Ernest Thompson Seton and The Arctic Prairies: Aylmer Lake Expedition Field Notes 2015 #4

Stoney Point

 

{In late July and early August 2015 I led an expedition to the Arctic region of Canada’s Northwest Territories researching the Ernest Thompson Seton and Edward Preble expedition of 1907. We followed their route around Aylmer Lake located northeast of Great Slave Lake. Field notes from the expedition plus photographs are presented here in several separate entries. Additional essays about our journey can be found at the Seton Expedition website and at davidlwitt.com. An exhibition and short film about the 1907 and 2015 expeditions will be premiered at the Seton Gallery of the Academy for the Love of Learning (sponsor of this project) on August 14, 2016.}

Saturday August 1

Up at 7am. 9:50 Pushed off from Aylmer Lake Lodge for Sand Hill Bay. We traveled the east shore of the lake. Seton, starting east from the Lockhart, paddled up the western shore of the lake, stopping for a meal on an island along the way. Later, on their way out of Aylmer, they came down south along the east side. Which is to say that we did our Sandhill Bay trip going in the opposite direction going out; on the way back we returned part way along the west shore; in so doing we saw most of what they saw in 1907, but from the opposite direction.  

10:20 Going north on Aylmer, we looked north to see the spot on Seton’s map marked “Sandy Bay.” 10:38 Reached narrow passage between Harbor Island (Seton’s name for a large island in Aylmer Lake) and the mainland (east side of lake). #5347 (11:00am) “Stony Pt.” on south end of Crescent Island (my name) looks like a man-made constructed jetty from the south, but it was constructed by a glacier; at either end of this north-south running island are the entries to Carpenter Bay, probably shallow although we did not investigate. 

Continued north to “Wolf Den,” a scenic point on the opposite shore (to the north, mainland) from the north end of the Crescent Island. We landed and looked around ca. 11:20am – 12:20pm. The little cave is easily spotted from the water as we pulled up to the only landing area.

 

Wolf Den

Wolf Den entry

Wolf Den interior

Location: N 64°14’ 57.2”  W 108° 27’ 45.4”

 

Wolf den does not appear to have been recently inhabited by wolves. We found a few Caribou bone fragments inside and nearly the entry of the mossy-floored cave. The cave goes in less than 5m but is well protected from the elements. Dense tundra vegetative cover around the base of the bare granite boulder outcropping that forms its house sized roof. (Wolves lived there or had just moved out in August 1907.) From there we boated north through very shallow water to emerge eastwards from between to islets. With not much more lake level drop, the two will become one.

Location, taken offshore: N 64° 16.0’ 14.2”  W108° 28’ 43.8”

Water temp: 10.0 – 11.0c (50-51° F)

Coming into western end Sandhill Bay (northernmost part of Aylmer Lake) we could see a prominent rock on the western sandhill (Tent Ring Hill in my nomenclature). Although it stood out, when we later that evening climbed up the hill, this was not a cairn, but a single unimpressive boulder, much smaller than we had guessed. Seton built his cairn (as we were to learn) in a place where it could not have been seen from Aylmer.

 

Grizzly Bear(s) wallow and scat on beach

1:53pm We landed on an arc of beach protected by shallow water and large flat stones just below surface level; careful navigation required to get in and out. We found fairly fresh Wolf, Caribou and Musk Ox tracks. Also bear tracks. Two depressions in shoreline/tundra edge sand, one much larger than the other plus two piles of blueberry infused scat, one much larger than the other, showed the presence of bears on the beach (apparently they had been sleeping next to one another): mother & cub. According to Kevin they were present within the last 2-3 days. There is a sort of wildlife highway along this beach although empty of animals during our stay.

Sandhill Bay from our Beach Camp

Kevin, Patty, Michale went out fishing during the afternoon. Thomas and I followed in the other boat, drifting part of the time when we should have been making a more thorough reconnaissance of the shore looking for Seton’s Sandhill Bay camp which probably not (as I figured out later) where we camped. We traveled east to a large island in the bay, then slowly returned to our camp. Kevin cleaned fish caught by Michale and Patty, leaving entrails and head for the resident falcon.

After dinner we headed out for summit of west sand hill which we attained at 9:05pm (with Kevin remaining especially watchful in case the bears were still around, which they were not). Found 7 old tent rings on the summit (and 3 more lower down on the summit ridge to the north) along with tumbled down Seton cairn—undermined by “sic-sic” (Arctic ground squirrel) tunnels. Seton built the cairn between two closely adjacent rings. He used stones from both rings to create his monument. His structure was still standing when documented in the early 1980s. Apparently Seton and Preble believed these rings to be of recent origin. According to Morrison they were prehistoric.

