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Atlin Lake, BC June 2017
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Peter & Judy



Joined: 03 Dec 2014
Posts: 546
City/Region: Olds
State or Province: AB
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Mistaya
Photos: Mistaya
PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 1:35 pm    Post subject: Atlin Lake, BC June 2017 Reply with quote

Atlin Lake is one of the headwater lakes of the Yukon River. It is located in NW British Columbia with a small portion of it crossing the border into Yukon. The lake runs parallel to the Alaska Pan Handle. The lake is long and thin and covers an area of about 300 square miles and is up to 1000 feet deep. The lake is at about 2200 feet of elevation. The town of Atlin can only be reached from Yukon and you access it via Hwy 7, just west of the Jakes Corner turnoff on the Alcan highway. The town is about 60 miles south on a good, newly paved road. Atlin has all the basic services, but they are expensive. You are best to stock up on fuel and groceries in Whitehorse. There is a nice campsite just south of town (pay by donation), but backing into one of the few sites suitable for a long truck and boat will test any marriage.

We spent a week on Atlin Lake and I’ll share some of our experiences on that adventure. I did a lot of research before the journey and I have to thank Jim Bishop of Whitehorse, Yukon for all his help. We bought Jim’s C-22 and picked it up in Whitehorse. Jim owns a cabin on Atlin Lake and has a lot of experience boating on Atlin in C-22 Silvertip. He provided us with a set of aerial photos and maps of the lake, which details the hazards such as reefs as well as anchorages. I will be sharing some of these photos in our album “Mistaya” (Grizzly Bear in Cree), the new name for our boat. I am not an expert on Atlin Lake, as I only spent a week on the lake, but I will share what I experienced.

We arrived in Atlin with the idea that we would spend the first afternoon touring the town and checking out the boat launch. Atlin was established in 1898 during the Klondike Gold Rush and soon had a population of 5000. Today it has less than 500. There are still many colorful and historic buildings standing. One of our first stops was at the local Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) depot. Here you can check in with the police and fill out a detailed trip plan. The constable and receptionist were very helpful and gave us photocopied maps and detailed information about travelling safely on the lake. On completion of the trip you must check out with the RCMP so that they do not mount a search for you. There are several local boaters who monitor VHF channel 16, boat to boat, radio traffic on the lake is on Channel 23. If you cannot get an emergency call through on one of these you can try Channel 24 which is monitored by the U.S. Coast Guard in Juneau. They will contact the RCMP. In case of emergency we also carried a SPOT beacon and an InReach Explorer beacon. There is no cell phone coverage in Atlin. We also checked in with the Atlin Provincial Park to get some more information and brochures.

There is a good boat launch and a private dock that we could use to launch from. We parked on the road next to the lake near the launch for free and with no problems. When we returned to the boat launch we were met by the very friendly RCMP constable, he had kept an eye on our truck and was very interested in our adventure. He had flown over us in a helicopter patrol a few days earlier as well. If you have a problem, you can always rely on the Mounties. The RCMP also has a patrol / rescue boat at the lake.

There are no nautical charts for Atlin Lake, so I used the 1:250,000 Canadian Topographic Map (104 N - Atlin) as well as the Gaia GPS App on my Ipad. I downloaded the maps and used these as my main form of navigation. I also had my Garmin 62st with maps as a backup. In addition to this I had a series of aerial photos on my Ipad and some photocopied aerial photos that were made by local boaters and float plane pilots. Atlin is a deep lake, but there are some reefs in certain areas, especially in the narrow channels and along some of the peninsulas. In June 2017 during our trip the lake levels were lower than normal due to a low snowfall winter. So some of the reefs were above water level and thus easier to spot. These rough chicken head outcrops could do a lot of damage to a boat.

