Trip Reports

Bonnet Plume River (July 22nd - August 7th)
Snake River (July 24th - August 7th)
Wind River (July 24th - August 7th)

Three Rivers team touched by the Bonnet Plume landscape

July 24, 2003

by Sarah Locke

It’s ten o’clock in the evening of Day 3 and our crew of 13 is basking in the warmth of the northern sun, camped above the massive landslide that once filled the Bonnet Plume River Valley.

Three days ago, we flew in to the river from Mayo winding through the fog and mist for more than hour until finally touching down in the sanctuary of Bonnet Plume Lake, surrounded by the big bald sweeps of the Wernecke Mountains. It’s been wonderful to see how this landscape has touched everyone in this crew of artists and writers, community people, biologists and guides. People are finding different ways to experience this landscape. Yesterday, some people aimed for the summits while others were so enamoured with the thick carpets of caribou lichen, that they never made it past the shrubline.

Bonnet Plume River

We watched caribou floating on skylines, gyrfalcons feeding their young and a love triangle of loons. Today we hiked through the landslide, swimming in the aquamarine waters of a small lake. For photographer Courtney Milne, it was a 275-shot day, over his daily allotment of film, but he just couldn’t pass on the amazing light.

“You just can’t judge which night is the best anymore,” said Alaskan writer Richard Nelson.

Three Rivers paddlers revel in beauty, colour, music and more

July 29, 2003

Snake River Update

by Scott Henderson

Evening portage from Duo Lakes to the start of the Snake River trip Photo by Marten Berkman

On the third day of our trip we continue to revel in unbelievably beautiful, sunny, bug-free weather. We’ve been assembling here, hiking, taking pictures, getting to know one another and just generally basking in the awesome, pristine wilderness that surrounds us.

Our 12th member, Liz Hansen, has joined us from Inuvik. We’re a diverse group with a shared passion for wild places. The talents and skills among this group make this a very special and unique trip.

One observation so far is that every CEO in the country should participate in a trip like this, if only to be made aware the logistics involved.

We spent most of yesterday hiking but preceded this with a meeting at which we shared with each who we are, what we stand for, and our impressions thus far of this incredibly beautiful place we’re in. For the non-artists among us we have learned that an artist just sitting quietly immersed in this natural splendour, seemingly doing nothing, is actually someone hard at work.

We look forward to getting on the river tomorrow and are aware that we are in the midst of a process shaped and nurtured by this landscape. We are grateful for the opportunity to be here together in this beautiful place. So far sketchbooks and paint sets have appeared, cameras are everywhere, notes are being taken, the video cameras are rolling and all is well. Expect more later.

Wind River Update

by Teresa Earle

It’s Day 3 on the Wind River. This is Teresa Earle reporting in. We just had our first day on the river and we’re all happily exhausted and reflecting on our impressions of the Wind River. Most of us are now huddled around the campfire nursing cups of tea, being treated to an impromptu concert by Yukon musician Joe Bishop, one of our wonderful guides.

Quiet waters on McClusky Lake, Wind River Photo by Fritz Mueller

The 12 of us are already fast friends and I think each of us is marvelling at the depths and variety of backgrounds, interests and personalities that we have assembled here for our trip. Two days ago we flew into McClusky Lake, the start of the Wind trip. This placid little lake was our base for two nights as we settled in and got to know each other. At McClusky we basked in sun and uncharacteristic Yukon heat, but have been spared bugs and instead treated to beautiful skies and a refreshing breeze. Almost everyone went swimming and paddled around the lake in pairs brushing up on our strokes in preparation for the river.

We’re so fortunate to be in the company of Jimmy Johnny, a Nacho Nyak Dun Elder from Mayo, who has worked as a guide in these mountains for over 40 years. We’re traveling through country he knows well and he shares more stories and reminiscences of the region each day. Jimmy has always traveled on horseback in the Wind valley. This is his first descent of the Wind in a canoe and he says he’s loving it.

