Nature Photographer
Eric Peterson

Photographer Eric Peterson from Englewood, Colorado got more than he bargained for when he joined two weeks of our 'Dance with Wolves' trips - Eric managed to establish a special relationship with a family of wild tundra wolves! - and then came back again for two more weeks of our 'Wolves & Great Summer Caribou Migration' trip. Eric wrote this about his trip with us:

"To be among the Arctic wolves in true wilderness has always been a dream of mine. So when I heard about this trip called 'Dance with the Wolves', I thought this could be my chance."

'I had never been to the Northwest Territories before and even though I read the literature and brochures from Tundra Tom I still was not sure what this trip would entail or what the Thelon and Barren lands would bring forth. Yet somehow I sensed, even before I left Denver, that a special encounter with one of these magnificent creatures would take place before my two-week visit to the Thelon would end." 

"Late Tuesday afternoon on July 2, 2002 the sun was still high in the cloudless blue sky.  As I sat alone on the esker hillside where I could watch the wolves in the den area several hundred yards away, the wind shifted and coming from behind me it carried the human scent down the hillside."

"Immediately the large alpha male looked up the hill towards me. He moved swiftly across the sand and disappeared into the trees.  Traveling up the backside of ridge he reappeared within minutes above me and to my right."

"He seemed to sense I meant no harm or danger to him so he descended the small ridge, crossed over in front of me and headed for the shade of the esker pine trees that were below me and to my left."

"There in the shade sat this great white wolf, intelligent, inquisitive and extremely social. No fences, no enclosures, no platforms, no blinds, no vehicles--just the beauty of this wilderness and the two of us enjoying each others company as any two friends would do. "

"Finally the wolf got up and started crossing yet another ridge. There he paused and looked back at me one more time before disappearing over the backside. Today my photographs stand as testament to what was for me a true spiritual experience." 

"The Thelon is true wilderness--vast and remote with its own unique beauty and mystique. While nature and true wilderness can be unforgiving to the creatures who struggle to survive there, whether arctic wolves, foxes, musk ox, caribou, song birds, water birds, birds of prey, moose or bear...

... we on the other hand can visit this beautiful country with all the comforts of home--good meals, hot showers, warm and comfortable shelter, and a superb staff of people who are there 24 hours a day to serve you and to make sure your trip is the best you have ever experienced."

"And for those occasional days marked by sporadic rain and wind, Tundra Tom's Whitefish base camp library is the ideal place to go to stay warm and dry while learning more about the history and natural beauty of this land."

- Eric Peterson