Guided trip: Canoe along the edge of tundra
When Alex Hall, the owner of Canoe Canada’s Arctic, declines to name the exact location where he’ll be guiding a group of paddlers at the end of the summer, you know it’s got to be good. After all, you don’t keep a place secret if it sucks. What Hall will say is that the 10-day flatwater canoe trip occurs inside the proposed boundaries for a new national park—Theydene Nene or Land of the Ancestors. Surrounding the East Arm of Great Slave Lake, this area marks the transition zone between the Barrens and boreal forest, and is rich in wildlife but sees little traffic. Trip participants gather in Fort Smith and then fly into a remote tributary of Great Slave Lake. The 100 kilometres between drop-off and pick-up leave plenty of opportunities for exploring the chain of rivers and lakes, and for easy hiking into the surrounding hills, where the views stretch to the horizon. Hall says this is one of the best trips for spotting muskoxen, with bulls almost a guarantee.
When: August 25 to September 3
Cost: $5,030
Canoe Arctic
