paddling
About Me
The word 'Yukon' literally means 'the great river'. The river was indeed great and the Yukon Territory as a whole was awesome. Located just south of the Arctic Circle and east of Alaska, the Yukon is wilderness in its purest form. Flying into Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon, I glimpsed for the first time the open expanse that is the Yukon Territory. The river snaked and wriggled below me. Trees consumed every other available space. I couldn't help but think that 'wilderness' was a word I was about to develop a full appreciation for.
Whitehorse has 18,000 inhabitants, most of which seem to know each other! The few roads are wide because they can be. There is just so much space available. Whitehorse is the cosmopolitan centre of the Yukon and the onl
y large concentration of people, yet still it feels like stepping back in time. Sadly McDonalds has invaded but the people seem unaffected!
Flags fly above the streets stating 'On Yukon Time'. These three words epitomise a way of life that most British people could learn from. It is impossible to get anything done quickly. The Yukon forced us into a slower pace of life. Any agitation or frustration caused by being on Yukon time only made things happen slower. The Yukon people refuse to be hurried by anyone or anything. They seem much happier for it too. They have time for each other which makes them exude a friendliness that is all encompassing.
Their vehicles are huge and make our cars in the UK look like dodgems. In fact, everything seems big: big skies, big river, big forests, big time and big hearts. I immediately felt at home. Never before have I forgotten the stresses of work back in England as quickly as I did in the Yukon. I expected to find myself wondering how on earth these people could cope with the small-town mentality, particularly as there isn't even a nearby town to escape to, but instead I found myself envying what they do have... a cabin on the edge of Lake Laberge, a canoe at the bottom of the garden and a faithful dog - who needs more?!
Perhaps the most beautiful thing about the Yukon is the light. At this time of year the sun does not set until after midnight and rises again just a few hours later, never really getting dark in between. That beautiful dawn moment when the light sneaks onto the horizon making everything seem magical lasts throughout the hours of darkness - a permanent state of morning glory.
Bruce, myself and the team from BBC Extreme Lives arrived in Whitehorse a week before the race started. It was my first experience of working with a camera crew and it soon became apparent that I was being completely spoilt by the calibre of people I was working with. Not only are they all immensely talented but they also insist on making all elements of work and play extremely fun - perfect! The pre-race week gave Bruce and I an opportunity to sort out the boat and equipment and get in some sorely needed paddling time.
At the pre-race meeting the day before the race we met the other 35 teams. The paddling experience was as diverse as the nationalities, with teams originating from over 8 countries. We certainly weren't going to be the fastest but felt reassured that we also weren't going to be the slowest team. The atmosphere was jovial and there seemed to be a strong emphasis on people just wanting to get out on the river and have a good time. It was so refreshing to turn up to an event where even the teams that were probably going to win were distinctly lacking in ego.
It took Bruce and I 28 hours of continuous paddling to complete the first 200 miles. To the end of the lake had been a bit of a slog but it was so beautiful that we didn't care. If we could keep each other talking time flew by. Thankfully the periods when we were individually feeling the pain or tiredness did not coincide, which was a real bonus for our teamwork. I was on a high during midnight to 4am (as always!) when Bruce was feeling tired so was able to keep him talking. He was able to do the same for me between 6 and 8 am.
Later that afternoon of day 2 we reached Carmacks. Feeling very fresh and mentally and physically charged I didn't want to sleep during the compulsory two-hour stop, knowing that it would only cause me to stiffen up. I spent the time stretching then striping more weight from our kit bags as we had taken too much during the first leg. The weight of the fixed BBC cameras could not be avoided so th
ere was a need to compensate with our own equipment if we were to increase our speed over the water. After a big meal, a much needed shower and an ample application of nappy rash cream and Vaseline (why do I do these sports?!) we were on our way once again. Sadly not all the crews were feeling as good and eight retired from the race at Carmacks.
