Unique Birding Adventure along Canada’s most northern highway:
Dempster Highway from Dawson City to the Arctic Circle !

This trip combines birding and easy hiking which makes it unique in its nature. We will spend our days exploring the area from the road and on easy to moderate trails. This gives us great opportunities to observe a wide variety of migratory and resident birds. We will also have time to look for spring flowers of which many are only found in this part of the world. Birder’s highlights are Northern Wheatear, Surfbird, Rock Ptarmigan, Long-tailed Jaeger, Short-eared Owl, Red-throated Loon, and Wandering Tattler. Your guide will identify and interpret the flora and fauna of the area as well as the physical features of the region.

Please note: This program is tailored to the bird lover who likes to venture off the road to take advantage of observations in the solitude away from the highway. Hikes will be 2 to 4 hours long, but always in consensus with the participants. Changes to the itinerary due to weather or road conditions must be considered.

Date:               June 6 – June 14, 2010

Duration:        9 days from – to Whitehorse

Group size:    4 to 8. Also available for 2 to 3 guests, a surcharge will apply

Cost:               $2340 + GST per person, double occupancy, single rooms $450
Early Bird:      $2090 + GST for bookings before March 31st

Included:

• Transportation as per itinerary
• Local guide with ornithological background and knowledge of the birds of the area
• Hotel accommodation in Whitehorse (2 nights) and Dawson City (1 night)
• Motel accommodation in Eagle Plains (1 night)
• Tent accommodation in Tombstone Territorial Park Campground (4 nights)
• Camping gear (except sleeping bag)
• Use of spotting scope & library with field guides for the area
• Goldrush tour in Dawson City

Highlights:

• Migrating and resident birds of the area
• Great hiking opportunities
• Plants native only to the Yukon
• Good chances to see Grizzly Bear and Dall’s Sheep
• Step across the Arctic Circle
• Unparalleled setting with spectacular views
• Your guide identifies and interprets flora and fauna of the areas visited

Itinerary:

Day 1: Individual arrival in Whitehorse. We meet you at your hotel for the trip preparation. Time permitting we go out bird watching to a local hotspot.

Day 2: We drive north on the Klondike Highway. Along the way we stop at several lakes to observe water fowl. Short before Dawson City we turn on to the Dempster Highway. In the evening we arrive at the Tombstone Territorial Park Campground, where we will pitch our spacious tents.

Day 3: We explore the area and hike up a mountain from where we enjoy a breathtaking view towards Tombstone Mountains. The Tombstones and the Dempster region are well known for their great hiking opportunities. Most of the trails start already above the tree line and give easy access to the tundra and alpine regions. Here we will observe birds of the alpine such as Rock Ptarmigan. Bring your hiking boots and your rain gear.

Day 4: Today we drive farther north on the Dempster Highway. We'll stop at various spots to marvel at the immense landscape, spot for birds and look out for other wildlife. We will pass several lakes and hopefully see Read-throated Loons and Tundra Swans. We'll cross two mountain passes before we reach Eagle Plains. Just a half hour north of Eagle Plains Rest Stop we'll reach the Arctic Circle with its panoramic views of the Richardson Mountains. This will be the most northern point on our journey. We spend the night in the Eagle Plains Motel.

Day 5: After a hearty breakfast we head back south to Tombstone campground. Along the way we may take short walks over tundra or up a shaggy creek, always ready to spot birds and other wildlife in its natural habitat. Overnight at the campground.

Day 6: Early morning stroll to the beaver pond to listen to the morning chorus of the forest birds such as Hammond’s Flycatcher. We explore more of the area and hike charcoal ridge from where we enjoy a breathtaking view over Tombstone Park and the Dempster Highway Valley. Overnight at the Campground.

Day 7: We leave the Tombstones behind and head towards Dawson City. Weather permitting we take a hike into Grizzly valley where we will spot boreal forest birds and birds of the alpine and also enjoy more great vistas. In the afternoon we arrive in Dawson City. Overnight in a downtown hotel.

Day 8: Dawson City: City tour and Goldrush tour or optional birding in the area. After lunch we will hit the road again for our return to Whitehorse. Overnight at a downtown hotel.

Day 9: You say good bye to Whitehorse and continue on your own itinerary.

About the Dempster highway:

In 1979, the Canadian government built this 800 km (500 miles) gravel highway to open up the oil and gas riches in the Mackenzie Delta. But the real riches are in the unsurpassed views, overwhelming beauty and magnitude of the landscapes. About half way up the highway, in Eagle Plains, we'll find the only hotel, gas station and repair services along the entire highway. You are now only a half hour south of the Arctic Circle.

Accommodation:
For several nights we will stay at the Tombstone campground. Our spacious tents and the foldable beds will provide a good nights sleep. And as a bonus, we will be able to catch the full morning chorus of bird voices. After visiting the Arctic Circle, we will stay in Eagle Plains, the only accommodation along the Dempster highway. Don't expect a luxury hotel, but practical and clean accommodations that we'll share with highway work crews, exploration staff and worldwide travelers. Finally in Dawson City, with its gold rush history, we will enjoy the flair of the historic town.

Not included in this trip:

• Sleeping bag (can be rented)
• Meals in Whitehorse, Eagle Plains and Dawson City
• Personal travel & medical Insurance

Great ad-ons to extend your Yukon experience:

• Stay at a remote cabin
• Paddle a northern river
• Hike in the Kluane National Park

Links:  

Daytrips to bird observatory or Swan Haven

Yukon Bird Club

Bird List Tombstone Park & Dempster Highway