Day 16 - July 19
Mostly overcast, 15C

We wait for the rain to stop in the morning, then pack up our gear. In retrospect, it would have been better to have set up the tents on top of Lookout Point, but we weren't expecting to spend the second day there. There's a hint of sunshine to the north of us, but heavy clouds cover the sky directly above.

There's a very strong wind coming from the east and the steep banks of the river are channeling the wind right into our faces. When the strong current going downstream meets the strong wind going upstream, it creates very tall, steep waves. Most of the river couldn't be paddled in an open canoe - the waves would crest and swamp a boat without a spray skirt. However, right at the eddy line near shore, the waves abate enough to allow us passage. Even though we're riding at the edge of the current, often close enough to shore to touch it with a paddle, the current is still strong enough to overpower the wind and still keep us moving downstream at a good clip. Half a canoe length away to our left, there are white caps at least three feet tall, yet we travel in relative calm. Every now and then, we're forced to go through some of the waves and it's a wild ride.

We stop to rest occasionally and find various stone projectile points at almost every stop. This area seems to have been used frequently in the past. One of last places we stop is very rich in archeological remains. The ground is littered with evidence of ancient encampments that extended into fairly recent times. Tent rings abound and stone flakes, tools and projectile points liter the ground. Bleached bones that were cracked open to extract marrow lie in scattered piles. In more recent times, a pack of wolves established a den in one of the dunes.

A little farther downstream, we find another more recent caribou carcass on a sandbar in the middle of the river. Gulls and eagles are feeding as we approach, but the eagle takes flight as we draw near. Deb and Kyle pull in to shore to rest and explore while Brendan and I paddle out to examine the caribou remains. Tracks in the sand make it clear that he eagle visits often and also that wolves still come out to pick over what's left.

Not long after, we come to an island that divides the river in half. We'd intended to camp in this area and the island looks perfect. There are flat beach areas on three sides of the island and a nice flat area of tundra on a rise in the middle of the island. We choose the sandy beach on the upstream side of the island and haul out our gear. The 50 foot rise on the island produces a good wind shelter. We make ourselves at home.