Your Trip
Hiking opportunities abound on the Burnside
Photo: Robert Purney
The Burnside River
About the River
The Burnside River is a classic
tundra river flowing into the Arctic
Ocean. Isolated and rugged, it offers
challenging whitewater, dramatic
scenery and abundant wildlife. The
landscape is dramatic with rolling
tundra punctuated by narrow canyons,
waterfalls and sandy beaches. Good
hiking opportunities are frequent and
wildlife is plentiful. Caribou and musk
oxen, in particular, are abundant.
HISTORY
The Burnside area has been well used
by the Inuit for a long time. Their
passage through the area is marked
by the numerous archaeological sites
along the river. Tent rings and graves
can be seen at several locations. The
most important known site is on the
tiny Island of Nadlak, located just
downstream from Kathawachaga
Lake. The name in Inuktituk means,
“Place where the deer cross”.
Here, in the summer of 1985 and 1986,
the National Museum of Civilization
unearthed more than 40,000 segments
of caribou antlers that formed the
framework for several winter homes
used by a semi-permanent group of
Copper Inuit. These people were driven
south from the Arctic Ocean during the
mini-ice age that took place between
the early 1500’s and the 1800’s. Needles
and tools more common to the Dene
people, who lived south of the tree
line, were also found at the site leading
the archaeologists to conclude that
the Dene had some sort of trading
system in place. After the cold spell, it
is believed that the Inuit returned to
Bathurst Inlet. Today there are only about
25 people living in the community of
Bathurst Inlet and another 60 at Bay
Chimo, 100 kilometres to the north.
Sir John Franklin explored the area in
1821 - 22. With a party of 20 men, he
travelled along the river naming Belanger
rapids after one of his crew. It wasn’t
until 1920 that a permanent settlement
was established at Bathurst Inlet. In that
year, the explorer Charles Klengenburg
wintered his crew and schooner at the
Inlet. Fourteen years later the Hudson
Bay Company established a trading post
there. However, the community actually
grew around a mineral exploration site
established in 1929. In 1964, the HBC
pulled out of Bathurst Inlet Lodge.
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Your Trip
About the Burnside River
The Inuit families living in the community
today have chosen an isolated and
traditional way of life. However, in the
summer the community, in conjunction
with Tricia and Glen Warner from
Yellowknife, operates Bathurst Inlet
Lodge. The lodge is well known world
wide as a naturalist’s retreat.
Typically we enjoy good weather on the
Firth, with clear skies and temperatures
ranging from 10 to 30 °C (50 to 86 °F). But
this is the Arctic, and weather changes
can see temperatures plunge to near
freezing. Rainfall and snow may occur.
Here the weather can change very
quickly and high winds whipping across
hundreds of miles of flat landscape can
create extremely dangerous paddling
conditions in a very short time. This can
be especially true on big lakes such as
Contwoyto or Kathawachaga. Winds
are also funnelled along the river valley.
Because of this, we have scheduled extra
days in our trip itinerary, which we use
for hiking. Come prepared to be flexible
and to encounter all kinds of weather.
FLORA
The Burnside flows entirely through the
tundra. Because this area is a zone of
continuous permafrost, the tallest plants,
dwarf willow and alder, are rarely more
than a meter high (3 ft). Several varieties of
lichen and moss carpet the ground along
with species of wildflowers and berries.
The variety and number of wildflowers
in the Burnside valley is vast - numbering
more than 125 different common and
showy plants found along the river.
Photo: Robert Purney
WEATHER
Wolves are a marvel to view in the wild.
WILDLIFE
Musk oxen and caribou are the two most
commonly seen animals along the river.
