Paddling Way Up North

I do not know why, but I am really interested in canoeing down a river on Ellesmere Island. As far as I can tell on the internet, there are no organizations that go up there, and no information about any of the rivers up there. However on the descriptions of hiking trips up there, it says that they cross over several rivers, and some of them are deep. I was wondering if anybody knew of any rivers up there that were deep enough to paddle a canoe down. Optimally I would love to run a river that flowed north to the top of Ellesmere Island. I cannot describe it but something about paddling a canoe on the most northern land in the world, down a river completely draws me in. I know that sea kayaking expeditions are run up there but I am more interested in Canoeing. Or have any of you traveled to any insanely remote and northern rivers that you have stories from?

We did a 15 day trip on the Noatak River
in the Artic Circle and it was fabulous.



Nothing like taking a quick dip each evening in the 40 degree water to wash the days sweat off!





Jack L

Kayaking Ellesmere Island
I’ve not taken a canoe on Ellesmere, but have paddled along its coast. That was in the early 1990s and there was little support for doing anything north of Grise Fiord. We chartered out of there to the north then came back to Devon Island and finally into Pond Inlet. You might want to contact the Canadian Outfitter Black Feather to see if they do trips to Ellesmere; I recall seeing something from them about 10 years ago. Ellesmere



No worries about water levels in rivers anywhere in the north, the big concern you will have is getting to the put-in. Of course the ice doesn’t go out until late August, if it does go out. It doesn’t come easy.

Possibility
I have found a river called Ruggles River, it is said to be 4.9 feet deep and runs from lake hazen down to the ocean. Anybody know anything about this?

go to this forum -
many very knowledgeable and experienced arctic trippers. http://www.myccr.com/phpbbforum. I have paddled two arctic rivers, the Thelon and the Horton. Wonderful trips both of them. You realize I assume that you will be heading into extremely remote and harsh country. You need to be prepared - no substitute for experience. The arctic is not to be taken lightly.