Horton River; Canoeing in Canada, NWT: Canadian River Expeditions

By Northwest Territories standards, a canoeing trip on the Horton River is as remote a river trip as one is likely to afford and enjoy in North America. Even the Inuit of Paulatuk, the nearest community, rarely travel this far.

Three outstanding features characterize the Horton River: the wildlife (caribou, muskoxen, wolves, grizzly and various birds, including falcons and hawks in abundance), the scenery (rolling tundra, a steep canyon valley and the Smoking Hills on the coastline), and the clear, swift-flowing waters that are generally easy to navigate.

Sparse stands of trees are located along the Horton’s river banks for the first 200 km downstream of Horton Lake. While the trees virtually disappear as one heads farther north towards the ocean, plenty of driftwood can be found to build campfires.

Fishing is generally very good along most of the river route during the latter part of July, when the floodwaters dissipate and the river turns clearer. When fishing is good, lake trout and grayling are the species commonly caught. There is an Arctic char run that occurs later in the summer months.

History
Five Inuit archaeological sites exist in the Horton/Anderson River region, including two Thule winter houses near the Cape Parry DEW Line station (source: Parks Canada). Two others are reported to be located at Tom Cod Bay (Parks Canada) and another at Cape Bathurst (Milton Freeman Research Ltd.). The earliest of these dates back to about 1350 AD. However, human habitation is likely to have come much earlier, with the Paleo-Eskimo migration from Alaska and Siberia during the period 2500 to 2000 BC, followed by the pre-Dorset culture, which existed between 1700 and 900 BC, and the Dorset culture which appeared around 500 BC. The Dorset people are renowned for artistic ivory carvings of animals, human figurines and masks. If we discover artifacts en route, we will leave them undisturbed and report the details to the Prince of Wales Museum in Yellowknife. Most of the Horton River archaeological sites were inhabited by Thule cultures, which migrated into the Canadian Arctic from Alaska during the period 1100 to 1400 AD. The Thule people were very advanced in their ability to adapt to the harsh Arctic conditions. They were skilled at building skin boats such as the umiak and the kayak. They travelled by dog team, used bows and arrows to hunt, and wore goggles to guard against snow blindness.

Today, descendants of the Thule culture, the Karngmalit (Mackenzie) Inuit, live in the community of Paulatuk, which is located about 100 km due east of the Horton River on the coast. The name Paulatuk means coal or soot in Inuktitut. Coal is common to the area and was once used for heating purposes. The Karngmalik took up an active trade with the whalers of the 19th century, but suffered considerably as a result of the alcohol and disease that were brought in with the ships. The original community was established in the 1920s at Letty Harbour and subsequently moved to the present-day site in 1935, when the Roman Catholic mission established a trading post there. In contrast, little is known about very early North American Indian habitation in the Horton River area. Among the first to venture into the Horton River region were the Hareskin Indians, whose descendants today reside at the community of Colville Lake (pop. 750), which is the Northwest Territories only all-log-cabin community. There were approximately 1000 Hareskin Indians spread out among seven bands when the first Europeans arrived in the area.

Captain Robert McClure, one of several expedition leaders sent out to search for the lost Franklin expedition in 1850, was among the first Europeans to explore the coastline of the Horton River area. In September of that year he sent out a search party to investigate what appeared to be a smoldering fire in what is now Franklin Bay. The party arrived to find not flames from campfires, but what they described as thick columns of smoke emerging from vents in the ground, and a smell of sulphur so strong that we could not approach the smoke-pillar nearer than 10 to 15 feet. The investigating party returned to the ship with samples of the smoldering, sulphurous rock, and when they set it down on McClure's desk, it burned a hole in it.

