Across the Delta to Emmonak

Well, it’s hard to believe it, but I can now say that I have paddled from the source to the sea of the Yukon River, 3160km! I last updated you in Galena, and so much has happened since then. From Galena it took me 17 days to reach Emmonak, my final destination! Here are the high and lowlights.

I left Galena mid morning and paddled into the headwind and light rain. I managed about 36km before arriving at a gravel bar where I made camp in the early afternoon, having had enough of headwinds and rain. These conditions were the beginning of a strong theme of the next section. From Galena, the river turns South West, which also happens to be the prevailing wind direction. I knew this section would likely come with rain, mud, headwinds and less appealing camps. It certainly lived up to the reputation. I battled headwinds for 8 days straight before I finally gave in and had a rest day. Although it was wet and windy it still wasn’t close to the conditions I faced on the lakes at the start of the trip. I was still able to cover decent distances everyday.

The current in this section is like a curse and a blessing.. If the headwind was light, and the current not too strong, having the current along with you was great. However, current against wind can whip up very choppy and dangerous waves, and I certainly had some hair raising moments along the way. I felt so happy to be in a canoe that was well suited for the conditions. These days were tough, and music really helped me tackle them. However, with so much rain, the solar panel wasn’t able to keep my batteries full, so I would only have an hour or two of brain distraction each day. For me, paddling in headwinds and staying motivated meant either being really present in what was amazing about the day (despite the conditions), or letting my brain drift into day dreams. While there is incredible wildlife, and the river goes through many changes, there are also sections that are the same for many miles, where you don’t see wildlife and sometimes the river is so quiet, you could literally hear a pin drop. These are the days that it’s easy to feel uninspired or as if you’re not making ground. These are the moments where you dig a bit deeper, to remind yourself of the privilege you have to be there, that you actually do really want to be there and that adventure doesn’t exist without a challenge. 

Despite the differences to the lakes, after 8 days I really needed that break. I was hoping to make it to Holy Cross for a rest day, but in the end I needed it sooner. I was about a day out of Holy Cross and had a weather report that told me I had one more day of rain and wind and then the sun was coming out. So I decided to find a camp where I could wait two nights for the predicted good weather. Which is kind of like wishing on a star, if you know how reliable predictions are out this far in Alaska. But I needed that hope. 

After a long day of searching for a camp good enough for a rest day I finally found something viable after 42km. It still featured mid calf deep mud at the entrance, but once through that, it looked great. The only issue with my planned camp was the HUGE grizzly footprints right through my planned camp, but the next island wasn’t for 42km. In the end I decided I was more likely to die from exhaustion and exposure if I kept going, then bear attack, and I stayed. So I spent two nights resting and listening out for any bear signs.

On my rest day, my right shoulder completely seized up. I couldn’t extend my arm without a lot of pain. With 500km to go, this really wasn’t great, but made me happy I took a rest day. I had bought some muscle balm made by the local tribe in Dawson, which was meant as a future gift, but I decided my needs were greater than whoever it was destined for. Best decision. I spent the day massaging my shoulder and resting and in the morning, although still sore, it was functional. While the sun didn’t come out on the day predicted, it was only a day late! I paddled into Holy cross in the rain, treated myself to a shower, and cleaned clothes and met some great locals, Adrienne and Jo, who really brightened my day with their stories and a cuppa. When I did leave Holy Cross the next day, the sun was out and I was in for a beautiful 5 days of calm water and sunshine.

On these sunny days I thrived. I loved spending the mornings (about 4 hours of paddling before lunch) in silence, looking for wildlife and appreciating the little beauties of the river. In the afternoons I would listen to an audiobook or play music to buoy my motivation for another 3-4hours. When I arrived in camp, I would get set up and then sit back in my chair and stare. Sometimes for up to an hour, just sitting in silence and appreciating being still in the wilderness. Often I would have flurries of 4-5 species of sparrow hopping around camp, or sometimes Northern Goshawks or Peregrine Falcons would be nearby.  This circuit breaker between paddling and the list of chores at camp (dinner, filtering water, prepping tomorrow’s food) was so important for me. The bliss of just sitting uninterrupted, with no purpose and nothing to ‘achieve’ was awesome. 

Another day during this leg, I saw an odd log floating ahead of me as I rounded a bend. On the Yukon one of the games you play on a daily basis is, ‘is it a stump or a bear?’. Usually looking at the shore at the numerous logs and trees washed down the huge number of shedwaters flowing into the Yukon. This time I was confused by the log, it looked different. I made a bit of noise to see if it was an animal, and it looked at me! Turns out it was a teenage black bear swimming to an island. Finally I saw a bear, the one and only of the whole trip. It picked up its pace and shortly ran up the shore and into the forest. Watching it’s powerful run and jump into the forest made me very glad it wasn’t running toward me! 

