Wild Utah
May 3 – 11, 2024
2 Spots Left
Autumn Color in Tombstone Territorial Park
August 27 – September 3, 2024
Located just south of the Arctic Circle, between the Bering and Beaufort seas, Tombstone Territorial Park encompasses over 2,100 sq. km of rugged mountain peaks and permafrost landforms bisected by a rocky divide. Jointly administered by the Yukon Territory government and the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation people, the park provides refuge to abundant wildlife, including Dall’s sheep, two species of caribou, moose, black bears, grizzly bears, numerous smaller mammals, and at least 150 species of birds.
While the park boasts year-round beauty—earning its comparison to the legendary Patagonia region—it shines during autumn. Then, the park’s varied flora erupts in shades of crimson and yellow, and we’ve timed our Tombstone Workshop to coincide! Join us as we seek out the most expansive landscapes, varied wildlife, and even (if we are lucky!) the dancing aurora borealis.
We’ve arranged for a base camp in this remote region, comfortably outfitted in a quaint group camp site and covered table for shelter, personal tents for sleeping, and plenty of home-cooked hot food and drinks to keep you warm and fortified. Our priority during the four nights of camping is to fly into and camp at Talus Lake. Talus Lake is a fantastic wilderness lake just beneath the jagged peaks of the Tombstone region. This is a separate alpine camp, miles from anywhere, and requires a helicopter flight to access. Our outfitters will arrange the helicopter to fly us in, and they will set up camp at Talus Lake and provide all the cooking. We have a weather window of four nights from our base camp for this opportunity. Weather permitting, we’ll be traversing the park on foot, by vehicle, and by helicopter—you’ll have photographic opportunities from every angle.
This workshop begins and ends in Dawson City, with a wealth of local mining lore to serve as our backdrop. Bring your camera, hiking boots, and a sense of adventure for this journey into the wilds of the Yukon!
Muench Workshops hires local outfitters who carry all required permits and certifications.
Your Pro
Location
Yukon Territory, Canada
Tuition
$8,495
Dates
August 27 – September 3, 2024
Availability
Sold Out
Limited to 6 Guests
Itinerary
This itinerary is subject to change due to weather, local conditions, and other factors.
August 26, 2024: We recommend one of two options to reach Dawson City. Spend a night in Whitehorse, Canada, to catch a once daily flight to Dawson City the following morning on www.flyairnorth.com. If you need help making these arrangements, we’re more than happy to recommend a hotel. Or connect directly to Dawson City via Vancouver on the same day, and we can assist you for reserving an early room at our hotel in Dawson or if you fly up on the 27th, we’ll meet you at the airport with other arriving guests flying up from Whitehorse.
August 27, 2024: Fly from Whitehorse, Canada, to Dawson City. We will update you with a recommended flight before booking. Our outfitters will meet you at the airport in Dawson City and drive you to our hotel, where you will check in and meet the group for the first dinner.
August 28, 2024: We’ll rise early and take a van ride to cross the Yukon River by ferry to reach the Top of the World Highway. We’ll drive up to the scenic highway the travels the highest ridge in the middle of a vast wilderness. We’ll stop and photograph many of the scenic vistas along this dramatic highway. Expansive views of mountains for miles including views East of the Tombstone Range. After this great introduction to the region, we’ll head back into town for a hot meal and our first image review. Depending on the conditions we’ll visit one of the local mountain tops for another great sunset view of town and the Yukon River.
August 29, 2024: After a hearty breakfast, we’ll begin our adventure into Tombstone Provincial Park. Our drive will meander through pine-covered foothills, then wind its way up to the steep snow-covered mountains marking the Park’s entrance. We should see spring greens fade to light green and yellow as we gain elevation. We’ll begin photographing along the highway at one of many potential locations before we reach our base camp. Once in camp, everyone will have time to unpack and place their gear and luggage in their own tent. Each tent will be equipped for rain and with a nice thick sleeping bag and pad. We’ll have time to eat dinner in camp before heading out (weather permitting) for more night photography.
August 30 – September 1, 2024: Four full days to explore both inside the park and further north to explore the surrounding tundra. There are no other towns here, just wilderness. We have also scheduled a helicopter to take us up into the park’s high peaks, including Tombstone Mountain. Mornings will come early, as we’ll seek to photograph sunrises, but don’t worry. There will be plenty of hot coffee! After daybreak, we’ll have a hearty breakfast before setting out for a day of exploration. We’ll keep our schedule flexible to take advantage of the best light, but a hot dinner will always be waiting for us when we return.
If the weather cooperates, we’ll fly to Talus Lake as soon as possible on the morning of Aug 31. If the weather is poor, we will wait a day and attempt to fly in on Sept 1.
September 2, 2024: After a hot breakfast and any last minute photography, we’ll pack up camp and drive back into town for some much anticipated hot showers. After food and showers, we’ll gather for another great image review of the images captured during the workshop.
September 3, 2024: The workshop concludes after breakfast. We will take our return flights to Whitehorse and home.
Camping
Your lodging for this workshop includes hotels and two different types of camping. We will use two camping setups, base camp and alpine camp. The base camp setting is next to our vehicles, and the tents are more considerable, offering sleeping pads and bags. The dinner tent is more extensive and provides more food opportunities for the guides to prepare. The alpine camp used at Talus Lake is a smaller footprint. The elevation at Talus lake will be approximately 5,000 feet. The tents are smaller all-season nylon tents for four people, but everyone will share a tent with one person. Food will be prepared in a shared cooking tent, and sanitary measures will be followed. Hot water for washing hands and face will be prepared, and plenty of hot water for coffee and tea will be available. Toilets at both camps will be outhouses provided by the park service.
Fitness
Moderate: You must be able to carry your packs in a rugged alpine environment for up to two miles at 7,000′.
Flights
Arrive Dawson City Airport (YDA), Dawson City, Yukon before 6:00 PM on August 27, 2024. Flights out can be made anytime on September 3, 2024. Air travel delays are common. Please arrive early, possibly even the day prior, so you don’t miss any of the workshop.
What to Bring
Please see our page How To Prepare For Your Workshop. We will send you a detailed information document 90 days before your workshop. This document will include specifics of where and when to meet, gear and clothing recommendations, and more.
What’s Included
- Double occupancy lodging. Single available for $400 supplement. (Hotel only.)
- All meals, soft drinks, and snacks during the workshop.
- All permits and park fees.
- All transportation during the workshop.
- All helicopter charters.
- Tips for crew, drivers, and local guides.
- Photographic guiding and instruction from Marc Muench.
- Image reviews and post-processing instruction.
- Adventure, fun, inspiration, and a great time!
Not Included
- Travel to and from Dawson City, Yukon.
- Passport and visa fees (if applicable).
- Any meals or accommodations before or after the workshop dates.
- Items of a personal nature.
- Alcoholic Beverages.
- Medical Evacuation Insurance (required).
- Travel Medical and Trip Cancellation Insurance (optional, but recommended).
- Anything else specifically not listed as included.
- Single rooming available for $400 supplement. (Hotel only.)
Payment Terms
- Your deposit of $3,495 will hold your space in this workshop.
- Further payment of $3,000 is due by January 1, 2024.
- The balance is due not later than May 1, 2024.
- All of our standard Terms and Conditions apply.
- Need special payment arrangements? No problem, just ask us.
Testimonials
“The quality of light that we got, five nights of auroras with two of them wet-your-pants mind blowing, the heli-ride into the Tombstone pass—I have too many pictures to look at. This might be the best of the five Muench Workshops I've been on! ”
