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Tour Overview
This Yukon wilderness mountain biking and multi-activity adventure offer immense flexibility for riders of varying ability and energy. Our support vehicle, which leaves camp each day last, and ensures that clients are safe during their ride, also allows us to drop off riders at different spots along the route. Because of this we can create an infinite range of daily riding distances. Combine this with a wide-array of included excursions, available for participation based on your energy level, and you have a recipe for individualized perfection!
On our way to the Lapie Lakes and our mountain wilderness base-camp we will travel the beautiful wilderness corridor created by the Canol Highway, which in reality is a mere dirt road through pristine wilderness. The Canol Highway is actually short for “Canadian Oil” and was originally built during World War II. It was thought that with the construction of the Alaska Highway and the presence of the military in the area a source of fuel was needed. So, a road and pipeline were built from Norman Wells in the NWT all the way to Whitehorse, Yukon, where a refinery was built. The total length on the pipeline was an impressive, 1000 km or 600 miles. Oil actually only flowed for one year from 1944-1945 before the project was mothballed due to poor production from the oil fields at Norman Wells. The Canol Road, now maintained by the Yukon Government during the summer months, is the only remains of this considerable endeavor.
Quiet Lake, where we will stop for lunch on the way, is nestled in the Pelly Mountains. The lake is deceptively named as winds can quickly whip up waves and create anything but a “quiet lake”. After Quiet Lake we will travel north gaining in elevation along side the scenic Rose River. As we climb our chances of seeing caribou, moose, sheep or even grizzly bears increases as the density of the growth decreases and we get clearer views of the surrounding mountains. Frequently a little time spent with the binoculars yields sheep sightings.
The Lapie Lakes, where are base-camp will be located, are known for the quality of lake trout that grow in their cold, clear waters. Arctic grayling, another favorite species among Yukon anglers, populates the Upper Lapie River in such quantities that you literally paddle over schools of them as you drift down the river. The lower Lapie River, which we will mountain bike along, but not paddle, is well-known for its exciting whitewater and stunning beauty. The watershed has a healthy population of moose, grizzly bear, wolf, caribou, beaver, and more. The Lapie River watershed flows through the traditional territories of, the Kaska Dena. The surrounding mountains, known as the Pelly Mountains, were names so by Robert Campbell, another famous early traveler of the Yukon, in honour of Sir John Henry Pelly, a former governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company.
The community of Ross River, where our trip ends, is the home of the Ross River Dena Council and its citizens are mostly of Kaska First Nation origin. Historically, First Nations people used and area near, but not at Ross River, as a seasonal gathering place. By the early 1900s prospectors started arriving seeking their riches, and by 1903 a trading post was opened in the area. In the early 1940s, the United States army built the Canol Pipeline, from Norman Wells in the Northwest Territories to Whitehorse, Yukon, increasing visitors to the area. The Canol Road, built simultaneously with the pipe-line opened the Ross River area to overland traffic and for administrative purposes the Yukon Government in the 1960's relocated the community to its current location, on the shores of the Pelly River opposite the inflow of the Ross River.
On the way home we will travel the Robert Campbell Highway with views of first of Big Salmon Lake and then the majestic Yukon River.
Activities
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Tour Highlights
Itinerary
Day 0: Whitehorse, Yukon
Hopefully you enjoyed your travels and have arrived safely in Whitehorse, the Yukon’s capital city, nestled among the wilderness.
Please arrive in Whitehorse in time for an orientation meeting at 8:30 pm the night before our departure. Guests are responsible for accommodation and meals while in Whitehorse. Whitehorse is a splendid little city and we recommend booking some additional time at either the beginning or the end of your trip to see Whitehorse. If you wish to fish on your trip but, have not had a chance to purchase a Yukon fishing license, you should do so this evening. Your guides will let you know where they can be purchased.
Please Note: Often our guests choose to come to the Yukon several days early, or to depart several days after their wilderness vacation. Therefore we don't include accommodation in Whitehorse in order to provide flexibility for our guests. If you prefer, we can easily arrange your hotel accommodations in Whitehorse and add these details to your itinerary.
