An expedition down the Firth River offers you a spectacular, educational, and challenging Arctic wilderness adventure. The opportunity to view wildlife, as well as experience the natural and cultural features of the region add to the uniqueness and excitement of the trip.
The Firth is an extremely remote and isolated region. To ensure the park remains wild there are no roads or even trails. Air access is controlled and regulated by permits. Fewer than 100 people visit the park each year, leaving the land almost entirely to its natural inhabitants. There are no settlements in the park. However, traditional subsistence hunting is still carried out seasonally by local Inuvialuit and Loucheux native peoples. The interior of the park is dominated by the British Mountains, which rise to over 1800 meters along the Yukon-Alaska boundary. The Malcolm, Babbage, and Firth rivers traverse down this range northward to the Beaufort Sea. Since the National Geographic Society first descended the Firth in 1981, very little visitation has occurred. Excluding the first day, we will generally average about 3-4 hours on the water, although this can fluctuate depending on weather and activities en route. The Firth is a relatively small volume river wending its way gracefully towards the coast. The river features many lively Class III and small Class IV rapids with technical obstacles such as ledges and chutes. Utilizing the rafts as vehicles of access allows us to cover reasonable amounts of ground by river and select the best hiking regions for our base camps.
We will camp on sunbathed gravel bars, grassy meadows, and sandy beaches. Our pace will be leisurely with the focus on land-based exploration. The Firth corridor features barren mountain slopes and ridges that are accessible from our riverside camps. Easily gained ridges afford excellent views of the river valley and British Mountains. The higher ridges and those further downstream offer views of the Beaufort coast and Herschel Island. At this latitude, above the Arctic Circle, the sun does not set in the summer months and allows us endless opportunities for hikes, photography, and fishing.
Firth River Arctic Expedition Photo Gallery
Find out what past participants have said about this trip on the ROAM blog.
About the Park
Ivvavik National Park is a 10,170 square kilometer wilderness area tucked away in the most northwestern corner of Canada, 950 kilometers north of Whitehorse. Established in 1984 with the signing of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement, it is the first national park to arise from the settlement of comprehensive native land claims.
The park has a unique character. It is based upon a conservation and preservation principle that will preserve this arctic wilderness, but which will also help maintain the traditional lifestyles of the aboriginal peoples of the region. In dedicating the park, the Inuvialuit (meaning people) hoped to ensure the maintenance of aboriginal lifestyles and to express the native peoples’ desire to share their natural and cultural heritage with the rest of Canada.
The Terrain
Ivvavik National Park is thought to be one of the least changed landscapes in Canada. The area remained almost entirely unglaciated during the last major ice age, unlike the rest of Canada, which was scoured by great sheets of ice. The ancient landscapes of the park, which has been vegetated continuously for almost 60 million years, provide scientists a rare opportunity to study Canadian terrain shaped almost exclusively by wind, water, and frost.
These climatic forces have smoothed the British Mountains, giving the landscape an almost surreal quality. The softly sculptured, gentle slopes and ancient, symmetrical valleys have changed with monumental slowness. Instead of landscapes like cirques and U-shaped valleys or upland moraines so common elsewhere, the British Mountains show the results of uninterrupted river-related landscape forming processes. Such forces feature V-shaped valleys, inselbergs, and pediments, gently sloping land surfaces, cut in bedrock and covered in thin layers of alluvial sediments. This region also displays exceptional permafrost phenomena, which have evolved through millions of years of weathering, mass movement, and fluvial processes.
The River
The Firth River flows northeast from Alaska through the British Mountains and coastal plain of the Northern Yukon and drains into the Beaufort Sea southwest of Herschel Island. The entire watershed of the Firth is contained in the boundaries of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska and Ivvavik National Park in Canada. Together these organizations protect this wilderness and ensure the long-term preservation of the natural and cultural resources of the region. The Firth River is likely the oldest river in Canada and definitely one of the wildest. Bisecting this incredible national park, it is the summer home for 150,000 caribou of the west Porcupine herd. Migrating in small bands from their southern wintering grounds, the caribou congregate in coastal calving grounds before moving in huge herds across the Firth River. By special permit and in the company of professional guides, participants may witness this amazing spectacle.
Cultural Notes
Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of Native occupation dating back thousands of years. The Inuit based their economy around the marine resources of the Beaufort Sea and would venture inland to hunt caribou and moose and to fish for char. The most significant site for the early records of man in the Arctic came from Engigstiak, a bedrock knob rising almost 200 meters above the coastal plain. This site, which we will hike to, has been a look-out post, butchering spot, and rest site for prehistoric hunters for at least 3,000 years. Remains have been found there of animals which have been extinct for 10,000 years. Two active mineral licks on the northwest side of the outcrop are still used extensively by caribou.
Signs of occupation are visible throughout the river corridor, in the form of tent rings, rock shelters, stone houses, remains of meat caches, and portions of stone fences that were used as guides to drive the caribou to a designated kill site. Like the natives, non-native activity has focused on the more easily traveled coast. From Sir John Franklin’s first traverse of the area in 1826 through to the whalers of the turn of the century to the military’s present interest in sites for the North Warning radar stations, the coast has been witness to change.
Professional Guide Services
Our river guides are as impressive as the scenery and passionate about their work. Seasoned professionals, they are delighted to pass on their knowledge and skills. As university and college graduates, they have strong backgrounds in natural history, geology, and anthropology. They also have knowledge of the local region and its folklore. Part chef, part naturalist, trained in wilderness first aid, and professionally certified, our leaders are eager to please and will ensure you have a memorable experience.
