads up are fine. Most of the Alaska Highway is paved, though two lane virtually all its length. An Alaska Highway road report is at 250-774-7447. The Cassiar Highway is about half paved, but probably deteriorating because maintenance seems to not be scheduled as it should. It is still a fine road. Most of it was driveable at 50-60 mph (80-95 kph) in 1997, though pot holes slowed us down in some areas. A Cassiar road report is at 250-771-4511, and a Yukon road report is at 867-667-8215.

Gasoline is expensive, $.70 Canadian a liter when we were there. I think we averaged somewhat over $2.00 (US) a US gallon for the whole trip. More expensive the farther north you go.

If you, or part of your group flies up, Watson Lake has an airport serviced by at least two Canadian airlines, Air Canada and Central Mountain Air. NEw Info: As of October, 1998 Central Mountain Air and Air Canada are no longer flying into Watson Lake. That means no scheduled flights to or from Watson Lake.I would plan on requiring at least three different planes, maybe four, to get to Watson Lake from about anywhere in the US. Try for some of the internet special deals. You may have a hard time finding a travel agent who's heard of Watson Lake (or can find it on a map?).

After you get to the Watson Lake area, there are only two air charter services to choose from with planes who can get you to a put-in on the North River. Both are listed below. One has canoes and other gear for rent, but is 150 miles (240 km) outside of town. The other is about 5 miles (8 km) outside of town (very close to the Watson Lake airport), but does not have any rental equipment. There are also one or two helicopter charter services, but choppers are usually only worth the price if an emergency evacuation is required.

Driving up, with all your own gear:

Watson Lake is a long way from anywhere. As you can see from the chart below, one of the closest big towns in the lower 48 States is Seattle, about 1400 miles (2250 km) away by road. For a group of people, driving would be cheaper than everyone flying, especially if you can bring all your own equipment, but plan on at least two or three long days on the road, both before and after the trip. The roads in Canada are mostly good the whole way up. We used the Cassiar Highway (BC route 37) from where we are and didn't have any problems.

Here are some approximate road milages from a few cities in the US to Watson Lake, Yukon:

Anchorage, Alaska:          1000 Miles (1609 km)
Seattle, Washington:        1400 Miles (2253 km)
San Francisco, California:  2250 Miles (3620 km)
Denver, Colorado:           2300 Miles (3700 km)
Chicago, Illinois:          2700 Miles (4344 km)
New York City, New York:    3500 Miles (5632 km)

We drove to the float plane base just outside of Watson Lake, and flew from there to North Lake. We paddled to the takeout bridge, called a taxi from the pay phone at a motel 400 feet (120 m) away, which took Hank to the car at the float plane base. He drove back to the bridge, we loaded up, and headed on.

With less than 2,000 people, Watson Lake is still the third largest town in the Yukon (after Whitehorse and Dawson -- there are only four towns in the Yukon with over 1,000 population). There are no canoe outfitters right in town, so if you drive, make sure you have all of your major equipment when you get there. Some general camping items may be available at stores in Watson Lake. There are outfitters and larger sporting goods stores in big towns in the lower Provinces (and in the US) on the way towards Watson Lake, and an outfitter with some rental gear 150 miles (240 km) north of town along the Robert Campbell Highway. We did not camp anywhere near Watson Lake and had everything we needed when we got there so cannot attest to the quality of Watson Lake and vicinity camping or selection of stores and goods available.

The literature I have from the Watson Lake Chamber of Commerce is from 1995, but most of the businesses should still be there. (Some more info on the Area Services Page, and the Contacts Page.) That list indicates that there are several motels, gas stations, restaurants, and auto mechanics, around. There's one bank (Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, with a 24 hour ATM), a couple of grocery stores, department stores, variety stores, and hardware stores. There are a couple commercial campgrounds listed, and a couple laundromats for washing clothes. I do not see a hospital listed, though there is a phone number for one on another list. Also a medical clinic and a separate dental clinic. Oh, yes, there's a liquor store in case you forgot your Yukon Jack, but it isn't open on Sunday or Monday!