The Bathurst caribou herd, which at times
numbers over 300,000 animals, crosses
the river on its way to and from its calving
grounds along the east side of Bathurst
Inlet. Huge numbers of caribou often
follow along the river in late June or early
July. Wolves, which follow the herd, may
be seen along the river and there are many
good den sites in the area. Musk oxen
can be seen along the length of the river,
appearing individually or in groups of 30
or more. Photographers can get quite
close, but should keep in mind that musk
oxen have been known to charge and
cause serious injury. Grizzly bears are also
seen along the river. Caution is advised in
this regard when hiking or camping. We
carry both bear spray and bear bangers as
deterrents. Although we have had many
bear sightings over the years, we have
never had a problem. Wolverines, foxes,
Arctic hares, Arctic ground squirrels and
several other small mammals can also be
seen here. In the Wilberforce Hills region
there are many birds of prey, notably
peregrine and gyrfalcon as well as golden
eagles and rough-legged hawks. These
magnificent birds make their nests on
the rocky cliffs along the river. Arctic char,
lake trout, arctic grayling and whitefish
are found in both the river and the lakes.
We try as much as possible to use “pinch”
or barbless hooks and carefully release
most of the fish we catch. Remember to
purchase your Nunavut fishing license
in Yellowknife before we leave.
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Your Trip
Whitewater adds spice to the hiking and wildlife viewing
The Burnside River - Caribou
Migration, Wildflowers and
Hiking
Itinerary
Day 0 YELLOWKNIFE
This is the first date listed for your trip.
Your journey north from your home will be
a refreshing departure. You will fly over the
largest expanse of wilderness in the world
with stunning views on cloudless days, pass
through quieter and friendlier airports,
and generally begin to immerse yourself
in the wilderness experience that is about
to unfold. This is the arrival day and is the
first day listed for your trip. Aim to arrive by
6 p.m. Please make your way to your hotel
Photo: Robert Purney
Trip Details
12 river days, from the outlet of
Kathawachaga Lake to the portage
at Burnside Canyon near Bathurst
Inlet, approximately 205 kilometres
(130 miles) with and elevation
drop of 385 meres (1,275 feet).
Cost: $10,900 + 5% GST
and later on that evening you will meet
your trip leader for an orientation meeting.
Day 1 TUNDRA FLIGHTS
8 a.m. - Meeting in the hotel lobby
after breakfast. Weather permitting,
we will fly immediately into the river.
After setting up camp and lunch, there
will be plenty of time for our first hike
in the surrounding hills to look at the
wildflowers and wildlife of the area.
Duration: 12 river days
Trip Type: Raft
Skill Level:
Raft: Beginner. The guides
navigate with oars & paddling
by participants is optional for
those who want more activity
Rendezvous Point:
Explorer Hotel, Yellowknife, NWT
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Your Trip
The Burnside River - Caribou Migration, Wildflowers and Hiking
Upcoming Trip Dates
Beauitful views abound.
DAY 2 KATHAWACHAGA
LAKE
We will inflate and load the rafts and
start down river. Shortly after leaving
Kathawachaga Lake we stop on the
small island of Nadlock, the site of an
old Inuit campsite. One of the few sites
of its kind in the Nunavut, it is believed
that the Inuit used caribou antlers and
hide to cover the stone tent rings that
are still standing. The island also has an
uncommon collection of nesting birds
- ring-billed gulls, arctic terns, redpoles,
yellow-billed loons, oldsquaws, red
necked phalaropes, Canada geese plus
many others. Camp will be made near
Bellanca Rapids. This rapid was named
after an aircraft that crashed near here in
the 1940’s – a Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker.
Day 3 HIKING
We will spend a day hiking and exploring
the hills around the rapids. It is common
to see musk oxen, caribou, and wolves as
there is an active wolf den in this area.
Day 4 & 5 PEREGRINES
& GYR FALCONS
Back on the river the current picks up as
we wind our way downstream through
the spectacular tundra landscape. The
birders of the group can look forward to
seeing both Peregrine and Gyrfalcons
nesting along with Golden Eagles and
countless ducks and water fowl. We also
keep a constant lookout for caribou, wolf,
grizzly and of course the musk oxen. The
landscape always lends itself to hiking,
whether it is on our once-a-day stop for
a short walk away from the river or from
Members of the Bathhurst Caribou Herd.
