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WAY UP NORTH FIVE NORTHERN RIVERS YOU CAN DO


Sidetrip on the Wind. PHOTO: CHARLOTTE JACKLEIN


Thomsen River NORTHWEST TERRITORIES


More than 1,000 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, the Tomsen is the north- ernmost navigable river in North America. Located on Banks Island, the westernmost island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the Tomsen flows through the newly desig- nated Aulavik National Park. Not a techni- cal river, it’s merely reaching the Tomsen that can be epic. Sweeping northern skies and fearless herds of muskox reward intrep- id travelers.


GO GUIDED The Great Canadian Adventure Company 15 days, $9,800 www.adventures.ca


DIY Contact local charter airlines and consider bringing a folding boat


Horton River NORTHWEST TERRITORIES


[ TRIPS ]


Tired of full campgrounds and crowded southern lakes? Tis summer, travel north for an unforgettable expedition beneath the midnight sun. With a bit of wilderness experience and careful preparation, Canada’s northern rivers are accessible for competent trippers. Te hardest part may be choosing your route. Mountain or tundra? Technical or not? Guided or do-it-yourself? Browse our shortlist to get started on the northern trip of your dreams.


Wind River YUKON


From the rugged Wernecke Mountains, the Wind tumbles northward into the wide ex- panse of the Peel River valley. Accessible only by floatplane, canoeing the Wind takes you through spectacular mountains, sweep- ing taiga and ultimately down the impos- ing Peel Canyon. While the river only has a handful of class II rapids, its icy current, braided channels and numerous sweepers still require quick wits. Keep your camera handy for caribou wandering through camp, bears gorging on blueberries or playful fox kits watching from riverside dens.


GO GUIDED Ruby Range Adventures 22 days, $5,595 www.rubyrange.com


DIY Up North Adventures www.upnorthadventures.com


CHARLOTTE JACKLEIN has worked as a wilderness guide in Canada and abroad. She lived in Nunavut for a winter and guided canoe trips in the Yukon for the past two summers.


18 EARLY SUMMER 2011


Thelon River NORTHWEST TERRITORIES/NUNAVUT


Once a veritable highway for nomadic Inuit hunters, the legendary Telon travels 900 portage-free kilometers from Whitefish Lake, NWT, to Baker Lake, NU. En route, it travels through the vast Telon Wild- life Sanctuary—home to huge herds of caribou, musk-oxen and rare Arctic wolves. Most paddlers end their expedition on this Canadian Heritage River at the town of Baker Lake, though it’s possible to continue right to Chesterfield Inlet on the shore of Hudson Bay.


GO GUIDED Nahanni River Adventures 12 days, $8,135 www.nahanni.com


DIY Lynx Tundra Lodge www.lynxtundralodge.com


Flowing parallel to the Coppermine River, the Horton traverses tundra, eskers and ancient Inuit campsites. Tough relatively gentle, air and water temperatures create added challenge. Te region is home to mus- kox, grizzly and the 50,000-strong Bluenose caribou herd. En route to the Arctic Ocean, paddlers pass the eerie Smoking Hills, an area where huge lignite coal deposits com- bust spontaneously as the tundra winds ex- pose them to oxygen.


GO GUIDED Canoe North Adventures 12 days, $5,950 www.canoenorthadventures.com


DIY Arctic Chalet www.arcticchalet.com


Churchill River SASKATCHEWAN/MANITOBA


Long used as a trading route by First Na- tions people and voyageurs, the Churchill travels more than 1,600 kilometers through northern Alberta, Saskatchewan and Mani- toba. Te river flows across the granite Pre- cambrian Shield through a series of lakes connected by short rapids, which can be portaged or run depending on water and skill levels. Many paddlers begin their trip in the hamlet of Missinipe and some con- tinue all the way to historic Fort Churchill on the shores of Hudson Bay.


GO GUIDED Churchill River Canoe Outfitters 7 days, $2,495 www.churchillrivercanoe.com


DIY CRCO also has self-guided options


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