We had about a week to spend on the lake and we chose to stay at the south end and do a slow circumnavigation in a counter clockwise direction. From the town of Atlin, we travelled to the north end of Teresa Island. Here we turned south into Torres Channel. The north entrance to the Channel under Atlin Mountain is quite narrow and shallow. There were a couple of marker bouys to help guide us in. Once in this narrow channel huge mountain faces rise up out of the water on both sides and the water is very deep. We hurried through this spectacular channel as the dominant winds in Atlin come in from the SW and tend to build in the afternoons. We hoped to stop for the night in the Second Narrows at the south end of Copper Island. Two channels lead back to the main Atlin Lake around Copper island. First narrows is very shallow and best left to canoes and kayaks. Second Narrows had a few shallow sections, but also a few nice sheltered coves where you could anchor or beach your boat. We preferred to beach the C-Dory as this would allow us to wander the shoreline and go on some short hikes. We tended to beach bow first, tie off the bow and then put on two lines from the stern in each direction, something like a tripod, so the wind would not take us sideways into the shore. In most places Atlin Lakes drops off quickly, so the hip waders we bought in Whitehorse were very handy in the cold water.

The next morning we set off to explore Willison Bay, which is the SW end of Torres Channel. It is the most spectacular region of the lake with high cliffs and glaciers descending into it. By early afternoon the winds picked up with swells and white capped waves up to about 3 feet high developed. We decided to return to the sheltered waters of Second Narrows. We travelled through the narrows and headed south to explore the Llewellyn Inlet. At the head of the inlet is the Llewellan Glacier that descends off the Juneau Icefield and this is considered to be the source of the Yukon River. While on the lake we did not fill our water tanks to save weight as we were surrounded with excellent quality drinking water. We simply reached overboard and took what we needed from the lake. We filtered or boiled what we drank. In the Llewellyn Inlet the lake is filled with glacial silt and the water is a beautiful turquoise color. This water is not the best for drinking, so we filled a few jugs further out in the lake in advance. We beached the boat at the head of the inlet where there is a nice campsite. That evening we hiked up the ridge to view the glacier. We continued down a trail to the bottom of the ridge hoping to hike to the glacial Lake fed by the melting Llewellyn glacier. We found a small, but deep creek that we would have to wade in order to hike to the glacier. We decided to return the next morning with our hip waders to cross the creek. I crossed the creek first and made my way through the willows when I spotted a grizzly bear and her yearling cub feeding about a 100 meters from me. I turned around and told Judy about the bear and we both crossed the creek again and climbed up the ridge a bit, before looking back. The grizzly must have heard us and was moving towards us to investigate. She was about 100 meters away from us when I decided to fire a bear banger at her from our pencil flare gun. The banger flew about 50 meters before discharging, she stopped, stood up with her cub, looked around and then headed off into the bush away from us. We decided that seeing the toe of the glacier from a distance was better than seeing the toe of the sow grizzly up close so we hurried back to the safety of the boat.

From Llewellyn Inlet we decided to head up Sloko Inlet to the SE of us, and hike into Sloko Lake. We beached the boat and walked towards the trail head. In the soft sand at the trail head were a set of the largest grizzly bear tracks I had ever seen. They were very fresh and we decided that one grizzly encounter was enough for the day. So we headed north to find an anchorage on Sloko Island for the night.

Over the next few days we explored the many islands in the southern end of the lake. There were good spots to beach at various islands including Sloko, Griffen, Bear and Caribou Islands. We were able to take our sea kayaks off the boat on a few occasions and had several nice kayak trips away from the mothership. Our objective with the C-Dory is to use it as another means to explore the many beautiful and remote places in North America. We love to hike, kayak and fish. We hope that “Mistaya” (Grizzly Bear in Cree) which is her new name will allow us to do this.

Atlin Lake is a spectacular lake to explore and one of the most beautiful places that we have ever been. It certainly will be on our list to visit again in the future. We hope that when we are fully retired we will have the time to explore the waters of Alaska around Skagway and Glacier Bay in our C-Dory. Atlin will be a great place to wash the salt water off the boat after such an adventure.

Check out the photos of our adventure on our photo album “Mistaya”.

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Peter & Judy Haase
Buffalo Horn Ranch

HMCB Mistaya
"Mistaya" (Grizzly Bear in Cree)
HMCB (Her Majesties Cute Boat)
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Robert H. Wilkinson



Joined: 26 Jan 2011
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 7:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Excellent account of your adventure and absolutely amazing pictures!!

Thanks for sharing.

