The Tatshenshini
We almost didn ’ t make it to the Tatshenshini , as even the southern Yukon can have traffic jams . An overturned tanker truck filled with aviation fuel had blocked the highway out of Whitehorse and necessitated a long detour to reach the river . During our second day on the river , we went through a canyon with five miles of continuous white water . It is said not to be canoeable , but we felt safe in our rafts , which handled the white water well . Thereafter the river was much calmer but always interesting . As we approached Alaska , glacier-covered mountains accompanied us for miles , culminating in the huge Walker Glacier and icebergstudded Alsek Lake . It was hard to imagine more spectacular country . For those who crave solitude , over ten days we only saw one other human being outside of our small group , and that one only at a distance .
The Northern Wilderness
It is hard to express the deep sense of peace that we experienced on the rivers , far away from the big city and the ubiquitous internal combustion engine . After our trips , I agreed whole-heartedly with Adam Shoalts when he wrote in Beyond the Trees that it is crucial for us to find ways to preserve wild places . He went on to say , “ When we lose these ... we lose something of irreplaceable value and something indispensable to our physical and mental well being ; we lose the biodiversity of the planet – the magic of our world .”
If you are intimidated at the idea of a northern rafting trip , I can assure you that if you book a trip through one of the commercial organizations offering these trips , the guides will keep you safe and fairly comfortable . It is important that more Canadians experience our northern wilderness . As Margret Atwood put it in Three Rivers , “ Anything ... that isn ’ t understood , valued , and defended — made real to the hearts of others — is likely to be exploited and obliterated .” The more Canadians learn about our northern wilderness , the more likely they will support its protection .
Werner Becker is a professor emeritus at the University of
Calgary . Experiencing the beauty of our natural world has been a passion for Werner and his wife and travel companion , Ruth . Canada ’ s Rocky Mountains , the Grand Canyon of Arizona , and the northern rivers of Canada have been favourite places .
news & views AUTUMN 2022 | 47