Yukon Exploratory Canoe Trips        MAP


  Canoeing the Canadian North is an adventure that all wilderness paddlers should have a chance to experience. These remote and pristine rivers offer an unparalleled opportunity to experience all that an expedition can be. Whether you are looking to expand your whitewater canoeing skills, experience a true wilderness, build your expedition abilities or just get away from it all, you will be astounded at the incredible value that this experience offers you.
      
We are looking for participants that are open to wilderness challenge and are willing to be part of an expedition. This trip is an exploratory, meaning that we will be taking you on a river that we have never been before. This means that you will be part of a real expedition and that the trip will be less expensive (and more exciting!) than a standard guided trip. This is a custom trip and a chance of a lifetime! Prices are based on many variables, but costs range from $1200 to $1500 per person.

Snake River
300 km Few rapids -- class II-III
The Snake River is an Arctic Mountain River known for remote beauty, hiking and white water canoeing. Dall Sheep, caribou, grizzly, wolf and moose all roam the area while peregrine falcons, gyrafalcons and golden eagles soar overhead.
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 mountain scenery is varied and spectacular with red ochre ridges and heavily glaciated rugged limestone mountains surrounding the river. Rest days offer great opportunities for summit hikes to nearby peaks . Glaciers dominate these peaks, and impressive panoramas are easily obtained from short hikes in the area.
The Snake runs through traditional territories of the Nacho N'y'ak Dun and the Tetl'it Gwich'in First Nations.

Wind River
200 km Class II
   The Wind is not a difficult river, but a very remote and beautiful one. 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.
   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.
Travelers on the Wind will enjoy hearing the tragic story of The Lost Patrol by Dick North.

Hess River
330km class III
The Hess is a challenging river for canoeists. The river sparkles with white water almost the entire way down. 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.
This region is the traditional territory of the Kaska Dena and Nacho N’y’ak Dun First Nations.

Active excitement and relaxing enjoyment rolled into one incredible wilderness experience