We took still and video pictures from the summit in all directions, capturing the usual dramatic sunset. One of my videos shows the less than 1k (1094 yards) distance between Aylmer Lake the Back River.

David standing beside the ruins of Seton's cairn

Location: N 64° 25.0’ 38”  W 108° 27.0’ 4.0”

Bay of Back River (mid frame) with unnamed lake (behind beach camp) in foreground; more of Back River behind.

Place names from Seton map photographed today: “Stony Point” (on the feature I call Crescent Island. “3 Hill Peninsula” (east of Wolf Den). “Wolf Den.” “Pyramid Point.” “Sandhill Mountain” (the island in Aylmer, not the high point in the Narrows). “Boulder” (east side, mainland, near the entrance to Sandhill Bay). “Sandhill Bay.” Unnamed west sandhill esker (which I call in my notes Tent Ring Hill).

Still water lake

Bannock breakfast

Sunday August 2

Little sleep. Awoke at 5:15am after dead still night. Morning—had the beach to myself for a considerable time. Wrote another essay for Academy for the Love of Learning blog documenting this trip. Kevin made bannock for breakfast—using an iron skillet atop an  oversize propane stove. The 1907 group must have had iron skillets, cooking with wood where available; they found willow wood north along the Back River, but none at their camp. As at the Lockhart, willows live here now, although of small diameter.

We left the beach camp before 10am, crossing the tundra going easterly until reaching an area of esker hills overlooking the demarcation line of rocks between Sussex Lake and Back River. 11:45am reached the river where a very strong current from the lake is channeled into two or three powerful flows between the boulders. I thought that Seton and Preble had passed this way, but a later more careful reading of the map showed their crossing of the Back River much further north. They made at least three or four hikes from the beach, including one that led them east to a height above Sussex Lake. But they did not get as far east as we did; we did not get nearly as far north as they did. As a result, I missed the chance to get farther north but led us to a discovery of our own. The sand eskers defining the south edge of the Back River were extraordinarily beautiful.

I felt this lake/river intersection was an especially powerful place and was transfixed by the feeling of it. I believe that everyone in the group felt this was the most special place we visited. (George Back, who passed through here in 1833 called this river, in English translation, by its Indian name, the Great Fish River.) Sadly, no one thought to bring along a fishing rod, so the great fish remained unmolested. We remained in this area for much of the day, walking part of the time, but with a long interval of just being. Thomas, Patty and I selected separate high points from which to contemplate the majesty of it all. Michale and Kevin staked out a separate high point at the east end of the esker directly above Sussex Lake.   

Sandhill Bay Beach Camp

Location: Sandhill Bay beach camp 1188’ N 64° 29’ 50.9”  W 108° 27’ 32.2”

Patty above Back River (left) & Sussex Lake (right)

Location: Back River crossing, south side N 64° 25’ 21.2”  W 108° 24’ 14.9”

Confusingly, the main body of Sussex Lake drains southward. The Back River begins at the lake’s southern end, running west through a canyon, then opens out into a large bay before narrowing again and heading north to Arctic Ocean. Its next opening is the head or south end of Musk Ox Lake. Preble crossed over the Back River around where the Icy River enters from the west just below that lake. Another way to put this is that the river runs south, then west, then north in a giant U-shape.

 

Michale on esker above Back River

We walked the length of the south shore esker ridge most of its length from above Sussex Lake to its transition at the large bay before the Back River turns north. The distance from the head of Back River west to end of esker is approximately 1k. From that ridge it is possible to see Tent Ring Hill. Approximately 11k (6+ miles) covered today. Worth every hot minute to see the esker canyon of the Back River.

The Back River continues to switch directions but eventually ends up in a large bay of the Arctic Ocean after passing over more than 80 rapids. Canoeing the stretch from Sussex Lake to Musk Ox Lake likely possible without too much difficulty. A goal for next time!

Note: The Back River drains northward; so does the Lockhart. Aylmer Lake is part of the greater Lockhart system. The Lockhart is a tributary of the massive McKenzie River system. The Lockhart enters Great Slave Lake from its east side. The McKenzie system eventually goes northward into the Beaufort Sea, part of the Arctic Ocean, but farther west than where the Back River enters.

 

4:20pm Returned to camp. Beach temperature 83°F (30°c) Temperature felt much hotter on the tundra. Much too hot for the Arctic.

Kevin, Patty & Michale went out fishing from the boat once more. Thomas and I stayed onshore with the gun. This was my first and only day of the trip of not once being on he water in a boat. On the beach, non-biting black flies hit tent and jackets so hard as to sound like light rain.