The naturalist explorer Roderick MacFarlane was among the first Europeans to explore the interior of the Horton /Anderson River area, although he made it only as far as the Anderson River. It was upon his recommendation that the Hudson's Bay Company established a post at Fort Anderson (named after James Anderson, the man who supervised the Mackenzie District for the Hudson's Bay Company), approximately 50 km downstream of the forks on the Anderson River. MacFarlane remained in charge there from 1861 to 1865, during which time he collected nearly 5000 scientific specimens of birds and eggs. The fort was eventually closed down after an epidemic of scarlet fever decimated the local Inuit population. Between 1908 and 1912 the famous Canadian explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson explored the Horton River valley more extensively and documented his findings in a book entitled My Life with the Eskimo (1913). Stefansson was fabulously successful in his explorations, a fact he attributed to his taking up the ways of the native people.

Paulatuk remains as the only permanent settlement in the Horton River vicinity. However, because of its location it remains relatively remote and, in the absence of industrial activities, many of its residents still depend on hunting and trapping for a living.

Geographic Highlights of the Horton River
Much of the Horton River lies within the Northern Interior Plain region of the Mackenzie Lowlands. It is generally low, hilly topography marked by numerous lakes and streams. The Horton Lake district is characterized by highly calcerous loamy and sandy till and a moderate to low relief. Limited glacial till found on the Bathurst Peninsula and in the interfleuve areas would suggest the region escaped late Wisconsin glaciation (Parks Canada).

Interior plateau and plains lie on the western extremity of the Precambrian Shield and have developed from sedimentary rock deposited on the top of the Canadian Shield. Again, the area is characterized by various lakes and streams. One exception is the extensive area of badlands which occurs on the lower end of the Horton River. Here deeply dissected Mesozoic rocks are exposed on the steep slopes. This area is largely devoid of any vegetation, giving the area a forlorn and desolate appearance.

Vast deposits of lignite, a rock which spontaneously combusts when exposed to oxygen, dominates the coastal region east of the Horton River. This area is known as the Smoking Hills. Constant wind erosion of the slopes tends to maintain the combustive activities.

About 150 years ago the Horton River was shortened by about 150 km when a channel was eroded on the east banks in the vicinity closest to the ocean. The river now spills almost directly into the ocean, rather than through the more delta-like maze which is common to other rivers on the Arctic coastline.

Flora and Fauna
Since the growing season is far too short for propagation, most of the vegetation found in the Horton River valley is of the perennial type. Vegetation communities include sedge tundra, which includes willows, cottongrass and labrador tea; shrub tundra, such as dwarf birch, alder, labrador tea, lapland rosebay and Arctic white heather, with a scattering of trees like birch and willow; forest tundra transition, where plant species from both areas intermingle; and open forest, which is dominated by spruce in a ground cover of lichens. Trees in this area are generally under 7 m and widely spaced. The dominant shrub species of this area include willow and alder, which grow in dense stands along stream and creek valleys.

The Horton River is one of the those rare rivers which offers everything, including spectacular scenery, a swift, clear river and tremendous wildlife viewing opportunities. Numerous birds can be observed, especially in June and early July. These include oldsquaw ducks, Arctic and common loon, ptarmigan, peregrine and gyrfalcons, bald and golden eagles, black brant, scoters, mergansers and scaup. Shorebirds include various plovers, yellowlegs and godwits, to name but a few.

Thousands of caribou are likely to be sighted throughout a journey on the Horton, especially in the area of the coastline, where the spectacular post-calving groupings tend to feed in July and August. The timing of the migration varies from year to year, but it is almost certain that caribou will be seen on this river trip. The animals located along the Horton River are part of the Bluenose herd, whose population is estimated to be in the range of 50,000 animals. We observed one group which numbered between 4000 and 6000.

There is a sizeable population of muskoxen in the Horton River area. The river is approximately the western boundary of the Northwest Territories current mainland muskoxen habitat. (Other populations occur further east, but in the islands of the Arctic archipelago.)

The Horton River is prime grizzly bear habitat. The bears here are slightly smaller (males average around 200 kg) than the bears of the west coast of Canada and Alaska, although they are just as dangerous. We frequently saw signs of bear, but observed only two throughout the trip. (Other parties consulted observed between four and eight bears.)

