Canoeing, Rafting, or Sea-kayaking with Bathurst
Arctic Services
Come paddle, raft, or kayak our remote and beautiful
rivers!
These
flow over rolling tundra and through rocky gorges, through sparse
treeline forest, past winding sandy eskers and high rocky ridges
to Great Slave Lake, Hudson Bay, or to the Arctic Ocean.
We'll help you develop a trip to suit your own skills, time schedule,
and budget. We can supply anything you may need to accomplish the
trip, from canoes to communications equipment.
Rafting trips on the Burnside River are run in partnership and
cooperation with Neil Hartling's Nahanni River Adventures, and allow
you to participate in a genuine arctic wilderness experience, even
though you may not have the time, equipment, or the skills to set
up and manage a trip on your own.
Prices as stated below are rough estimates only -- once we know
the number of persons in your group, when you want to go, the river
you want to paddle, and what gear you will need, we will prepare
a custom quote for you.
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Boreal Forest Rivers
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| Cameron River |
Boreal forest rivers such as the Yellowknife, Snowdrift, Taltson, Cameron,
or Beaulieu wind through spruce and birch country on the ancient
rocks of the Canadian Shield, usually emptying into Great Slave
Lake. River classification varies. These usually involve the least
amount of flying time. Due to the thickness of the forest, these
also involve the least amount of hiking. Good hiking is usually
available on the rounded rocks along the lakes. Wildlife includes
bald eagles, moose, wolves, foxes, lynx, black bears, loons, and
many species of waterfowl.
Fishing (lake trout, arctic grayling, and northern pike) is usually
quite good.
The canoeing season on boreal forest rivers extends from June through
September. September is a lovely time in the area around Great Slave
Lake, with gorgeous fall color, bright days, and superb aurora at
night.
Basic costs (canoe/air transport) start at approximately $1100/person
for a two week trip out of Yellowknife.
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Treeline Rivers
Treeline rivers usually begin south of the treeline, and wind through
the taiga ("land of little sticks") into country that
is predominantly tundra. These include the Coppermine, Horton, Anderson,
and legendary Thelon River. The presence of eskers and tundra increases
the potential for hiking on these rivers. The canoeing season on
these rivers begins in late June, and extends through September.
You
can hike huge esker systems from base camps established where the
eskers intersect the rivers. Wildlife includes barrenground caribou,
muskox, wolves, moose, wolverines, grizzlies, foxes, and raptors
(peregrine falcons, gyrfalcons, roughleg hawks, and golden eagles).
Treeline rivers vary in difficulty, length, and distance from a
settlement. Fishing is usually good, and wildlife watching can be
superb.
Basic rates for a two-week trip start at about $1900/person from
Yellowknife.
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Barrenland/Arctic Rivers
 |
| Hiking at Wilberforce Falls on the Hood River. |
Barrenland/Arctic rivers begin and end north of the treeline, and
flow through tundra, usually ending on the arctic coast. These include
the Burnside, Mara, Hood, Ellice, Huikitak, the Back, and upper
Thelon River.
These rivers offer superb tundra hiking, exquisite shows of wildflowers,
excellent fishing (lake trout, arctic char, arctic grayling), a
variety of whitewater, and ancient Inuit campsites.
Because you can see over the land, the barrenland rivers provide
the best wildlife viewing of all. You may see barrenground caribou,
muskox, wolves, grizzlies, foxes, wolverine, moose, arctic hare,
and the comical arctic ground squirrel. Birds include raptors (golden
eagle, peregrine falcon, gyrfalcon, and roughleg hawk), waterfowl,
tundra birds like horned larks, Lapland longspurs and Harris sparrows,
shorebirds, sandhill cranes and more.
 |
Rafting by caribou on the Burnside
Photo: Lyn Hancook |
Due to ice on the high lakes and varying water levels during the season,
it is best to plan to canoe these rivers July through August. Check
with us for more precise estimates based on the river you want to
paddle; low water can be a problem on some rivers in mid-summer.
Access to arctic rivers involves considerable flying time, and
approximate basic costs for canoe rental and air transport begins
at $2100/person from Yellowknife.
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Arctic Islands
Most distant of all are the rivers on the islands of the Arctic
Archipelago. These are rivers for advanced canoeists who have explored
the barrenlands thoroughly, as there are special considerations
due to ice conditions, weather and access.
On
the positive side, there is fascinating wildlife, including muskox,
Peary caribou, arctic foxes, and the occasional polar bear. Tundra
nesting birds including snowy owls, jaegers, snow buntings, and
more, add to the appeal. Fishing on these rivers varies, but fishing
for arctic char is usually very rewarding. In planning your meals,
however, it is best not to depend on getting fish.
Trips on the arctic island rivers are very expensive, due to their
isolation. Basic costs begin at approximately $3100/person for a
trip of this sort. Enquire for further details.
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Sea-kayaking
Equipment
for sea-kayaking is available, and can be transported to the lake
or river of your choice, or to Bathurst Inlet, which is one of the
best sea-kayaking destinations in the North. Enquire for details
and prices on kayaking trips.
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Timing Your Trip
Because
the presence of ice on the high tundra lakes can make paddling difficult,
most people begin their river trips in late June or early July.
Most trips are completed by early- to mid-August, although it is
possible to schedule trips on some rivers to encounter the fall
colour and caribou migration. River water levels drop in late summer,
so please contact us for specific information.
The earlier you begin your planning, the more we can help you economize
on your trip. We suggest making initial contact with us during the
winter, as soon as you decide on a general location, time, and group
size for your northern trip. A number of different kinds of aircraft
are available to transport your group, and we can also make recommendations
on which are the most economical.
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Impressions of our Rivers
 |
| Kapolak Falls on the Burnside River |
Virtually everyone who has canoed our Northwest Territories and
Nunavut rivers rates them in the "A" category as wilderness
canoe routes, with some of the best wildlife viewing in North America.
In the words of a Dene elder, speaking with a priest: "My
father, is Heaven more beautiful than the country of the musk oxen
in summer, when the lakes are so blue and the loons cry very often?"
These barrenland rivers in midsummer, when the caribou herds range
freely over the tundra and the magic light lingers through the nighttime
hours, provide memories that will remain with you forever.
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A few words from some of our paddling clients:
If
there is such a thing as an arctic paddling paradise, Bathurst Inlet
has to be it. During the three weeks there, we had only a few scattered
showers. We watched the antics of roly-poly arctic ground squirrels.
We were visited by curious seals. We had a weasel pouncing up and
down around our campsite. We came across numerous unspoiled beaches.
At every campsite and rest stop, we saw ancient tentrings. We enjoyed
24 hours of sunlight. Campsites were numerous and there was very
little inhospitable or unapproachable coastline.
We stopped at an ancient
stone inukshuk for pictures and saw a grizzly lumbering along a
ridge above our camp one night. Winds could be so calm that the
only movement in the water would be the "V" wake from
the kayaks. Schools of fish darted beneath the boats. The visibility
was up to 15 ft. into the clear water before the sea bottom dropped
away.
One peaceful night after
a long period of silence, Bob asked Randy, "What's on your
mind?" The reply, "Nothing, I'm happy, happy, happy. To
quote Robert Service, 'If wealth is measured in terms of happiness,
I am a millionaire.'" -- Randy Todd and Bob Whiteford,
kayakers, 2000.
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