8:15pm Wolves heard, SE somewhere on Sandhill Bay shore or from surrounding hills. Far away but still clear.

Night moon

Ernest Thompson Seton and The Arctic Prairies: Aylmer Lake Expedition Field Notes 2015 #3

Thomas at the helm, Aylmer Lake Lodge behind

{In late July and early August 2015 I led an expedition to the Arctic region of Canada’s Northwest Territories researching the Ernest Thompson Seton and Edward Preble expedition of 1907. We followed their route around Aylmer Lake located northeast of Great Slave Lake. Field notes from the expedition plus photographs are presented here in several separate entries. Additional essays about our journey can be found at the Seton Expedition website and at davidlwitt.com. An exhibition and short film about the 1907 and 2015 expeditions will be premiered at the Seton Gallery of the Academy for the Love of Learning (sponsor of this project) on August 14, 2016.}

Tuesday July 28

We took two boats on all excursions. I asked Thomas to learn the basics of outboard motor operation (Evenrude 30hp, 16’ (4.9m) aluminum fishing boat). That first day he and I went in one boat, Kevin, Michale & Patty in the other. Took off at 9:00am, south out of Rocknest Bay then east through Thanakoie Narrows, much of the way towards Clinton-Colden Lake to where an island nearly blocks passage. We were searching for a cairn Seton built while camped there. Thrilling to see that it was still there; it could be seen from approximately a mile away, long before we could make out the course of the Narrows. We would find this distant look surprising since the cairn is just below the island summit on the east side and is little more than a meter high. (We entered western edge of the Narrows at 9:30am.)

Sandhill Island, Seton Cairn right of summit

Closer, Seton Cairn at summit

The water on the south side of island is very shallow. The north side has a narrow but passable channel. We landed on a small west-facing beach, and then climbed over an embankment onto the tundra. This turned out to be the only part of the island that seems suitable for camping. Seton and Preble set up camp in one spot, thereafter moved to another during the extended time they were stranded due to stormy weather.  Perhaps it is here where they rode out the stormy weather in 1907. (We found a second cairn near our landing site, but Seton/Preble accounts mention only the one on top.)

We climbed hill towards its summit (me in the lead of course), Thomas following with video camera. Hill gets steeper near the top. Reached cairn at 10:15am. Very exciting for me, finding this cairn built by ETS during the layover, keeping them from exiting into Clinton-Colden when they had expected to do so.

Cairn Location:  N 64° 03’ 53.2” W107° 55’ 58.8”

Elevation: 1260’ (384m) Sandhill Island (English for Thanakoie)

Looking east from Sandhill Island

After much picture taking, I made a brief botany survey and a solo reconnaissance of 1/3 of the island (western and southern sections, including finding several different habitats). We documented the beautiful views (in all directions) before leaving the island at 1:00pm. Clear weather, moderate breeze at island summit.

Sandy beach north of Sandhill Island

Continued north along the cove shore, stopping at an arc of sandy beach. In the willows at our landing site, the debris remains of a small, long abandoned shack. North reach of the beach showed fresh 3 ½” wolf track - ♀?

Temperature 70°F (21° C).

Took off again after a pleasant time on sand esker above the beach. 2:55pm watched loon diving near boats. 3:20-4:00pm stopped at a rocky point where we found a metal geological survey marker embedded in rock, dated 1924. It included a warning that anyone disturbing the marker could expect to be punished with prison time. We left it alone and returned from there to the Lodge.

Note: ETS/EAP on Sandhill Island Aug 24-28 1907. Must have been quite a headwind. There are no comfortable camping spots on the island. We did not find any tent ring rocks. The island is important (as noted by ETS) as a Caribou crossing point given the narrow water leads on either side. On my tour of the island I found several north-south Caribou paths, although no sign of recent passage. Caribou were crossing there in August 1907.

The summit Seton cairn was noted by David Morrison in 1982. (He did not mention the shoreline cairn.) “Report on Archaeological Survey of the Middle Lockhart River System, NWT.” Photocopy of 1982 field notes, Canadian Museum of Civilization, (pg. 2): description of Lockhart River system. Morrison studied archaeology of Thanakoie Narrows northward; he studied the area from Sandhill Bay to Sussex Lake (covering some or much of the same territory as ETS/EAP), starting July 9, 1982 and continuing for 3 weeks before continuing their research south of Aylmer. He refers to the site we visited today as “Sandhill Island” which in Yellowknife Chipewyan language refers specifically to this island. The name seems to pre-date Back’s 1836 expedition. The summit of Sandhill is 35m above rive. Morrison described the Seton monument: “Originally one of the stones was inscribed ‘Seton Exp. 25 Aug 07’ but some passing traveler has since removed it. The cairn is located at the apex of the hill.” Sandhill is “an esker knob island.” [Note: the island had seen very recent visitors, within days of our visit, at least two people had left their unburied excrement at the western end of the summit ridge. Perhaps the two Japanese tourists who were said to have visited eastern Aylmer Lake just before our arrival.]

