The colours of Yukon

“Kevin (K2) promised me an awesome trip up to Canada’s north... but i had no idea i would be that amazed by the beauty of the landscapes and northern lights. Thanks to Kevin and his teaching, i came home with images i was proud of.” — David L.

This trip is designed to give you the opportunity to photograph all the diversity that the Yukon has to offer. We will cover the area around Whitehorse, Kluane National Park and the Dempster Highway. You will be shooting mountain landscapes, macro images of fall foliage, travel type photography of historical streetscapes, the wildlife, northern lights and other long exposure night photography.

Dates of Yukon Trip: Eight days from August 22nd to August 30th, 2016 with Kevin Allen Pepper

Price: $4195CAD ($3050USD) including applicable taxes, with $500CAD single supplement

Deposit to Secure your spot:  $1000CAD, balance due on May 15, 2015

Group Size: Maximum 7 spots, minimum 4 spots (currently only 3 spots left)

Group Leader:  Kevin Allen Pepper - our tour leader that has been leading groups to the Yukon for the past five years.

Included:  Airport pick-up and drop-off, shared accommodation, meals as outlined in the itinerary, Snacks, soft drinks, water during the day, Daily transportation via an 8 passenger Suburban or equivalent. Hot drinks and snacks during aurora viewing nights.

Not Included:  Alcoholic beverages, International flights, Items of personal nature, Items not listed as included

Day One - A day to Welcome You to the Yukon

Today you will arrive in Whitehorse from Home. You should schedule your arrivals so that you arrive in Whitehorse before 4:30pm. You will get picked up at the airport and shuttled to the hotel in Whitehorse.

You can unpack and have some free time before dinner. Today would be your day to explore Whitehorse, buy your souvenirs for the children and grandchildren because once we gather for dinner our excursion begins...

We will meet for a group dinner and go over the itinerary, get to know one another and discuss the various photography situations we will find ourselves in this week.

After dinner, if the skies are clear, we will head out into the countryside for one of many nights of aurora photography. There are a number of spots around Whitehorse that we have identified with interesting foreground elements that will enhance your aurora images.

Accommodation in Whitehorse - Dinner is included

Day Two - The Southern Loop

Today is a day to drive to Dawson City. Dawson City... the epitome of a Gold Rush town in Northern Canada. We will get picked up and begin one of two journeys along the Dempster Highway. The landscapes here are breathtaking and the fall colours will be covering the landscapes like a multi colored blanket. Your highlight on this leg of the trip is Tombstone Territorial Area.

And let’s not forget about the wildlife. The porcupine herd of Caribou will be in the area in late August on their annual migration. It is our intent to introduce you to one of Canada's largest animal migration, in one of the most photogenic fall landscapes Canada offers.

If the aurora is dancing... come out and enjoy the sight near the Arctic Circle... something you will never forget.

Accommodation in Dawson City. Included is breakfast, snacks during the day and dinner.

Day Three - Headed to the Klondike

 Here you will see vast expanses of fall colours and distant mountain ranges that offer everything from panorama's to macro photography, and yes, even the odd fox, wolf, caribou and an abundance of bird species that will be feeding before their southern migration.

If the aurora is dancing... come out and enjoy the sights from just south of the Arctic Circle... something you will never forget.

Accommodation in Dawson City. Included is breakfast, snacks during the day and dinner.

Day Four - Tombstone Fall Colors

We will once again continue down the Dempster or Alaska highway for a chance to photograph the remote painted landscapes one more time.

In between our golden hour photo shoots you will have a chance to explore the preserved Klondike buildings and see how the original settlers lived hundreds of years ago. If you are adventurous... it’s a sour toe cocktail for you... and yet another claim to fame that you will tell your friends and family that you did while in the Yukon.

Accommodation in Dawson City. Included is breakfast, snacks during the day and dinner.

Day Five - Return to Whitehorse

Today we return to Whitehorse and pass through some of the best landscapes to photograph the fall colours in the Yukon. Its an early morning departure after breakfast in order to arrive back in Whitehorse before dinner.

After dinner, if the skies are clear, its another night in the rural areas north of Whitehorse to photograph the aurora under minimal light pollution.

Accommodation in Whitehorse. Included is breakfast, snacks during the day and dinner.

Day Six - - Saving the best for last, well, in my opinion anyways... its a drive west to Kluane National Park.

But before we get to Kluane, we will visit the Whitehorse wildlife Preserve. You will have just spent 5 days photographing areas that many of the animals in the preserve live in. If we were not lucky enough to see these animals in the wild, we want to give you the opportunity to photograph them in a smaller wildness area. You will have the opportunity to photograph, Lynx, Arctic fox, caribou, elk, Bison, Thinhorn Sheep, Mountain Goats and Mule deer.

