Great Bear River Exploration
This past summer, Lin Ward, Susan Casson, Matt Casson and Karl Schiefer checked out the Great Bear River. North-Wright Airways flew them into the First Nation community of Deline on Great Bear Lake. Once canoes were loaded they only paddled a short distance out to a camp right on Great Bear Lake. Karl and Matt did some fishing on the lake and did have success with some catch and release lake trout.
Paddling across a short section of the lake to the river early in the morning gave them a pink sunrise and a calm water passing. At the river mouth, Susan and Lin stretched out while Karl and Matt waded out to where hordes of fingerling grayling were leaping out of the water. As they sat on the shore, the sun rose and shone over the tundra landscape that reaches out to the edge of the lake.
Paddling brought incredibly clear water, more crystal-like than any other river they have paddled. You could see many feet down to the rocky bottom of the river. The Taiga forest flanked the north shore of the river tipping its branches to the Boreal forest that meets the southern shore. Small tributaries offered fine camping, a short paddle off the main river and an opportunity to search out pike sleeping in the shallow recesses of the banks. Black bears were observed on the shore as our paddlers explored down to Mount St Charles. This promontory beacons paddlers to leave their canoes and to hike up onto the tundra to the “feeling so small” vistas against the backdrop of an ancient, rolling landscape. The current never gives up on this river moving canoes quickly down river and giving many opportunities to observe Arctic Grayling pooling in the current and huge inconnu lurking in the depths.
As they reached towards the end of the river and its confluence, the clarity of the river diminished but nothing compared to the meeting with the mighty Mackenzie where the First Nation community of Tulita lies nestled into the hillside overlooking their route. The paddle down to Norman Wells included a night paddle and one of the most amazing sunsets ever seen!
The First Nation history of Mountain Dene and Willow Lake People remind them of a time almost prehistoric. The modern stories of the explorers, George Douglas, Alexander Mackenzie, John Hornby and even Robert Service who passed this way on his journey to the Klondike, reach into their minds with images of brave adventurers working their way into this stunning and wild land. They reflect on their own journey down this river and smile to themselves that they too have stepped into such a grand wilderness adventure. If you have a chance, try the Great Bear! It’s waiting for you.
Featured Adventures
- Tischu River
Our exploratory trip on the Tischu River, a tributary of the Keele River
News & Events
- Fall Newsletter November 2011
We have just posted our 2012 Expedition Program and you will see that we have offered two new winter trips including an ice-road adventure to Norman Wells! We are very excited to be offering a Coppermine River Adventure – this was my first ever arctic canoe trip when I was just 18 years old! Other [...]
- Celebrate Sahtu
On July 23rd, The Town of Norman Wells, North-Wright Airways and Canoe North Adventures will host a celebration that will showcase the wilderness of the Sahtu Region and recognize the collaboration of effort to brand the Sahtu Region of the Northwest Territories as a tourism destination with national and international recognition. This event will highlight the [...]
- Great Bear River Exploration
This past summer, Lin Ward, Susan Casson, Matt Casson and Karl Schiefer checked out the Great Bear River. North-Wright Airways flew them into the First Nation community of Deline on Great Bear Lake. Once canoes were loaded they only paddled a short distance out to a camp right on Great Bear Lake. Karl and Matt [...]
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