Night spent at the Lodge.

Evening view from Aylmer Lake Lodge

Wednesday July 29 

Up at 6:15am. Packing for Lockhart trip. Longest single excursion of the trip, including crossing a wide stretch of open water Aylmer.

9:42am left Aylmer Lodge dock. 9:52 Peregrine falcon flew parallel to the boats (before going faster and moving on) as we passed through the strait from Rocknest Bay to Aylmer. Pic#5164 Looking to the west from main section of the lake; west end too far away to see. #5160 Terraced Hill (from ETS map). #5165, 5166 Sandy Bay, from a distance (from ETS map). #5169 Harbor Island (the huge one with U-shaped bay in the middle of Aylmer).

Note: August 1907: they paddle west, unable to see end of the lake, believing for all this size, that a larger part of the lake still lay ahead. They had no way of knowing that they were already crossing the largest part. From here, there is no way of estimating how far off the west end might be.

Aylmer Lake, boat wake, boat following behind

10:50am Pulling away from Harbor Island into the largest stretch of open water on Aylmer. Daunting in a 16’ motorized fishing boat on a good weather day. But in a canoe, on a day when a storm might rise unexpectedly? Dangerous.

For us: Water choppy but not dangerous. One twenty minute period passed with nearest shore kilometers away while the far west and east horizons were just water; north and south were no more than suggestions of land, a dark line of low distant hills. Lake seems very big, the sky of the unlimited vast.

Boat speed 18mph for 20 minutes of the open water.

12:05pm Landed on beach protected by large rocks. Musk Ox tracks in the sand, but not fresh. Wolf tracks (recent, large) and lots of fox tracks, a regular highway for the latter. I led us inland to look for the Musk Ox boulders, but took us much too far inland over difficult tundra walking conditions. Lots of hidden holes in the hummocky ground hidden by vegetation. Seton had also done a good deal of walking in this region so we replicated the walk but apparently not the right course. Based on a 1907 photograph, we searched for a distinctive juxtaposition of two large boulders from where they killed a Musk Ox. My intention was to find those rocks and recreate the scene (without killing anything). But wherever those boulders might be, we could not find them.

Thonokied River

Eventually we veered west looking for the Thonokied River with faint hope of finding a cairn ETS might have built there. There are rocks piled everywhere (by wild nature) on the ridgeline overlooking the river as grand at ETS described it. Maybe we should have gone further north, but we were getting tired and hot with almost no chance of finding any sign of his presence. The walk was more tiring than fun; we failed to find anything but a fine view. (I noted in the field journal that this hike was hardly worth the effort. But conditions there did replicate what ETS went through, so we had the experience if not the results to show for our efforts.)

Kevin and Michale took one path back, Patty another. Thomas and I continued south along the river. I eventually turned back east, alone, while Thomas continued down the river towards the lake. All of us eventually reached the lake shoreline, but inexplicably managed to miss the boats, going too far east until Kevin realized our mistake and headed us back in the right direction. We finally got back to the boats around 4:30. I accidentally left my magnetic clip on sunglasses behind somewhere on this trek for future explorers to find.

5:10pm Finally underway again after taking considerable time negotiating our way past the blocking rocks creating a treacherous maze. This would have been easier for a canoe, or perhaps they landed somewhere else—but our landing point was the only sand beach along the Musk Ox camp shore. Seton’s map seemed to indicate this spot, but without finding the distinctive double-boulder, we simple could not know. A few spitting rain showers marked our exit.

Stormy Aylmer

Lockhart River mouth. We continued west to the end of the lake where enters the Lockhart River. We looked for another rock cairn Seton built there. Although a point of rocky land jutting into the river seemed like the right spot no cairn was visible. We landed on the north shore of the river, on an incline of slab rocks, one of the few accessible places, and likely the exact spot where ETS/EAP landed. We quickly found a place on or near where Seton took a group photograph of them having dinner. Kevin photographed the four of us in the same place. In the willow overgrown shore (the willows weren’t there in Seton’s time) near our boats, Kevin found a rusted kerosene can—4 Imperial Gallons—almost certainly left by ETS. Kevin agreed to hold it at the Lodge for temporary safe keeping. Perhaps a Canadian museum will want it someday.

