Yukon & Western Canada

Day 1

HOMETOWN -- SEATTLE, WA

We rendezvous today at a Seattle airport hotel to meet a select group of travelers intent on par- ticipating in the final edition of Walking the Yukon & Western Canada. We’ll gather for an orien- tation meeting at the hotel this evening in preparation for the great Adventure that begins to- morrow morning!

Day 2

SEATTLE – CHILIWACK, BRITISH COLUMBIA (B)
Kirkland Lake Washington Walk – 5/10 km, rated 2

Our first walk has garnered top 10 national honors in years past. It circles Lake Washington, offers views of the Olympic Mountains and Seattle skyline, and a fun mix of shops, galleries, and restaurants to explore. From Kirkland, we cross into British Columbia and make our way east towards the Canadian Rockies.

Day 3

CHILIWACK – REVELSTOKE, B.C. (B,D)
Othello Railway Tunnels Walk – 10 km, rated 2

Today’s walk finishes in the bucolic Fraser River Valley town of Hope. The route includes a secret world of rushing water, thick moss, and vertical cliffs of a secluded gorge accessible only through the abandoned railroad tunnels of the old Othello Route. Following the walk, we’ll drive deeper into the mountains to overnight at a charming family hotel in Revelstoke.

Day 4

REVELSTOKE – BANFF, ALBERTA (B)
Rocky Mountain Lakes Walk – 10 km, rated 2

After crossing the heartland of British Columbia, a scenic drive along the Kicking Horse River takes us to picture perfect Emerald Lake, where we’ll walk the lake’s full circuit through fields and forests. Part two of the walk continues on the other side of the Continental Divide and the Alberta border at Lake Louise, offering delightful dimensions of this famous lake and the glacier that sits precariously above.

Day 5

BANFF – CALGARY, AL ALBERTA (B)
Banff Rocky Mountain Walk – 10 km, rated 1

We’ll start today with a walk that explores the alpine resort town of Banff. In addition to mountain vistas, Banff offers a plethora of shopping and dining opportunities. Later this afternoon, a two-hour drive east takes us out of the rugged Rockies into the pancake-flat Alberta plains to Calgary.

Day 6

ACTIVITIES IN CALGARY (B)
Calgary Stampede Walk – 10 km, rated 2

A Calgary sightseeing walk offers a chance to see one of Canada’s largest cities. Following a break for lunch, you’re invited to join us for the afternoon Stampede rodeo (not included), then return this evening for the Stampede grand finale – the world-famous high drama of the Chuckwagon races and a top-notch musical stage show (included)!

Day 7

CALGARY – INUVIK, NW TERRITORIES ( (B)

Most of the day is devoted to flying north from Calgary, across the Arctic Circle, and above the swamps and tundra of the Northwest Territories. After checking into our hotel this afternoon, the balance of the day, and the long white night of summer, are free to explore the far north metropolis of Inuvik, population 3,450.

Day 8

ACTIVITIES FROM INUVIK (B,L)
Tuktoyaktuk Arctic Ocean Walk – 10 km, rated 2

We fly even further north this morning over the tundra to the Inuit village of Tuktoyaktuk, on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. We’ll partake of Inuit hospitality with a unique northern nature walk, followed by lunch in the home of our host, then a walking tour through the village to see how life is lived in one of the more remote communities on the planet.

Day 9

INUVIK – EAGLE PLAINS, YUKON TERRITORY (B,L)

Our Arctic adventure follows the Dempster Highway today, fording two great rivers of the North, the Peel and the Mackenzie. After a ceremonial crossing of the Arctic Circle, we can spend the night anywhere we choose… as long as it’s in Eagle Plains; this wide spot in the road claims the only hotel between Inuvik and Dawson City.

Day 10

EAGLE PLAINS – DAWSON CITY, YUKON TERRITORY (B)

Our route continues along the Dempster today, across the vast sweep of tundra where paved roads have never conquered nature’s permafrost. After a day of remarkable Arctic scenery, we’ll experience more of that “way up North” feeling as we arrive in Dawson City for a 2-night stay in this historic 19th century town.

Day 11

ACTIVITIES FROM DAWSON CITY (B)
“Dawson City or Bust” Walk – 10 km, rated 3

Our Dawson City walk features the Klondike and Yukon Rivers and passes the cabins of Yukon bards Robert Service and Jack London. Later this afternoon, we’ll tour a nearby gold dredge, learn more about the fabled Klondike Gold Rush, and try our hand at panning for those magnetic yellow flakes that drew men from all over the world and put Dawson on the map!

Day 12

DAWSON CITY – WHITEHORSE, YUKON TERRITORY (B)
Carmacks Gold Rush Walk – 10 km, rated 3

This morning’s rugged nature walk from the settlement of Carmacks also has connections with the Klondike Gold Rush. The town’s founder, George Carmacks, along with Skookum Jim and Dawson Charlie, struck it rich on Bonanza Creek, the find that started the rush. We’ll spend the evening in Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon Territory.

Day 13

WHITEHORSE – SKAGWAY, ALASKA (B)
Skagway Klondike Walk – 10 km, rated 1

This morning, we’ll finish part 2 of the walk we started yesterday at Carmacks. Early this afternoon, we board our coach for the final drive to Frasier where we’ll board the renowned White Pass & Yukon Route train for a nostalgic journey along a masterpiece of railroad engineering, through mountain vistas, and across the USA border into Skagway, Alaska. This afternoon’s walk features the high- lights of this jumping off point for the colorful 19th century Klondike Gold Rush.

Day 14

SKAGWAY – JUNEAU, ALASKA (B,D)

After an early breakfast, we’ll board the Alaska Marine ferry bound for Juneau through the fabled Alaska coastal scenery of the Inside Passage. Upon arrival in Juneau, we’ll visit Mendenhall Glacier en route to our hotel to marvel at this river of ice and the iceberg-studded lake into which it flows. A Farewell Dinner in Juneau this evening prepares us for the final full day of the Adventure in Alaska tomorrow.

Day 15

JUNEAU – SEATTLE, WASHINGTON (B)
Juneau Capital Walk – 10 km, rated 3

Our final walk features the highlights of Alaska’s capital: the Alaska State Museum, State Capitol, Gold Creek, and panoramic Gastineau Straits. Following time for lunch, and some last minute shopping, we’ll transfer to the airport early this afternoon for an Alaska Airlines flight to Seattle’s SeaTac Airport.

Day 16

SEATTLE – HOMETOWN, USA (B)

Our exciting Adventure in the far North ends today with sad “farewells.” The hotel’s airport shuttle service takes us to Seattle’s SeaTac Airport where we return home, never to forget the haunting beauty of the Yukon & Western Canada.