The ancient Firth River winds across a vast glacial refugia ringed with dramatic mountain peaks and rugged expanses of tundra flowing northward to the Beaufort Sea. Yet for all of its inherent beauty, the Firth's greater value is as the sole means of access to the isolated summer home for 150,000 caribou of the West Porcupine herd. Migrating in small bands, the caribou congregate in coastal calving grounds before moving in huge herds across the Firth River.
Firth River Arctic Expedition Photo Gallery
Find out what past participants have said about this trip on the ROAM blog.
Day 0
Upon arrival please check in at our base, the Nova Inn. At 8:00 PM you will meet with your guides in the hotel lobby, go over any last-minute details, and prepare for the next day’s departure for the river. Overnight Inuvik.
Day 1
Those arriving in Inuvik today will be met at the airport and transferred to our chartered aircraft, joining our guests who arrived the night prior. It is a 190-mile flight into the headwaters of the Firth. The plane’s large tundra wheels enable us to land on a remote gravel bar in the foothills of the Brooks Range. We’ll go through the camping procedures and then enjoy the first of many delightful meals in the wilderness. We will spend the day exploring the foothills, fishing for char, or you can just relax with your camera.
Days 2 - 6
After breakfast and a thorough safety orientation, we will head downriver, drifting silently and scanning the landscape for caribou. Soon after, we pass Joe Creek and the hills begin to close as we approach the British Mountains. The pace quickens and we run our first major rapids, culminating with Fisher Rapid. The unglaciated, cone-shaped mountains provide fantastic hiking and a dramatic backdrop for our camp. On the fourth day sheer canyon walls begin to rise out of the river as we float past curious Dall sheep. We will run a series of Class III and IV rapids and perhaps hike at Sheep Creek. Camp will be set on one of the many gravel beaches deep in this incised canyon. This portion of the trip holds the largest and longest rapids of the trip, and we become engulfed by canyon walls that are hundreds of feet high. We will call our camp tonight Grizzly Camp, as on all our previous trips we have seen grizzlies in this segment of river. Hiking high above the river we get a delightful view of the Arctic Ocean.
Day 7 - 8
After breaking camp we are swept by the river out of the canyons and onto the vast North Slope. Here we pass through the summer aggregation grounds of the Porcupine caribou herd. The energy of the Firth is finally lost as it begins to dissipate into a number of channels across the coastal plain in a wide braided delta. We may camp on the riverbank adjacent to the Knoll, a 200-meter bump on the coastal plain. Hiking to its summit we can view the Arctic Ocean and its icebergs, and search for caribou, barrenland grizzlies, and wolves.
Day 9
- 10
The ninth day will take us through the braided delta. Generally this is a leisurely affair, with plenty of time to gaze at sandhill cranes flying overhead and ground squirrels chattering from the riverbank. On occasion, water levels may necessitate a short haul of the boats. The coastal plain is a 15-20 kilometer stretch of tundra that gently rises from the Beaufort to the foothills of the British Mountains. This mosaic of wet tundra, ponds, lakes, and river deltas is one of the most important wildlife habitats in the park. The coastal plain continues west into coastal Alaska and is considered to be the “Serengeti of the North” because of the caribou and prolific birdlife. Drifting further west down the Noatuk Spit, we will set up camp on the shores of the ocean. We will spend the balance of day exploring the beach and watching for friendly seals and Beluga whales. Fragmented pieces of the polar ice cap provide stunning photographic opportunities.
Day 11
After breaking camp and packing our gear, our plane arrives to transfer us back to Inuvik where we will check into our hotel. We will regroup for a farewell dinner and reflect on the Firth and its extraordinary wilderness, having just completed the most remote river trip in North America, Canada’s ultimate river adventure. Overnight in Inuvik.
Day 12
Depart for home at your leisure.
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