ThePADDLER 14
INSIDE
THE
PASSAGE
The Gold Rush route
Story : Martin Trahan Photos : Yan Kaczynski
The plan for 2022 : The team plans to paddle the ‘ Inside Passage ’ on the Pacific Ocean by canoe . This portion of the journey will take approximately 100 days . The first 2200 km section will start in April 2022 in Olympia ( Washington ) and end in Skagway ( Alaska ). Then , we will have to hike the mythical 53km portage on the Chilkoot Trail , which joins Skagway to Lake Bennett in British Columbia , Canada .
The last section of the expedition will take place on the Yukon River and allow us to reach Dawson City in the Yukon after canoed a distance of 800 km for about 20 days . This is where we will drink the famous Sourtoe Cocktail , a shooter with a mummified human toe in it , the ultimate initiation tradition in the Yukon . This is the entire route that American gold prospectors took as early as 1897 , partly by steamboat , in an attempt to make a lot of money .
This long journey will allow the crew to engage in an idyllic relationship with nature while retracing the legendary explorations of many historical travellers and those of the First Nations who still inhabit the territory . We have not listed any expeditions like the one we are planning . Most Inside Passage expeditions are by kayaks and end in Skagway . This being said , we are not claiming to be a ‘ first ’.
This coastal seaway is a precious legacy of the Ice Age . Amidst fjords , mountains covered with lush forests and glaciers are breathtaking places . It will be possible to observe many animals such as grizzly bears , black bears , eagles , moose , cougars , whales , orcas , sea lions and salmon . The team will have the opportunity to contemplate spectacular views , majestic landscapes and the beauty of native villages . The world ' s rainforests have been described as the lungs of the earth due to their production of oxygen . Canada ' s coastal rainforest differs from other temperate rainforests in that it contains more conifers than deciduous trees . Our temperate rainforest is one of the wettest non-tropical areas in the world . In some places , up to 160 inches of rain can fall in a year . l Distance : 3000km l Duration : 125 days l Number of resupplies : 8