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Pete Jones
Carmel, CA
pjone@redshift.com

���ϳԹ��� Adviser: According to Hector Mackenzie, who claims he’s the first person in modern times to canoe the river, it takes 10-12 days to canoe the Snake from the put-in to Fort McPherson. So if you’re allotting two weeks to be on the river, you’ll have plenty of time to “goof off” as Mackenzie puts it. With wild sheep, moose, caribou, and
grizzly bears, you’ll have ample opportunity to see wildlife, too. Be very careful of the bears — for the first few days on the river, there are no trees in which to hang your food.

At this stage in your planning, you should be aware that the Snake River is wilderness in the old-fashioned sense of the word, meaning that it isn’t even managed. You should have quite a bit of experience to attempt this trip because there are no radios, no roads, and no cabins if you run into trouble.

You’ll be able to get most of your provisions in Whitehorse, and then you’ll have to arrange transportation to Mayo (four hours north) where you’ll catch a flight to Duo Lake, which is 2 miles from the river. You’ll portage everything from there.

Knoe People (403-668-4899), in Whitehorse, can arrange most everything for you. They have Mad River canoes to rent for $35 per day. They don’t rent inflatables for two reasons: The storage space is very limited, plus, if you’re planning to paddle on the Peel River toward the end of your trip, the winds are fierce, and an inflatable “paddles like a balloon.” Knoe People can
also arrange flights and car transportation to the river for an estimated cost of $2,000-$3,000. Grocery and outfitter stores in Whitehorse can provide you with maps and whatever freeze-dried or fresh food you need.