I cannot recommend any one establishment over any of the others. We did eat (twice) at the Junction 37 restaurant, which was certainly tolerable to our relatively unfussy palates. It's located where the Cassiar Highway meets the Alaska Highway, about 13 miles (20 km) west of Watson Lake or 6 miles (10 km) west of Upper Liard (the take-out). There are others in Watson Lake and on west towards Whitehorse. Lower Post to the east of Watson Lake probably has some services, too, but it is pretty small. I have yet to drive the section of the Alaska Highway between Fort Nelson and Watson Lake so don't know what services are available along it.

We camped way out of town, both before and after our trip, so do not know the area campgrounds. There are a couple private Campground/RV Parks listed in the Watson Lake Chamber of Commerce literature I have. Both are right in or very close to town. The literature mentions a Yukon Territorial campground (government) on Watson Lake, accessed from a road that goes north off of the Alaska Highway a couple miles 3+ km) west of town. I've not stayed there.

For people driving up with gear, Northern Lights Air (NLA), just outside of the town of Watson Lake (changed their name from Watson Lake Flying Service in May of 1997), is probably your best bet as an air shuttle into a put-in lake. They are a charter flight service, only, and do not do any kind of trip outfitting. They also do not do pick-up and transportation services around town. That means you will have to use the pay phone at the takeout and call a cab to get to your car at their plane base after the trip. There were at least two taxi services operating in '97. The taxi ride from the Upper Liard (Alaska Highway) bridge to the NLA float plane base cost $23 Canadian on 11 July, 1997, and the phone call from the pay phone at the motel 400 feet (120 m) from the bridge was 25 cents, Canadian. Or you could try to hitchhike. I think there's sufficient traffic, and holding a canoe paddle might indicate you have a story to tell. NLA will allow you to leave a car(s) parked at their base, which was very safe in 1997. They also let us store food items we had along for a subsequent trip in their office so they wouldn't be in the hot interior of the car if it was sunny.

Contact:

Northern Lights Air
Box 7
Watson Lake, YT Y0A 1C0
CANADA
Phone: 867-536-2231
Fax: 867-536-2399
Bill and Ralph are pilots, Lawrence is the engineer/mechanic (no secretary) Web page: http://www.bulkley.net/~nlair/ (home office in Smithers, BC)
E-mail: nlair@mail.bulkley.net (home office in Smithers, BC)

Cliff Jacobson, northern wilderness paddler extraordinaire, has a short, but very good "Flying Your Canoe" sidebar on page 13 of the October, 1997 Canoe and Kayak Magazine. Good info -- I'd read it and heed it (article not on their Web site last time I checked). Another page named Flying to and from Rivers in Canada on this Web site has some more information.

Flying to Watson Lake with little or no gear:

Groups not driving up will need to rent boats, unless you bring inflatables. The only canoeing outfitter I've found in the area is based up near Finlayson Lake, 150 miles (240 km) up the Robert Campbell Highway northwest of the town of Watson Lake. Warren LaFave operates that business, called Inconnu Lodge, and also runs Kluane Airways, a charter flight service, out of it. He does have canoes for rent. You'll have to get there from the Watson Lake airport, and then get the boat back to him after the trip. We drove up and did not use Warren so I cannot give you all the logistical ins and outs of his services. I recommend you call or e-mail for current prices and ideas.

Contact:

Kluane Airways and Inconnu Lodge
Box 29008 OK Mission RPO
Kelowna, BC V1W 4A7
CANADA
Phone: 250-764-2885
Web page: http://www.inconnulodge.com/
E-mail: inconnu@bc.sympatico.ca
Warren LaFave, owner and pilot

I'm sure that Warren can pick you up from the Watson Lake Airport in his plane and get you to Finlayson Lake, or maybe directly to the put-in of your choice. I do not know if Warren has other gear like bear proof containers for food (we don't use them ourselves). Warren's plane is a Beaver, which is more expensive to operate than a Cessna, so his flights will be between NLA's Cessna and Single Otter prices, despite his base being much closer to all the put-in points. Hauling more than two boats will be most economical if they nest (one fits inside the other). Nesting is advised for the best prices on NLA's Single Otter, also. I don't think anyone will carry two canoes on a Cessna, nested or not (at least with passengers aboard?).