A number of wolf packs work the Horton River Valley, many which follow the caribou migration. Marten, foxes and various rodents are also common to the area. Fish are plentiful along most of the river route, although they may be difficult to catch in the early spring when the floodwaters make the river murky. This is especially the case as one heads towards the coastline. Arctic grayling and lake trout are the two most common species caught, although there is a char run in the summer for a short period.

Weather and Climate
Occasional snow squalls, freezing rain and thunderstorms which may occur in the summer months suggest otherwise, but the Horton River is located in two semi-arid climatic zones. The Horton Lake region is situated in an area known as the continental sub Arctic climate of the interior, where the mean summer temperature ranges from 6.7-12.7 C. The interior and coastal regions of the Horton River experience the Arctic coastal plain climate, where the mean temperature in summer months ranges from 3.1-5.2 C.

Tips for Traveling on the Horton River

When selecting your clothing for your Horton River trip, keep in mind the following principals to stay warm and dry:

Layering
Layering your clothing is an effective way to stay warm, as the layers trap the air between them and this acts as an insulator. Adjusting the number of layers allows you to regulate your temperature depending on your activity level. There are 3 main layers: "Wicking" which is the layer next to your skin; "Insulating" which is the main warmth layer(s); and, "Protective" which is the outside layer that protects you from wind, rain, and other elements.

Keeping Dry
Wetness increases the loss of body heat through evaporative cooling so it's important to stay as dry as possible. Some clothing repels water, and therefore, stays dry (i.e. synthetics such as polypropylene, polyester, capilene, and natural fibres such as wool and silk). These materials make great expedition clothing. Be wary of cotton and down because they are absorbent and stay wet. Also, avoid over dressing as it can cause excess perspiration and therefore wetness and loss of body heat.

Mosquito Protection
Although the arctic tundra is beautiful it can at times be populated with mosquitoes. Breezes tend to keep these pesky critters at bay however past guests have found they have been most comfortable with a bug jacket.

The Polar Sea in the years 1825 - 1826 - 1827 By J.S. Franklin This is the report of the 2nd Franklin Expedition Reprinted by Hurtig Publishers 1971 (Edmonton AB) I.S.B.N. 0-888-30-346-8

Reading List

Your guides will carry a small reference library that will include field reference books. Following are some books for winter reading

After the Ice Age - The Return of Life to Glaciated North America by E.C. Pielou. This book may be ordered from us.
The Polar Sea in the Years 1825-1826-1827 by J.S. Franklin. This is the report of the 2nd Franklin Expedition. Reprinted by Hurtig Publishers 1971 (Edmonton AB). ISBN 0-888-30-346-8.
A Naturalists Guide to the Arctic, by E.C. Pielou. The University of Chicago Press. This book may be ordered from us.
Barrenland Beauties. Showy Plants of the Arctic Coast Page Burt. Outcrop, Yellowknife, NWT., 1991.

Nahanni River Adventures, Nahanni offers exceptional expeditions by raft and canoe on the great rivers from Alaska to Nunavut including: South Nahanni River, Tatshenshini River, Alsek River, Firth River, Snake River, Wind River, Stikine River, Burnside River, Coppermine River, Horton River, Mountain River, Yukon River, Taku River, Gataga River and Sea Kayaking and whale watching at Point Adolphus, Alaska, over-looking Glacier Bay National Park.

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Nahanni River Adventures operates in Alaska (United States of America), Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and British Columbia (Canada).

Nahanni.com is the online presence of the company, Nahanni River Adventures Ltd.

Nahanni River Adventures works with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society to ensure the environmental integrity of our wild places.

Neil Hartling, founder of Nahanni River Adventures, is also the author of: Nahanni, River of Gold...River of Dreams. Alaska to Nunavut - The Great Rivers. Nahanni River Guide. These books may all be purchased through Nahanni.com.

Common misspellings of the name are Nahani, Nahannie, Nahanie, Nahoni, Nahonni.
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