Wind River, Yukon Territory

The Wind River is a crystal-clear, aquamarine stream that flows fast and cold out of the Wernecke Mountains into the Peel River in Canada’s Yukon Territory. Some friends and I paddled more than 100 miles of it — plus a section of the Peel — in early July. It is remote, untouched, stunning and at the heart of a struggle over whether these wild lands will remain wild or be opened for development (primarily mining), a move favored by the current territorial government and opposed by First Nations and conservation groups. We saw caribou, eagles, grayling, and warblers; the tracks of bear, moose and wolf in the mud along the gravel bars, and the most beautiful riverine landscape I have ever experienced. At a latitude of between 64 and 65 degrees, the sun shone virtually 24 hours. No headlamps needed. Click here for a gallery of images from the trip. (This is longer than usual, but you can speed it up by clicking on the right arrow.) Click here and here for information about the river and protecting it.