If you want to experience the same journeys the prospectors, trappers, and First Nations people took years ago, one of the best places to re-live their steps is the Yukon in Canada.
However, you need to be very careful as you’ll be a long way from help.
This means it’s imperative to take along the proper gear. If you run into any problems you’ll have to use your own judgment and skills because mobile phones won’t work outside the towns.
If you’re taking a trip in the wilderness you need to prepare yourself for potentially dangerous encounters with wildlife as well as adverse weather conditions.
When hiking in the Yukon you should know how to read a compass, cross over hazardous streams, and negotiate various types of terrain, such as boggy areas, hummocky ground, and steep ridges.
If you’re going to be boating, you have to take the proper safety equipment and make sure it’s in good working order. You need to know how to deal with rapids, sweepers, and log jams and prepare the boat for white water.
You should also know how to perform basic river rescues and make sure you have the proper rescue gear as well as a life jacket for each member of the party.
When traveling in the Yukon in the winter and skiing or snowmobiling etc., you need to know how to identify avalanche terrain and how to conduct a rescue. The best way to prepare yourself and learn the proper skills is to enrol in an avalanche training course.
