Six old friends (Ian Yolles - Portland, OR; Chuck Luckmann - Bellingham, WA; Ian Thomson - Bowen Island, B.C.; Peter Bowers - Toronto, Ontario; Jeff Eppler, Kelowna and David Thomson, Vancouver, B.C.) going back over 25 years, canoed and hiked 14 days down the Snake River through the Mackenzie Mountains in the Yukon's Peel River Watershed, one of the largest pristine unprotected areas in Canada's North: awesome beauty, remoteness, wildlife, sweeping vistas and untouched splendour. Significant industrial development threaten to this area, especially from mining. The Yukon Chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and its Three Rivers Campaign is a great opportunity to bring more protection to this incredible area - http://www.cpawsyukon.org/three-rivers/conservation-updates.html . We're hoping to raise funds to support this great work and will match donations up to $2000. Please join us!!

A Recipe for Baking Bread on the Snake River in the Yukon Territories

Leave home and fly to Whitehorse,
Bring flour, yeast, salt, oil,
Rent a canoe from UpNorth Outfitters,
Eat at the Klondike Rib & Salmon BBQ,
Hire someone to drive you to Mayo'
450 km closer to your rendezvous
With mountains, whitewater,
Made-in-the-Yukon bread.

In Mayo give Denny $3200
And he'll fly you in a small bush plane
135 miles closer to the Arctic Circle,
To Duo Lakes, in the Mackenzie Mountains,
Surrounded by peaks at 6,500 feet,
But no wood for your fire.

Carry your canoe and supplies 1.5 km
To Snake River and paddle 10 km
Downstream to Reptile Creek'
Carefully descend rapid after rapid
Through the first canyon'use a spray skirt
To keep bread fixings, other food and gear dry,
Especially in June when the water is high.
Camp on gravel bar near the mouth of creek'
No reptiles here, but check for grizzly tracks
While you collect wood'scrub birch and willow.

As fire burns down to embers
Mix ingredients, add water,
Knead into a dough'let rise,
Punch down, let rise again, then
Place in 9' x 12' Kamper's Kitchen
(similar to a Dutch oven for the trail).

Dig coals from fire,
Place a thin layer under oven
And a thick, hot layer on top.
Now sit down and wait.
Maybe boil water for tea or coffee.
Look downstream, look upstream,
Gaze into the Goz Valley,
Without a word breathe in
Glaciated mountain panorama.

After an hour take the lid off'
Test your bread. If it's a bit doughy
Put a few more coals underneath,
But don't over do it,
It's easy to burn at this stage.
When your bread looks, feels, and smells done,
Let it cool'or,
If you're in a hurry to have a piece,
Because it's all good, now or later,
Slice into hefty pieces. Serve yourself.