Wilderness Backpacking in Kluane National Park, Yukon Territory

The Trip

Our Yukon backpacking adventure begins with a short, but spectacular float plane ride to Bighorn Lake in Kluane National Park. While in the air, we rise over huge, beryl blue Kluane Lake and cross over the tundra plains of the Burwash Uplands (which we will be hiking over in several days), enjoying views of snow-peaked mountains from the Donjek and St. Elias ranges. Once on land, we will spend four days in the wildlife rich Donjek Valley, a forested region scattered with large, open meadows and intersected by a variety of streams and rivers. This area is dominated by the massive Donjek Glacier. Large sheets of ice often break off the glacier’s toe, calving into the Donjek River.

While in the Donjek Valley, we will explore this seldom-visited area, climbing a few smaller mountains, and getting up close to the Donjek Glacier and perhaps Kluane Glacier as well. The wildlife of this area includes grizzly and black bear, moose, Dall sheep, wolves, golden eagles, and several other species of interesting birds. It is a rare ecosystem where all the animals that were there hundreds of years ago still roam the secluded area. In fact, the grizzly population of the greater Kluane National Park ecosystem is the most genetically diverse in the world.

The remaining three days will be spent making our way back to the Alaska Highway. Making use of an old horse trail, we will hike across the forested valley until we arrive at Hoge Creek. The next day we will hike up Hoge Creek and then undergo a challenging climb to the top of Hoge Pass at 6,400 feet elevation. At the top of Hoge Pass we have stunning views into the St. Elias Mountains and we often see Dall Sheep as well as many alpine flowers. We then hike down to Burwash Creek and camp near its headwaters in a dramatic setting of rock pinnacles and mountain slopes. The final two days are spent hiking over the tundra of Burwash Uplands where we often see Woodland Caribou loping gracefully across the pond-dotted landscape.

Kluane (pronounced Kloo-Ahn-ee) National Park—along with Wrangell St. Elias and Glacier Bay National Parks and Tatshenshini Provincial Park in Canada—is part of the largest land preserve on Earth. Established in 1972, the park covers 8,500 square miles, of which about 10 percent is composed of remote, yet accessible—to the adventurous hiker—green fields and valleys. These green areas have been used for nearly 3,000 years by the Tutchone Indians for fishing and hunting, and most recently by hardy hikers. The park’s highest management goal is to preserve its diverse and remarkable flora and fauna.

This wilderness backpacking trip is suitable for experienced backpackers in good physical condition. The challenges of this trip should not be taken lightly. Though we will from time to time make use of old trails and occasional mining roads or pathways, the route is essentially off-trail, with no signs or bridges or established campsites. The terrain will vary from tundra, to alpine, to rocky river beds, and on several days there will be multiple stream crossings. We will be in a remote, wilderness setting in grizzly bear country, carrying full packs, and crossing paths with few, if any, other hikers.

Getting There

The trip will begin and end in Whitehorse, Yukon territory. Most people will fly into the Whitehorse airport. You should arrive two days prior to the trip start to allow for any delays or mishandled luggage. If you arrive early there are many interesting ways to spend your time in and around Whitehorse: a nice walk along the Yukon River, a couple of unique museums, a cool fish ladder, etc. We will meet the night before the trip to go over all the details, and to hand out all of the group gear. Flights out of Whitehorse should not be made until the day after the trip to take into account any delays due to weather or other exigencies. More details on Whitehorse and lodging can be provided upon sign-up. Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

We will be camping all nights of the backpacking trip. All food on the trip will be provided. Meals will be vegetarian friendly. The Sierra Club provides group equipment, including pots, cooking utensils, stoves, fuel, tarp, satellite phone for emergencies, and first-aid for group use. Trip members should notify leaders of any special dietary needs. As usual on Sierra Club outings, all members help with carrying group gear, cooking, and doing clean-up duties—each person assisting in the kitchen for probably two days, depending on group size.

Trip Difficulty

The trip level is 5, a challenging wilderness backpacking trip. Trip members should be in good physical condition, capable of carrying a full pack (approximately 48 pounds at the start) over uneven terrain and up and down hills.  On the days we move camp, we will probably hike five to eight miles a day, cross-country, with no real trails. There will be one, possibly two, layover days. Our highest altitude will be about 6,500 feet and on some days we will gain as much as 1,800 feet in elevation with packs on. Besides carrying full packs, the challenges of the trip include being in remote wilderness, dealing with changing weather conditions, stream crossings, and being in grizzly bear country.

Equipment and Clothing

There will be no need for any specialized equipment for the trip, just what is needed for a week-long trip in the mountains. Due to the remoteness of the trip, it is imperative that all equipment should be in good shape, high-quality, and field-tested. The leader will send out detailed equipment lists to all trip members. Sharing a tent with other members is encouraged to reduce weight and environmental impact. In addition to their own gear, which shouldn’t exceed 30 pounds, trip members will start out carrying 14-16 pounds of group gear, which should go down a little each day. The leader will go over gear with each participant before approving him/her for the trip.

References

Maps:

While maps are not required for trip members, they are never discouraged—especially if you want to brush up on map and compass and GPS skills. Topo maps for our route will be:

• Duke River 115 G6
• Steele Creek 115 G5
• Bighorn Creek 115 G3
• Donjek Glacier 115 G4
• Kluane Lake 115 G and 115 F, a less detailed map, covers a wider area but is not suitable for navigation.

Maps and books can be obtained at Mac’s Fireweed Books in Whitehorse: www.macsbooks.ca

Books:

• Lougheed, Vivian, The Kluane National Park Hiking Guide (3^rd edition). 2007.
• Theberge, John B., Kluane: Pinnacle of the Yukon. Out of print but a good source of natural history of the region. Available in libraries or on Amazon.

Websites:

• Kluane National Park: http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/yt/kluane/index.aspx

Conservation

Wilderness will be our main topic. We will talk about the challenges of preserving large tracts of land big enough to ensure wolves, bears, sheep, caribou, and others have a place to thrive. We can talk about the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation initiative, its present status, and how it seeks to preserve large corridors to allow for genetic diversity in animal populations. We will practice Leave No Trace principles while on the trip.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and will operate under a permit from Parks Canada, Kluane National Park and Reserve.