RubiKon: Yukon Quest '09

Pelly Farm, Pelly Crossing and more of the Yukon River

Leaving Keno City GrizzLee and Yukon Johann drove through Elsa, Mayo, Stewart Crossing (crossing the Stewart River) and ended up in Pelly Crossing (Where the Klondike Hwy crosses the Pelly River).
We were already really dirty from the drive up to Keno City

We stopped for a visit in the Big Jonathan house. The Selkirk Nation historic display. The Selkirk First Nations are incredible folks and they are working hard to preserve their Northern Tutchone heritage. Pelly Crossing was the 3rd home since the Tutchone left Ft Selkirk to go to Minto when the road to Mayo and Keno City were being built. The Selkirk First Nation community was established as a ferry crossing at Pelly and a highway construction camp when the Klondike Highway from Whitehorse,YT to Dawson City,YT was built in 1950. With the completion of the Pelly River bridge and the road to Dawson City, sternwheeler traffic on the Yukon River came to a halt and thus marked the end of a romantic chapter in the Yukon. Fort Selkirk, located near the confluence of Pelly and Yukon Rivers, was virtually abandoned. Ft Slekirk, as previously mentioned, holds a special place in our hearts and souls. It is, in our opinion, the spiritual center of the Yukon... and quite possibly all of Canada.

GirzzLee and Yukon Johann took the advice of our 1st Nation friends and toured Pelly farm near the junction of the Yukon and Pelly Rivers (near where the Hudson Bay Company, Robert Cambell set up the first trading post). The farm is historically significant as it was an important food source for gold rushers and Stern Wheelers. The old Whitehorse to Dawson Stage route passed right through the farm. It is located in one of the most scenic valleys in all of the Yukon with Basslt cliffs on one side and the incredibly scenic Pelly Irver on the other side. The farm is HUGE. It was purchased by some friends in the 50's on a whim as the need for the farm dwindled as Sternwheeler traffic ceased on all rivers in the Yukon. One of the owners is still working the farm (Hugh). At 81 years old Hugh is still at it with his family. We got the skinny on how to generate non-frozen feed for cattle in an area that sees winter temperatures well below -40 degrees for weeks and how to store food underground in natures own freezer. We also learned of the ingenious ways to get well water in an area still hardened by permafrost and only sees about 3 inches of rain in the summer and 3-4 feet of very, very dry snow. Snow that is so dry, it is like walking through loose grain in a grain bin. We spent the night there and were welcomed by the family. They told tales of a nearby volcano and the interaction of bears, wolves and cattle. Farming in this part of the world is much, much different than any place I have ever seen before. Despite its importantance and relatively historical high traffic area, we find it odd that this place is all but forgotten now and is really situated in the "middle of no mans land".

Upon leaving Pelly Crossing, we began to drift towards the Yukon River. We stopped at the infamous Five Finger rapids and took a stroll down to them. They sure look tamer from above..

The views of the Yukon River were incredible from here. The lighting, the greenery and the river made for some impressive views.

The scenery went on and on. The veiws from the Klondike Hwy were unbelievable.

Five Fingers rapids from afar.
A panoramic view of the rapids. It looks even better in larger size.

Another panoramic view from a hillside above the Klondike Hwy.

The views of the river got really nice as we got closer to Carmacks. A bit of bushwacking and bear scare tactics got these neat peaks into the wildness that is the Yukon.

Yet another view of the RubiKon Warrior and the Kayak in tow on the Klondike. Getting even dirtier still with all the gravel and dust on the roads. The brown all over the camper looks as if it was painted on. It was a constant battle to keep the light lenses clean.

Another view of the Klondike Hwy. What a drive.

Again, we peck our way through the wild hillsides, ever vigilante of bears, and look onto vistas of the Yukon River.

This panoramic view really shows how the river snakes it way through the wilderness. It seemingly wants to wrap around on itself... and does in many instances creating large sloughs, islands and sandbars. GrizzLee wished that he could start the paddled trip anew. It is an awesome and wild river filled with significant history like no other he has seen.