Then it’s on to Kluane. If you've ever imagined standing amidst a sweeping landscape of mountain valleys carved by glaciers and sprinkled with alpine wildflowers and vibrant fall colours, you will get to live your dream in Kluane National Park and Reserve of Canada. An icon of North America and the center piece of the Kluane region in Yukon, Kluane National Park and Reserve is one of our natural treasures and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1979.

Accommodation in Haines Junction area, Breakfast and Dinner Included

Say Seven - Kluane National Park - A world Heritage sight

Encompassing breathtaking views of lush valleys, mountain ranges, Kluane National Park and Reserve of Canada is part of the largest internationally protected wilderness area in the world. Four interconnecting wilderness parks in British Columbia, Alaska and the Yukon are designated a World Heritage Site.

We will take different hikes into the back country of Kluane before we gather and have a campfire dinner in the park as the sun prepares to set. After dinner, it’s a golden hour photo shoot at one of the two of the most beautiful lakes in the Yukon, Kluane Lake or Kathleen Lake.

Long into darkness we will remain in the area. You will be presented with golden hour and blue hour photography opportunities that end with a star show with zero light pollution, and maybe, a once in a lifetime chance to photograph an aurora show in this area. But if the aurora doesn't present itself, the night skies still offer the opportunity to learn how to easily create star trail photos or other night time long exposure photos.

Accommodation in Whitehorse, Breakfast and Dinner Included

Say Eight - Departure Day

Departure day. We will transfer you to the airport for your flights home. There are early morning flight options and late afternoon flight options for those that want to stay and do some shopping and sightseeing downtown Whitehorse before they depart. There are airport shuttle buses and we will have our vehicle to ensure that you get to the airport in time to get your flight... unless you want to stay. ;-)

If you see landscapes painted with crimson and amber by day and green and magenta skies at night in your future, click on the link to see a dozen photos of previous workshops in this area. http://northof49photography.com/fall-colours-in-the-yukon

Yukon Photography Workshops

Photography Workshops and Photo Tours in Yukon Territories, Canada

Yukon is home to Canada’s highest peak, the world’s largest non-polar ice fields, several Canadian Heritage Rivers and healthy, abundant wildlife. From the crimson carpet of the tundra in autumn, to the majestic mountain peaks and arguably the best northern lights viewing in Canada, the vast pristine wilderness of the Yukon beckons.

Yukon’s jaw-dropping natural features are what set this place apart. This is a land rich with dramatic mountain vistas, wild rivers and crystal clear lakes. Close to 80 per cent remains pristine wilderness.

 

Landscape

At least twenty mountains in the St. Elias Range in southwest Yukon exceed 4,000 metres, and more than a handful exceed 5,000 metres. Towering over them all and surrounded by vast icefields is Mount Logan, Canada's highest peak at 5,959 m.

The southern part of the Yukon is covered by vast coniferous boreal forest, rugged mountains, and a network of rivers and lakes. In the North, rolling arctic tundra stretches to the Arctic Ocean. Yukon’s north coastline includes beaches, cliffs, sea ice, lagoons and coastal plains.

 

Waters

Yukon has over 70 wilderness rivers including four Canadian Heritage Rivers. Countless scenic lakes dot the landscape making the Yukon a significant reservoir of fresh water. Almost two-thirds of the territory is drained by the mighty Yukon River, Canada's second longest river.

The Big Salmon, Teslin, and storied Yukon River combine scenery, wildlife viewing, history, fishing and friendly rapids. Exhilarating rivers like the Alsek, Tatshenshini and Firth beckon for rafting. The Snake, Bonnet Plume and Wind rivers flow through one of the most remote regions of North America.

Glacial-fed Tagish, Marsh, Teslin, Bennett and Atlin lakes form the Southern Lakes. Camping and fishing abound along inviting roadside lakes like Kathleen, Fox, Five Mile, Frances, Frenchman and Chapman.

 

Wildlife

Yukon’s vast wild regions, varied ecosystems, and relatively sparse human population make the Yukon a haven for some of North America’s most rare and impressive species.

Yukon is home to abundant northern species like caribou, wolves and grizzly bears and millions of migratory birds. Lynx, coyotes, foxes and scores of small mammals thrive in its forests. The possibility for wildlife exists around every bend. Keep your eyes open and keep these tips in mind to make the most Yukon’s wildlife viewing opportunities.

 

Workshops

In the next two years I have set up twelve (12) workshops and tours to cover ground from Destination Bay, to Carcross, up to Dawson City and the Dempster Highway. Yukon has become one of my favorite photographic destinations, and I would love to share all that i have learned and uncovered over the last four years.

