NEW: Winter Trekking on Cross-Country Skis or Snowshoes

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Sunlight cascading through spruce trees onto a blanket of snow. Our winter adventure leads you into breathtaking scenery. Here, in the untouched Southeast Yukon, you will experience the overwhelming beauty of northern winter! During a multi-day trekking, lay your own snowshoe tracks in the dazzling white snow, or glide on cross-country skis along charming ski trails. An experienced guide will be with you and make your stay in the outpost camp as enjoyable as possible. At the lodge, enjoy your own cozy log cabin and a crackling wood fire spending comfy warmth. Indulge in great food, relax or take a sauna followed by a cool-off in the snow! Small groups (a maximum of 4 guests) promise you a lasting winter experience. How about ice fishing or building a quincy? Combine a stay in true wilderness with the chance of spotting northern lights. Another highlight will be the flights by ski plane: it will land right in front of our lodge on the frozen lake.

ITINERARY:
Day 1: You arrive in Whitehorse. Check in at your hotel in the heart of the town, close to the frozen Yukon River. You may want to take the opportunity to complete your equipment or just relax from traveling.

Day 2: After breakfast you will board a ski plane, which will take you to Frances Lake Wilderness Lodge. Enjoy the flight over endless forests, frozen meadows, rivers and lakes. Keep an eye out for caribou. At the lodge, you will be shown to your warm and cozy log cabin. Explore the vicinity of the lodge and enjoy the incredible beauty and silence of Frances Lake. Evenings, a hearty dinner will be served in the main building, which boasts an awesome view of the Logan Mountains. The lodge also features a bright and comfortable living room with a small library and a crackling wood fire.

Day 3 - 5: Together we will explore and enjoy the fairytale winter paradise. Take use of our well-maintained cross-country ski trails on the lake or venture off by snowshoes through the forests to exciting viewpoints. How about catching a fish through the ice? It’s not easy, but fun trying. We can also show you how to build a quincy (an Inuit snow house). It takes a bit of time but is great fun. Or maybe you just want to spend relaxing days in an exceptionally beautiful setting, sit back in the comfortable warmth of your cozy log cabin, enjoy the hot sauna and indulge in good food.

Day 6 - 8: After breakfast we will shoulder our day packs and set off by snowshoes or cross-country skis to a four-day trekking. The trail leads us through a charming landscape along the lake and through snowy forests into a true winter fairyland. In late afternoon we will arrive at our outpost camp, a “wall tent” where we are going to spend three nights. This is the traditional type of lodging used by early settlers and fur traders, and which is still used by trappers nowadays. It consists of a canvas tent pitched over a wooden floor and framework and features a wood stove for cooking and heating as well as basic indoor installations. We sleep in sleeping bags on mattresses. The wall tent will be our base for excursions during the following two days. Either on prepared ski trails or trackless with snowshoes we will explore the awe-inspiring setting of Frances Lake’s East Arm. Mystical bays, solemn spruce and pine forests and always the shiny mountains beyond beckoning within your grasp. Many animals are around the lake and you will learn to tell their tracks apart. We might spot a few moose, hares, lynx or otters, but for sure there will be no other humans. And at night, marvel at the extraordinary bright starry sky and, with a bit of luck, observe fascinating northern lights dancing across the firmament. The incredible silence may only be interrupted by the howling of the wolves.

Day 9: Today we start walking back to the lodge, where we are expected for a delicious dinner. Check in to your log cabin again.

Day 10 - 11: You will spend two more relaxing days at the lodge. Join us for another guided trip, for example to the frozen stairs of a nearby waterfall, or spend time at your own leisure: photography, ice fishing, using our maintained ski trails. Maybe you would like to take one more sauna or simply stay in your cabin, sitting in front of the crackling fire and dreaming away by watching how the night falls over the lake and the mountains.

Day 12: Today it’s time to say good bye and leave this wonderful place. The ski plane takes you back to Whitehorse where you will spend one more night in a downtown hotel.

Day 13: You will leave Whitehorse for your trip home or for your next Yukon adventure.

CLIMATE:
Northern winters are cold but dry. Therefore, even at cold temperatures outdoor activities can be performed. In February – March you can expect lots of sunshine with day temperatures ranging between -5o and -30o Celsius. At night temperatures may drop lower. The ice on the lake is about 60 cm thick and covered with a snow layer of 20 to 40 cm. Planning our daily excursions, we will always have to consider weather, snow and ice conditions.

THINGS TO KNOW:

• The cross-country ski trekking is recommended for people with some experience on skis. The snowshoe trekking is well suited for novices. You should have an average level of fitness and be able to walk several hours a day.
• We maintain a 10 – 15 km network of cross-country ski trails in the near surroundings of the lodge, both for classic and freestyle technique. During the trekking we will be using classic skis (XC or telemark).
• Frances Lake Wilderness Lodge & Tours is member of the Tourism Industry Association of the Yukon (TIA) and the Yukon Wilderness Tourism Association (WTAY).
• Canadian legislation requires you to sign a release of liability and waiver of claims form prior to the commencement of the arrangement.
• Assistance from the guests during daily activities is appreciated.
• Our guides are well trained in wilderness travel and first aid. Take advantage of the expert knowledge of snow scientist Dr. Martin Laternser.
• Small groups of 2 to 4 guests only.
• This trip itinerary is a basic outline. It may vary depending on weather, snow and ice conditions. We explicitly reserve the right to adapt the tour itinerary.

DATES AND RATES 2011:

Terms of Participation

RATES INCLUDE:

• All accommodation (7 nights at lodge, 3 nights camping, 2 nights in hotel)
• Flight by ski plane from Whitehorse to Frances Lake and return
• All meals at the lodge and during the trekking
• Guided day trips at the lodge and guided trekking
• Use of ski trails, snowshoes and angling gear
• Use of wood-heated sauna, cool off in the snow...

NOT INCLUDED:

• Meals in Whitehorse
• Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks (the lodge is licensed and has a selection in stock)
• Appropriate winter clothing (we gladly advise or rent upon reservation)
• Sleeping bag for the trekking (temperature rating -10 to -20°C)
• We have a limited number of cross-country skis and boots at the lodge. We recommend taking your own equipment with you.
• Personal insurance (trip cancellation, medical insurance): We strongly recommend to arrange for sufficient coverage before the start of your trip.