Coppermine River - Canadian Arctic

[Robert Pavlis]

I thought you might be interested in some pics from Northern Canada. I am an avid canoeist and have done a number of Arctic trips in Canada. These pictures are from a 3 week trip down the Coppermine River, which empties into the Arctic Ocean. Four of us went on the trip with 2 canoes, and we never saw another person until the last day.

The land around the river is called Barren Land, or the Barrens - land of no trees. Elevation is not high, so plants are not exactly alpine, but they do spend most of the year under snow and in freezing temperatures. The ground can be very rocky, or very wet.

I won't even try to name the plants - you can have fun doing that.

[Robert Pavlis]

pic #5 - yes there are bugs!

[Robert Pavlis]

# 53 - the plateau above the river valley - wide open spaces

# 87 - one of the gorges we ran

[Robert Pavlis]

More flowers

[Robert Pavlis]

# 249 yours truely with an Arctic Char. This is the outlet to Bloody Falls - a famous place in Canadian History. That night we eat the Char at around midnight on the Arctic Ocean watching one of the most fabulous 'almost' sun sets. That far north the sun does not set in summer.

enjoy.

I don't have more pictures of plants on this trip, but I do have lots on the river if interested.

[Brian Ellis]

Thank you, Robert, for the opportunity to share this trip with you.  It is somewhere that I will never get too and it is a real treat to see the flora of the area.

[David Nicholson]

Great pictures Robert, as Brian said, of places we shall never see.

[Maggi Young]

Now we now why you are a "mad tripper", Robert!! Great stuff....vicarious trippping for this fat middleaged Scotswoman 

Bet that Char tasted good, it is a beauty!

[Lesley Cox]

That's one very nice fish!

[Magnar]

Apart from a couple of the plants it looks so much like what we have in the inland mountains here in North Norway.

Thank you for the photos

[Kristl Walek]

Hello Robert from Guelph....your post turned on the butterfly response in my stomach--and made me yen to return to the far north. I recognize most of the plants in the photos--so I think that must mean that I automatically become the complimentary on-board botanist for the next trip. 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Great stuff Robert !
Makes a lot of us dream I guess.... 

[Peter Korn, Sweden]

Very nice plants and landscape but in this case I would prefer the fishing. Very impressive! Fly-fishing?

[Robert Pavlis]

Kristl - if you can carry a 100 lb canoe for a couple of kilometers - you can join us.

Peter - I fish with a very cheap folding fishing rod with metal spinners. I am no fisherman. I like the folding rod since it packs easily. With a fish this large you have to play with it a long time to tire it out so it does not break the pole.

This one took some time to catch, but at most streams, it only takes 10 minutes to catch diner.

[Maggi Young]

Kristl - if you can carry a 100 lb canoe for a couple of kilometers - you can join us.

Damn! I can only carry an 80lb canoe for one kilometer    ..... so that's me out!