Last Updated on 08/16/25 by Rose Palmer
The first thing I noticed was the quiet – the kind of quiet that is almost impossible to experience in today’s world.
There was none of the background noise that comes from whirring motors, or humming electronics, or airplanes flying at 30000 feet. These are the sounds of modern day life that are always present and have become imperceptible.
Until they are no longer there.
In a landscape where towns and modern amenities are few and far between, Tincup Wilderness Lodge stood out as a luxurious haven of silent solitude that truly was in the middle of nowhere.
Tincup Wilderness Lodge review
My husband and I were road tripping through Canada’s Yukon, a territory with the second lowest population density. Only Nunavut, Canada’s northernmost territory which straddles the Arctic Circle has fewer people, but only by a few thousand.
My three week sojourn started in Anchorage, headed down the Alcan Highway to Whitehorse, and then looped up to the goldrush town of Dawson City before circling back to Anchorage. On the way I looked for unique accommodations that would give us an authentic Yukon wilderness experience. Set on the remote banks of Tincup Lake, Tincup Wilderness Lodge gave me everything I was looking for and so much more.
For four days I was surrounded by beautiful, unspoiled wilderness as far as the eye could see without giving up any of the comforts of home. The scenery, the orderly environment, and the perpetual silence contributed to a sense of calm that I find hard to achieve with my busy city lifestyle. I could feel my pulse slow down as I took in deep breaths of fresh air and listened to nature’s sounds around me.
Tincup’s historic past
In the summer of 1969, pilot Ray Conant discovered the perfect location for a fly-in fishing lodge on the shores of Tincup Lake. Set in a valley surrounded by the Ruby Range mountains, and not far from Kluane National Park, the setting was secluded and unspoiled.
Despite its inaccessible location, Ray was up for the challenge to build his dream fishing retreat. 450 hand hewn logs were brought in by dog sled to construct the main lodge building. All other necessary supplies (including an electric organ and a pool table) were also flown in.
Ray’s original lodge design included nine bedrooms, bathrooms, and a large lounge with a circular fireplace and a stage for a two-piece band. Ray had two successful fishing seasons before loosing his “little bit of paradise due to unfortunate events”.
Jack La Fave then purchased the lodge in 1975 and had six good seasons before an accidental fire burned down the building. Jack moved his fly-in fishing business and rebuilt on a lake closer to Whitehorse, Yukon’s capital city.
Undaunted by the fire damage, Larry Nagy was the third to purchase the Tincup property in 1986. Over the course of a year, he flew in the necessary materials and built a new lodge along with three duplex cabins. The business became fully operational in 1992 and Larry and his partner Jose Jansen ran it successfully until 2010 when Meinrad Humm, the current owner purchased it.
Among the many patrons that have visited Tincup Lake over the years, there have been some notable figures. It is rumored that John Wayne once came here to fish. As did Martha Stewart who filmed a segment for her TV show. It seemed I was in good company.
A Yukon lodge dream come true
A resident of Switzerland, Meinrad had spent many holidays adventuring in Canada’s Yukon and the Arctic. Working as a successful architect in Switzerland, he dreamed of owning a lodge in the Yukon as an early retirement project. When he learned that Tincup lodge was up for sale in 2010, he bought it sight unseen.
From the moment he saw the property, Meinrad said he knew exactly what he wanted it to look like and had full plans drafted before arriving back in Switzerland. His longtime German partner Katrin joined him and for seven years they both toiled together to make the dream a reality.
First, all the trash that had accumulated over decades had to be flown out. Overgrown land was cleared by hand. Then all the new construction materials were flown in along with the labor to build it.
As with many architects before him (Frank Lloyd Wright comes to mind), Meinrad also had a defined vision for the inside of the lodge and cabins. When he couldn’t find readymade furniture that fit his planned aesthetics, he designed it and had it all manufactured in Switzerland.
The completed furniture and all other necessary supplies (Swiss mattresses, bedding, towels, lights, etc.) were loaded into a shipping container which slowly made its way to the Yukon. Additional building materials were also flown in from other parts of Canada to enlarge the main lodge and to add additional cabins, a sauna, a hot tub, bridges, and a green house, as well as boats, canoes, generators, propane tanks, solar panels, kitchen appliances, a 4×4 ATV, and all other items needed for a comfortable, modern life off the grid.
As I explored Meinrad’s and Katrin’s property, it was clear that all the attention to details and precision that the Swiss show for their watches and the Germans for their cars was naturally integrated into their lifestyle.
When Meinrad and Katrin showed us to our cabin, Meinrad proudly pointed out that the hooks on the wall were all the same distance from each other and that they were all located in the same spots in each cabin. Having grown up with the same German penchant for order, I appreciated this level of detail.