During this section I also saw so many porcupines, more beavers and moose, but the real highlight was the birds. The Delta is ALIVE with birds. From the little birds that flit around camp, to these HUGE flocks of migratory geese that would take over entire gravel bars, the days were full with amazing birdlife. It’s incredible just to spend days surrounded by wildlife. Again, the river and its contrasts, some days were so quiet you couldn’t hear a thing, the next day you’re surrounded by migratory birds. You never know what the day would bring. 

A highlight for me on some of the final days was the moose. I hadn’t seen some for a while and then two mornings I woke to Moose in my camp. One morning a mother and calf stood silhouetted against a beautiful sunrise, as the sun was finally going down for a couple of hours in the morning.  This landscape will just continue to amaze. 

Then in Mountain Village, only a couple days out from the finish, I met Travis. Travis also solo canoed the Yukon, starting in Whitehorse on the same day as me! He had a break at the Dalton Highway – he lives in Coldfoot, so he went to visit friends halfway (what a treat). So that meant that we ended up meeting and we were both so happy! After many miles alone, having someone to roll into the finish with was really special! We had an afternoon of tailwinds together, then a beautiful day of sun and light winds. However, mother nature really saved up a final test for us. We woke up to our final day and with only 45km to Emmonak, it was a relatively short day distance wise. However, once we were on the water mother nature whipped up a doozy. Headwinds at about 15knts, gusting to 20 and the HEAVIEST rain of the whole trip. It just poured for hours. We had lunch in a wet soggy swamp, with my tarp providing some relief from the cold rain and harsh winds. The shores on this part of the river provided no option to hide and camp out, so we kept on paddling. I think that both of us were really happy to have another person around to grimace with, laugh with and motivate. We got on the water around 11am and didn’t make it into Emmonak until 9pm, and apart from our lunch break, there really wasn’t much stopping as we would just be blown backwards. We dragged ourselves to the first little jetty we could find and set up camp behind a building, next to a loud generator and the fish processing plant. It wasn’t pretty, it was loud and muddy, but our tanks were empty, and this was out of the wind, and off the water. Despite the crazy last day, we were both totally stoked to have achieved our mission! 

In the end it was really good that we pushed through that last day. Once in Emmonak the wind and rain got more intense and we could both see that if we were still out on the river, we would have been stuck in camp for a couple of days! Which would have been so hard – stuck in a muddy, wet and windy spot so close to the finish. Emmonak locals were truly great in helping us get organised. By the end of the next day our canoes were at the airport ready to be sent to Anchorage, we had rooms to stay in at the local city hotel, and we could both relax and celebrate our achievement together! 

This trip has been truly amazing and I am so thankful to everyone who made it possible. I have so many reflections from this epic adventure, and I thought I could share just a few to finish up. 

I am really stoked with my planning, preparation and incredible support team. From the distances I had planned, to the food and resupplies, there were so many moments that my trip was easy and smooth because of the time I put in beforehand. I referred back to my planning sheet on so many occasions, and when the wildfires and storms came through, my support team knew what to do and where to look to keep me safe and informed. It was invaluable. Sometimes it can seem over the top, and many people don’t put in as much planning as I do, but it really paid off on this trip. It also helped me feel confident that I could make it, that despite fires, storms, and logistical issues, I had the plan and the support that I needed to succeed. 

It felt really good to realise I know myself pretty well. What I thought would challenge and inspire me was spot on. I had thought in advance about what mental and emotional tools I could have to help in the hard times and these really helped when I was challenged and I want to hold on to them. 

I feel VERY lucky to have met new friends along the way. My longest consecutive days solo was 23 days.This trip taught me that I love about 2 weeks solo, I still enjoy 3 weeks solo, but towards the end of three weeks I start craving company. More than being scared of being alone, it’s the inability to share your incredible experiences with someone. To be able to turn around and just say ‘wasn’t that incredible!’. I was lucky to have spent so much time with Mary, Cole, Henrik and Moritz, their company gave me the opportunity to share the wonders and break up some of the alone time over the journey. Even more so, I found new friends for life! 

Then there is what the river and the midnight sun offers you. With endless light and a simple goal every day, to move to the next camp – somewhere downstream, you really are on your own agenda. You can rise when you wish, paddle when you wish and finish when you wish. Mother nature will throw in winds and rain – but the Yukon allows you space. You can do each task with a mindfulness that comes with no deadline. It’s beautiful. In everyday life you need to accommodate deadlines, other people’s agendas and more. It is deeply relaxing to move out your own pace, in rhythm with yourself and the nature around you. 

I experienced so much more, but for now I’ll leave you there. Soon I will be able to process all my photos and videos, and I will share some, but apart from that you will have to wait for me to put together another short film! 

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read these posts and share this experience with me.