Firth River Yukon Territory Raft Tours, Firth River Rafting, Inuvik Northwest Territory

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Firth River

Out of the vastness of the Canadian North we have selected a jewel of a river trip to showcase the abundance of life on the Arctic tundra. The Firth River flows from Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge through Ivvavik National Park at the northern tip of Canada's Yukon Territory. An ice-free refuge in the last Ice Age, the Firth is thought to be Canada's oldest flowing river. Virtually at the continents northern most extent of trees, the open landscape and 24 hour daylight make for limitle ss hiking and superb wildlife viewing. Though above the Arctic Circle, the weather is generally surprisingly hot and sunny. Ivvavik is part of the famous Porcupine Caribou herd's range and each year some lucky rafters find themselves in the midst of tens of thousands of migrating caribou. The trip starts with a bushplane flight to a riverside meadow deep in the British Mountains. After scouting the lay of the land, we meander downstream past wildflower-carpeted tundra as golden eagle and gyrfalcon soar overhead. The broad valley eventually gives way to pretty canyons cut through mountain flanks. Pure white Dall's sheep climb above, while arctic char and grayling swim in the clear waters below. Approaching the Arctic Ocean, the lively river breaks free of the mountains and spills onto the coastal plain. Looking over the tundra at roving herds of musk oxen, it doesn't take much imagination to envision woolly mammoths living here back in the Pleistocene. The rafting ends on the shores of the Beaufort Sea, among seals and beluga whales. On our flight back to Inuvik we stop at the turn of the century whaling relics on Herschel Island.

11 Days Firth River Rafting Tour

Firth River, Yukon Territory

Itinerary

Pre Trip Meeting:
Meet the trip leader and guides in Inuvik the night before the trip starts. While the Firth is in the Yukon Territory, Inuvik, situated in the very northwest corner of the huge Northwest Territories, is the closet town with a jet-serviced airport. At the pre-trip meeting in Inuvik we introduce ourselves, distribute duffel bags, mosquito-proof shirts and camping gear.

Inuvik to Put-in at Margaret Lake:
On the first morning of the trip, you will have time to purchase the last items for your excursion. In the later morning the trip leader will shuttle everyone and their gear to the airport. The flight to the river will leave the Inuvik Airport around 10:00 am. The route takes us over the maze of the Mackenzie River Delta. The myriad of channels and thousands of lakes are home to many nesting swans, ducks and geese which are easily spotted from the air. Once out of the delta we'll keep our eyes peeled for larger mammals. A little over an hour after leaving Inuvik, we land near Margaret Lakeon balloon-like "tundra tires" and taxi almost to the river's edge. The Lake sits at 410 meters and we'll wind our way downstream for 130 kilometers through the British Mountains to sea level at the Beaufort Sea. The put-in is very close to the border with Alaska and just over the hills to the south lie the Old Crow flats (which Parks Canada and the Gwitchin people have recently made into Vuntut National Park). The source of the Firth is actually in Alaska in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Between the Refuge and Northern Yukon National Park, the entire Firth watershed and most of the range of the huge Porcupine Caribou herd are protected. The Porcupine Head has been in the news in recent years as part of the controversy whether or not to permit drilling for oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Northern Yukon National Park's 10,000 square kilometers make up a small but vital part of the herd's range.

The Upper Firth River:
At first, the Firth has a quiet nature. The low banks permit unobstructed views up the valley sides and imposing limestone drags rise from the river to 1680 meters in elevation. Our rafts glide over deep crystal clear pools full of grayling and char. In this area, one finds many coral fossils which further attest to the sedimentary nature of the geology. The river valley provides prime habitat for many birds: phalaropes, sandpipers, plovers, jaegers, tems, bunnings, longspurs and even robins make it up here in summer. We should see grizzly, caribou and moose. As in much of the areas, caribou migration trails line the hillsides. Red fox and ptarmigan are common. There are many other areas, such as the Tatshenshini, with higher bear densities but the Firth may be hard to beat in terms of watching them on the open tundra. After a couple of days of travel we reach the area of Joe Creek which is the Firth's largest tributary. Here, as along much of the route, there are ancient signs of human use of the valley. The Inuit would leave the coast where their culture was centered to travel inland and hunt caribou and moose and fish for char. When we pick a nice campsite for the night - one remains of old ment caches and the stone rings that once held downskin tents. The realizations that this land has been used by numerous native cultures for thousands of years evokes powerful visions.

The Middle River through the British Mountains
Once past Joe Creek the Firth river enters a beautiful canyon. For several days the riverback is primarily canyon with scattered breaks. Here the Firth is a combination of quiet pools and calm stretches between scattered breaks. The tortured strata of the geology is beautiful and contrasts with the round river rock and gravel on the bars. There are ten species of raptor in the Park and the canyon walls are ideal nesting sites for some, including golden eagles and gyrfalcons. Snow-white Dall Sheep - North America's northernmost population - inhabit the canyons, as well as the mountain crags. We may float literally a stone's throw from a band of big rams. Wolves are found throughout the watershed and seen on many trips. Just above the confluence of Sheep Creek are some of the bigger rapids of the trip. There are good opportunities to photograph the rafts coming through from the cliffs. Sheep Creek is where the National Park Service has unfortunately committed overkill with the construction of a large incongruous warden station. The good news is that they built it on the site of what was once a small fly-in placer gold mine. Claim posts and artifacts like homemade are still visible from the Firth's mini-goldrush. In July the Porcupine Caribou herd migrates across the Firth River. We've been lucky enough to see 30,000 animals cross the river around our camp.

