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COPPERMINE RIVER CANOE EXPEDITION |
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Trip
Itinerary Day 8 - Day 14 |
 Day 1 - DAY 7 TRIP
OVERVIEW HOW TO BOOK |
| Day 8:
As we approach "Rocky Defile", the current picks up and
the impressive canyon walls appear. At this rapid, named
by John Franklin in the 1820s, you can either take the 1
km portage or run through the large and challenging
rapids of the canyon. Numerous birds of prey,
particularly gyre falcons, can be seen nesting in the
cliffs. Shortly below the "Defile", we will stop for a
short hike up the Kendal River Canyon, one of the
historic routes to the Coppermine from Great Bear Lake
and the MacKenzie.
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| Day 9: Today we will be camped in the midst of the Coppermine
and September Mountains, and will hike up the river
valley to the treeless barrenlands. |
| Day 10: As we continue through
the September and Coppermine ranges, we will pass
Melville Creek. We will stop here for some excellent
char fishing before continuing on to "Muskox Rapids".
This site, so named because Franklin killed several
muskox here for food, provides an excellent view of the
rapids which we will negotiate the next day. |
| Day 11: After descending "Muskox
Rapids", one quickly enters a section involving many
miles of exciting rapids between high red sandstone
cliffs. These cliffs are interrupted occasionally by
dramatic intrusions of basalt which greatly affect the
course of the river. The native copper, from which the
river got its name, becomes increasingly evident during
this section if one takes the time to do a little
investigating along the shore. |
| Day 12: Early in the day we will
encounter a long stretch of RII ledges in the midst of
which a tiny river plunges through the cliff walls
forming an impressive little falls complete with deep
pools for swimming. We will make a short stop here to
swim and hike up the canyon. Carrying on, the red
sandstone cliffs change to grey basalt as one approaches
"Escape Rapids", from which Franklin had a narrow
escape. These can either be portaged or run with care.
From here it is a swift paddle for the next 10 km to
"Bloody Falls". . |
| Day 13: "Bloody Falls" is the location of the bloody murder of a party of Inuit by Samuel Hearne's native guides in the 1770s. It affords us
a panoramic view of the Coronation Gulf from the high hills behind the campsite. After a short hike and an exploration of the Falls, we will
complete the portage and descend the final 15 km of the river to the village of Coppermine on the Arctic Ocean. |
Day 14: The Inuit village of Kugluktuk (Coppermine) marks the end of our odyssey. The town is very welcoming and makes a wonderful
end to the trip. We will arive in time to explore town before boarding our flight south to Yellowknife in the afternoon. Day 1 - Day
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