Yukon Wild

Fueled by a passion for canoeing and the great outdoors Beth Johnson and three female friends paddled 2,000 miles on the Yukon River through Canada's Yukon Territory, across the breath of Alaska, to the Bering Sea. "Yukon Wild" Beth's book about the all female crew's three-month adventure is beautifully written, thoughtful and very funny. My favorite humorous passages include Beth's description of the campsite David, another Yukon canoeist, selected for the group. "Garden spot, David," we smirked sarcastically, sinking to mid-shin in the mud at the water's edge and tossing gear up the four-foot cutbank."That's nothing," he laughed, "wait till you get up here." The entire bank was like Jello that had just been taken out of the refrigerator. Within minutes, the circle we had tromped around the fire was a slurping mud-hole, seemingly bottomless."I also laughed out loud at Beth's description of Evelyn's difficulty finding villages along the bank as the mile wide river distorted things. Beth wrote, "Today, she (Evelyn) steered us right into a sandbar-talking all the while about how the big building in the center must be the community hall-before she realized she was looking at three gulls and a swan."Beth reports the inevitable relationship friction such as the "War of the Zipper" with wisdom and humor. Her descriptions of the people, terrain and the wildlife are so vivid I felt as if I was with them. Her book also rekindled my own wonderful memories of past canoe-camping adventures. "Yukon Wild" chronicles the history of the Yukon River and its tributaries such as the 1890s gold rush along the Bonanza and Klondike and the present lives of the people who live along the river. The Bering Sea and the book's end come way too soon.

What does it take to paddle 2,000 miles in unfamiliar territory? I found out by reading this book. It takes a lot of planning and dedication, but one of the most obvious requirements is a good sense of humor. This is obviously vital when you must share a tent with someone for over 70 days. Too many wildnerness books seem to stretch the truth - overestimating the size of the waves and the nature of the real dangers. Yukon Wild has the ring of truth, and it's a a lot of fun to read!

I lived in the Yukon in the eighties and have just gotten around to reading Yukon Wild. I found it to be a very good read. The historical facts that Beth included were right on the mark and helps the reader get a feel for the communities that these women were visiting in.These women should be commended for such an undertaking. Beth never understated the relationship problems encountered and quite clearly showed the love for life that they all shared.I know what the Yukon and Alaska was like in the eighties - these gals had guts!!!

Before reading this book, you must decide if you really want to tag along with these four women, the first all female group to canoe down the entire Yukon River . . . because once you pick it up, you will not want to put it down! The well-written narrative takes you from the earliest glimmer of desire, through the detailed planning, and then down seemingly every mile of way from Canada across Alaska to the Bering Sea. This is a MUST READ for anyone thinking about floating the Yukon River, and it will be enjoyed by avid canoeists, armchair adventurers, and everyone in between. Beth Johnson spares us no detail of the hardships (both physical and mental), adventures, and final triumph of this unique journey.

As the brother of Jude Hammett and friend of Sue Sherrod in the book, I was truly fascinated with the trials and ordeals Beth vividly described of the grand adventure. Right from the start you can identify with many of the participants and their anxieties while planning for the trip of their lives. Beth does a wonderful job intermixing segments of famous book passages which so inspired many travelers like themselves. Beth's unique viewpoint of the trip was enlightening and made you want to be there.