Woodland Caribou Photo by Scott Stewart

Already we've encountered lots of wildlife with a cow moose wading and foraging right next to camp in the early hours of the morning. On the river today we spied a beaver, a woodland caribou, two bald eagles and a family of harlequin ducks. Here in camp we watched three ravens careen overhead with two peregrine falcons in hot pursuit. We suspect by their behaviour that there may be a peregrine nest close to camp. Our day started with a short portage from the lake over a small hill to a creek that feeds the Wind. After squeezing every last drybag into the six canoes, we spent the morning lining the canoes down this chilled, frosty creek. A dramatic tale of swamped canoes and dramatic rescues would make good reading, but all six boats are in capable hands and everyone reports they are enjoying the surprises of the river on what we are told was probably our most challenging river day of the entire trip.

Once on the Wind, we found the river meanders and periodically braids, but is essentially a Class Two flow of riffles, fast tight turns and the odd powerful eddy. The singular river feature that is making an impression on everyone is the extraordinary waters of the Wind. Most of us have never seen waters so clear and clean, even on other wild Yukon rivers. It is so clear it has an icy blue-green hue. Many of us watched grayling leaping in the eddies as we floated by.

We’re now camped on a gravel floodplain covered in mats of mountain avens gone to seed. Many of the group have already scaled the plush moss and berry-covered ridge that overlooks the camp and are reporting the possibility of blueberry picking. This campsite is surrounded on all sides by the high ridges and velvety green flanks of the Wernecke Mountains and several of our group who are visitors to the Yukon – Brian Brett, Michael Belmore and Haruko Okano – have commented on the spaciousness of our surroundings, the scale of the Yukon wilderness, and a sense of its fragility.

Canoe Beats on the Bonnet Plume

by Sarah Locke

Bonnet Plume paddler Robert Mantla takes a break

For the last three days, the Bonnet Plume has been waving its whitewater colours … dropping through canyons, one after another, weaving around boulders large and small.

Tonight we’re camped at the bottom of the largest rapid, waiting for the next wave of rain to move through. Through this section of the river, where the water itself grabs everyone’s attention, the canoeist versus rafter class distinctions have emerged. Sure, the canoeists feel just a wee bit smug about having the more elegant craft, but they also realize how close their noses have been to the water when the rafters enthuse about gorgeous rock walls that the canoeists never noticed.

Juri Peepre and Sarah Locke tackle the Bonnet Plume
during the Boreal Rendezvous Three Rivers expedition (summer, 2003)
Photo by Paul McKay

The river tunes have also started to flow, starting with the canoe-drumming, rock-striking, kitchen-utensil-banging concert two nights ago. Paul McKay, the composer of the group, promises to have a tundra rose waltz composed by the time we reach the Gathering on the Peel. Debbie Buyck, from Mayo, says she’ll do the full version of her dance then as well.

Berry picking, wildlife sightings and more with the Three Rivers paddling teams

July 30, 2003

Second Update from the Wind River

by Teresa Earle

It's Day 6 on the Wind and our coterie of artists, photographers, writers, community members and guides is becoming a tight knit crew of river kin. We laugh lots, share wonderful stories and revel in this special river together.

Our Day 4 layover was mostly grey and overcast, an exception on a journey that has seen the weather change almost hourly. Clouds stream by overhead from the west, so we imagine that our Three Rivers companions on the Bonnet Plume and Snake are seeing similar patterns in the weather.

People pass the layover day in different ways, dispersing for walks in the boreal forest, reading in tents, and strolling the expansive floodplain. Joyce Majiski came upon a shilly fungus in the woods, and Jimmy Johnny walked to a nearby lake where he found an apparently abandoned moose calf. Elaine Alexis and May Andre picked bags full of blueberries and several people wandered upriver to watch the woodland caribou on the opposite shore.

Berry picking has become a central activity. This year’s crop of blueberries is astounding. Blaine Walden, May and Elaine tell us the last couple of years have seen poor crops. This year’s bounty is providing us with berries everyday. Berry sauce drizzled on cheesecake, berries in pancakes and granola, berry sauce on French toast, and berries by the fistful as we go on our walks.

Yesterday was a travel day with a lazy paddle through a slow meandering stretch of river that included some fun, bumpy braids. Mid-afternoon the sun broke through and shone brilliant beams of light on an imposing jagged ridge high overhead. For the next few hours we skimmed across an illuminated river bottom, in and out of patches of warm sun. We are now camped across from the mouth of Bond Creek, with a spectacular 360 degree view of endless, stark, angular ridges and tors and slopes awash in red, black, green and walk.