Thomas, Patty, Michale, David 2015 Lockhart River

 

Ernest, Weeso, Edward, Billy 1908 Lockhart River

Dinner spot location: N 64° 03’ 88.44”  W 109° 13’ 30”

7:25pm Continued boating upstream to a rapids (probably farthest ETS went west by water). The other boat trolling for fish. We later returned east looking for a camping spot for us finding nothing suitable. I suspect that both the 1907 camping spot and the cairn may have been made on the rocky point jutting into the river, dividing the Lockhart from Aylmer. Thomas made a brief reconnaissance there but found nothing due to the thick brush and the protective mosquitos.

We continued over 1k (1094 yards) east along the south shore of the lake until coming upon a lovely beach in a protected cove giving onto a dramatic view to the west. Camp set up 9:30pm. (ETS/EAP followed the north shore on their way to the Lockhart and perhaps also on the way out so did not camp here.)

Camp location: N 64° 03’ 88.44”  W 109° 13’ 30”

 

Sunset over Aylmer

Sheltered from the east and to some extent from north we experienced a windless sunset, calm water. The sun set over flat lake as the one-night-before full moon rose simultaneously over low hills. Spectacular color, long lingering setting sun, occasionally shining through clouds, finally disappearing 10:17pm. Turned in at 12am.

Thursday July 30 (see pg. 20 field notes)

Up at 7am. Blue sky. Stiff breeze. 50°sF (10°C)

10:35 Returned to Lockhart River, continued search for cairn. We landed in the same spot and then walked north up the hill (the route shown by ETS on his map) and, after stopping for blueberries of which there were too many to ignore, attained the ridge between Aylmer and Outram Lakes. Cloud cover increased to 70%; lake water at its most choppy.

I continued west to reach the summit overlook between the two lakes. Michale soon followed, and later, the others. Elevation there is 1355’ (407m), the highest point of our entire trip. ETS expedition went up there to find what we found: A view proving they had reached the west end of Aylmer and a view to the Outram Lakes. Southside of Lockhart R basin heavily vegetated with few boulders; north side rocky: a strongly defined dividing line.

Upon reaching the ridge (easy hike) ETS must have climbed this very rock, around 7’ (2.1m) high. From its top: a great 360° view of the surrounding tundra.

 

Michale on Overlook Rock, high spot above Aylmer & Outram Lakes

Location: N 64° 03’ 55.9” W 109° 14’ 14.5”

ETS then continued down the ridge going west; we did not follow farther than the rock overlook.

1:45pm We took off from shore, heading east once more from the Lockhart to our beach camp, not arriving until 3:15 due to slow trolling on the way back.

So far: Success at Lockhart River and at Thanakoie Narrows finding part of what we came for, but less successful at Thonokied site (although we re-photographed the river shoreline in approximately the same area as the ETS photo). We believe it more likely than not that the Lockhart cairn did not survive. It would, however be worth another look early or late in the season when the willow thicket might be more manageable (fewer leaves, fewer mosquitoes).

Dinner that night: more Lake Trout + one Arctic Grayling (a river fish caught along the Lockhart), fried potatoes and onions. Kale, apple & other vegs salad. About 50°F (10°C) at 10:30pm. Dead silent. No waves. No wind. Flock of loon chicks floated by point of land north end of beach (around dinner time), near my tent. The hillside east of the camp is not covered with willows but is of smooth ground with short vegetation. We did not hike this but wanted to do so.

Friday July 31

8:55am We left camp, heading east along the shoreline before turning north across the lake. Our destination was a place a called Cliff Camp, a prominent rock face rising out of the water where Seton & Preble were forced to take shelter from another storm on their way west to the Lockhart. Here the lake forms a cove in the middle of which is a round island offshore from the largest cliff along this part of the lake. The steep rocky shore included no obvious landing site so camping here would not have been good anything more than emergency shelter. We did not land.

Cove where Seton made emergency storm camp

Off shore location: N 64° 06’ 29.7”  W 109° 03’ 08.3”

We circumnavigated small island in the bay. Spotted a falcon on the cliff, gulls in the air, and loon chicks around the island.

10:20am We returned to the Thonokied River, this time entering the river by boat although not getting any further than its mouth due to rapids and low water. Stopped there to search for exact spot to take the re-photo Seton called “SW across Earl Gray River.” We were able to line up the far shore into what looked like the correct perspective, but we could not find matching rocks on the shore (east) where we were walking. Took several photos to at least approximate the 1907 scene. Fairly fresh Musk Ox tracks near where we landed. Light short rains there and earlier at our beach camp. Cruised slowly along Musk Ox shoreline looking closely for the double-boulder that we did not find. Back at Lodge before 3:30pm.

