INCREDIBLE PEACE on the THELON RIVER

Territory of Nunavut, Canada

 

The Thelon is magic ... and it's the best! This incredible wild river flows 1000 km (600 miles) from its headwaters, and discharges in a sandy delta at Baker Lake, Nunavut.  From there the waters of the Thelon mingle with that of the Dubawnt & Kazan as they merge and flow eastward to Chesterfield Inlet to Hudson Bay. On its long journey to the Arctic sea, the river penetrates the heart of the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary - the largest and most remote wildlife refuge in Canada.

'Hornbys' Place - photo by Donna Barnett

Bull moose feeding along Thelon River by Cosmos Lake / photo copyright Dave Huffman

The Thelon is home to a most unusual forest oasis far out on the tundra, and is designated as a Canadian Heritage River. Paddlers almost always encounter wild tundra wolves & musk-oxen herds.  The Thelon & Back River areas are both common routes for the migrations and convergences of the Beverly, Bathurst & Ahiak caribou herds. Participants often see barrens grizzly - even moose way above the tree-line!

The Thelon offers an incredible diversity of bird life including peregrine and gyrfalcon, bald and golden eagles, rough-legged hawks .....plus a variety a variety of sparrows and shorebirds inherent to both the boreal forest and the Arctic.

Golden eagle nest at the Gap by Grassy Island  - Thelon River

 

Our Thelon trips are Class II & III (remote), and are suitable for all ages in moderate physical condition.

 

Check out our mini-movie on-line:

Panorama of Thelon River near Hornby Point

 

The CLARKE / THELON RIVER EXPEDITIONS

The route of this special canoe expedition occurs entirely
within the boundaries of the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary.

 

Click here to make your reservation on the 2010 'Clarke-Thelon River Expeditions'

Clarke-Thelon River Expeditions 2010
Departure Dates
Seats Left
Prices (Rates do not include GST tax)

July 16 - 30th, 2010

FULL

Single: $5,750.00 US - $5,750.00 CAD
Double: $10,000.00 US - $10,000.00 CAD

July 30 - Aug 13, 2010

 

FULL

 

Single: $5,750.00 US - $5,750.00 CAD
Double: $10,000.00 US - $10,000.00 CAD

 

Click here to download a PDF & of the trip supplement for the Clarke-Thelon River Expeditions

 

Following shortly after spring ice breakup, this Class II un-guided portion of this paddle begins on the tundra of the Dubawnt 'Highlands'. From here you follow the beautiful deep-cut valley of the Clarke River with its many side-canyons with peregrine & gyrfalcon nests. You will then meet the majestic Thelon River at its canyon, and follow it past Wardens Grove, Grassy Island, Hornby & Lookout Points, to join your guides at the boundary to Nunavut. The trip then continues through Usus Islands, and to end at the historically-rich Inuit area of the Beverly Lake 15 days later. There you will be picked up by a chartered boat or aircraft, and transported to the traditional Inuit settlement of Baker Lake, Nunavut - and the end of this remarkable expedition!

'Project Oasis' canoe reserach expediton at the Gap-  / photo copyright Donna Barnett

Cows & calves of the Beverly herd along Thelon / photo copyright Maxwell Finkelstein

This trips are timed for the most likely chances to see caribou of the Beverly caribou herd as they migrate south from their calving grounds. We will likely encounter tundra white wolves during their den cycle, with lots of birding opportunities too for nesting shorebirds and birds-of-prey such as peregrine & gyrfalcon, rough-legged hawk, bald  & golden eagle.

 

Participants will start this unique wildllife adventure by boarding a charter aircraft at the traditional Inuit settlement of Baker Lake in Nunavut; to fly 225 airmiles westward out over the remote Arctic tundra known locally as the 'Barrenlands'. You will then land and disembark on the Clarke River in the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary - one of the most isolated regions in mainland North America!

The traditional Inuit community of Baker Lake, Nunavut as seen from the airport - the geographical centre of North America
The traditional Inuit community of Baker Lake, Nunavut as seen from the airport - the geographical centre of North America

Once on the Clarke & Thelon Rivers, you will then spend a wonderful two weeks quietly paddling & exploring the countryside for musk-oxen, moose, and tundra wolves during the den cycle. We will see incredible archaeology & history deep in the heart of the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary.