Wind River Photo by Marten Berkman

Last night Elaine and Jimmy went fishing upstream and returned with two handsome grayling that were cooked in butter and shared around. Just before bedtime, the sun streamed in under the clouds and cast an orangeish blush across the peaks behind. The light show sent people scurrying for cameras and vantage points to absorb the magic of the Wind.

Today was another layover day. May and Jimmy ferried across to explore the Bond Creek floodplain and pick berries while the rest of us laced up our hiking boots for an eagerly anticipated day hike up a steep, rocky ridge behind camp. Tonight people are tired and content, bellies full of salmon and some refreshed from a jump in the river. Tomorrow we pick up our paddles again to explore the next section of this enchanting river.

Second Update from the Snake River

by Scott Henderson

Snake River Photo by Cathie Archbould

So at last we were able to get all our gear and ourselves into two rafts and two canoes and after a prayer from Elder Liz Hansen, we headed off down the river on July 27th. Our first camp was a beautiful spot on the Snake River just above Gauze Creek. The 27th was a long, hard day with all the group pitching in to carry gear on the 3-kilometre portage from the camp on Duo Lake.

We slept very well and the next day woke late and hiked up the creek behind the camp. It was a beautiful little ravine with a creek running down from a tall cirque and a little alpine lake.

We are surrounded by spectacular layered mountains, the lines of sediment showing red, amber and brown with the mountain bases dressed in light green foliage. The valleys go on for ever in all directions and the Snake is a narrow dark green ribbon through it all.

We saw two caribou at breakfast, ate fresh caught grayling, and another party of canoeists came by. We know that since we left, four other planeloads have landed in addition to three other groups were already there. It’s easy to see why so many are drawn to the impossible beauty of this area and the challenge of canoeing this amazing river.

As we settle in, we are becoming more attuned to a sense of this place, the way the last rays of the sun glint off the river, the shades and colours of the sediment layers and peaks around us, the movements of storm clouds up and down the valley.

So far the pace of spending two days at each locale is agreeable with everybody. The water level is low and we have grounded the rafts a few times. Canoeing this river has its share of bumps and grinds. We look forward to deeper water downstream. Tomorrow will be a full day on the river. It’s going great.

Wildlife Grand Central Station on Three Rivers trip

August 3, 2003

Third Update from the Bonnet Plume

by Sarah Locke

For the past two nights we’ve camped just across the creek from a wildlife Grand Central Station. The first evening we spotted a young black wolf across the water who dug in her heels, spun and raced away when she spotted us. Later we found the wolf’s tracks along with the tracks of about every other large mammal that lives in this watershed.

A large grizzly had left evidence that it favours this area. The first clue was a daybed nestled into the sand. Three big plops of poop were the solid confirmation, loaded with berries and obviously the product of a good-sized bum.

Yesterday while hiking up the lichen-covered lower slopes of a peak behind camp, Richard (Nelson) spotted a bear in a gravel bar across the river just starting to wade into the Bonnet Plume. Dave (Mossop) and Paul (McKay), who were fishing nearby, had a close-up view of the bear ferrying across the river. Courtney (Milne), back in camp with Robert (Mantla), got a full-frame shot of the bear who fortunately was not interested in our camp.

We also spotted caribou and sheep on the hillsides. Last night we howled like crazy to lure the wolf and her kinfolk back out into the open, but the ruse did not work. We blamed our lack of success on the rain, never admitting it could have been the quality of the howling.

The spontaneous howling came easily for this group. For the last 10 days, we’ve paddled, camped and portaged together as a smoothly-functioning pack. But a homogenous pack we are not. Much of the richness of this journey comes from the incredible range of knowledge held by the different group members, all of whom have strong passions and interests. Campfire topics skip from music to bird lore to politics to hunting and which parts of the moose taste best. We’ve solved almost all the world’s problems and learned to identify scads of new plants and birds from our resident naturalists.

The vital importance of wilderness and the need to protect it is a recurring theme. There is no doubt we will all leave this trip scrubbed clean and re-energized by the power of this landscape.

Third Update from the Wind

by Teresa Earle

When asked for highlights from the past three days, the group quickly generated a list almost two pages long so needless to say, things are pretty exciting on the Wind.

