Autumn Spring River travel in the Yukon begins around the first of May. Great slabs of ice cling to the shores and gravel bars. The river flow is melodious with the tinkle of candle ice, the deciduous trees are still without leaf and the crocuses and grasses are giving hillsides new colour.
Bears are just out of hibernation and fresh grasses and bearberry are the focus of their attention.
This season continues to early June when the ice breaks from the lakes. It is this time that ungulates are giving birth and viewing opportunities of cow moose are excellent around river islands. Fishing for lake trout is at its premium. By mid-June, rivers are in full flood, the Midnight Sun is brandishing the sky and it's greener now than at any other time of year. The hiking, fishing, camping and exploring season is heightening and will carry through to mid-September.