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Yukon Territory, Canada Join us on a horseback safari adventure into the remote
wilderness of Canada's Yukon Territory, far from civilization. Located north of
the Rockies, South of the Arctic Ocean, the Yukon is a wild and untamed
Sub-Arctic mountainous region. Here we can ride across Sub-Arctic tundra that
is teaming with wildlife.
On our journeys we specialize in finding, observing, and photographing the
awesome northern wildlife, including; grizzly bears, mountain sheep, moose,
caribou, wild horses, and wolves.
We begin our
safaris from our quiet and remote base camp. The journey then takes us into the
Grizzly Mountains and into the Miner's Range. We rider over mountain
passes and through vast valleys eventually making our way back to base camp,
creating a big loop. We work closely with our pack string of intelligent and
tough mountain horses. Our groups are kept small, with a maximum of six
people so that we can remain non intrusive to the land and wild animals. With
small groups we are able to see and experience far more than a large party
could.
 RTYT03
Rates include meals and overnights, camping gear, 7
(5) riding days
9 Day/ 8 nights $ 2,395
.. based on Can$ 2,400
2008 Date: June 21 to 29 and
late July
.... additional dates on request
-------------------------------------
7 Day/ 6 nights $
1,795
.. based on Can$ 1,800
2008 Dates:
June 21 to 27, June 30 to July 6,
July 25 to 31, Aug 22 to 28
.... additional dates on request
Tax: 2.5% GST (5% for Canadian residents)
Gratuities: 10% suggested
Meeting: Whitehorse
Airport: Whitehorse
Transfer: Whitehorse in the afternoon -
drop off in the morning
Pace: Slow and steady gets you through the mountains. Some long riding days,
river crossings and steep trails.
Horses:
Quarter mix
Tack:
Western
Level: Good novice to intermediate+
The majority of the trip is at a walk due to the mountain terrain
and the packhorses.
Min/Max: 2-8 riders
Note: Sleeping bag rental is $100
Itinerary
Day 1:
Arrival in Whitehorse and afternoon transfer to the ranch. The ranch comprises of log cabins, log bunkhouses, tack sheds, hitching
rails and many horses! It is here you will meet your guides for the trip. Nice
get together for an excellent dinner and then a good night sleep in a
comfortable bad.
Day 2: Enjoy
a hot cup of coffee or tea with a scrumptious breakfast. Guides will fill
you in on items you need on the saddle horse and items to pack on the pack
horses.
Next, your guide will match you with a horse best suited for your needs, riding
ability, height, experience in the wilderness, etc. You can now spend some time
getting acquainted with your horse. Your guide will then provide you with a
short riding lesson in our riding arena, so you can feel very confident riding
out on the trail. Our horses are quiet, responsive and enjoyable to ride. Most
of them are hardy mountain horses, giving them good endurance for climbing
mountains. During the morning, you can experience your first day of observing
the guides pack the pack horses, balance loads and throw a “diamond hitch” or
“box hitch” over each pack. These are special ways of tying packs on horses.
Once the horses are packed, it is time to hit the trail. Enjoy the sights and
sounds of the Yukon Wilderness, as we wind our way through spruce trees and
along the edge of small lakes on our way to Beaver Dam Lake. This is where we
will stop for a picnic lunch. You can take in the beautiful mountain vistas
across the lake in the distance or watch the sandpipers and various species of
ducks in the lake.
After lunch, we will continue to ride on to our first base camp. We call it
Grizzly Camp, as it overlooks Grizzly Mountain. We usually arrive here by
late afternoon, so we have plenty of time for getting settled in to camp.
(Our base camps are complete with wall tents and stoves for sleeping, a cook
tent, a fire pit and seating, and a hitching area for saddling horses. We also
have a cache (log structure high in the trees to keep supplies safe from
visiting wildlife while we are away). Once in camp, there are many things you
can do. Enjoy a cup of tea, coffee or juice by the campfire, spot dall sheep on
the mountainside above us, help feed the horses, try out our camp shower by the
creek, or just relax and enjoy the hint of wood smoke in the air.
In the evening, we will serve up a hearty meal of traditional stew and bannock,
or steak and all the trimmings among other favorites. We can also cater to
special dietary needs, such as vegetarian, celiac, etc.