Wildlife continues to be a major highlight of almost every day. On Day 7, we travelled a short distance to camp on a lazy stretch of river near Bear Creek, located within sight of a mineral lick frequented by Dall sheep. Shortly after arriving, Brian Brett wandered across the flats in the direction of the lick and encountered four wolves. They scampered about and showed a worrying interest in him so he grabbed a stick and began to retreat. Without trees for scale, it took Brian a moment to realize that his fierce adversaries were in fact, four-month-old wolf pups. Our intrepid poet dashed back to camp but no one was around to hear his tale. Meanwhile, Jimmy and Fritz met the pups on the other side of the lick. Eventually, all of us got a good look at the one black and three fair-coloured wolf pups in the spotting scope and enjoyed ribbing Brian about being hunted by these fearsome ankle biters.

In the last few days we have collectively seen many woodland caribou, one of which was a very curious fellow who reared on his hind legs to get our scent. One evening a family of beavers created a ruckus across the river from camp, as did a couple of ptarmigan wandering among the tents punctuating the night silence with their startling call. Elaine caught another grayling, this time cooking it in a traditional way suggested by her mother, by placing it whole and cleaned right on the coals.

Our trio of artists, Haruko, Joyce and Michael, report they continue to find lots of material and ideas to inspire their work. Haruko made two more plaster casts of tracks, of Dall sheep and woodland caribou. Joyce’s sketchbook is filling up and she continues to outpace everyone with her high-speed ascents and frequent meanderings. Michael is our trip rockhound picking up countless stones, handling and examining them and carefully selecting a few each day to add to his collection in the bottom of his canoe. Others are also catching the Wind River rock fever. Jimmy, May, Elaine, Brian and Peter have also been spotted pocketing small stones, cracking rocks in search of flint or making piles of curious stones around camp. Everyone is so intrigued by the beautiful river rock and geological history of the area.

The weather continues to be dramatic and changeable. There is no trend aside from a bit of everything, almost every day. Yesterday we saw a light dusting of snow on some peaks and today, August 1st, has a strong chill in the air as if autumn is right around the corner.

Today was a long travel day into a strong headwind. We paddled for six hours or more and covered 25 linear kilometres. Because the river winds and wanders, Blaine suggests our actual distance is twice as far. But it was a playful river day, featuring chutes and rapids, bouncy sections, wide sweeping turns and lots of spray.

We’re now camped across from Royal Mountain at a very scenic spot with ridge hikes and canyon explorations planned for tomorrow. A sense of urgency is starting to take hold as we count the days to the Elders Gathering and everyone feels a need to make our last layover day fulfilling and productive.

Liz Hansen, from the Gwich'in community of Ft. McPherson on the Snake River Photo by Marten Berkman

Third Update from the Snake

by Scott Henderson

We had a full day on the river on the 30th, the water level was good and we made excellent time arriving near a creek mouth below Mt. McDonald. The weather was a bit of everything, some sun, some rain, some cloud. On the 31st we hiked up into Mt. McDonald for a spectacular view of converging valleys and a giant upthrust peak of granite that stands out sharply differentiated from the pastel hues and tones of the peaks around it. We pattered off the mountain as a strong rainstorm caught us later in the day. It lasted most of the night but at first dawn had cleared. We dried, packed up and had another full day on the river.

The scenery continues to amaze and awe us. Rounded peaks in beautiful reds and browns and ochre with a green-forested base. The colours make it look like a pastel drawing in that they are so finely shaded and muted.

Relentlessly, spectacularly gorgeous … same old, same old

August 4, 2003

Fourth Update from the Bonnet Plume

by Sarah Locke

“Everything is so relentlessly, spectacularly gorgeous and then you turn the corner and it’s the same damn thing.”

As usual, Richard (Nelson) has a way of cutting to the heart of the matter. It’s our last night on the Bonnet Plume and even though we have several nights left on the Peel, everyone is harvesting their last impressions of this special river. Each time we land at a gravel bar, an odd tableau takes place. At least half a dozen people can be seen to stand stock still or meander slowly, peering intently at the ground. It’s the dance of the rock gazers and our visitors have been astounded by the intricate, varied, tumbled beauty of the stones strewn extravagantly along the riversides. It's as though the magnificent landscapes upstream have been ground down to their very essences distilled for the viewing. Gwen (Curry), the installation artist, expects rocks to play a prominent role in the work she produces from this trip. The same for Courtney.