Day 1: Mountain Biking (L, D)
Adjustable distance today up to 25km (15.5 miles) with up to 458m (1500 ft) climb.
Staff will pick you up from your hotels starting at 7:00 am. Participants need to have finished their breakfast (not included) by this time. Any final details will be dealt with and we will depart by 8:00 am. We will travel southeast along the Alaska Highway towards our cycling wilderness area. At Johnson’s Crossing we will turn north off the Alaska Highway and on to the South Canol Road. Here we will part way with our support vehicle and stretch our legs on our mountain bikes. As we cycle north away from the Teslin River Valley, we begin to climb into a sup-alpine area rich in moose and bear habitat. This rolling terrain of dwarf birch is characteristic of areas of the Yukon much farther north, and has a lonely northern character. That night we will make our first camp on the banks of a small Yukon stream just north of the summit of this mountain pass.
Day 2: Mountain Biking (B, L, D)
Adjustable distance today up to 56km (34.8 miles) with up to 140m (460 ft) climb
After a scrumptious breakfast we will continue on our way, coming to Quite Lake by mid -to-late afternoon. Here we will make camp for the day and spend the rest of the afternoon fishing, and canoeing on Quite Lake. (All equipment included but those wishing to fish will need to purchase a Yukon Fishing license before leaving Whitehorse).
Day 3: Mountain Biking/Fly-fishing (B, L, D)
Adjustable distance today up to 57km (35.4 miles) with up to 458m (1500 ft) climb
After breakfast we will continue north towards the Pelly Mountains. As the valley closes in on us and the Pelly Mountain grows up around us, we will stop for the night on the shores of the Rose River, a swift flowing river with excellent populations of Arctic Grayling fish. This campsite provides a perfect opportunity to learn the basics of fly-fishing and a lesson will be provided to those who are interested. ( use of fly-rods and tackle included).
Day 4: Mountain Biking (B, L, D)
Adjustable distance today up to 35km (22 miles) with up to 458m (1500 ft) climb
Arrival at Lay-Over Camp: Today we continue to climb into the Pelly Mountains in the Rose River Valley, crossing this playful river several times before passing the source of its waters, the quaint Rose Lake. Now we are firmly in the sub-alpine, just a few hundred feet below the tree-line. Shortly past Rose Lake, we cross the height of land and begin to descend the Lapie River Valley. We will camp that night on the shores of Lapie Lake. This small chain of three lakes all bare the same name and are collectively known as the “Lapie Lakes”. Our camp is surrounded my fantastic fishing, stunning mountain scenery and great grizzly bear, moose, and sheep habitat. After making ourselves a comfortable base camp, we will spend three nights here. A scrumptious dinner and pleasant conversation about the days to come will round out our day, or perhaps you still have energy to fish for an alpine lake trout, which the lakes are famous for.
Day 5: Day Hike (B, L, D)
Today our adventure continues. After a hearty breakfast we will take a short 15-minute ride in our shuttle vehicle to our road-head for our alpine day-hike. We call it a “road-head”, instead of a “trail-head”, because in the Yukon there are almost no organized hiking trails. The region is so vast and the usage so low, that trails do not form. You simply stop you vehicle along the road and hike off into the wilderness! We will climb through the forest out of the Rose River Valley and reach a large alpine bowl by early afternoon to enjoy a well-deserved lunch, mountain views and wide-open spaces. Those that are more adventurous may push on to reach the mountain summit; a 490m (1600 ft) climb from our starting point. We return in late afternoon to our base-camp to relax, canoe, or fish.
Day 6: Alpine Mountain Bike Descent (B, L, D)
Adjustable distance today up to 16km (10 miles) with up to 610m (2000 ft) descent
Today after breakfast we will get out our bike helmets, pack our small back-packs with a trail lunch and begin a shuttle up a long-since abandoned mining road that climbs high into the Pelly Mountains. Here we will be dropped off in a high-alpine saddle and begin our down-hill journey of 16 km, descending 610m (2000 ft) back to the base-camp below. Along the way we will stop to examine wild-life tracks, and learn about the effects of elevations and topography on the local vegetation. After a trail lunch we should be back in camp by mid afternoon, with time for a little relaxation. Please note: Of course, sleeping in late and reading your novel by the lake, taking lots of pictures or journaling in camp are all options too. The day-trips are optional and you can partake in as many or as few of them as you wish.