Throughout the property there was no clutter. Everything was neat and had its place. Even the log piles were neatly positioned with each tree cut to the same length and stacked with exacting precision. They had created an orderly and visually appealing retreat that complimented the pristinely clean environment.
My Tincup Wilderness Lodge experience
A three hour drive from Whitehorse took us to the small airfield at Burwash Landing where Meinrad was waiting for us with his helicopter. Along with his many other talents, Meinrad is also a licensed plane and helicopter pilot, a convenient skill to have when you own a lodge that can’t be reached by cars or boats.
A smooth 30 minute flight took us to the new Tincup Wilderness Lodge, our home for the next four nights. Viewing the landscape from a bird’s eye view was an added bonus as we flew to Tincup Lake. It was amazing to see miles and miles of scenery all the way to the horizon with few signs of human development.
Meinrad and Katrin can host up 10 guests at their lodge, but prefer to keep the numbers low in order to ensure a quieter and more personal guest experience. It turned out that during our 4 day stay, we were the only guests which truly added to the luxury wilderness experience.
Our room was one half of a duplex cabin and had everything we needed. I really appreciated the bright, minimalist, and uncluttered design aesthetic which added to my overall feeling of serenity. The neutral color palette and the simple, clean lines complimented the peaceful wilderness setting outside our window.
With their Swiss made mattress, duvets and pillows, the beds were super comfortable. There were electric outlets and LED lights and a wood burning stove that quickly warmed up the cabin.
The bathroom had all the modern comforts I had at home: a walk in shower, a flush toilet, on demand hot water, large towels, and plenty of shelf space and hooks for storage. There was even excellent WIFI if I wanted to stay connected. It was hard to believe we were so far away from any town or city where such conveniences were taken for granted.
The main lodge had a homey living and dining area with wide views over the lake and the surrounding mountains. There was also an additional lounge for guests’ exclusive use.
While Meinrad took care of lodge business, Katrin produced excellent meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In her professionally outfitted kitchen, she whipped up homemade delicacies using locally sourced ingredients straight from her greenhouse. Anything not grown by her or caught in the lake was sourced from Whitehorse, a 2 hour helicopter flight away.
From the schnitzel that took me back to my mother’s cooking, to pizza, to home baked breads, Katrin’s cooking was delicious, beautifully presented, and comforting.
Dinners were especially convivial as we sat together with our hosts and chatted about everything under the sun. It was fascinating to hear all about the challenges they faced building up the property and living there in the winters during the pandemic years.
I spent the days relaxing with books and took in the scenery while my husband tried his hand at fishing. Meinrad and Katrin provided all the necessary toys to enjoy the lake: motor boats, canoes, paddle boards, and fishing gear. Mother nature provided the fish.
Set on their own little promontory, the wood fired sauna and hot tub were also available for our use. Hiking was also possible, but I was feeling lazy and didn’t want to work that hard.
Living green and off the grid
The couple often live here year round, surrounded by natural beauty and visited by the wildlife endemic to the area. Their Instagram page reads like a National Geographic documentary with photos of bears, wolves, lynx, wolverines, and a host of other animals that visit their backyard or are captured via the trail cams they have set up around the property (check out their IG account at https://www.instagram.com/tincupwildernesslodge/ ).
While we were there, one of the trail cams captured a lynx, who Katrin believed to be one of the juveniles that had visited them frequently with his mother a few winters ago. We were also visited by a bear early one morning. And the local bald eagle followed our boat out each day as we went fishing.
I was not surprised to learn that the Tincup Wilderness Lodge was awarded the 2025 Regional Business Yukon Sustainability Award from Eco Canada. They certainly live off the land as much as possible and sustainability is a way of life.
The solar panels provide most of the electricity, especially in the summer months. The water is pumped from the clean lake and UV treated. Firewood comes from the logs around their property. Everything else was flown in (or out for non-compostable trash).
Between the greenhouse, the mushrooms and berries growing wild nearby, and the lake, they get quite a bit of food that is locally sourced. And since the lake is not overfished, some of the specimens that Meinrad and Katrin catch are quite large (again, see their IG page).
I never thought that so much luxurious comfort would be possible in such a secluded location. Swiss ingenuity and German hospitality have created an intimate wilderness lodge experience where I was welcomed like favored family and pampered like an honored guest, all in a wild and isolated setting.
Meinrad and Katrin are living my dream life, but I don’t want to work that hard. Visiting as a guest was perfect. European hospitality and Mother Nature at her best – what could be better.
Other stories of interest:
Exploring Waterton Lakes National Park: A Scenic Day in Waterton Lakes National Park – Where the Prairie Meets the Mountains
Exploring the Klondike Highway: A Skagway Cruise Excursion on My Own: Driving Off the Beaten Path on the Scenic Klondike Highway
Thanks for visiting,
Rose
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