YUKON GOLD 2026 - TRIP SUMMARY
BY KRISTOPHER ANDRES
The Yukon’s tourism slogan is
“Larger Than Life,”
highlighting the territory’s massive landscapes, tall tales, and rich wildlife.
And I can assure you, it meets that slogan from the minute you step out onto the tarmac in Whitehorse. The air feels wild and pure as you walk toward the gates to start this adventure.
I am still reminiscing and editing photos from a few weeks ago, as OFFBEAT wrapped up another incredible edition of Yukon Gold, bringing a group of photographers together on the shores of Kluane Lake for four days of photography, exploration, learning, and, of course, a bonfire with some very interesting ways to use marshmallow shooters—which led to a whole lot of laughs.
From the moment we arrived, the scale of the landscape was impossible to ignore. It just grabs you, and you quickly find your mouth is open a lot.
Which led us to our first place to visit: the sand dunes for our first sunset.
While we were taking in the sheer awe factor of the landscape and wandering around, we also found ourselves polishing our teeth with small, gritty grains of sand from the massive old glacier bed that has left its mark here. ( No matter how many times I come here my mouth is always open it awe)
Massive mountains stretched endlessly into the distance. Kluane Lake seemed to go on forever, and everywhere we looked there was another composition waiting to be found. As the sunset began, the light just wouldn’t stop.
But this workshop was more than just showing up to take photos of the landscapes, we wanted to make sure we slowed down and really saw them.
Taking your shoes off to feel the ground beneath you and the chilly waters against your feet. This is how I love to experience these places.
We spent our days moving between field sessions, demonstrations, editing, and plenty of time behind the cameras. We explored different ways of approaching the landscape, from intimate details and abstract compositions to sweeping mountain vistas. Learning when to drag the shutter and when to open up that lens to allow all the light in.
And, as always with OFFBEAT, we chased the light.
Daylight and those amazing aurora lights.
Our mornings started slowly with coffee, breakfast, and our cameras, while sunset meant staying out just a little longer because the light just doesn’t stop here.
Those moments when the mountains catch the last glow of the day, the lake begins to reflect the sky, and everyone suddenly goes quiet because we’re all seeing the same thing through our own cameras—that’s the good stuff.
Of course, the Yukon had a few surprises for us too.
Weather is always part of the adventure in the North, and some of our best photographic opportunities came from embracing whatever conditions were thrown our way. Clouds, changing light, wind, and shifting skies all became part of the story.
Each night, we kept an eye on the skies for stars and, hopefully, a glimpse of the aurora. Because you can never really visit the Yukon without looking up after dark and wondering what might happen next.
But perhaps the best part of Yukon Gold wasn’t any particular photograph.
It was the people.
One of the things we love most about OFFBEAT workshops is watching a group of strangers become a little community over the course of a few days. We share meals, stories, ideas, camera settings, terrible jokes, bad singing, early mornings, late nights, and plenty of “just five more minutes” when the light starts doing something magical.
By the end of the workshop, we weren’t just leaving with full memory cards.
We were leaving with new ideas, new friendships, new images, and a whole collection of memories from one of Canada’s wildest corners.
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for Yukon Gold 2026. It was an absolute pleasure to share this incredible place with you.
And to the Yukon?
We’ll see you again soon.
Because it is never enough time in the Yukon.
Want to join us on a future trip? We have an exciting selection of photography tours, safaris, treks, and workshops in locations across Canada and around the world. Led by world-class guides and curated to build your skills, show you incredible locations, and connect you with an amazing community, we’d love to see you!