Day 7: Canoe Trip (B, L, D)
Today we will work continue to perfect our fly-fishing technique as we pursue the arctic grayling and lake trout the lake is known for. We believe in a balanced approach to our fishing. We keep some of the fish to provide food for a fresh wilderness meal, and let the others return to the river to continue on their way. After lunch we will paddle our canoes down the upper Lapie River. This small watercourse is twisty, intimate and home to wildlife such as moose, beavers, and muskrats. A short shuttle will return us to our base-camp.
Day 8: Mountain Biking (B, L, D)
Adjustable distance today up to 27.5km (17 miles) with up to 156m (510 ft) descent.
Today we will say good-bye to our base-camp on the Lapie Lakes and continue descending the valley, with frequent views of the Lapie River. We will camp that night on the shores of the Lapie River at a beautiful campsite of sand and trees.
Day 9: Mountain Biking Homeward Bound (B, L)
Distance today up to 26.5km (16.5 miles) with up to 458m (400 ft) descent
Now we must say goodbye to the South Canol Road as we finish our descent on mountain bikes of the Lapie Valley and reach the Robert Campbell Highway. Here we will rendezvous with Cabin Fever Adventures staff and begin our 5-6 hour drive home to Whitehorse for an approximately 7:00 pm arrival. Dinner and hotel not included
cost from USD 1820 + 5% GST (double occupancy) or 1870 + 5% GST (single occupancy)
10
£1116.00
Kind Points:251
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Nature & Kind Factor
Our Trusted Partner's Responsible and Sustainable Travel Policy
At Cabin Fever Adventures we don’t believe we can protect the planet by simply saying that we love wilderness and that we strive to protect wild places. Of course we love the wilderness, but the bigger question is does the day-to-day operation of our company demonstrate this commitment? At Cabin Fever Adventures we strive to be the Yukon’s industry leader in promoting a earth-friendly business model. We actively engage our company in the preservation of not only the wilderness here in the Yukon, but consider our company an economic vehicle to affect positive change around the planet.
Our Earth-Friendly initiatives are based on the following simple beliefs:
•One person’s happiness can not be build at the cost of another's •One person can change the world by doing things differently, daily •The needs of the earth’s natural systems are the basis for all sound economic decisions when judged over the long-term.
Based on the above stated beliefs, we have instituted the following business practices into the operations of Cabin Fever Adventures.
We Provide an Organic and Fair Trade Food Menu
•Our food menu is as close to 100% organic as possible and we support several Fair Trade organizations through our food purchases as well. To learn more about organic food products please visit our food distributors website www.horizondistributors.com •To learn more about Fair Trade products and benefits please visit www.transfairusa.org
We are a Member of One Percent for the Planet
•One Percent for the Planet is an organization of member companies who donate at least 1 % of their gross revenues to non-profit environmental protection agencies. We are proud to have made this commitment and hope you will check out their site. We Support-Best Practice Local and or Canadian Businesses Partnerships •We support businesses in the following order of priority when it comes to sourcing gear for our company. First we support companies that we feel are conducting best practices for eco-justice and earth-friendly business practices. Next, we support companies that are local to the Yukon, and thirdly we support Canadian manufactured products because as a voter we can at least work towards changes in our own country.
We Challenge the Status Quo Consumer Attitudes Through our Purchasing Decisions
•We maintain our gear very well and believe in using the entire life-span of a product through proper maintenance and repairs. CFA does not get rid of perfectly good gear to satiate the consumer demand to be outfttted in gear that appears to be brand-new. We can not pretend to be true environmental advocates if our concern for the environment is Yukon-specific rather that global in perspective. Unnecessary consumerism is the fundamental lifestyle problem which has placed human existence out of balance with the planet. We need to start operating within our needs, rather than our wants. When a piece of gear no longer does its job properly or will create a significant consequence if it fails in the backcountry than it is first repaired, and if it can not be properly repaired than it is replaced, but not before. We have become skilled in gear repair, and even make some one-of-a-kind items ourselves. We attempt to source gear for our company from like-minded companies who are making significant steps to reduce their global environmental impact.
