Rating: *****
While it is very impressive that all the paddlers in our class, even the first time rookies, were successfully able to paddle rapids on the canoe trip, Alastair Humphreys has outdone our whole class. He and his (unnamed) companions, with no canoeing experience, paddled 500 miles up the Yukon river to Dawson.
In the article, Humphreys recounts their journey. They were attempting to bike to Dawson (the starting point is not mentioned, it's an excerpt from his novel Thunder and Sunshine), but the Top of the World Highway was closed due to smoke from forest fires, so they decided to canoe to Dawson. They had no canoeing experience, but got a couple of friends to teach them the basics. They were approaching the end of their journey with only minor mishaps when they reached the Five Finger Rapids, rated Class 2. They managed to clear all the rocks and avoided tipping during the run... but took on so much water that just as they exited the rapids they hit one last wave and flipped. The current was so fast and strong that it took them 15 minutes before they finally got into an eddy and got the boat on shore.
I really liked this excerpt. Humphreys effectively captures the spirit and atmosphere of the voyage, and I almost felt like I was in the canoe with him. The writing is very descriptive, and flows like a river. I've never been to Canada's north, but I would like to some day. Whether or not I do a similar canoe trip remains to be seen, but this excerpt helped reinforce my sense that one day I have to visit the Yukon. I also found it amusing to read Humphreys' description of the rapids. He made them sound big and intimidating, so I searched them on Google and learnt they're only Class 2, and many people find them easy enough to paddle. I imagine Humphreys and his team just ran the rapids without scouting them (and with zero experience), so I now appreciate the time we took to scout the rapids on our trip more, as they most likely prevented more people from tipping.
Humphreys' writing style is very effective, and you don't need a good imagination to visualize his paddle up the Yukon River. Anyone interested in canoe trips or Canada's north should check out the article, and maybe even the complete book. And if anyone were to be so bold as to attempt Humphreys' odyssey, at least we all have more experience than he did at the start.
The article can be found here.
Humphreys, Alastair. Canoeing the Yukon - Alastair Humphreys. Alastair Humphreys Canoeing the Yukon Comments. N.p., 2008. Web. 06 June 2016.
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