March has always been my favourite month of the year. I enjoy the longer days and blue skies. We Yukoners can spend afternoons shedding layers of fleece or wool, to bask in the glory of the warmth on our pale skin, too long tucked away from the sunshine. We can enjoy end-of-season-days kick-sledding, cross-country skiing, fat biking or any recreation of our choosing.
This year, I am deeply distracted from being in the moment of March’s glory. Instead, I’m dreaming of late-spring days when open water will finally reach Yukon’s lakes. There are months of frozen water still ahead, held in winter’s long grasp.
This week, on March 22, the world will celebrate World Water Day. It’s an annual day of observance by the United Nations, to highlight the huge importance of fresh water. These days, I’m reflecting a lot on the significance of Yukon’s freshwater lakes.
Canada is home to 7 per cent of the world’s freshwater. In the Yukon, we have so much of it in our backyard. It was easy to craft a list of over 50 lakes accessible to paddle within three to four hours of Whitehorse. So began an ambitious plan to stand-up paddleboard 50 lakes this approaching paddle season.
The idea started with some musing about how to celebrate my 50th year. Friends encouraged me to do what I love. Combining stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) and the Yukon was the obvious choice. Few things compare to the deep joy that comes from being out on my board along the shores of a lake. A summer of paddling 50 lakes was the seed of an idea that turned into a planned adventure.
Nearly a decade ago, living near the shores of Marsh Lake, I bought my first paddle board. At the time, my weekdays were spent commuting to Whitehorse for work and juggling duties with two young kids and a zoo full of animals. On the weekends, my country-residential chores keep me busy hauling wood and water. There were rare windows of free time long enough to haul the canoe, paddle a river and arrange a shuttle back. The new SUP was the easy choice to portage between the lake and home or my car’s roof rack.
Having never tried SUP before, there was no better place to start than Marsh Lake. Easy, calm mornings allowed me to learn the basics of balance and a good paddle stroke. In the afternoons when the winds picked up, I could improve my efficiency and power against waves or a strong headwind. There was even a bit of time to float, chill and enjoy a late-evening sunset.
Over the coming months, this column will profile some of the incredible lakes worthy of exploration, recreation and relaxation (Marsh Lake will be one of them).
The tour of 50 Lakes will likely kick-off within the city limits of Whitehorse, on smaller lakes where any beginner can grow their skills and confidence to go bigger and farther. We’ll travel the Southern Lakes Loop to the interconnected lakes that cross borders and connect us with friends and neighbours in B.C. and Alaska. This series of big lakes can test the skills, savvy and focus of the most-experienced paddlers.
The Northern Loop will take the North Klondike Highway past Carmacks to the less-travelled routes of Frenchman Lake Road, Robert Campbell Highway and the South Canol Road.
We’ll head west to the shores of Kluane Lake, Yukon’s largest and grandest lake, dominated by the backdrops of the St. Elias and Kluane mountain ranges.
In the east, between Watson Lake and Teslin, we’ll paddle some lesser-known gems along the Alaska Highway.
There are some plans mapped out. A social group paddle on Chadburn Lake, with an aim of gathering 50 women on SUPs. A paddle cookout with local chef and writer Michele Genest. And a multi-day camping trip exploring Snafu Lake. Other days will be left open to new paddle partners and adventures, as they arise.
However the expedition comes together, there will be laughs and learning and a few dumps along the way. Stories of honouring the water, places and people. Moments to feel the hurt and fabulousness of 50. And, always, a celebration of the amazing freshwater lakes that we can experience here at home.
