Two in a Red Canoe: Our Journey Down the Yukon [Paperback]

Matt Hage (Author), Megan Baldino (Author), Barbara Washburn (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2005

Follow a young couple as they spend the summer traveling the "mighty Yukon." Stories of adventure, romance, and history combine with breathtaking photos to give us a very personal view of one of the last and greatest wild, unspoiled rivers in North America.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Washburn was the first woman to climb Alaska's Mount McKinley in 1947.

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company (May 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558688625
• ISBN-13: 978-1558688629
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 8.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #665,533 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #52 in Books > Travel > United States > States > Alaska

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Why People Come to Alaska!, December 31, 2005

By 

D. S. Thurlow (Alaska) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Two in a Red Canoe: Our Journey Down the Yukon (Paperback)

"Two in a Red Canoe" is the account of a 2000-mile canoe trip down the Yukon River from the Yukon Territory of Canada through interior Alaska to the Bering Sea over the summer of 2001. Most of the commentary is by Megan Baldino, then brand new to Alaska from Illinois, now the anchor for a late night news program in Anchorage. Most of the stunning photographs are by Matt Hage, a native Alaskan then Megan's fiancee, now her husband.

The Yukon River rises in what was once Gold Rush country in NW Canada, flows through an Alaskan interior populated by scattered subsistance settlers, and empties out into the Bering Sea through Yupik Eskimo country in Western Alaska. Along the way, Megan and Matt experience the awesome vastness of interior Alaska, bigger than many states and far wilder. The remains of Gold Rush settlements and trading missions mingle with the homes of modern subsistence hunters and fishermen who make a thin but simple living from the river. In some respects, the journey is one back through time, to a place where strangers are welcomed, not feared, and people share easily despite their relative poverty. The journey is also a difficult and dangerous one, through country known for its volatile weather, mosquitos, and sometimes dangerous wildlife. A simple accident or injury in the Bush can have fatal consequences when help is hours to days away. The two travelors sometimes paddle through five foot wind-whipped waves or share camp sites with wandering grizzly bears. We experience much of this through Megan's eyes as new, sometimes wonderful, and sometimes scary. It is this rawness that takes life back to its simple components and appeals to many visitors to Alaska.

Alaska is one of the last places in the United States where a journey of such length, and with such relative solitude, is still possible. The dangers of such a trip should not be underestimated, but neither should the adventures still available to very normal people. As Megan notes, coming to Alaska is a dream that some people spend a lifetime planning. A lucky few get to call it home. As it turns out, a three month canoe trip is also apparently a great proving ground for two young people planning to marry.

This delightful travel account is highly recommended to those curious about Alaska, and especially those who harbor hope for such a journey for themselves someday.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Very Pleasant Read, April 11, 2006

By 

GerryM (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Two in a Red Canoe: Our Journey Down the Yukon (Paperback)

The book is written in a readable,straightforward and unpretentious style and tells the story in a way that holds your interest.It moves along with a good blend of adventure,history and local culture, as the authors travel down the river to fulfil their dreams.Without wishing to take the analogy too far, the book has a "national geographic" feel about it in respect to layout, ratio of excellent colour photographs to text in the 120 page book, and the documenting of the journey.It is much more than a colour pictured diary but perhaps short of a detailed travel book of the more "popular" variety. The authors have not contrived additional dangers or incidents to embellish the story and manage well to convey their emotions, anxieties and respect for the power of the river.They tell of their interractions with other travellers along the way in a manner that has the feel of what you would experience yourself on a similar trip down the yukon where there are seasonal time constraints and a narrow window of ice free passage and where one didnt go out of the way to find additional interractions or embellishment for a book. They obviously left their egos behind before starting the trip and the result is a very pleasant read of a very well edited book. The colour photographs are tied well to the text and captioned accordingly.It was an enjoyable easy to read book that captures the spirit of the river. It is not a lengthy book but is good at what it does.Certainly is worth owning as the book is enjoyable and worthy of revisiting (certainly visually) at any time the river calls.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Yukon Travels, January 13, 2008

By 

RoyaltonFrog (New London, WI USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Two in a Red Canoe: Our Journey Down the Yukon (Paperback)

The photos in this book are beautiful, but the narrative left me wanting more details. I finished the book without feeling that I really knew Matt or Megan.