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Photo: Robert Purney
Photo: Robert Purney
June 19 - July 2, 2017
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Your Trip
The Burnside River - Caribou Migration, Wildflowers and Hiking
each campsite. This allows you plenty of
time to study the numerous wildflowers,
find and photograph a redpole’s nest
hidden in the grass, or just enjoy the view.
Day 6 FISHING CREEK
We take the day off to hike and explore
the tundra. We are camped at a small
unnamed river that flows into the Burnside
from the south that we call Fishing Creek.
As well as excellent hiking, it is one the
best fishing locations on the river.
Day 7 & 8 MARA RIVER
Arriving at the confluence of the Mara
River, we will spend a day here walking
up a local peak to admire the vastness
of the valley. Being above the tree line,
wood on the river is scarce to non-existent.
All our cooking is done over propane
stoves and we try to leave each camp
in the pristine state that we found it.
Day 9 & 10 BURNSIDE FALLS
From the confluence of the Mara to
Burnside Falls the river is squeezed
between the narrowing banks that rise
180 to 215 meters (600 - 700 feet.). The
river starts to speed up and we keep
a constant eye out for the musk oxen,
wolf or grizzly. We cross the Arctic Circle,
the earthly line above which the sun is
visible for twenty-four hours for at least
one day during the summer months.
Camp is made at Burnside Falls.
Day 11 BATHURST INLET
We will spend the day around Burnside
Falls. You will get a chance to wander
the tundra and hike the canyon to the
Burnside estuary. The river here is forced
through a narrow chasm of red and white
quartzite carving a four mile canyon as it
drops over the escarpment formed by the
Wilberforce Hills. It is an ideal place for
hiking, exploring, fishing or relaxing. Hikers
are rewarded with views of Bathurst Inlet.
Day 12 INUIT KOMATIK
The rendezvous with the Twin Otter for the
homeward charter is unique and exciting.
Two Inuit men cross Bathurst Inlet in a
boat and then travel overland by all terrain
vehicles to meet us. They tow a traditional
komatik (like a big sled) behind the ATV.
With this they haul our gear approx 2
kilometres to the top of a nearby esker.
Here it is possible to land a Twin Otter on
wheels. We follow on foot and explore the
region of the esker until the aircraft arrives.
Weather permitting we will be picked up
by our chartered “Twin Otter” and flown
back to Yellowknife, where we will gather
for a final dinner. Remember to book a
hotel room for this night, and plan your
flight no earlier than the next morning.
Suggested Reading
Your guides will carry a small
reference library that will include
field reference books. Following are
some books for winter reading:
A Naturalist’s Guide to the
Arctic by E.C.Pielou
Photo: Robert Purney
After the Ice Age – The Return of Life to
Glaciated North America by E.C. Pielou
Birders Paradise
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Your Trip
The Burnside River - Caribou Migration, Wildflowers and Hiking
Curious and cute fox kits at the mouth of their den.
Day 13 HOMEWARD BOUND
This is the last date listed for your trip.
After goodbyes and a last look around
Yellowknife, we will head for home with a
cargo of fond and spectacular memories.
Please note: The above is a tentative itinerary
and has been designed with much thought to
capitalize on the most scenic and exciting parts
of the river, while making time on other sections.
Photo: Robert Purney
Equipment list. Goretex is not a substitute for
rain gear on this trip. Lifejackets are supplied.
Meals and pre- and post-trip accommodation
in Yellowknife are your responsibility – the cost
is not included in the trip fee. We have attached
a list of Yellowknife hotels. Breakfast, lunch,
dinner and snacks are included from the Day
1 lunch until the final river meal. Any other
meals off the river are your responsibility.
Your guides will adjust the schedule to make
the best use of river and weather conditions.
Contact Us
Mailing address
PO Box 31203
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
Y1A 5P7
Toll-free 1-800-297-6927
p 1-867-668-3180
f 1-867-668-3056
Email [email protected]
Web www.nahanni.com
Please ensure that you have a warm winter
jacket (think 'Puffy') as well as waterproof rain
jacket and pants. We rent robust rain gear
and rubber boots - more on our 'Details &
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2017
Copyright Nahanni River Adventures 2016
www.nahanni.com