Aha! Adventure - Coppermine River, NU

Dates: August 5-25, 2025 (if you are driving from Calgary)

             August 7-23, 2025 (if you fly into Yellowknife)

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Cost: $8600 plus GST

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Paddle across the Arctic circle this summer on the famous Coppermine!  We will avoid the large lakes at the start of the river, and take a floatplane from Yellowknife to the confluence of the Fairy Lake River. The river is known for catching Arctic char as it speeds down to the Arctic Ocean through spectacular canyons, steep red sandstone cliffs and Bloody Falls. August is great time to go as there are fewer bugs and we will start to see the tundra turning color.  Chances are good to see caribou, bear, wolves, muskoxen and moose. The Coppermine is steeped in history as we follow the path of Arctic explorers Samuel Hearne and Sir John Franklin and it is an important river for the Inuit to travel to caribou hunting and char fishing grounds. We will end the trip at Kugluktuk on the Arctic Ocean where we will take a flight back to Yellowknife.

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We will be taking inflatable Soar canoes on this adventure.  The boats are more stable and forgiving, and will be a good way to enjoy the exhilarating class 2/3 canyon rapids near the end of the trip. Rocky Defile, Escape Rapids and Muskox Rapids are some of the notable rapids we will encounter.

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There will be a pre-trip meeting via Zoom.  After you register, you will receive an email when this will occur.  At the pre-trip meeting, you will meet your group and we will discuss clothing selection, food planning, packing techniques, meals and travel logistics.

 

All of our Aha! Adventure trips are "community catered".  All participants and guides take their turn providing and cooking breakfasts and suppers on the trips. Everyone looks after their own lunches and snacks. This is a fun way to share, try new meals and learn how to bake and cook in the backcountry. Guides will help at every meal and give you lots of assistance! 

 

Prerequisites: You need to have intermediate canoe skills for this trip and be comfortable paddling class 2/3 rapids. You should also have a good fitness level for the portages.  Come join one of our spring canoe courses!

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Cancellation Policy:  A $750 non-refundable deposit is required to register. The balance is due 30 days before the trip start date. No refunds on or after this date. We recommend trip cancellation insurance.

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Itinerary:

Aug 5-7: We are leaving from Calgary and driving up in the van. You are welcome to join us or if you choose to fly to Yellowknife, you need to be there on August 7th.  We can pick you up at the airport.  If you are there by supper, we will enjoy a meal in town together.  We will camp at the territorial park by town or you can choose to stay at a hotel of your choice and we will pick you up in the morning.

Aug 8: We will fly out to the Coppermine with Air Tindi and start our trip

Aug 9-22 Enjoy 14 full days paddling down the Coppermine to the Arctic Ocean.  Hike on the tundra, view barren land wildlife, catch Char and watch the colors turn red.  Enjoy the canyons and paddle thrilling rapids!

Aug 22: We will finish the trip in Kugluktuk and spend the night at a local hotel or camping near by.

Aug 23: We will fly out with Canadian North on a commercial flight with all our gear back to Yellowknife. 

Aug 24-25:  Depending on the time we get out, we may start the drive back on the 22nd and then finish up the drive to Calgary on the 25th.

 

Cost Includes:

• Safety equipment (throwbags, first aid kit, emergency communication)

• Group camping gear (tarp/shelter etc.)

• Group cooking equipment (pots, stoves, utensils, fuel)

• Experienced and qualified guides

• All canoe gear (canoes, paddles, pfd's)

• Camping on the drive up and down

• Floatplane drop off

• Flight with Canadian North from Kugluktuk back to Yellowknife

 

Transportation Details: You can join the van from Calgary, or you can fly to Yellowknife.  If you fly, you need to be there by Aug 7th and can leave the evening of Aug 23. We recommend that you do not cut your flights close, due to weather and delays.  Ideally you leave more time to spare before and after the trip so that you are not worried about catching your flights.

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Medical Form and Waiver:

In order to participate in this trip, you are required to fill out all your registration and medical information.

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EMERGENCY EVACUATION AND TRIP CANCELLATION: In rare cases, if you have an emergency and need to be evacuated from the trip, you will be responsible for any extra charges.  The quickest way to get off our remote trips is via floatplane or helicopter and if we contact these companies directly for the quickest service, you will be responsible for the expense.  To ensure that there are no surprises, we recommend that you get evacuation insurance.  An evacuation could be very costly in remote locations, so we recommend that you are covered through your credit card or another plan.  One option available is Tugo Insurance at:  https://www.tugo.com/en/travel-insurance/canadians/.  You may also want to consider purchasing trip cancellation insurance if for some reason (i.e. illness) you are unable to go on the trip.  If cancellation is required at the last minute, you will need to have trip cancellation insurance. This will protect yourself and Aha! Adventures and allow us to offer great trips into the future.