West Dawson, Yukon resident running out of supplies as temperatures delay yearly ice bridge

There are two times a year in Dawson City, Yukon, that people living on the west side of the Yukon River have in the back of their minds.

Freeze-up in the winter, and break-up in the spring.

When the river freezes, it takes about a week before construction on the city's ice bridge that connects Dawson to the west side begins.

This year, the section where the ice bridge is typically built has yet to freeze.

This has West Dawson resident George Filipovic concerned.

"The freeze up was going to be long, one way or another," he told CBC News. "But it was almost like a month longer than it should have been because of how early the ferry was pulled.

"There's four types of supplies I really need. I need wood. I need fuel for my generator. I need water. And I need propane."

Filipovic said if he conserves his supplies he can stretch them out to last him until January.

His food, on the other hand, won't last that long.

Filipovic said he thinks he has about ten days of food left. Once that runs out he'll have to find a way across the river to restock.

"I could walk across," he said. "Some people have already started walking across to get things like food, and smaller things."

The trail Filipovic said people are using has not been sanctioned by the Yukon Government's department of Highways and Public Works. 

Filipovic said there is a trail, but that he's nervous to cross it because the ice is still thin. 

"The person who set that trail also put in big capital letters, 'don't walk even a little bit off the trail,'" he said. 

Filipovic said he's going to wait until the temperature drops for a few days before re-assessing his plan to cross the river and if it still makes him uncomfortable, he said he would hire a helicopter to bring him across.

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Stay on the trail

John Mitchell is with Dawson Search and Rescue.

He said people are crossing at an ice jam up river, where the Klondike River meets the Yukon River but that it's dangerous because of an open channel on the Klondike. 

He said now that people have started using the trail on the Yukon River, it is impossible to stop it from being used, despite not have the government's backing. 

Mitchell said if people have to come into town for supplies it is especially important to stay on the trail.

"It's there and it's been tested," he said. "It's relatively safe but you do not want to be getting off that trail."

Mitchell said he's made up stakes that will be placed along the trail marking where to walk. 

He said now is the time to restock supplies.

"Don't be putting it off," he said. "Because then all of a sudden it's going to hit 40 below and then not only are you hungry, you're cold. Or something might happen to your equipment and you can't use your skidoo, or you might get sick and you can't get across. So get ahead of the game for sure."

Government says to 'avoid crossing'

The Yukon Government's department of Highways and Public Works is responsible for maintaining the annual ice bridge once construction is completed.

The department is urging residents to rethink crossing until a sanctioned trail has been established.

In an email it said that a tender has closed to build the ice bridge, and that the department will start construction when the conditions "are favourable and safe."

"The safety of Dawson City residents and visitors is always our top priority," a department spokesperson wrote. "Although ice is forming on the Yukon River, we ask the public to avoid crossing the river until a sanctioned ice bridge is in place."