They are tired after 2 long days crossing the lake, staying close to the shore at all times because of the waves. It turns out to be a German couple on their first long distance canoe trip, all the way to Dawson. So I guess we will find out tonight when we start cooking.” Just before we take off, a canoe arrives from the lake with a sun burnt couple on board. Clara laughs: “Well normally I do the shopping for my own trips, and now I have no idea what the other guide bought. So now we are standing in the pleasant sunshine looking at the mess we have to sort out and divide over 2 canoes and 3 persons. Packing for this trip was a bit chaotic as there was a last minute change of guide and one paddler was a no-show. When they had survived that, they had to cross Lake Laberge, known for its unexpected storms with monster waves, to finish with a 700 km long paddle over the fast flowing river to Dawson City. For us the Upper Lake Laberge campsite is the starting point of the adventure, but for the ‘stampeders’ it was the continuation of a gruelling journey over frozen mountain passes, swamps and waterfalls. Together with Aurelie from France and our river guide Clara from Quebec, I will paddle part of the Yukon River, the last hurdle that the ‘stampeders’ had to take on their way to the Klondike during the 1897 Gold Rush. We are on our own now for the next 5 days. As the roar of the twin outboards disappears in the distance, we are left in total silence on the pebble beach, where the boatman dropped us off.
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