Elk River

Day 3:

Exquiste white, sandy beaches will front our campsites that are ideal for swimming.

Day 4:

The eskers along the Elk River are the most prominent topographical features in the region.

Day 5:

The scenery and vegetation along our route is varied and beautiful.

Day 6:

The landscape is hilly, dominated by eskers and keeps changing every day so that it's anything but repetitive.

Day 7:

And the water in the Elk River is crystal-clear, as pure as any water on Earth. There's nothing within hundreds of miles to pollute it.

Day 8:

The Elk is a small to medium-sized river on the Canadian Shield with scattered small lakes and river sections between these lakes. There's plenty of river paddling on this trip with about four dozen short, and short shallow, rapids.

Day 9:

These are all class 1 and 2 rapids except the five or six we'll portage. This is not a technical river but whitewater experience will be an asset. Good flat-water canoeing skills are a prerequisite for this river.

Day 10:

Although the Elk lies on the tundra well north of the treeline (edge of the forest), there are clumps and stands of spruce along its entire length. Spruce are most numerous in sandy areas, especially along the eskers, where they can reach three feet in diameter and be close to 1,000 years in age.

Day 11:

By the dates of this trip, it’s starting to get dark around 10 pm. And with the darkness may come some good displays of northern lights.

Day 12:

Our float plane arrives around noon to take us back to Yellowknife. We say goodbye to the Elk River and some of the largest and most beautiful eskers in the Barren Lands. Back in Yellowknife, we meet up for a farewell dinner and cold beers (after hot showers)!