The leg from Carmacks to Minto was the shortest at only 60 miles. However it contained the only two sections of rapids in the race. Luckily we knew what to expect having filmed at Five Finger rapids earlier in the week with Tim (cameraman) hanging out of a helicopter to get some shots of us on the way through. Both sets of rapids were only grade two and therefore largely unexciting. I expected this section to take 4 -5 hours so my frustrations began to build as we neared 7 hours and still had not made it. It was nearly 2 am and the river had separated into hundreds of tiny islands. It was impossible to be sure which route was the main river channel and each island looked like the next. Having not slept for 43 hours I was beginning to loose my sense of humour in a big way! I knew things were getting bad when Bruce and I both began to see things that weren't there. Every trees trunk became a bear and Bruce even managed to mistake a log with 5 birds sat on top for one of the crews from the voyager canoe class event!
Minto is little more than a few houses so any hopes of heading towards the lights of the town were fruitless. Finally we saw someone waving a torch at us. Tiredness and physical exhaustion were heigh
tening my emotions and confusing logic. As we climbed up the bank I had moments of wanting to get back in the canoe and carry on. At the time my logic was telling me that I would be too cold if I stopped and if I went to sleep I would stiffen up. Starting again would be more painful in the morning than carrying on now. But Hayley was on hand with a warm jacket and a hot meal to convince me it was time to stop.
Four hours sleep later I woke and attempted to lift my head from the pillow. There was no movement - just a searing pain down my neck, shoulders and back. Everything had seized up. Maybe the previous nights logic had not been so illogical after all! Andrew and Hayley physically pushed me off the bed and pulled me into a standing position. I couldn't even lift my arms above my head to put my top on. There was only one thing for it - I had to go for a jog to get the blood flowing to the muscles then have a long stretch. By the end of the warm-up I felt great and couldn't wait to get back on the river again. With 260 miles completed we were over half way and had only 200 miles to go (Only!).
Debra Searle and Bruce Parry join forces to take part in the worlds longest canoe race - The Yukon River Quest. They were the first British Team to enter the race so were filmed taking part by the ‘Extreme Lives’ documentary team from the BBC.
A LeMans style start from the Main Street was a new one for me and swiftly reminded me that my calf muscles had wasted away in the Atlantic and I had not re-trained them since my return to dry land! Then we were off. The first leg of the race from Whitehorse to Carmacks was 200 miles, made up of a 30 mile down river dash before entering the beautiful Lake Laberge. Exiting the lake, which is also about 30 miles long, competitors re-enter the river for the 140 mile paddle to Carmacks.
We arrived in Dawson City at 12.34 pm on day 3, after 72 hours and 19 minutes of paddling, positioning us in 12th place in the canoe class.
We had been desperate to see more wildlife and were treated to the double (moose and bears) during this final stretch from Minto to Dawson City. A day and a night's paddling later we began to take over a few more crews and were going strong. The final night was inevitable filled with massive highs and lows but by that point we were getting close to the finish - always a strong incentive. We had mastered the art of living in an 18ft canoe, particularly peeing into the bailer, and had heard each other's life histories along the way (and a bit more)! There's something great about the way these adventures send you back to basics and strip away the layers.
I enjoyed the race enormously and can't wait to take part in another stupidly long event. This one was a great one for many reasons. The wilderness was beautiful, the wildlife incredible, the river graceful and the length of it gritty. The atmosphere of the whole event was really quite special. And if nothing else you get to visit Dawson City! This small collection of mostly wooden buildings on the side of the river appears out of nowhere and really is in the middle of nowhere. Originally built as a place where the Klondike gold rush folk could spend their gold, it was full of dancing girls and casinos. The bar still has swinging saloon doors and the infamous Sour Toe cocktail - a real toe that is put in a shot glass and downed but the lips have got to touch or suck the toe to become a member of the Sour Toe Club. What a place!
People often ask me if I would recommend rowing the Atlantic to others. I would, but it costs a lot of money and takes an awful long time. If you are looking for an awesome adventure but only have two weeks holiday to spare I would strongly recommend taking part in the Yukon River Quest. This was, without a doubt, one of the best adventures I have ever been on.
Debra
P.S. To check out the Yukon River Quest website CLICK HERE.
©2008 Shoal Projects Ltd. All rights reserved
YUKON journal
