Back
River
Nunavut
George Drought
at
(705) 788-0059 or
THE BACK RIVER
| Since the year 2000 Barbara and I have been trying to reach the Estuary of the Back River. That first year we were able to travel 800 km but were slowed up considerably in the last 3 weeks by one of our party breaking her wrist and not being able to paddle effectively. Especially when we encountered the numerous rapids that are a part of the Back River. At each rapid she would have to walk down while someone who had already paddled the rapid would have to return to run it with her paddling partner. Very time consuming when rapids are 3km long. We made another attempt in 2003. We flew from Baker Lake into the headwaters of the Meadowbank River. We paddled for a couple of days only to be held up by ice for about 5 days. If that wasn't enough - being delayed that long - when we arrived at Mount Meadowbank on the Back River, I prolapsed a disk. I was still able to paddle but our speed was slowed. We knew that we could only be picked up by a plane on Tundra Tires and not floats. This left us with two options. Destination the Hermann River or the Hayes River. The Hermann was 150 km closer so it became our pickup point. 2005, we thought, would finally complete it for the two of us, but we were foiled by the fickle finger of fate, 3 days and 30 km from Chantrey Inlet.The canoeing was great, 150 km to paddle in three weeks, giving us lots of time to scout, hike and explore. We started at the Hermann River and spent a really enjoyable two or three days there. We had to do a fairly lengthy portage to the Back River as the Hermann was not only shallow but very ledgy and rocky. On leaving the Hermann River the paddling was relaxed and easy. In addition we had time to enjoy as we had three weeks to cover a mere 150 km. The only detrimental part was that we did not have great weather. It was cloudy and cool most of the time. Rapids were carried or negotiated and six days before the end of the trip we encountered an enormous herd of Caribou grazing peacefully in a valley. It was the next day that the accident happened. A stove tank exploded while we were cooking breakfast. Barbara and myself were burned severly and Jim had one hand burned. The large Eureka Tunnel Vision Tent was destroyed. But because their tents are made of flame retardent material it did not burn and we were saved from far more serious injury. We had a satellite phone with us and were able to explain our situation to the RCMP in Baker Lake and that afternoon some 6 hours later a helicopter picked Barbara and myself up and evacuated us to Baker Lake. We were only 30 km from Hayes River which was to be our pick up point close to the mouth of the Back River. |
 Muskox near camp on Hermann River |
 Looking Downstream on Hermann |
 Canyon on Hermann River |
 Wolf on the Back River |
 Whirlpool Rapids from Mt. McKay |
 Muskox on Back River |
 Camp near foot of Franklin Lake |
 Fishing at bottom of Franklin Falls |
 A sea of Caribou on the Back River |