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Ernest Thompson Seton and The Arctic Prairies: Aylmer Lake Expedition Field Notes 2015 #2

Grizzly Bear paw print on mirror

{In late July and early August 2015 I led an expedition to the Arctic region of Canada’s Northwest Territories researching the Ernest Thompson Seton and Edward Preble expedition of 1907. We followed their route around Aylmer Lake located northeast of Great Slave Lake. Field notes from the expedition plus photographs are presented here in several separate entries. Additional essays about our journey can be found at the Seton Expedition website and at davidlwitt.com. An exhibition and short film about the 1907 and 2015 expeditions will be premiered at the Seton Gallery of the Academy for the Love of Learning (sponsor of this project) on August 14, 2016.}

Monday July 27

8:15am Smooth ride all the way from YK. Aylmer Lake finally within view—an exciting moment for me to recognize features on the north shore of the west arm of the lake. I recognized Thonokied River delta, Williamson Island and the peninsula east of the island on the way in (from the southwest, I think). Even more exciting: circling over Rocknest Bay, and then making a water landing off the shore of Aylmer Lake Lodge. A glorious moment after 42 years of imagining coming to the lake. The Lodge is situated so as to look directly south to the narrow strait leading into Aylmer.

(Seton canoed past the entrance to Rocknest Bay; whether or not he entered it is unknown.)

Outfitter and guide Kevin McNeil met us at the dock against which the pilot had expertly guided the plane; we immediately began the unloading.  Everyone shares the work without need of instruction. We had hardly touched the sand when Kevin told us about the Barrenlands Grizzly who had rampaged through the Lodge buildings, causing by his estimate, $40,000 in property damage. The bear had entered every building and placed a single paw print on every mirror, breaking a lot of things, but no mirrors. One paw print was not washed off the mirror in the main lodge so that we could see it.

The bear decided to break in once more while Kevin, a professional hunter, was in the building. He told us the story of how he saw the bear walking around outside the building. He lost sight of the 400-pound (181kg) animal (typical weight for adult males around Aylmer) then heard it breaking through the glass storm door into the laundry/storage area. He grabbed his gun and headed for the main door as the animal was breaking through. Kevin kicked the door shut while he loaded the gun, and then reopened the door.  The bear kept coming forward with no intention of stopping; the experienced outfitter blew its head off with a high-powered bolt action rifle at point blank range. He informed the wildlife authorities (who didn’t bother to ask if the bear had harmed anyone) and later took the carcass to a small nearby island for disposal. This took place on July 16. Bears are loners, so no others were likely in the area; we gave no further thought to the threat while at the Lodge. Mosquitoes were another matter.

A wolf had been spotted two days earlier but at a considerable distance away on the Rocknest Bay shore. That wolf or another would howl at night (near dark, but not total dark in late July) near the Lodge on one of the nights we were away camping.

{Kevin has spoken to wildlife biologist (Mr.) Dean Cluff of YK: Maybe we should track him down and get an interview about what is happening with area wildlife.}

Shoreline, Rocknest Bay

According to Kevin, Aylmer Lake is one of the two most pristine regions in the NWT. There has been no commercial fishing or native net fishing in the lake or its surrounding waters. The fishermen we traveled here with caught several fish during the afternoon, keeping 3 large ones for dinner. Kevin gave an impressive demonstration of how to fillet lake trout which I captured on video, a familiar experience for Kevin who has appeared on TV many times. We had fresh fish for dinner each night at Aylmer except one.

We learned during discussion at the Lodge dining table that part of the Aylmer Lake region is under consideration for inclusion in a National/Provincial Park that would be three times larger than Banff NP. The immediate area has not been hit by fires. More rain has fallen here than elsewhere in NWT, but it is still much drier than normal. Aylmer may be at a record low level. Water level down at least 2’ (.6m) throughout NWT according to Kevin. (Small pond in front of Lodge lost water during our week there, draining through sand into the bay as the water table continued to drop.) 400 large(?) fires in NWT last year due to extreme drought. Everyone worried about this year.

Climate irony: Aylmer Lake was frozen until the 3^rd week of July 2014 at the same time that forests were burning to the south. This year lake unfroze unusually early, in May.

Lake and rivers contain lake trout, Arctic Grayling, Arctic Char, White Fish and other species. Our meals during the trip would be of Lake Trout with only one Arctic Grayling caught—nearly all our fishing was on the lake, not the rivers. ETS particularly favored White Fish that we did not get to try. The water is too clear for pike.

