Guided trip: Backpacking the Northern Coast Range
The entire length of the Coast Range—extending from North Vancouver to Alaska—is rugged and remote, but it’s a little less rugged and a little more remote in the southwest corner of the Yukon, which makes this area perfect for an off-trail backpacking trip. Taiga Journey’s Trekking the Yukon Coast Range adventure begins with a bang—a 30-minute floatplane flight from Whitehorse to Primrose Lake, a long body of water between big snowy peaks. From the lakeshore, trip members will hoist packs and head off into the trailless Boundary Mountains. It won’t take long to hit the alpine at this latitude; almost all the hiking is above treeline. Five days and 25 kilometres later, the off-trail route intersects an old mining road, which leads to the Klondike Highway near Carcross. In between are two good basecamp locations, where the group will set out on day hikes into the surrounding mountains hoping to spot the abundant wildlife—golden eagles, caribou, Dall’s sheep, moose and bears.
When: July 16 to 22, Aug 5 to 11
Cost: $2,050
Company: Taiga Journeys
