Paddling

The Snake River valley is a paddler's and hiker's paradise.  In the upper reaches alpine tundra stretches almost to rivers edge, allowing easy access to wildflower meadows and sweeping ridgelines.  The river itself  has carved a path through land slides and canyons, boulder gardens and braids,  until it spills out of the Wernecke and Mackenzie mountains onto the Peel plateau.  It's the most challenging of the three Peel watershed trips that we offer,  with a fast current punctuated by several class 2+ and 3 rapids.  

The Hart river has incised a path through the western perimeter of the Wernecke Mountains and the eastern edge of the Ogilvies. It is one of seven main tributaries of the Peel River, which flows north into the Arctic Ocean via the Mackenzie River. The Hart is a class 2 river, with some class 3 sections, offering a variety of paddling conditions, from an abundance of tranquil waters, to fast flowing shallow stretches, braided channels, and a series of rapids formed by ledges of sedimentary rock. Canyon walls and steep slopes form a dramatic backdrop to the river’s middle section. We’ll spend a week in this stretch, enjoying scenic campsites and superb hikes into the high country.

Mountain sheep  scamper across steep talus slopes, descending to the river to access mineral salt licks.  Moose  are often  sighted  in the shallows of  McClusky Lake, our put in site near the river.  Caribou scamper along rivers' edge, the bulls displaying their impressive racks of antlers.  The Wind is also home to grizzly and black bears, wolves, wolverines, fox  and other small fur-bearing animals, as well as variety of bird species.