A Survey About The Access To The Whitestone River And The Upper Porcupine River in Yukon Territory

The Whitestone River and the Upper Porcupine River are ideal to those who are relatively experienced in paddling; ideal to those who look for the totally untouched wilderness on the one hand and who are physically able to cope with the strains of hiking alone through the bush to the sources of the Whitestone on the other hand; that is to those who are willing to undertake such a trip of eight days under the before mentioned conditions.
What is extremely dangerous with this tour is the fact that you are totally alone in the untouched wilderness without any possibility of calling for or getting help (today it is possible to take a PLB with you). Hence, for safety’s sake, this tour is recommended to be undertaken by at least four persons and dissuaded for learners. The experienced wanderer and canoeist, on the other hand, will meet with numerous unforgettable adventures as well as the satisfaction of having done something extraordinary, always providing that he planned the tour thoroughly before. He will be rewarded by clear and fast water without proper rapids, untouched nature with a variety of wild animals as well as fine weather during most of the tour.
A crew of to men (us in 1985) in a 16 foot long canoe needed 33 days to get from Dempster Highway to Old Crow, but we were not under any pressure of time. The crew could have been in Old Crow 8 to 10 days earlier, yet, four weeks at the least are recommended when undertaking a tour of this kind.

Description:

• River Classification: Grade 1-2 (no rapids)
• Best time to travel: June to August
• Nearest emergency communication:Dempster Highway, Old Crow (PLB)
• Length: 12 km portage, 600 km waterway (50 km to Whitestone River, 120 km on Whitestone River down to the mouth of Miner River, 200 km from Miner River to Bell River, 200 km from Bell River to Old Crow).
• Width: 5 to 250 meters
• Time to allow: 25 days from Dempster Highway to Old Crow
• Maps:
  

  N.T.S. 1: 250 000 Ogilvie River Hart River Porcupine River Eagle River Bell River Old Crow

  1: 50.000 (Portage from Dempster to Whitestone) 116 G/9 116 G/16 116 H/12 116 H/13

• Hazards:Remote wilderness, very difficult, long and arduous portage, long journey on the Rivers, swift water in many bends, logjams, sweepers, sandbars and boulders.
• Directions:Via Dempster Highway, 56 km past Ogilvie Bridge