Of course, people driving up with gear can use Warren's services too. The logistical hassles I see are getting your car from Finlayson Lake down to the Upper Liard Bridge, which I would NOT consider a safe parking place (without prearrangment with a local, which might be possible). I recommend trying to arrange parking in Watson Lake. If you have two cars in your group, you could do your own shuttle before and after, or you could try hitchhiking up to pick the car(s) up after the run. I thought there was sufficient traffic as we stood waiting for a Big Salmon River shuttle at the other end of the Robert Campbell Highway, but that's also the quickest way to Faro or Ross River from Whitehorse, which may increase the traffic on just that section of road (not the Watson Lake to Finlayson Lake section). I saw cars, but that doesn't mean very many of them go to the Watson Lake end from where I was standing.

Warren has told me he can get car(s?) driven down to the take-out for paddlers, but it will be an additional charge. Any car might be safer at Finlayson Lake than in town, definitely safer than if parked at the take-out bridge. I would recommend making sure of this point. You'd want to know when and where a car would be placed in order to reduce the possibilities of vandalism and/or theft. Being met by the driver would be the safest alternative. Also correspond with him about requirements as to getting the boat(s) back to his base. I do not know where to park cars if you do a pretrip shuttle of one vehicle from the Finlayson Lake or other area. The RCMP might be able to tell you? Or make arrangements with an individual or business in Watson Lake (or Upper Liard?).

In any case, be sure to prearrange everything (in writing) well beforehand and get on his flight schedule. The same is recommended for Northern Lights Air, or any other charter flight operation, for any trip, anywhere. Rules concerning outside loads on planes in Canada are changing, so keep up with those, too.

Time to spend:

On the run, figure a day between North and Fire Lakes, given that the water isn't too high or too low. Between the North Lakes, if you can put in that high, would only take an hour or two unless you had to portage everything, which shouldn't happen. You might have to line the boats a mile or more (1½+ km, and it is pretty small and rocky). I would figure a minimum of two days from lower North Lake to Black Lake, though it could be done in one and a half or less by those good paddlers who can travel very light. From Black Lake to the Liard can be done in one day, but most would take one and a half or two. The 93 mile (150 km) Liard run is an easy three day paddle unless you encounter head winds (we did not). North and Black Lakes are certainly worth a day or two each if you have the time for layovers. Use your own judgement on Fire Lake with the mining base camp activity happening there. It's a small lake and the planes and helicopters will be noisy. As mentioned on other pages in this site, this run could be done in as little as six days, but I'd recommend a minimum of 12 to see the area.

Because I now know what's there, if I had this trip to do over again, and enough time to do this, I'd try to do it differently. I'd like to fly into the highest North Lake (western one) and spend a day there. It might require a Beaver to land on and take off from that lake. Then I'd go down the creek out of it and up the other creek into the eastern lake and spend a day there. Then back down the creek all the way to lower North Lake and spend a day or two there. Then continue downstream pretty much as outlined in our Trip Report, except maybe stay a day on Fire Lake (at south end?). That trip, the way I'd like to do it, would require a minimum of 18 days on the water. If the weather is bad up in the headwaters you could always cut part of it short and spend more time in places lower down. If you drove up, you can always paddle out and call a cab to get to your car anytime early, if necessary. This doesn't mean I'll still be up for that exact trip when I come face to face with it, or that I will be able to talk my trip companions into doing it. In other words I'm not necessarily recommending you try the above proposal. A float plane may not be able to land on, or take off from the small lake, either. Should have no problem with the northeastern one, though.

You might want to check on the mining progress before you go to make sure the whole area hasn't undergone extensive strip mining. There will eventually be a road into North and/or Fire Lakes if the mining exploration proves fruitful. In fact, there probably will eventually be one even without the mining....it will just take longer. I think we still call this "progress."

Please tell me about your trip, past or future.

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