Regards, Rob

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colbysmith



Joined: 02 Oct 2011
Posts: 4523
City/Region: Madison
State or Province: WI
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Vessel Name: C-Traveler
Photos: C-Traveler and Midnight-Flyer
PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 8:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, thanks for sharing. I'll print this out and keep it for reference if it works out for me to spend a few days here on the way back from an Alaskan adventure! Colby
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Wandering Sagebrush



Joined: 21 Jan 2005
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 9:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Peter and Judy, great trip and photos! How long are your kayaks? They look like they’re in the 14- 16 foot range. We have a Nimbus Seafarer and a Necky Arluk IV that I’ve often thought of putting on top of our dory.
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Peter & Judy



Joined: 03 Dec 2014
Posts: 546
City/Region: Olds
State or Province: AB
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Mistaya
Photos: Mistaya
PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 11:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Peter and Judy, great trip and photos! How long are your kayaks? They look like they’re in the 14- 16 foot range. We have a Nimbus Seafarer and a Necky Arluk IV that I’ve often thought of putting on top of our dory.

The kayaks we put on top of the C-Dory are 13 foot Seaward Mantras. We have another set of 17 foot kayaks, Seaward Tyee's. We decided that these were too long for regular use on top of the boat. The previous owner had 9 foot kayaks, but we felt that these would not be seaworthy enough or fast enough for day tripping in the ocean. So we bought these 13 foot boats. They are very sea worthy, quite fast and reasonabley light. We have worked out a system for getting them on and off the boat when we are beached, but it still needs some practice to do it when we are anchored with some chop. The kayaks are great to explore and get some exercise. That is the one downside on a boat is that you can get a little restless if you don't get off the boat to walk or paddle.
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Wandering Sagebrush



Joined: 21 Jan 2005
Posts: 2768
City/Region: Northeast Oregon
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C-Dory Year: 2005
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Vessel Name: Constant Craving
Photos: Constant Craving
PostPosted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 12:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks! Seaward makes nice boats!
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colbysmith



Joined: 02 Oct 2011
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Photos: C-Traveler and Midnight-Flyer
PostPosted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 11:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

For the Kayaking crowd, just wondering your thoughts of the Hobie Mirage i11? It's somewhat of a SUP with a seat, that you pedal with it's Mirage drive. I've only had limited use of it so far, up in Isle Royal, and a bit on our local lake and river. My wife also has the Sea Eagle Explorer 300X. Both of these are inflatables, and while the Sea Eagle is Whitewater capable, I really like the Hobie. The Hobie felt very stable in 1 ft and less waves/chop. When I get to Alaska, I would like to bring one of the Kayaks along. My Hobie takes up just a bit more space than the Sea Eagle due to it's seat and Mirage drive, but that is the one I prefer. I don't see using either for long distance, but rather just as a way to get off the boat to shore if anchored, or to explore nearby. Does anyone see a problem with either of these inflatables for use in SE Alaska or on a Canadian lake such as Atlin? Thanks. Colby
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Peter & Judy



Joined: 03 Dec 2014
Posts: 546
City/Region: Olds
State or Province: AB
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Mistaya
Photos: Mistaya
PostPosted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 1:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Relating to Kayaks for C-Dory Use.

I would suggest that you bring whatever is comfortable for you and you can easily load on your boat. I would also consider where you will be paddling and your skills. Northern waters are very cold and if you are mainly planning on using one of these to get to shore for a walk around they likely will be fine. If you want to do more exploring, I would consider a more sea worthy kayak, dry suit and the skills to go with it. My biggest concern in cold waters, like Atlin, is taking an unplanned swim. Make sure you can get back into your kayak quickly, practice this in warm water before your trip. We are still trying to perfect our entry and exit skills from the kayaks off the C-Dory swim step. Mostly we have been launching our kayaks off shore when we are beached. I would hate to take a unplanned swim right next to the boat. My wife would never let me live that down.
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thataway



Joined: 02 Nov 2003
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 3:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

On the RV Alaskian trip we had a 16 foot open wood kayak. Used on protected waters. Inflatable boat for large waters.

Because of the low freeboard of the Hobie, I would go with Sea Eagle. But my first choice is an inflatable dinghy. Lots of great walks, hot springs, & places to explore! Don’t forget the 25’ tides! Have good wading boots. I have a pair of gum rubber fisherman’s boots from Spain circa 1984, which I like better than Topsider boots.

