Circle - Yukon River Bridge
10.07.2011
In the afternoon I met a couple from Fairbanks, very nice people. I drove past Circle into the Yukon Flats.
The water was very high this year, almost all my GPS points from camps were up to 3 meters under water!
The weather wasn't bad at all, cloudy but dry, little wind.
After 104 km and 9.36 hours I set up camp.
11.07.2011
Rain, rain, rain and a strong headwind.
After 64 km I was really done....
12.07.2011
Today I had an extremely strong headwind with high waves, a real drudgery, the boat can hardly be tamed with the rudder!
After 56.8 km and 6.5 hours, I set up camp.
13.07.2011
Another extreme headwind and some very high waves. The boat was again causing difficulties, it couldn't be steered properly, which again caused some not exactly fun situations.
After 126 km and 13.32 hours of paddling, I set up camp on a mud island, completely exhausted....
14.7.2011
Rain again, but thankfully less wind, I rode all the way to the Yukon Bridge.
After 99km and 12.38 hours, I arrived at 5am. Before the bridge I saw the camp of the Englishmen I had met in Dawson and who had started 5 days before me....
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My 2011 Yukon River Expedition is over after 1600 km, i.e. half of the Yukon River!
It would be unacceptable to continue with this boat. You have to know when to call it a day...
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I had to wait a week at the Yukon River bridge, as there was no way to get to Fairbanks.
This trip was not under a good star from the beginning, I should have listened to my gut feeling and simply aborted it, in WHITEHORSE!
© Copyright by Ch. Breier
I passed Circle
© Copyright by Ch. Breier
Alone in the Yukon Flats
© Copyright by Ch. Breier
Sunset in the flats
© Copyright by Ch. Breier
I had to wait a few hours, the wind was too strong and the waves too high to paddle on safely.
The small rudder of the Nautiraid is really a joke!
Why did Nautiraid change it?
Whether you paddle the Yukon Flats alone or with a guide are two completely different things. Experiencing the Flats alone is something that every Yukon River traveler should experience at least once!
© Copyright by Ch. Breier
Sunset in the Flats, the first time I've seen it this cloudy. Normally, the Flats are always cloud-free!
This year is really exceptional....
© Copyright by Ch. Breier
Another sunset in the Flats,
© Copyright by Ch. Breier
Writing a daily report and sorting pictures, and tapping into the NOAA weather satellite.
The little field book from Logic Instrument is absolutely great! I only wish I'd had the vehicle docking station with it, then I could have used it for navigation too!
© Copyright by Ch. Breier
Sunrise, shortly before the end of the flats
© Copyright by Ch. Breier
Arrived at the Yukon Bridge/Alaska (Dalton Hwy) 1600Km, so half of the Yukon River is done.
I think 7 1/2 times the Yukon River is enough....
This trip was not nice, but I was finally able to finish with the Yukon River,
I THOUGHT ...
But this tour also showed me that I'm just as physically fit as I was at 25 and that's not bad at 48....
Will I paddle the Yukon River again?
We will see....
Continue with:
Fairbanks
Only those who risk going too far, will discover how far they can go!
Expedition in the USA, Alaska & Canada, Scandinavia with folding boat, motorboat, catamaran, motorcycle, off-road vehicle, bicycle ...
