Kimberley Newhouse & Eliza Howman Wright: Heading North to the Lights
March 2022
The International Student Canadian Travel Prize offers students the opportunity to explore a part of Canada to develop our understanding of Canadian culture. During our applications we were able to research and plan what trip we would use the prize money on, and during this, Eliza and I both found Yukon was where we wanted to go.
Yukon has a population of 35,000 people, and 30,000 of these people live in the capital, Whitehorse. It is surrounded by mountains and beautiful landscape. The Yukon river flows down the edge of Whitehorse city. Here, few but still some people make a living by hunting and fishing which was the main way many years ago.
We found a small business, Muktuk Adventures. This business is owned by a woman, who visited Yukon in 2007, and never left. They offer several experiences to explore the Yukon and what life is like here. They also invest a lot into rescuing and caring for many winter dogs, which are trained for dog sledding. We knew this would be an amazing opportunity, so we arranged to go here.
We were picked up late at night from the single runway airport by the owner and within a short 25-minute drive; we were in the middle of nowhere. Down a long snow-covered track surrounded by trees, we arrived at our log cabin, our home for the next few days. The cabin is located on a hill with an amazing view of the Ibex valley and was heated by log-fire. It was a short walk from the Muktuk base. In the middle of winter, when temperatures reach -50 degree Celsius, staff and visitors have to wake up every 2 hours to make sure the fire is still going to keep the cabins warm. These temperatures also mean outhouses are used due to pipes freezing, which was an interesting experience!
Our first day at Muktuk involved dog sledding and a visit to the nature preserve. In the morning we were given winter clothing and learned the basics and history of dog sledding. It is a very common mode of transportation where people can travel for hundreds of miles just on the sledges. Dog sledding is what allowed the first person to reach the South Pole. The Yukon Quest involves a 1000-mile from Alaska and Yukon, which follows the route of the Klondike Gold Rush. We rode our own individual sled with 4 dogs pulling us, who were very excited to get out on the frozen Takhini River. The snow beside us was at least 3 foot deep and scenery down the river valley was beautiful. After lunch, a guide took us to the preserve. In this 350 acres preserve live over 12 Yukon species including a rescued moose, named Watson, lynx, bison and mountain goat (which at first glance, our friend thought was a polar bear). Seeing this wildlife was exceptional as not many people get the opportunity to see such species. This visit also highlighted the importance of caring for these animals to prevent risk of endangerment, especially with the implications of climate change on their habitats.
On our second full day at Muktuk, we had an early start and were taken to Fish Lake, on the land of the Kwanlin Dun First Nation, the largest First Nation in the Yukon. Evidence on Fish Lake shows there has been a continual season hunting and fishing camps here for over 5,000 years. In the morning, we were taught how to drive snowmobiles, which is another common way of transport in the winter here. We drove across the frozen lake over snow waves created by the wind. After getting the hang of driving, we went off the lake onto trails, which led us to the stunning viewpoint over the lake. We went back onto the lake to the fishing hut, where we learned the technique of ice fishing. To create the hole for fishing, you must drill through 4 foot of ice. We sat with tiny fishing rods over the holes patiently waiting under the clear sky. We ate hot chilli and hot chocolate to warm us up. None of us caught any trout, but Eliza had a tug on hers. After fishing, we drove the snowmobiles to a naturally frozen ice bridge over a small river.
That evening, the skies stayed clear, so we stayed up to hunt for the northern lights. We went outside at 11pm when the forecast said high. The stars were so bright they seemed unreal. At around 1am we were lucky enough to see green rays dancing in the sky. A dream come true.
Our final day/night was spent in Whitehorse. We got the time to walk around the city and explored the local shops. The trip ended with a beautiful view of the mountain range as we took off and headed back to Trent. Everything about this trip was a once-in-a-life-time opportunity and we will treasure what we have learnt and these memories forever. Although this trip was a weekend full of adventures and experience for us, this is everyday life for some people and has helped them survive is such cold climates. We learnt more about Canadian culture and the land. We are very grateful for the Study of Canada International Student Travel Prize.