Canyons of the Clarke River / photo courtesy Allicia Kelly

  Over the first 3-4 river days, you will paddle from the 'Dubawnt Highlands' down the beautiful Clarke River on your own - and explore its incredible side canyons, sandy eskers and wildlife. While descending the Clarke, you will follow the gradual slope of the Thelon Valley. Then we meet the Thelon River at bits canyon with intense sandstone cliffs, riddled with falcon and cliff swallow nests. 

The next few days will bring you past several significant historical sites, including 'Wardens Grove' the original cabin, and the 'Dukesite'.  A few miles downstream brings you past the 'The Gap', where you can visit a major Dene' archaeological site, and observe the progress of golden eagles nests. 

Wardens Grove / photo courtesy Allicia Kelly

 

 

Check out our mini-movie on-line:

Paddling the Clarke River

 

 

Dickson Canyon of the Hanbury River / photo courtesy Bill Betzhold

Canoes pulled up for the night along the thelon /photo courtesy Allicia Kelly

Canoe group resting on Thelon beach / photo courtesy Oyvind Martensen

Canoe resting along central Thelon below Hornby Point  /  photo copyright Dave Huffman

It is from this area near Grassy Island, where hikers in the group can have the option to take a day trip hike (9 km.) to visit the incredible gorge cut by the Hanbury River at Dickson Canyon. Further down the river we will pass the recovery site of the Cosmos 952 Russian satellite, which fell from the sky here in 1978.

Another day downstream brings you to a hidden waterfall, and cairns marking winter travel from eons past. You can then visit the haunting cabin ruins and grave site of the ill-fated John Hornby party, whom all perished here by slow starvation in the long winter of 1927. 

canoe on Clarke River  / photo courtesy Allicia Kelly

Edgar Christian's gravesite / photo courtesy Allicia Kelly

 

caribou of the Beverly herd migrating along Thelon River / copyright Mawell Finkelstein
The Beverly caribou migration - click photo to enlarge!

Throughout the first week of this most remarkable journey, you will encounter several Dene' & Inuit archaeological sites  that date back thousands of years. You can often find remnants of stone tools and spear points lying on the ground, left behind by the nomadic Dene' and the who used to travel this region on hunting forays, and numerous sites of the Caribou Inuit people who once lived along the lower Thelon River, and still hunt & fish there to this day.

 

 

Check out our mini-movie on-line:

A bull musk-ox grazing in willows along Thelon

 

 

The Thelon River and it's sidestreams offer excellent fishing for lake trout, Arctic grayling and northern pike! 

 

Miusk-ox Pingo on Thelon River / photo copyright David Wellbourne

 

Our qualified guides will join you on the second section of this trip at the Nunavut boundary, and your trip will take on a new educational dimension as we explore Muskox Pingo & paddle around Lookout Point. This stretch of river has several traditional water crossings of the Beverly caribou as they leave their calving grounds to the North. Weather and schedule permitting, you will spend a day of rest at Big Bend in Nunavut, another famous caribou water crossing that has been used by both Dene' and Inuit hunters. We will have the opportunity to investigate many of their old encampments. 

 

We will then paddle through the Ursus Islands and the confluence of the Tammarvi River, a traditional site where the Inuit traveled hundreds of miles for thousands of years to obtain tent poles from the last stands of stunted spruce tree growth, and then follow along the last stretch of river to Beverly Lake.  From here you will will leave the canoes behind, picked up by chartered aircraft or boat, and taken out to Baker Lake, Nunavut. This marks the end of what will, without a doubt, be one of the most incredible river trips of your life! 

 

Check out our mini-movie on-line:

Floatplane lands to pick-up paddlers on the Thelon River

 

 

The entire paddling length of this river expedition is 165 river miles / 270 river kilometres - class II. As the river moves along at 3-4 knots, you can often cover our 10-12 mile days in the mornings, leaving you plenty of time for exploring, relaxing and fishing. This trip is suitable for all ages in moderate physical condition, and with some moderate previous canoe experience.  There are no portages on this trip...just some minor lining on the Clarke River. The majority of this canoe trip occurs within the boundaries of the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary - and it's simply the best!