Equipment
We utilize state-of-the-art self-bailing rafts. The rafts have been designed with center mount oar rigs and allow participants to just soak up the views. For those unfamiliar with self-bailing boats, the benefits are revolutionary. As water enters the boat, it collects on the inflated floor then drains out through grommet holes along each side.
Weather
Weather in the Firth River valley in the early summer is generally sunny and warm with temperatures ranging from 40 to 85 degrees F. This is a semi-arid area with less than 10 inches of annual precipitation. Participants should be prepared for varying weather conditions in the mountains and along the coast, which may include snow showers and high winds in extreme cases. On this trip you are high above the Arctic Circle and will be in perpetual daylight.
Wildlife and Flora
This part of the country is probably the most productive wildlife area in Canada’s Arctic. Within the northern tree-line zone, stunted white spruce and dwarf poplar of the boreal forest melt into the vast expanse of the arctic tundra. With this variety of geoclimatic zones come the associated wilderness icons such as barrenland grizzly, wolf, the most northerly Dall sheep population, and arctic fox. Musk ox, once eliminated from the North Slope, are slowly re-establishing themselves following a re-introduction of the species. The Porcupine caribou herd, one of the world’s largest at over 150,000 animals, is the park’s most prominent wildlife feature.
Several species of raptors can be found along the Firth River corridor including golden eagle, gyrfalcon, peregrine falcon, and rough-legged hawk. Along the arctic coast, where the shoreline is splashed by the Beaufort Sea, hundreds of thousands of snow geese and whistling swans gather in the lagoon estuaries and barrier islands to molt and fatten for their autumn migration to the southern US.
The conjunction of three regions within the Firth Valley presents an exceptional example of vegetation diversity in an arctic environment. The majority of the park is treeless arctic tundra composed mainly of sedges and low-growing shrubs such as willow, dwarf birch, Labrador tea, and cranberry. However, with increasing elevation, the arctic tundra grades into alpine tundra of scattered patches of mountain avens, saxifrages, alpine bearberry, and crustose lichens. Taiga is found on the valley floors of the Firth in sections, which are protected from the Arctic Ocean.
Insects
The mosquito population is at its peak during June and July. The insects do not affect us at all while on the river. However, on windless days, participants can be harassed while in camp or hiking. Although our past expeditions have not found bugs to be a major factor, guests will be provided with bug jackets.
Fishing
The Firth River is an important habitat for both anadromous and freshwater fish. The Firth supports more char than all the other northern Yukon drainages combined. Both the Firth and Babbage Rivers are prime over-wintering, spawning, and feeding areas for arctic char and arctic grayling. Other common species of the coastal waters are least and arctic cisco.
Personal Preparation
No previous experience is required. Your guides will teach any would-be paddlers the basics and give you an orientation to safe rafting practices on the first day. Over the period of the trip you will refine your technique and begin to feel like a seasoned paddler. If you are already an accomplished rafter, the Firth is a trip you do not want to miss.
In camp, participants should be prepared to share the tasks of group living in an outdoor environment. Wilderness river rafting has generated widespread interest because of its accessibility to people of all ages. The raft is the ultimate vehicle to discover the Firth’s untouched wilderness. To date almost all of the Firth River explorations have used rafts as the primary mode of transportation. Its simplicity is a welcome reprieve for the bad backs and knees of trekkers, and opens up a new paddling realm to canoeists. Our program allows participants to set personal limits and challenge themselves at their own desired level. Regular exercise before any outdoor experience will add to your level of enjoyment. However, a positive spirit of adventure is essential.
Ecological Sentiment
We are committed to the preservation of Canada’s wilderness habitat. Our excursions are designed to promote an understanding of the delicate ecosystems that make our province unique while preserving their fundamental integrity. We ask participants to share our concern for the environment by practicing low impact touring in this sensitive area. R.O.A.M. operates on a “no trace” policy meaning we travel in a self-contained manner, carrying in what we require and carrying out all garbage and human waste. We believe the survival of the natural environment and the wildlife it supports depends on establishing an economy beyond simple resource harvesting. Our goal is to immerse our clients in Canada’s vast natural beauty that, in turn, supports eco-tourism as a viable, economic choice.
Safety and Personal Responsibility
Expedition rafting, like everything else, is a very safe and enjoyable sport if done properly and professionally. Safety is our utmost concern and a satellite phone will be carried in case of any emergencies. It is important however, that each expedition member realize that there are inherent risks involved in river rafting, as there are in many other outdoor activities. Individuals must be responsible for their own actions and accountable for their own decisions. To acknowledge this assumption of risk, each expedition member is required to read, understand and sign an acknowledgement of risk and release form. We will provide you with all the information you require to make your decision about joining us or taking part in any specific activity. We will support any decision made by expedition members to opt out of any activity that they are concerned about or feel is beyond their capabilities.
Registration
Due to the small group size and limited departure dates, we encourage participants to book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. In order to confirm your space on the trip, we only require a $500 non-refundable deposit. Upon receipt of the deposit, we will send you a letter of confirmation, pre departure information, equipment list, medical questionnaire and a release form. The latter two items should be returned to our office with the balance of payment due 90 days prior to departure. All payments are non refundable so we recommend purchasing trip cancellation insurance at the time of deposit.
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