The Snake River, Yukon Territory
Difficulty: Class III, intermediate
Distance: 300 km, two portages
# of Days: 15
Group Size: 8 to 12
Back to the Dream Rivers
The
Snake is a pristine river located in the far north of the Yukon. Part of the
Peel River basin, it lies within the arctic watershed flowing due north along
the border of the Northwest Territories. This is a classic mountain river
with magnificent scenery, abundant wildlife, alpine hiking, steady current
and miles of runnable rapids. North of the tree line, we come close to the
arctic circle where it is a mixture of tundra, alpine grasslands and sparse
aspen and spruce
forests.
After driving north from Whitehorse on the Klondike Highway to the native village of Mayo, we take a spectacular flight to Duo Lakes, deep in the Selwyn Mountains. Once dropped off, there is time to catch lake trout and arctic grayling or to climb the spectacular mountains that grace this area. Camp is set for two evenings in readiness for the portage across the valley into the Snake River.
In its upper reaches, the Snake is a young river comprised of a braided fan of small channels. It is quick-paced with interesting Class II rapids that challenge the paddler right in the beginning with many lively curves. The challenge is to find a braid with enough water in it to float the canoes! One summer we dragged and water-walked for the better part of a day. This past summer we played a hunch and found the elusive braid that was runnable right through to the main channel.In the next few days, there are two short canyons which demand caution because of their tight corners but after this the flow becomes more distinct and there is room to maneuver. The "Painted Mountains" come into view jutting straight out of the river valley and completely surrounding us for the first week. Wildlife sightings include all sheep, caribou, moose, fox, grizzly bears and possibly wolf. Apart from occasional "river walking" in neoprene booties, there is only one other short portage on the Snake around a major canyon with gnarly whitewater.
Campsites on the Snake are abundant on open gravel bars keeping the bugs at bay. And don't forget the midnight sun.
It never really gets dark at this time of the year. It is an eerie but inspiring
sensation to not see stars in the sky after midnight! There is ample driftwood
and scrub wood for hearty campfires and our gourmet menu continues to improve
each year. Our evening festivities usually begin promptly at 5 o'clock with
an elaborate happy hour and surprise appetizers. Then, a hearty bowl of soup
followed by a full course dinner like pasta, chicken stew, steak and even
cornish hens! And don't forget dessert - we do lots of cakes and Chelsea buns.One
fascinating thing about the Snake is to watch this river grow from a tiny
stream deep in the mountains to a broad, mature river. Paddling out of these
mountains, we move quickly on the steady current and often do a "night-paddle".
We know we are near the Peel River confluence as the hills pull away into
a broad panoramic valley. Where the Peel and Snake Rivers meet we will rendezvous
with our trustworthy pilot for an equally spectacular flight back to Mayo
and a chance to look upriver and reflect on the incredible wilderness experience
we have shared.
forests.After driving north from Whitehorse on the Klondike Highway to the native village of Mayo, we take a spectacular flight to Duo Lakes, deep in the Selwyn Mountains. Once dropped off, there is time to catch lake trout and arctic grayling or to climb the spectacular mountains that grace this area. Camp is set for two evenings in readiness for the portage across the valley into the Snake River.
In its upper reaches, the Snake is a young river comprised of a braided fan of small channels. It is quick-paced with interesting Class II rapids that challenge the paddler right in the beginning with many lively curves. The challenge is to find a braid with enough water in it to float the canoes! One summer we dragged and water-walked for the better part of a day. This past summer we played a hunch and found the elusive braid that was runnable right through to the main channel.In the next few days, there are two short canyons which demand caution because of their tight corners but after this the flow becomes more distinct and there is room to maneuver. The "Painted Mountains" come into view jutting straight out of the river valley and completely surrounding us for the first week. Wildlife sightings include all sheep, caribou, moose, fox, grizzly bears and possibly wolf. Apart from occasional "river walking" in neoprene booties, there is only one other short portage on the Snake around a major canyon with gnarly whitewater.
Campsites on the Snake are abundant on open gravel bars keeping the bugs at bay. And don't forget the midnight sun.
It never really gets dark at this time of the year. It is an eerie but inspiring
sensation to not see stars in the sky after midnight! There is ample driftwood
and scrub wood for hearty campfires and our gourmet menu continues to improve
each year. Our evening festivities usually begin promptly at 5 o'clock with
an elaborate happy hour and surprise appetizers. Then, a hearty bowl of soup
followed by a full course dinner like pasta, chicken stew, steak and even
cornish hens! And don't forget dessert - we do lots of cakes and Chelsea buns.One
fascinating thing about the Snake is to watch this river grow from a tiny
stream deep in the mountains to a broad, mature river. Paddling out of these
mountains, we move quickly on the steady current and often do a "night-paddle".
We know we are near the Peel River confluence as the hills pull away into
a broad panoramic valley. Where the Peel and Snake Rivers meet we will rendezvous
with our trustworthy pilot for an equally spectacular flight back to Mayo
and a chance to look upriver and reflect on the incredible wilderness experience
we have shared.