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Bob Austin
Thataway
Thataway (Ex Seaweed) 2007 25 C Dory May 2018 to Oct. 2021
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colbysmith



Joined: 02 Oct 2011
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 3:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I’ve got some good waders I’ll just have to remember. Regarding the Hobie, not much freeboard but the seat is several inches above the floor and does stay dry. Feet warmth may be the determining factor. I’ve been thinking survival suit but now wondering if a dry suit might be more practical?
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colbysmith



Joined: 02 Oct 2011
Posts: 4523
City/Region: Madison
State or Province: WI
C-Dory Year: 2009
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: C-Traveler
Photos: C-Traveler and Midnight-Flyer
PostPosted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 8:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just started a new thread in regards to dry vs. survival suits:

http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?p=316075#316075
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Hunkydory



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PostPosted: Wed Dec 27, 2017 11:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Peter & Judy

We very much enjoyed your write up of this trip & the trip & aerial photos. Making it all the more interesting was being able to visualize from memory most all the places you described. In 2001, while walking through where you encountered the bear, we would throw rocks & yell out before going through the thick alder patches. We made it to within a couple hundred yards of Llewellyn Glacier, but with the thick alder patches & much bear sign it was a rather spooky walk. I would have felt much better if allowed to carry a shotgun & not just rely on bear spray & bangers. In 2010 after trying to take a motorized kayak up the glacier river we walked back to the same overlook that you took photos of the glacier from & took more of our own. A fantastic view from there. We hope to camp at the head of the trail by the lake this coming summer & walk up the trail with my sons family.

Really like Mistaya your boats name & it’s name origin.

Jay

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Peter & Judy



Joined: 03 Dec 2014
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 10:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jay,

I have been hiking in the Canadian Rockies for over 40 years and I have encountered bears, both Grizzly and blacks at least 30 times. The Atlin Grizzly was the first one that I encountered that actually came towards me. In all other cases I have had the bears move away or just ignore me when they became aware of my presence. These National Park Bears see a lot more people in their lives and for the most part learn to live with our presence. They are still dangerous and I always give them their space. The grizzlies in the north are less habituated to people and thus even more unpredictable. I am more concerned about them than their southern cousins. We always make lots of noise while hiking and carry bear spray and bear bangers. I have never used the spray and the Atlin bear was the first that I used the bangers on. It worked really well. I have never carried a shotgun as bear defence as I am usually moving light and most places like parks don't allow them. When we returned to our boat, a couple of guys in a motorized freighter canoe pulled up. We warned them about the bear and they pulled out a defender shotgun. I had never seen one of these in Canada before, only in the U.S., behind the counter in Walmart. Carrying this shotgun in Atlin Provincial Park is illegal. A few years ago I attended a lecture by a wildlife biologist studying Grizzly Bears in the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary north of Prince Rupert. They carried a pump action shotgun loaded first with a bear banger, then bird shot, buckshot, followed by two slugs. I have never felt the need to carry a gun in the wilderness, unless hunting which I do very little of, and probably never will. It might be useful in the north in certain places, but then the problems of parks and crossing international borders might not make it worth the hassle.
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AJF



Joined: 13 Oct 2009
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 11:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It was sad year for the bear population in the Yukon and northern BC. 63 bears were put down because of wildlife/human conflict. In many cases because of human habituation of the bear or just plain human stupidity. Living in the north and in an area where there is a lot of bears around our homestead, I know you can avoid a lot of the these conflicts if you take the time to learn best practices and use some common sense. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/yukon-bears-killed-human-conflict-2017-1.4424999
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Peter & Judy



Joined: 03 Dec 2014
Posts: 546
City/Region: Olds
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C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Mistaya
Photos: Mistaya
PostPosted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 12:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Two young Grizzlies were killed in Atlin the week before we arrived. Same problem, eating garbage. Totally a human problem. Yukon should take some lessons from Canmore and Banff. They have bear proof garbage cans in the towns and Canmore is now forcing people to remove their fruit trees from their yards. No composting is allowed in your garden either. If you live in bear country, you need to take care to avoid problems and not have to solve them with a rifle.
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