We Support Agencies Dedicated to Protecting Wild Places and to Improving Transportation Technologies Vital to Tourism
•We donate to the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) and green technologies NGO’S. For more information on the work of CPAWS please visit www.cpaws.org •We donate to the Pembina Foundation. www.pembinafoundation.org The Pembina Foundation for Environmental Research and Education supports innovative environmental research and education initiatives that help people reduce their energy footprint.
We Practice Leave No Trace Camping Practices
•The owner of Cabin Fever Adventures is a certified Master Trainer for The Leave No Trace Centre for Outdoor Ethics. We travel as lightly upon the land as we can so as to leave for the enjoyment of future generations the landscape we hold dear today. To learn more about the principles of LNT backcountry travel please visit www.lnt.org
Day-to-Day Operation of our Physical Plant
We operate Cabin Fever Adventures from our wilderness base-camp and are pursuing numerous efforts to minimize our environmental footprint.
•We personally live a lower-than-average impact lifestyle at our cabin in the wilderness. We live with our family of three in a 480 square foot home (44.6 m2 ) that is also our office for CFA. We function on an average of 15 gallons (56.78 L) of water per day for our entire family, including laundry, cleaning, drinking etc. Our water consumption at home is about one-twentieth the national average for Canada. •We operate an almost paper-less office and we conduct near-paperless interactions with our clients. You will notice that we offer all our information digitally and encourage our customers to embrace communication that avoids the need for paper. •We will soon be investing in a solar energy system for our base camp. •We believe in making our equipment last as long as possible and invest in skills and equipment which allow us to utilize local building materials and waste materials, to operate and or repair our equipment. •We remove our solid human waste from the environment on our busier river routes and dispose of it in sanitation dumps •Our largest environmental impact is our use of fossil fuels for transportation. This is why we actively donate to foundations supporting advances in renewable energy, such as the Pembina Foundation and have chosen to carbon offset all of our tourism products. •We utilize green cleaning dish soaps, cleaning products, and laundry detergents.
About our Trusted Partner
Cabin Fever Adventures offers a variety of wilderness vacations in the Yukon, Southeast Alaska and Northern British Columbia. We operate by the doctrines of ecotourism and are industry leaders in decreasing our environmental impact, not just in the wilderness areas we travel through, but globally through our ethical business decisions. We offer an organic food menu, purchase carbon offsets for our transportation emissions and donate to grassroots environmental protection agencies. If you would like to see the stunning beauty of the Northwest while treading lightly on the planet, then Cabin Fever Adventures is for you. There is only one future and it is shared!
At Play in the Yukon Mountains : Yukon Wilderness Mountain Biking at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
At Play in the Yukon Mountains
No Crowds on these Trails : Yukon Wilderness Mountain Biking at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
No Crowds on these Trails
Stunning Scenery on the Canoe day trips : Yukon Wilderness Mountain Biking at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
Stunning Scenery on the Canoe day trips
Views ALong our Wilderness Road Route in the Pelly Mountains : Yukon Wilderness Mountain Biking at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
Views ALong our Wilderness Road Route in the Pelly Mountains
Awesome Canoeing Day Trip : Yukon Wilderness Mountain Biking at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
Awesome Canoeing Day Trip
Explore the Haunting Mountains of the Yukon : Yukon Wilderness Mountain Biking at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
Explore the Haunting Mountains of the Yukon
Try your hand a fly fishing in waters that seldom see a hook : Yukon Wilderness Mountain Biking at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
Try your hand a fly fishing in waters that seldom see a hook
Take some of your catch home for a fresh cooked meal : Yukon Wilderness Mountain Biking at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
Take some of your catch home for a fresh cooked meal
Enjoy quality equipment and expert support : Yukon Wilderness Mountain Biking at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
Enjoy quality equipment and expert support
Curious Beaver checks us out as we paddle the Lapie River, : Yukon Wilderness Mountain Biking at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
Curious Beaver checks us out as we paddle the Lapie River,
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