Day 3: We start with a hot breakfast before we organize to head out on
the trail to our next camp. Moving to a new camp gives us the opportunities to
cover more country and see more wildlife. Our next camp is called Skip’s camp
and is nestled in among some big old spruce trees along a bench of land. It
overlooks a long grassy meadow, where we can graze the horses after a ride. In
the background are the high peaks of the Miner Range. It is a beautiful place
for a horse camp. Usually by mid afternoon, we would embark on a short
afternoon ride to spot some wildlife. We will travel along a valley seam
watching for moose, bears or other smaller critters. We may even be able to
watch beavers working on their dams. We will often see a porcupine waddling
towards a tree to get to safety. Once we return to camp, we will put the horses
out to graze. Then we can enjoy our own supper by the glow of the campfire.
Day 4: We will embark on a ride into the mountains. The scenery is
spectacular the higher we go. We will get up high on some mountain ridges to
view breathtaking country all around. We will pack a picnic lunch for this
trip, and return to Skip’s camp by evening. This is a great day to view dall
sheep and take pictures from higher vantage points. You will learn to put your
trust in your horse partner as he confidently travels over the rocks and rough
terrain in the mountains.
Day 5: After breakfast, we will head out on an old moose trail in the
opposite direction from the previous day. We will picnic beside a small lake
nestled in the mountains. The long grass beside the shore of the lake provides
a welcome snack to your 4 legged friend. This is great moose country on this
trip, so as we travel along creeks, game trails and on hill sides; keep your
eyes peeled for a moose feeding in the willow bushes or near water. Your guides
will also point out the different species of native plants and explain the
ecosystems in the different areas we will ride through. You can cover a lot of
ground riding a horse in the wilderness. Once we return to camp, you can taste a
meal cooked from a Dutch oven the traditional way. Some wonderful meals have
emerged from this small outdoor oven.
Day 6: We will enjoy a leisurely breakfast and make plans to move to our
high camp. The ride up to high camp is varied and interesting. You will travel
through the spruce trees and mossy terrain, and then as we wind our way up
higher, the trees will fade away. We will ride through short willows and then
short vegetation spotted with tiny alpine flowers. High camp is situated right
next to a crystal clear mountain lake. You can view sheep from camp, take a
cool swim in the lake if the weather permits, or enjoy a short hike up to a
lookout point above camp. It is a nice open camp, with short trees around the
wall tents, and many moose trails all around. The scenery is spectacular right
from your tent door.
Day 7: We will wake up to sunshine streaming in the tents. Cowboy
coffee will be ready on the fire and those brave enough to take a swim before
breakfast are welcome to do so. Once we have had breakfast, we will ride out
into the mountains for a day ride. We will head towards a huge valley with
little streams flowing down the center of it. This is a great place for moose
to spend their early winter, as it affords them protection and feed during the
colder months. Here we will find moose sheds (moose drop their antlers every
year in the winter, and begin to grow new ones for the next fall breeding
season). Some of these moose sheds are definitely great for pictures, as they
are impressively large and whitened from the sun. We will also travel over a
mountain pass and eventually make our way back to camp, creating a big loop.
This is a great night for stories over the campfire after supper, reminiscing
about the days’ events and stories from the whole trip. Of course the guides
will always share stories from a lifetime of experiences in the Yukon
Wilderness. Everyone will go to sleep in their tents with tales of the Yukon
swimming in their heads.
Day 8: This morning will find us enjoying our last breakfast beside our
crystal clear lake in the outdoor mountain air. Once we are finished breakfast,
we will pack up our gear on the pack horses and ride down the home trail back to
the ranch. We will stop at an old campsite and enjoy a campfire lunch along the
way. The ride down travels through meadows and across a couple small streams
coming from the mountains. Often you will see grayling in these streams in
small pools. It is a relaxed ride and a nice finish to the trip. We usually
arrive back at the ranch around 5 pm. From here we can unpack the horses, and
get your gear organized. Time to take a shower and get cleaned up. The last
dinner is taken in the main lodge, followed by a good night sleep in a
comfortable bed.
Day 9 Say your goodbyes to your horse partner and
friends you made on the trip. Transportation will then pick you up and take you
to Whitehorse and departure.
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