Article

Snake River - an experience of a lifetime

by Theresa Gulliver
August, 2007

It is difficult to put incredible life experiences that are so dynamic and lively into words.

I spent the month of August this past year exploring the fascinating landscape of the Snake River watershed with five friends. We took our time covering the 550 or so kilometres from the floatplane drop off at Duo Lakes, Yukon to Ft. McPherson, NWT.

The Snake River Crew, September 2, 2007, one month after paddling 550+ kms
and hiking 150+ kms and having the experience of a lifetime!
Back to front: Brian Pollock, Shawn Taylor, Peter Mather
Theresa Gulliver, Tara Johnson, Shea Newnham

Photo credit: Shea Newnham

Our canoes meandered along the upper braided river seeming infinitesimally small next to the endlessly coloured and powerful ranges of the MacKenzie and Werneke mountains.

There was a timelessness about our experience on the Snake watershed. Day by day we let go of our familiar fast-paced lives and came into sync with the natural rhythms of the land we were adapting to and living in.

A few days into our trip and our first day paddling together in loaded canoes, we were blessed with a glimpse of the workings of nature. Next to us on shore, through the willows came a young caribou travelling at high speed headed right for the water. It made a sharp turn to travel the shoreline and fast behind it was a large grizzly bear. We were so close we could see the dark fur on its back move in its pursuit for a potential meal. Rarely do humans get to witness such natural interactions that are continually taking place in large enough and wild places like the Snake River watershed.

Ten days into our trip we prepared for a 12-day hike around Mt. MacDonald. Leaving our canoes and remaining food and gear behind, we loaded up our backpacks to circumnavigate an absolutely spectacular mountain. Rising to 8700 ft of limestone cliffs and jagged peaks, Mt. MacDonald divides the Snake and Bonnet Plume watersheds. It forms the watershed divide and from it stems several meandering branches with valleys of hanging glaciers, waterfalls and caves. It was like a fantasyland. We were giddy with endless natural discoveries day after day.

Our adventures on a 12 day hike around Mt. MacDonald,
between the Snake and Bonnet Plume watersheds

Photo credit: Theresa Gulliver, CPAWS-Yukon

Once we left the Snake and headed west we glimpsed the start of what was to come. A tall pillar-like mountain greeted us to the right with steep-sided, narrow valleys in several directions. At the end of these limestone, U-shaped valleys were glaciers: pockets of fast receding ice. It was difficult to choose which direction to go for wanting to see what was tucked away in each short valley, but the tall peaks determined our route.

We skirted to the south of the mountain heading towards the Bonnet Plume watershed. Along the way we ate blueberries and crowberries, met caribou and moose and tried to absorb all that we were experiencing, knowing we were truly privileged human beings.

One hot day we broke camp, packed up and headed out across a wide plateau. The land felt dry beneath our feet. We stopped to drink straight from one of many clean flowing creeks. Not long after we came to what appeared to be a narrow canyon of water. We marvelled along its edge that led us to a waterfall. Dropping our packs we soon realized there was not only one waterfall but two, with an ice bridge in between. The afternoon sunlight shining through created the richest, cold ice blue from underneath. We stayed here for hours taking photos and marvelling at all the intricacies of nature.

The sun would shine and we would stop to take a dip in one of many 100 refreshing waterfalls that we passed on our 12-day hike.

It was our home for a month and we were immensely grateful for all that it revealed to us through many discoveries about ourselves and about an intact and fully functioning landscape that is thriving. I sincerely hope wild places remain, both for their own intrinsic values and for their utilitarian role in soothing people’s souls.

Let’s keep Yukon Wild!