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Placing your cursor over the photos on this page will bring pop-ups that tell more of the story!
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Early autumn on the remote tundra of Canada's far North offers one of the world's most spectacular displays of nature known to man... |
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Musk-oxen gather into larger and larger herds as they prepare for mating... |
Migrating caribou - in singles and small groups range & graze the forever-reaching & remote landscape...
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Waterfowl, beginning now their long flight south will fill the sky, and often lit on the local tundra ponds in order to rest & feed en-route...
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Rock & willow ptarmigan cackle in the bushes - now gathering into their winter flocks...
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click to enlarge |
Often on clear nights the aurora borealis dance and weave intricate patterns across the skies. The clarity of the atmosphere here offers a rare glimpse of raw wilderness afforded only to very few - and the time of season offers a very special period that represents nature's power in a truly magical way...
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As the low-bush bearberry & cranberry turn fire red, and the dwarf birch and willows evolve to displays of brilliant orange, yellows and gold, the riot of autumn colours are near blinding!
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About the 'Dance with Caribou' Expeditions: Far and away our most popular wildlife trip, join us this early autumn at our comfortable photo camp on the headwaters of the Thelon River in the remote Canadian Northwest Territories.
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To begin this unique adventure, participants must make their way to Yellowknife - the capital city of the Canadian Northwest Territories - and then onward to the remote Chipewayan Dene' Aboriginal settlement of Lutsel K'e, located on the East Arm of Great Slave Lake - an area soon slated to become Canada's newest and largest National Park! This region is steeped in aboriginal & early explorer history, and perhaps you will have the chance to meet and spend time with some of the native elders who once traveled this remote country by dogsled and canoe...
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From here, we will board a float aircraft to fly 120 more airmiles past the tree-line and out over the remote Arctic tundra known locally as the 'Barrenlands'. Here we will land at our isolated wildlife basecamp located on the sand esker systems of the upper Thelon River: one of the most isolated regions in mainland North America!
The sand camp esker system on the Upper Thelon River region in the Northwest Territories as seen from the air - these sandy areas offer major migratory paths for the barrenland caribou herds, and perfect den conditions for wild wolves and assorted fox. - photo copyright Glen Grambo Click here to learn more about how to get to Lutsel K'e and our wilderness trips, including maps. Once at our main wildlife basecamp located at one of the last true wild wolf ranges remaining in the world, we offer comfortable tent-camp accommodations, including private sleeping Quonsets, dining & meeting room, lodge, and shower facilities. We also offer an array of equipment on site such as boats, motors, canoes, kayaks, and a pontoon boat to enhance the expeditions, to explore new areas and to seek other dens & wildlife. On occasion, we set up and offer optional ground tent 'spike camps' to maximize wildlife viewing. An aircraft is often kept at the camp for aerial reconnaissance and emergency use.
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Here, at our main wildlife basecamp we offer comfortable tent-camp accommodations, including private sleeping Quonsets, dining room & lodge, and shower facilities. Click here to see more about our accommodations & facilities.
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Click to enlarge photo |
As our photo camp is built on an active wildlife water crossing for caribou and musk-oxen, often times such animals are seen right in the camp yard. Sometimes caribou stay around for weeks at a time - and these characters are affectionately known as 'yardboo'!
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We also offer an array of equipment on site such as boats, motors, canoes, kayaks, pontoon boat to enhance the expedition and seek out wildlife. On occasion, we set up and offer optional ground tent 'spike camps' to maximize wildlife viewing, and to explore new areas.
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An aircraft is occassionally kept at the main camp for aerial reconnaissance, and available for emergency use.
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These unique trips are all-inclusive from Lutsel K'e, NWT. We offer one-week trips on the Dance with Caribou expeditions, with the option to extend two-weeks at a reduced rate. Once at the camp, we offer a choice of daily escorted and interpretive programs that include wildlife exposure, native & natural history, and archaeology.
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The late Galen Rowell with a Yardboo! |
So, come join us to experience true immersion with the late summer & early autumn mixing period of the cows, calves and bulls of the Beverly & Bathurst barren-ground caribou. These are the largest and least human-influenced of the six Northwest Territories & Nunavut herds. We will likely encounter a steady source of singles and small groups of grazing caribou nearly every day during the 'mixing' period leading up to the mating period and southbound migration.
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A meeting or two with musk oxen - often larger herds in prime winter pelage - is also certain at this remote and incredibly scenic sand-esker tundra near the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary.
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Survival of the Fittest - click to enlarge |
Often other wild animals will grace us with their presence on the 'Dance with Caribou' trips, including sic-sics, fox, moose, barrens grizzly, and occasionally - even wolverine!
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The tundra - esker scenery is hauntingly beautiful in the fall - like nowhere else on earth...
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And the sunsets & northern lights - well - they are truly amazing up here!
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Incredible northern lights, intense autumn colours, Arctic animals and bird life all preparing for mating &
winter make this trip truly a photographers & naturalists paradise!
Read about what some of our past clients thought about THEIR 'Dance with Caribou' trips!
click on their faces to see
their places! 
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 Adele Curtis |
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 Andrew Macrae |
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 Christian Heeb |
 Lonnie Brock |
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 Lee Mann |
 Jay Dickman |
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| Great Canadian Wilderness | ||
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| Now on-line! Conde Nast Traveler controversial 2002 article 'Diamonds in the Wild', about the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary and the potential future effects of diamond and mineral exploration in our last great North American wilderness. Click here! |
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Come warm yourself by our fire.
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Great Canadian Wilderness
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Phone: 1-800-667-9453 (Canada & USA)
Overseas Phone: +715-254-9318 North American toll-free Fax: 866-416-5548 Email: tundra@thelon.com Request More Information |