Aylmer Lake Lodge was established ca. 2003 by a caribou hunter who scattered spare ribs (his favorite food) not far down the beach to attract wolves and bears. The caribou soon gave out due to successful hunting and that owner went bust, victim of his own deadly success. Kevin reopened the lodge in 2013. Not many visitors so far, but that could change when word gets out about this place. The Lodge is very rustic with only a single outhouse (maybe more next year), although the Lodge and outlier cabins have electricity. This will not become a hunting lodge; Kevin’s plan is to promote it for fishing (plenty of fish) and eco-tourism (grand, wide scenery). During our trip I had him take us to the far west and north ends of the lake where he had never visited. More fish, more scenery. At best, summer lasts only 2 months here, but with lots of light.

°

In Alberta, Kevin is a hunting outfitter; no meat is wasted, anything not taken by the white hunters goes to native villages.

Open lake water around 33°F (.5°C) in early July; around 40° (4.4°C) now. Rocknest Bay water temperature around 50° (10°C).

Patty and Thomas took a canoe excursion SE across the bay while I sat writing in a beached fishing boat. They worked with the wind and moderate waves both ways to make good time. Following the canoe voyage, Patty decided to try her hand at fishing (and soon, Michale did as well). Neither of the women had much experience at this. Both would end up catching our dinner on several nights, becoming hooked on fishing. Kevin made both of them purchase the required fishing licenses. Lodge provided all equipment. Catching our dinner became an important part of recreating the Seton experience.

Lake Trout for dinner

We had, on different days, fried Lake Trout, poached Lake Trout, Lake Trout steak, Lake Trout sushi, and Trout Salad (like chicken salad). First night included the filleted trout, frozen vegetables (they were hot when reaching the table), fried potatoes w/onions, lettuce & veg salad, berries w/whip cream. Kevin’s fisherman friend Terry made most of the Lodge dinners. Terry did a fine job, particularly given the limited fare available since a large part of our groceries remained in YK during our stay at Aylmer.

Kevin strongly recommended that we travel first to Thanakoie Narrows and last to Sandhill Bay—the opposite of my plan. Reason: An end of trip storm could make getting back on time from Lockhart River over the open lake impossible. A stormy day coming back from Sandhill Bay would not present the same challenge since we could hug the shoreline. However, by reversing the plan we would lose any chance of meeting up with the Clark expedition, meeting them part way through their 1000k canoe trip. I went with Kevin’s plan. (The Clark group did reach the Lockhart River right on the original schedule when of course, we were elsewhere.)

I recalled how ETS was storm bound more than once during his Aylmer visit, although that was later in the short season of a colder year. Our weather was perfect, the lake calm. Should have stayed with my well-thought out plan.

Retired to cabin for a bit of reading at 11:10pm while it was still light.

Pond rock reflection, Aylmer Lake Lodge

Ernest Thompson Seton and The Arctic Prairies: Aylmer Lake Expedition Field Notes 2015 #1

Michale, Patty, Thomas, David

This is the first in a series giving a day-by-day report on the expedition to Aylmer Lake in the Canadian Arctic sponsored by the Academy for the Love of Learning. The purpose of the trip was to follow the northernmost part of the Seton-Preble expedition of 1907. The two explorers traveled with two native guides. None of them had previously been to Aylmer Lake. Seton wanted to find out if it was a huge inland sea like Great Slave Lake. It wasn’t nearly so vast, but from its middle, it seemed large to me.

These journal entries are just the beginning—we are planning a more comprehensive publication and exhibition for 2016. My notes will show up as several separate postings, accompanied representative images from the trip.

Notes from summer 2015. Expedition participants: Michale Lang (independent curator), Thomas Jaggers, Patty Nagle (Academy for the Love of Learning), David L. Witt (expedition leader, author of these notes, and Seton Legacy Project curator).

Ex officio: Kevin McNeil, outfitter, Aylmer Lake Lodge.

Saturday July 25. I drove from Taos to Santa Fe, spent the night at the Academy for the Love of Learning campus prior to an early morning flight out on United Express from Santa Fe airport; felt concern over travel arrangements; a flight delay could be disastrous. Must be at Air Tindi Float Plane base on time: tomorrow morning early.

Sunday July 26. Patty, Thomas and I arrived separately at the airport only to find my worst fears unrealized: Flawless flight from Santa Fe to Denver to Calgary. Some rain at Calgary, clouds, air bumps. Endless very green farm fields. Long layover between flights useful as getting through Customs took considerable time and several layers of airline and security people to deal with. Fortunately we got in the “Connecting Flights” line that saved much time [TIP: Make sure to get in this line!].

