On August 12, 2019, we were hiking off the Horton River during a guided canoe trip with five guests and we decided to crest one final ridge before calling it a day and heading back to camp. Unknown to us, an active Arctic wolf den lay on the opposite side of the hill.
As we reached the summit, the adult wolves darted away from the den, yipping and howling. We froze. At this moment, two Arctic wolf puppies came bounding back to the den—headed straight for us!
Roughly 20 metres from us, the wolf puppies came to a skidding stop in the sand esker. We must have been the first humans they’d ever seen! After a second of shock (on all sides), the puppies bounded off towards the safety of an alternative den site.
As if to complete this Arctic safari, one of the guests then shouted “Look!” and pointed to a nearby open stand of white spruce trees. There, across a carpet of lichen, a lone male muskoxen sauntered along.
The excitement was infectious, as we all agreed we had made the right decision to crest that one final ridge. We had found our first wolf den that day.
As it turned out, this was the same day Alex’s ashes returned to the barrens, more than 600 kilometres away. Alex’s sons Graham and Evan, stepdaughter Esmee, stepson Dominic, and widow Robyn Hall stepped out of a Turbo Otter floatplane sponsored by Northwestern Airlease, and spread his ashes on top of a magnificent esker overlooking the Elk River, a major tributary of the Thelon River.
Remote canoe expeditions in the Northwest Territories can be full of magic and unforgettable experiences. August 12, 2019 is a day we will never forget.
Dan Wong
Owner of Jackpine
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