Picture
Captions - Top left to bottom right
Inukshuks
line the ridges along the countryside at the Thelon Bluffs.
This area is very rich in ancient artifacts. It is obvious
that at one time the region was frequently populated by
aboriginals.
The
grave marker of Edgar Christian who starved to death in
a small cabin on the banks of the Thelon during the winter
of 1925. Eccentric English explorer John Hornby led the
expedition which ended in tragedy for the three adventurers
that tried to overwinter in this rugged land. The remains of
this cabin provided the solution to one of the north's most
intriguing mysteries.
A
young Rough Legged Hawk on the nest. The cliffs along
the Thelon are popular nesting sites for birds of prey.
Every day we'd see a variety of hawks and falcons as well as
the occasional eagle.
There
are lots of rapids encountered on the river, but none
required portaging. It was a treat to travel 500 Km of river
and not have to carry the canoes once.
Various
stone tools including arrow points and spear heads
littered the ground at one of the chipping stations along
the river. The boys were intrigued with the process of
flaking stone and would spend idle time at campsites
attempting to make tools.
Twenty
four hour daylight was a concern, so we brought some eye
covers to shut out some of the brightness. Most often
though. we were so tired that it wasn't hard to fall
asleep.
The
arctic is known for strong winds and we took advantage
of the wind on some days to let the kids fly kites.
-back-
|