Lunch of uninspired Fish & Chips at airport Montana Restaurant. Took off again on next flight with stopover in Edmonton (we briefly got off the plane), then continued on same flight to Yellowknife, arriving on time, late evening. Immediately caught the free shuttle from airport to Explorer Hotel (good rooms & location).

No flight delays, but there could have been, so getting to YK a day earlier could have been a good plan just as insurance against air connection problems.

Met up with Michale for late night snack in the hotel bar where she met Thomas and Patty for the first time. Michale had arrived in the morning and had a fine day in YK, including making friends with visitor center manager, Tracy, who took her on a tour of the town.

Monday July 27. Up at 4:45am. Sunrise: 4:50am. Got to float plane base on time at 5:30am as requested. $20.00 (Canadian) for van taxi: four of us plus gear from hotel.

Loading the plane took an hour: too much stuff; after much discussion left much of the groceries behind to make room for three fisherman and their gear: friends of Aylmer Lodge owner Kevin McNeil who were going up for a free week in return to making substantial repairs on the Lodge. (7 passengers + pilot)

A single-engine Cessna C-208 Caravan floatplane was scheduled to carry us; a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter with its larger payload capacity could carry everything (including bread, eggs, cheese, pancake syrup, etc. and a few other commodities that would be missed) but at a considerable increase in cost. The fishermen made a decision about what could be left behind when neither Kevin nor his wife could be reached. (The remaining provisions only finally arrived at the Lodge on the plane that came to retrieve us the following week.)

Smooth water takeoff in float plane. Noisy inside the Cessna. I began notes on my Aylmer Essay #1 noting contrasts between large and small in the North. Huge areas of Boreal forest browned and devastated from huge fires last year during cold spell. Dry this year as well but warm. The forest, burned and not-burned, monotonous to my eagle-level sight. Rocky highlands. Boggy lowlands. Browned snagged trees interspersed with fire-free green carpet of forest. Warming temperatures could have pushed forest north over the tundra, but instead, forest may actually be in retreat due to fires. Significant percentage of NWT forest burned in 2014. 

Seton questioned calling this north country “Barrenlands” because of the abundance of wildlife and vegetation. But fire destruction of tundra and forest, as well as population decline of caribou around Aylmer from abundant to absent (traditionally they migrated through at this time) may make this descriptive word all too true.
See this for more on caribou.

In his book Never Cry Wolf (1963) Farley Mowat identified over hunting by aboriginal and whites as the cause, caustically criticizing the Canadian government for denying the obvious. (Not unlike American climate-change deniers.)  Sadly, Canadian government agencies continue to uphold this long discredited position. Combined with unusual ice storms replacing snowstorms in the north (caribou can’t get to their lichen food through ice) one of the great animal populations of the world is disappearing with scarcely any publicity. (A week later, Yellowknife locals told me that tribal elders claim the caribou have just gone somewhere else for now. Shame on all of them for not facing facts and for wildlife organizations everywhere not panicking over the loss of millions of animal lives.)

Diamond mine and lakes

That forest fires burn in an area that seems to be comprises of 20-50% water seems incongruous. Two diamond mine complexes spotted. Winter ice roads to the mines also disrupt caribou, but diamonds are essential to the NWT economy. Caribou are important only as a magnet for foreign trophy hunters and to traditional First Nations life. (Although foreigners getting a license to hunt caribou not so easy anymore.) The caribou will soon be gone, but diamonds are forever.  We learned that a moose had reportedly been spotted in the Aylmer region recently, an area that contains almost nothing that a moose can eat; moose are not typically tundra animals.)
Aylmer Lake Lodge is approximately 100 miles north of treeline. 

We are about 40 minutes into flight when the forest cover and tree size diminished into discontinuous stands with bodies of water increasing. 2 large white birds seen in flight over tundra (probably gulls). No mammal life spotted. Two diamond mine complexes spotted.

I spotted a stranded ice floe (difficult to tell how large) one hour, ten minutes into the flight.

Hexagon patterns on tundra in places. Everywhere punctuated by endless numbers of lakes, from pond size to Eagle Nest Lake (New Mexico) size (maybe some larger). Aylmer significantly larger and easily identified for a long ways off.

Patterned tundra ground

Caleb the pilot took us to 3500’ (approx. 2000’ above the ground) flying us at 125 knots against a headwind. Under the right conditions, the Cessna can reach 145 knots. Take off and landing doesn’t seem to require much distance. Flight began at 6:30am taking longer than average. Distance from floatplane base to Lodge approx. 190 miles. Small waves on lake didn’t affect feeling of the landing (watering?).

Aylmer Lake Lodge

After the landing