July 13th: I Followed You Big River When You Called

July 13th, 2008; Day 36

Rocky Defile Rapids, The Coppermine River, Nunavut

Author: Beth

Well, we have spent the last week on the Coppermine River following its course as it descends towards the Arctic Ocean. The Coppermine is a river well known to those who travel in the Canadian Arctic -- one of the big names, and I feel a bit intimidated to try and do it justice with words. It is unlike any of the other rivers I have paddled up here. After Rocknest Lake, not far from the headwaters, there are no more lakes to interrupt the current, as the river flows steadily north, with only the pace of the current and the land around it changing.

The first couple of days on the river were filled with fun whitewater -- almost all of it runnable, with swift current in between. The banks of the river were rocky in places or lined with bright white sand bluffs, and the shore rushed past as we flew down river. The weather was very kind to us for the first few days, too: warm and sunny, not very common up here, and we had a few days that really felt like a typical summer vacation. Mid-week we reached a great milestone of our trip, crossing the Arctic Circle. At 66 deg. 30 min. north, it marks the latitude at which the sun stays up for 24 hours for at least one day each year. Coincidentally, just about the time we crossed the Circle, the clouds rolled in, the temperature dropped, and we were treated to a couple days of typical Arctic weather -- cold wind out of the north, spitting rain. This may sound miserable, and it could be if you let it, but bad weather tends to bring out the funniest in my trip mates (so we think). Our most recent strategy for staying warm is to practice our telemark ski turns (basically deep knee lunges) on our breaks. Nina and Emily teach Meg and me the technique as we laugh at ourselves tripping over rocky uneven shores.

The change in weather coincided with another change in the Coppermine, too. We began the 80 mile stretch of river with no rapids. There is still current, however, and it is still strong at times, but when the wind is in your face, it can be difficult to make headway. This stretch of river flows through a large river valley. The terrain feels at once both mountainous and expansive, with a wide valley surrounded by large rocky hills, sometimes forested and sometimes open tundra with occasional pockets of snow remaining. Often we felt like we could see the river going down hill and we were just sliding down with it. The bright reds and yellows of our clothing and canoes pop against the deep blues and greens of a landscape and the grey of the sky. We look very small and very bright, which I love for some reason.

Today we woke to sunny skies and yet another change in the Coppermine. The river banks closed in and the river picked up speed. We ran a few rapids this morning, then continued somewhat cautiously knowing that we were approaching a large rapid known as Rocky Defile. The river took a bend to the left and as we came around the corner, it looked like the earth had been picked up and cracked in half to allow the river through. Two hundred foot cliffs rose into the air on both sides of the rushing waters, a breathtaking thing to see. We decided to portage the rapid -- the waves in the canyon were huge. On the portage trail is a monument to two canoeists who drowned in this rapid in the early 1970s. It was a powerful experience to stand and look at the gorge, the incredible rapid, and the monument overlooking it. A mixture of awe and sadness filled me. But I felt at the same time acutely alive and so fortunate to be able to be standing exactly where I was, taking it all in.

Tonight we are camped at a small sandy beach below the rapid and tomorrow we will turn off the Coppermine to go up the Kendall River. I am a little sad to be leaving this big river. The rest of the Coppermine between here and the ocean is supposed to be incredible too, but there are other rivers to explore; always more rivers to explore.