Click here to view route map

 

Click here to make your reservation on the 2010 'Clarke-Thelon River Expeditions'

 

Clarke-Thelon River Expeditions 2010
Departure Dates
Seats Left
Prices (Rates do not include GST tax)
July 16 - 30th, 2010
FULL

Single: $5,750.00 US - $5,750.00 CAD
Double: $10,000.00 US - $10,000.00 CAD

July 30 - Aug 13, 2010

 

FULL

 

 

Single: $5,750.00 US - $5,750.00 CAD
Double: $10,000.00 US - $10,000.00 CAD

 

 

Click here to download a PDF & of the trip supplement for the Clarke-Thelon River Expeditions

 

 

Click here to view a large-scale map of the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary

 

 

More Thelon links worth checking out

Nunavut Parks - Thelon Heritage River

Nunavut Parks - Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary

Caribou Inuit

David Hanbury - Sport & Travel in the Northland of Canada

Helge Ingstad

1928: William Hoare and the Thelon Game Sanctuary

JB Tyrrell's Expeditions

C.H.D. Clarke

Commander George Back

John Hornby

Arctic Profiles - John Hornby (1880-1927)

The Legend of John Hornby

John Hornby & Edgar Christian - oh oh...

Dr. Bryan Gordon's archeological studies on the Thelon

Arctic Dawn - The Journeys of Samuel Hearne:

1928: William Hoare and the Thelon Game Sanctuary

Dr. Bryan Gordon's archeological studies on the Thelon

Cosmos 954

Guy Blanchet

P.J. Downes

The Rat Lodge on Artillery Lake

The Franklin Mystery

A history of - and some current issues about - the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary

The Thelon: Where Time & Light Stand Still

2004 photo collection from Nestor Lewyckyj's Thelon canoe trip

Dave Huffman's 2001 photo essay of his Thelon River trip

Muskox Bull Killed by a Barren-Ground Grizzly Bear - Thelon Game Sanctuary, NWT

Insect biodiversity in the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary

Ted's Keresote's 1996 Sports Afield Magazine article about his 1998 Thelon River trip

A list of links to photography taken in the Upper Thelon area

UR Energy

Uravan Minerals

Thelon History

Canadian Heritage River Secretariate: - Thelon

CBC: Upper Thelon uranium decision accepted by minister

CBC: Thelon decision rattles exploration industry

Nunavut Parks - Thelon Heritage River

Nunavut Parks - Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary

PhotoLife Article about the Upper Thelon area by Courtney Milne

Kayak The Thelon

Click here for Conde Nast article.

Now on-line! Conde Nast Traveler controversial article 'Diamonds in the Wild', about the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary and the potential future effects of diamond and mineral exploration in our last great North American wilderness. Click here!

 



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Click here to download our current trip calendars in PDF

 

Still undecided? Click on any of the faces below, and let our past clients & trips leaders tell you about their trips with us to the Canadian Far North!


Barry Girard


George Nagel

Noelle Tufts

Steve Lybeck

Tundra Tom

Bob Gainer

Steve Barger
Photo copyright Art Wolfe Inc.
Art Wolfe

Andy Kammer
Martin Haefele


Dr. Ella Trussell


Brad Armstrong

Rita Marett

George Archibald

Chris Crowley
Andrew Macrae
Andrew Macrae
Bill Mullins a-smiling on the tundra - photo courtesy Beverley & Allan Morris
Bill Mullins

Julie Yamaguchi

Glen Grambo

Courtney Milne

Adele Curtis

Eric Peterson
Photo copyright Art Wolfe Inc.
Alan Weisman
Photo copyright Mountain Light Photography
Galen Rowel
Scott Schrader
Scott Schrader
Photo copyright Annika Brodén
Annika Brodén
Photo copyright Art Wolfe Inc.
Christian Heeb
Photo copyright of Bill Silliker, Jr.
Bill Silliker Jr.

Lonnie Brock

Dr. David Mech - photo copyright IWC
 Dave Mech
Lee Mann - photo copyright Annika Broden
Lee Mann

Jay Dickman

Terry Elliott
Photo copyright Art Wolfe Inc.
Dennis Fast
Allicia Kelly
Photo copyright Charlotte Richardson
Steve Maka

 

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Great Canadian Wilderness Adventures
Phone: 1-800-667-9453 (Canada & USA)
Overseas Phone: +807-662-4512
North American toll-free Fax: 866-416-5548
Email:
tundra@thelon.com
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