Out of reception, and into the water!

What a whirlwind! Originally, I thought I’d have a whole month in the Whitehorse area to settle in—time to meet people, get to know the environment around me, and ease into this big adventure. But thanks to the unexpected visa issues that sent me back to Australia, I ended up with just four days between landing in Canada and launching the trip! Let me tell you, that’s not much time to hustle through a long to-do list or properly enjoy the company of some amazing people.

I landed in Vancouver and had a quick but heartwarming rendezvous with Sue and Ken—two friends who have made me feel so welcome in this corner of the world. They picked me up from the airport, took me out for dinner, and we chatted excitedly about upcoming travels before they dropped me off at Audrey’s place.

Audrey, who kindly stored most of my gear while I was back in Australia, has become such a great friend. She’s fun, passionate, and always up for an adventure—I feel so lucky to have met her. We caught up on a month’s worth of goss, and the next morning she was off to work with a hug and wave goodbye. I spent the morning repacking my bags and getting organised for my flight to Whitehorse. Before I knew it, Ken was back again to drive me to the airport.

For those who don’t know, Ken was a big supporter of the Inside Passage trip that Mathilde and I did. He’s also the reason we met Akemi and Anna—the filmmakers behind our documentary! Ken is all about community, family, and adventure, and has been endlessly supportive. He even said he’ll find a seaplane and come get me if I ever need a quick out!

The flight to Whitehorse was awesome and I spent the time chatting to some new plane mates, Laurie and Glenn, who had lived in Whitehorse for decades. They don’t live there anymore, but it was fascinating hearing about their Yukon lives. After such a long haul from Australia the day before, that two-hour flight flew by.

Whitehorse itself is bigger than I expected, and so welcoming. From the moment you arrive, you feel the vibe: everyone is included here. Crosswalks are painted with Pride, Trans, and Indigenous flags. There’s a strong Indigenous presence in the city, with an openness about both the culture that thrives and the colonial history that still echoes.

While in Whitehorse, I spent the day collecting all the flammable stuff you can’t fly with—bear spray, flares, fuel, matches, all that fun stuff. I checked in with Kanoe People, picked up my gear barrel, and unwrapped my canoe from transport. It was lovely to finally meet Scott and Barbara, who kindly stored my canoe while I was away. I also found some sweet little gifts from Marlin, Mary, and Lynne from Clipper Canoes—who continue to cheer me on from afar!

Now it’s Sunday morning. I’m sipping coffee, enjoying one of my final meals before months of dehydrated food, and waiting to be picked up for the drive to Atlin. The real adventure is about to begin—soon I’ll be on the water, easing into the journey of a lifetime!

Note from Support Team: Lucy is now officially out of regular phone reception – but don’t forget you can see her intended route plan and see how she’s progressing on the journey, here. We’ll be doing a number of checks daily to make sure Lucy’s safe, and we expect to hear more detail in around 11 days, after she’s paddled about 300km to her first resupply point.