One Warm Line:
Coppermine River by Raft, from Rocknest Lake to the Arctic Ocean,
July 23rd to August 3rd, 2014
Fifteen intrepid souls embarked on an adventure to raft the wild Coppermine River through Canada's Northwest Territories and Nunavut to the Arctic Ocean. Here is our story set in historical context...
Day Ten, Friday, August 1st
We broke camp early and to same time made a light breakfast of coffee, hot chocolate and porridge. Everyone now seems to be counting the days to Kugluktuk, hoping to make the flight south on Sunday afternoon. There is some unease in all of this not knowing precisely where we are on the river.
Today again was a mix of paddling and motors. We continued to see scores of eagle soaring overhead. Still in molt, swans and geese on the water flapped frantically to gain distance from us. There are still some isolated stands of trees in the river valley but now the landscape is mostly rock, moss and shrubs. We made good time overall, though the weather was threatening rain throughout most of the day with periods of gusty winds.
Not knowing clearly where we were on the Coppermine now, it felt an especially long day as we motored and paddled into the evening. The river seemed endless. We began looking for camping spots. Options were very limited in this section of the river as the banks were steep and rocky with few if any relatively flat areas for the tents. We settled on a rather unsatisfactory spot on a high embankment in an area where a small stream had eroded a flattish bed of clay. Being rather tired, hungry, cold and damp, it would have to do. Clearly, this is the most inhospitable camping site of the trip so far.
This camping spot south of Sandstone Rapids and before Escape Rapids was definitely the most inconvenient, being high above the river bank and with little level ground. Lugging all the gear up this rocky, slippery slope was a chore.
The icy wind, drizzle and ragged overcast sky let us know we are truly in the arctic.
