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Return to River Trips |
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Burnside River Rafting Adventure |
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Rafting Trip Northwest Territory , Burnsdie River Raft Trip, Canada Guided Rafting Adventure, Yellowknife Rafting Tour |
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 Burnside River Rafting Adventure
The Burnside river valley, rich in wildlife, flows totally north of the arctic circle and is complete barrenlands as it makes its way through steep-walled canyons and thrilling rapids to the Arctic Ocean. See caribou, muskox, grizzly and wolves as well as rough-legged hawks, golden eagles and gyrfalcons. Hike through rolling tundra, cross the Arctic Circle and experience an isolated wilderness gem. Be among the few to visit this incredible tundra river. The landscape is dramatic with rolling tundra punctuated by narrow canyons, waterfalls and sandy beaches. Good hiking opportunities are frequent and wildlife is plentiful. Musk oxen and caribou are the two most commonly seen animals along the river. The Bathurst caribou herd, which numbers over 300,000 animals, crosses the river on its way to and from its calving grounds along the east side of Bathurst Inlet around the Elise River. 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 denning sites in the area.
Burnside River Rafting - Route Description
High Arctic Tundra River - From the outlet of Kathawachaga Lake to the portage at Burnside Canyon near Bathurst Inlet, approximately 205 km (130 mi) with an elevation drop of 385 (1275 ft)
Geography
The Burnside originates at Contwoyto Lake. It then flows across the Contwoyto Plateau which rises out of the Precambrian Shield. This plateau has an average elevation of 460 metres (1500 feet) and is characterized by granite boulder till mixed with sand. Eskers are very common features on this rolling landscape. The hills above the river valley provide impressive views of the surrounding countryside. Near the ocean, the Burnside enters the Wilberforce Hills region, characterized by deep river valleys, spectacular cliffs and canyons. This is especially evident along the final few kilometres of the river.
Weather
One of the most important factors influencing any rafting trip is the weather. Nowhere is this more true than on the barren lands. 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 causing poor travelling conditions.
Be prepared for a wide range of weather conditions. The weather on the tundra can present us with a never ending challenge. Summer weather in the area may vary from intense, round-the-clock hot sun to foggy windy cool days, enhanced further by rain, sleet and even snow. The mean daily maximum temperature during the summer months is approximately 15oC (60F), but temperatures ranging into the 20's (80F) or down to 0oC (32F) and below may occur at any time. Precipitation is light - less than 250mm/yr (10 inches) -with much of this falling as rain during the spring and summer.
Burnside River Rafting - Itinerary:
Yellowknife - Put-in
You should plan to arrive in Yellowknife, NWT for a pre - trip orientation meeting which will be held in the evening. The following day enjoy the flight to our put-in. After setting up camp you have time to for a first hike in the surrounding hills to look at wild flowers and wildlife of the area.
Kathawachaga Lake - Nadlock
After inflating the rafts we start rafting down the river and leave Kathawachaga Lake. We take a break on the small island of Nadlock, meaning "the crossing place of the deer." The site was established by the Caribou Inuit 500 years ago. Inuit used the caribou antlers and hide to cover the stone tent rings that still have a prominent place on the site. 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. Our first rapids, Bellanca Rapids have a great fishing hole as a reward. This rapid was named after an aircraft that crashed near here in the 1940's.
Nadlock - Mara River
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 musk oxen. Upstream of the Mara confluence is a great spot for a hike up a 1000' ridge. This allows you plenty of time to study the numerous wild flowers, find and photograph a redpole's nest hidden in the grass, or just enjoy the view. Fishing Creek is one the best fishing locations on the river.
Mara River - 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 ft.) off the water. The river starts to speed up and we keep a constant eye out for 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. 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.
Burnside Canyon / Bathurst Inlet
The rendezvous with the Twin Otter for the homeward charter to Yellowknife is unique and exciting. Two Inuit men cross Bathurst Inlet in a boat and then travel overland by an all terrain vehicle to meet us. They tow a traditional komatik (like a big sled) behind the ATV. With this they haul our gear approx 2 km 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.
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Burnside River
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