The Lower River and Delta
After a few days, the British Mountains merge into the Buckland Hills. Soon the canyon walls are left behind and the Firth emerges onto the coastal plain. A few hundred yards from the river rises a rock knoll known as Engigstiack. Though only one hundred feet high, Engigstiack provides great views over the plain. The top is littered with the pellets of rough-legged hawks, gyrfalcons, snowy owls and golden eagles containing the undigested hair and bone of lemmings, ground squirrels and birds. For thousands of years - probably back to the time of the Bering Land Bridge - hunters have stood atop this rock and gazed out over the tundra looking for the coming of the caribou and other, now extinct, game. Engigstiack is considered to be one of the most important archaeological sites in the Yukon Territory and we'll see signs of digs conducted by archaeologists on the nearby tundra. At this latitude the land is underlain with permafrost so that only the top meter of the soils thaws out in the summer. This creates some interesting features such as polygons on the tundra but, because there is nowhere for the water to percolate to, the flat areas tend to be wet. Arctic ground squirrels and other burrowing creatures are consequently limited to areas on hills or along riverbanks where the soil does not freeze and is well drained. Wolves and foxes tend to den in similar areas. When we walk across the tundra, we hear the subterranean squeaks of voles and lemmings. Shortly after Engigstiack, we leave the canyon-like nature of the Firth behind as it splays out into the Firth Delta. The ninth night is usually spent at the head of the delta where musk ox wool drapes the willow bushes. The musk ox herd is growing and we're almost guaranteed to spot musk ox. The delta is quite broad and intricate. It's prime habitat for turnstones, Golden Plovers, Snowy Owls and Tundra Swans. Bird species exotic to North America such as the Siberian Tit and Yellow Wagtail are often seen. As we approach the ocean, the channels get smaller and narrower. We may ask you the walk along the flat, flowered tundra for short distances to lighten the boats so they can float over the shallower bits.

The Artic Ocean & Beaufort Sea
We camp on the reach of Nunaluk Spit at the mouth of the delta for our last night. Here we'll enjoy the first campfire of the trip. As the forests are so sparse and spotty and the rate of growth so slow, the Parks Service has wisely restricted the use of campfires along the river for emergencies only so we will be cooking on propane stoves. The coastline, however, is lined with driftwood that has floated to the Beaufort Sea from points far south by the Mackenzie River and then floated to the west to the Firth Delta and Herschel Island. The brackish, barrier-island lagoon system is very important moulting and staging area for scoters, didsquaws, eiders, and shorebirds which thrive in the coastal lagoons that are formed by a series of shingle spits just off shore. Thousands of snow geese congregate here on southward migration in September. Ocean currents bring rich, nutrient laden waters from the Mackenzie River to the east. This mix of fresh and saltwater helps support rich populations of fish which in turn are preyed upon by seabirds waterfowl and ringed and bearded seals. Seals and beluga whales are commonly seen right off the lagoon's barrier islands.

Herschel Island
On the last morning of the trip we'll get picked up off Nunaluk Spit's beach by the Twin Otter. It will fly us across and over Herschel Island to Pauline Cove. While the plane returns to Nunaluk Spit to fly the rafting gear back to Inuvik we'll have time to check out Herschel Island. Herschel Island is the Yukon's first Territorial Park and the only offshore island. Known for its abundant wild flowers and wildlife as well as interesting history. Herschel is essentially a large lump of permafrost and consists of 50% frozen water. Nearly eighty species of birds are found on Herschel. There's even a colony of black guillernos in the abandoned mission school. Pauline Cove has a number of historic buildings that date back to the turn of the century when American whalers would spend the winters between short whaling seasons. Whaling in the Beaufort Sea was as short as it was lucrative. In the 20-year period (about 1890-1910), the western Arctic population of bowhead whales was brought to the verge of extinction. The bowhead is slowly making a comeback but is still very much an endangered species. Many of the heritage buildings have been painstakingly restored and the backdrop behind the cove consists of graveyards - whalers, Inuit and Royal Canadian Mounted Police - that attest to the harsh times. But Herschel also shows signs of Thule Inuit occupation going back 1000 years and may have been used by peoples migrating from Asia across the Bering land bridge, perhaps as much as 30,000 years ago. Herschel will be quite luxurious as the Territorial Park staff have constructed outhouses and even a fancy sauna!

Herschel Island to Inuvik
Later on the afternoon of the 11th day, the aircraft will arrive back at Pauline Cove and take us back to Inuvik. Once back in Inuvik, we will transport you from the airport back to your hotel in time for dinner.

Month	Rates
June	On Request
July 10	US$3850
Rates per Person in CAD$	Adult
11 Day Firth River Rafting Tour	$3250.00 (+ $75.00 Park Service user fee)
1 Night Accommodation Inuvik Hotel	$
* 7 % GST Tax not included
Including
• 10 Nights camping accommodation • Max. 12 people / 3 guides • Professional, licensed guides • Return Air Transportation from Inuvik • All rafting equipment, life jacket, paddles • Cooking equipment, dry bags • All Meals Please Note: Camping gear including tent, fly, sleeping bag and pad maybe rented.