To see the list of workshops, and to see dozens of photos taken in the Yukon, please visit my Yukon page here, http://northof49photography.com/yukon-photography-workshops

Yukon... a photographers paradise

When you hear the name “Yukon”, it conjures up thoughts such as: remote adventure, northern frontier, wilderness, and wildlife, specifically moose. Yukon is a territory in Canada and is the approximate shape of a right triangle, bordering the U.S. state of Alaska to the west for 1,210 km (752 mi) mostly along longitude 141° W, the Northwest Territories to the east and British Columbia to the south. Its northern coast is on the Beaufort Sea. Its ragged eastern boundary mostly follows the divide between the Yukon Basin and the Mackenzie River drainage basin to the east in the Mackenzie mountains.

Most of the territory is in the watershed of its namesake, the Yukon River. The southern Yukon is dotted with a large number of large, long and narrow glacier-fed alpine lakes, most of which flow into the Yukon River system. The larger lakes include Teslin Lake, Atlin Lake, Tagish Lake, Marsh Lake, Lake Laberge, Kusawa Lake and Kluane Lake. Bennett Lake on the Klondike Gold Rush trail is a lake flowing into Nares Lake, with the greater part of its area within the Yukon.

Canada's highest point, Mount Logan (5,959 m or 19,551 ft), is in the territory's southwest. Mount Logan and a large part of the Yukon's southwest are in Kluane National Park and Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other national parks include Ivvavik National Park and Vuntut National Park in the north.

Notable widespread tree species within the Yukon are the Black Spruce and White Spruce, which in the fall turn a beautiful yellow and pale orange and paint the landscapes in a way which many describes as a painting. Many trees are stunted because of the short growing season and severe climate.

This area on the north west corner of Canada is a vast and very thinly populated wilderness – most four-legged species far outnumber humans, moose for instance are said to outnumber humans two to one. A trip to Yukon can produce images of elk, caribou, mouse, black bear, grizzly bear, mountain goats, thinhorn sheep, bald eagles, golden eagles, osprey and a host of other animals and birds.

Few places in the world today have been so unchanged over the course of time. Aboriginal people, having eked out survival for thousands of years, hunt and trap as they always have. The Klondike Gold Rush of 1898 was the Yukon’s high point of population, yet even its heritage is honored and can be seen with a visit to the same areas that prospered hundreds of years ago.

Please join me as Itravel to northern Canada alone, and on some tours with my brother, Chris, to photograph the Northern Lights. The following trips still have some availability.

August 2016 - http://northof49photography.com/fall-colours-in-the-yukon

September 2016 - http://northof49photography.com/yukon-fall-workshop-with

September 2016 - http://northof49photography.com/northern-lights-and-fall-colors-workshop-in-nwt

March 2017 - http://northof49photography.com/2017-great-canadian-aurora-hunt

September 2017 - http://northof49photography.com/2017-fall-colours-in-the-yukon

November 2017 - http://northof49photography.com/2017-yukon-dogsledding-aurora

Starting in April of 2016, Tax refunds are now offered to International travelers taking a tour with Northof49Photography.

Hey everyone, its K2 here. I wanted you all to know that starting in April of 2016, Tax refunds are now offered to International travelers booking a tour or workshop directly with Northof49Photography.

So, not only do you get to take advantage of the weak Canadian dollar, you now will get another 5% to 6.5% tax refund by choosing to come to Canada with us.

After you visit our beautiful country, don’t forget to get some of your money back! 

As an international tourist or non-resident, you may be eligible for a tax refund on the GST/HST you paid on short-term accommodations and/or camping accommodations included in an eligible tour package that you booked directly with Northof49Photography.

The following are the guidelines that have to be adhered to:

1. You must spend a minimum of $200 Canadian before taxes on a tour package to be eligible for a tax refund (the cost cannot include property and services included in the tour package that are not subject to tax, such as overseas transportation services).
2. Non-residents or visitors who wish to claim a refund of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and/or the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) cannot receive a refund on goods they exported from Canada.
3. A refund cannot be claimed without a valid receipt or invoice with the amount of GST/HST paid on the tour package.
4. You have one year from when the tax was paid (or when the invoice was due, whichever comes first) to file your claim.
5. You may not claim any purchases made in Duty Free shops.
6. If you are a foreigner who is currently residing at a Canadian address, you may not claim any tax refunds.
7. You must be a non-resident of Canada when the rebate is filed.
8. You did not purchase the eligible tour package for any resale business purposes.
9. You must provide the rebate application along with a detailed description for the eligible tour package(s), including the number of nights of accommodation in Canada.

Once you pay your final installment, Northof49 will send you the form, along with our invoice to claim your refund. Of the GST/HST paid (13%), a maximum of 50% of the taxes can be claimed.

What are you waiting for, lets go shopping for your next photo workshop in Canada!!!

See our tours and workshops here... http://northof49photography.com/photo-workshops/