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HESS, SNAKE and WIND RIVERS |
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Wind River 200 km Class II The Wind is not a difficult river, but a very remote and beautiful one. Paddlers need to take wilderness precautions. The trip starts at McLusky Lake (85 mile flight from Mayo) in the rugged Wernecke Mountains where there are many options for hiking. The river is braided and shallow in places and most white water is found after the river flows out of the mountains. Travelers on the Wind will enjoy hearing the tragic story of The Lost Patrol by Dick North.  The Wind is a relatively wide mountain valley allowing Big Sky views along with the burnished gray mountain peaks unique to the range. Enjoy majestic views of Royal Mountain where keen eyes will spot Dall sheep among the crags. As the Wind enters the Peel, the spectacular Mt. Deception comes into view - a great opportunity for hiking. On the Peel River, below the Wind is a wintering ground for the Porcupine Caribou Herd. This area is part of a larger region known as the Caribou Commons. Hess River 330km class III The Hess is a challenging river for canoeists. The river sparkles with white water almost the entire way down. . This region is the traditional territory of the Kaska Dena and Nacho N’y’ak Dun First Nations. The headwaters of the Hess lie in the glaciated Selwyn Mountains, the second highest range in the Yukon. Lichen, willow and shrub birch dominate elevations above the tree line where mountain caribou are common. The river valley is rich with moose, lynx, marten and beaver habitat. Canoes fit just between the narrow banks of the Upper Hess. There are gravelly chutes and braids while willlowy slopes straddle the river, a brushy barrier to the good hiking on the ridges above. This is where glaciated Keele Peak crowns the mountainous horizon with its knife edged ridges.  Just above Keele Creek, the river gains volume and gradient as it plunges into a continouous stretch of challenging white water. The whitewater starts out as class II rapids and builds into a continuous class III boulder garden.Great hiking possibilites abound in the Rogue Range where rugged, glaciated peaks give spectacular views before the Hess leaves the mountains and enters the North Yukon Plateau. This section also has some good rapids and beautiful canyons. The trip ends at the confluence of the Stewart River. |
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Snake River
Few rapids -- class II-III The Snake River is an Arctic Mountain River. This trip takes 12 days, starting with a 135 mile flight from Mayo to Duo Lakes and spectacular paddling days down to the confluence with the Peel River, 300 km (180 miles) with an elevation drop of 800 m (2400 ft). The Snake runs through traditional territories of the Nacho N'y'ak Dun and the Tetl'it Gwich'in First Nations. The mountain scenery is varied and spectacular with red ochre ridges and heavily glaciated rugged limestone mountains surrounding the river. There are great opportunities to see Dall sheep, moose, caribou, wolverines, wolves and  grizzlies.For bird watchers, raptors abound including peregrine falcons, gyrafalcons and golden eagles. One of the best summit hikes off the Snake is on Mount MacDonald. Glaciers dominate these peaks, and impressive panoramas are easily obtained from short hikes in the area. The Snake has become renowned for remote beauty, hiking and white water canoeing. Dall Sheep, caribou, grizzly, wolf and moose are all possibilities with panoramic vistas guaranteed. Travelling from the alpine Duo Lakes to the confluence with the Peel River, the level of skill required is a notch above the 2 week Nahanni National Park expedition. 
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