Day 14- The Last Frontier, Yukon River

The Last Frontier

I woke up at 40 Mile Campsite a bit groggy and tired. I felt better after washing my face in the cool water of 40 mile River, taking in in the magnificent view and sipping a hot cup of joe.

While packing up, the young family who we had run into earlier had reappeared, minus Dad. The woman held her infant son while her roughly 6 year old son jumped and played in the water and mud. The young boy was covered in dirt and his hands caked with mud. Mom had absolutely no issue with this, and I certainly wasn’t running over to stop or clean him. That’s how a kids life should be. Full of mud and dirt and learning about the world around them.

The woman told us that her father had built a cabin in the Canadian Bush near coal creek and lived there in the 1970s. Her husband's father had done the same thing up 40 mile creek, which is where the young family was staying for the time, traveling down river from Dawson City to get here. After wrapping up our chat, Jackson and I pushed off toward the Canadian- Alaska border.

The day on the water was met with a combination of sun, clouds, rain and a bit of wind.

The views at this point are amazing. The mountains have transitioned from peaks similar to the American West, to the big, scree capped mountains of the arctic. They give me fond memories of my time in the Brooks Range.

By late afternoon we realized by looking at our maps that we had crossed the international border into Alaska. It feels great to be back in the USA.

Following a full day of paddling we stopped in the small town of Eagle, Alaska. With American flags flying, we tied up the boat and moseyed up a large steel framed staircase that led to the one big building in town: a hotel/café/convenience store. The fella inside showed us the phone we need to use to call United States Border Patrol to notify them of our entry into the country. It’s a small wooden booth painted white, hanging off the side of a laundromat. This must be the most low key border stop in all of America. Having been told that we would need to check in, I picked up the phone and right away heard a voice on the other end. The border patrol agent asked for our passport numbers, which we conveyed over the phone. He then asked us for our destination, told us to be safe and to have a great trip! Smoothest border crossing ever.

Camping on an Island across from Eagle, AK now. Will ferry over in the AM to get breakfast from the café.

Great day. 50+ Miles down.
Welcome to America.
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Day 14 of a 70 day expedition canoeing the length of the Yukon River, Source to Sea, Summer of 2018.