Lower down on the cliff, he spots an abandoned golden eagle’s nest and we learn another snippet of bird lore. These massive nests can be as much as two hundred years old. In Mossop’s opinion we should have stopped right there and camped four or five days, but then again, this is a man who has devoted a big chunk of his life to pulling the peregrine falcon back from the brink of extinction.

Tomorrow we hit the Peel and might camp with the Wind River group. We’ve been speculating on the whereabouts of the other two groups, wondering if their journeys have been as stimulating, goofy and overwhelming as ours – an all-around sensory overload.

Fourth Update from the Wind

by Teresa Earle

Day 12. Our days seem to pass so quickly now. This is likely because we have seen such dramatic change in the landscape as we make the transition from mountains to plateaus, because we are now putting in long river days, and because our last layover was so magical and memorable.

Rocks on the Wind River Photo by Juri Peepre

Our Day 10 rest day was spent at our last camp in the mountain reach of the journey. Here we had a stunning view of Royal Mountain – a commanding regal peak aptly named for its crown of tors and rock faces. This became a favourite site with almost everyone broaching the subject of staying a third night. Most of us wandered up a nearby canyon where it felt like entering a surreal other world of enchanting waterfalls, turquoise pools and whitewashed rocks. Others climbed ridges for breathtaking views of the Wind River and we were treated to rich sunsets both nights.

Rock Fever continues to be contagious as now every member of our crew is frequently found bent over examining the rainbow of rocks at our feet. In recent days, the canoes have floated lower and lower in the water as the rock and pebble collections grow, including some magnificent specimens of quartz crystal.

We spent hours scouring the riverbanks, floodplains and ridges turning up everything from wild raspberries and strawberries to animal tracks and antlers. Wildlife sightings have become a bit more sparse. From the river we spotted moose on two different days as well as countless birds including another merganser family, flying loons and protective parent gulls that divebomb the canoes as we float past. One evening, Fritz and I watched a caribou ford the river and shake the water from his fur in a spray backlit by the setting sun.

Fireweed Photo by Juri Peepre

Leaving the mountains behind us we are now travelling past eroded cutbanks thick with drunken black spruce and dense underbrush. We are seeing a sudden profusion of wildflowers on gravel bars. Goldenrod, monkshood, yellow paintbrush and tall fireweed. Though the landscape on this journey is affecting us all, the significance of place has taken on a new meaning in recent days.

Elaine Alexie Photo by Cathie Archbould

On Day 11, after over six hours of paddling, we drew in to camp at the confluence of the Wind and Little Wind Rivers. It was on the Little Wind that May Andre’s father, John Robert, was born, and where her Gwich'in ancestors lived year round. She is a community participant from Fort McPherson and this trip down the Wind has been an emotional pilgrimage for her. She speaks so much about the life they led and the kind of people they were, and is so excited to make her first visit to this area.

Further downstream, today we came to Hungry Creek and Mount Deception, an area where our other Gwich'in paddler, Elaine Alexie, spent a winter with her family twelve years ago. So as we move from mountains to Peel plateau, the landscape physically changes, but so too does the story of the people who live here. We have entered the traditional territory of the Tetlit Gwich'in. Some of us are missing the mountains but others are feeling closer to home as the Wind River grows faster, wider and siltier.

Fourth Update from the Snake

by Scott Henderson

The day began cold and wet after it rained overnight. We started out to follow the river through the last of the mountains.

Today was a long day and we saw our first seagull. We took time over lunch to hike up a wonderful creek that ended in a magnificent waterfall.

We are at the end of three days of paddling and have left the mountains to enter the plateau area prior to meeting up at the Taco bar. We saw mountain sheep as we ate dinner and marvelled at the changing landforms as we leave the mountains slowly and drift our way down through the serpentine cut created through the sedimentary rock by this brilliant, green, adamantine river. At times we feel like we’re in Banff and Jasper, or in the foothills of the Himalayas, or in a landscape like we’ve never ever seen before. We continue to be in awe at the beauty that surrounds us. Things are going well. People are working hard and we’re looking forward to the Gathering.