Walking the Yukon: A Solo Journey Through the Land of Beyond

The closest I ever came to doing anything like what Townsend has done was getting off the Alcan in the Yukon to make a pit stop. I sank up to my ankles in muskeg. Half a mile down the road, we passed a sow black bear and two cubs.Now imagine a thousand miles of that, on foot.I find Townsend's account believeable, entertaining, and fairly descriptive. He certainly doesn't spare his own embarrassment and he is willing to go into his personal feelings about what he sees. His encounters with Yukoners sound similar to mine: generally quiet and polite, depending a lot on how they are approached, but capable of revealing a great deal about their territory if they believe the listener is interested for the right reasons.This book could have been longer without becoming dry. It is an account of 82 days of travel on foot. Surely a lot more must have happened than what he describes. In particular, some more detail about the terrain, flora and fauna would be welcome, as would better maps; the ones in the book are not too good. Still heartily recommended for the adventure travel book enthusiast.

Well written and enjoyable book for the armchair traveller. Good descriptions of Yukon topography and wildlife as well as a good narrative of the author's long distance hiking trip.