Northwest Territories
Larger than life
A spectacularly huge and enormous experience awaits in the great North
It’s hard to imagine the vast expanse of the Northwest Territories, which comprises over one million square kilometres of prairie, boreal forest and tundra. You have to think big—very big; canoeing in this neck of the woods is not just paddling a river, but traversing the massive Great Slave Lake, which has a surface area of nearly 30,000 square kilometres and is the tenth-largest lake in the world. Here, wildlife like moose and grizzly bears are not just forest critters, but 600-kilogram forces of nature that dominate the landscape.
Majestic: A bull moose wades along the shores of his namesake, Moose Lake.
In these immense dimensions, it becomes quite easy to lose yourself. But have no fear: RVWest has hunted out Carlos Gonzalez—a northern tour guide and the owner of Yellowknife Outdoor Adventures—to lead us through the larger than life experiences that the Northwest Territories has to offer.
Animal encounters
Viewing wildlife in the Northwest Territories is incomparable. Gonzalez, a fearless outdoorsman, is particularly fond of moose and has no qualms about walking among these forest giants.
“In the fall, I love to go and talk to the moose,” he said. “Call them—just live among them for three or four days.”
For the most part, it seems, the moose generally ignore human observers like Gonzalez. However, if you wish to venture a little closer to these majestic beings, Gonzalez has devised one way of luring them over: hold up a pair of tree branches over your head. The fake “antlers” are sure to attract the attention of bull moose. It’s a tried and true method for Gonzalez.
“The bull will come really close to you,” he said, “15 or 20 feet—which gets a little dangerous. But then you just drop the fake set of antlers, and he’ll stop and look at you, as if to say: ‘Oh! Well, you’re not a bull animal.’”
Of course, venturing this close to a wild animal should not be done without some experience. Gonzalez has learned his tricks from years of studying animal psychology in the bush. He understands the tell-tale signs of an animal’s discontent as well as other people understand human facial expressions.
“Once you know animal behaviour, you can tell when they’re not happy and when they’re getting a little grumpy,” he said. “There are sounds that they make or they will move their head slowly sidewise to indicate that they are coming for you.”
Fishing dreams
Any fishing fanatic would be thrilled at catching a giant, 20-pound freshwater fish. But imagine the elation of catching literally dozens of fish—each well over 20 pounds—in one day. That’s the reality of fishing in the Northwest Territories.
“You can catch 80 to 100 northern pike in a day and many of them will be 20 pounds,” said Gonzalez. “You’re catching 20-pound fish, all day long.”
Pretty much any lake situated in the pristine wilderness of the Northwest Territories is literally swimming with huge fish, such as Gonzalez’s largest catch: an enormous northern pike that weighed 58.5 pounds and measured 52 and three-quarters of an inch long. Amazingly, fish of such huge dimensions are almost ordinary for Gonzalez, though he knows he is a very fortunate fisherman.
“Some people have never even caught a 20-pounder,” he said. “I know people that have gone fishing every year for 20 years, and they have never even caught a 20-pound trout. And here we are, catching these fish every five or ten minutes.”
Of course, these fish have to be released once caught. They have, after all, earned a special place in a lake’s ecosystem after surviving lone enough to grow to such sizes.
“These are giants,” said Gonzalez. “Sometimes a 50-60 pound trout is 80 to one 100 years-old. There’s no way that you can replace a fish like that.”
Mountain views
Overlooking the immense wonders of the Northwest Territories are the Mackenzie mountain ranges. With large sections of their upper slopes reaching above the timberline—leaving exposed the beautiful, often bright red strips of sedimentary rock—these mountains are a worthwhile scenic destination.
“They’re just beautiful mountains. It’s a trekking paradise,” said Gonzalez.
Norman Wells is a gateway to the inner reaches of the ranges. The small community is the start of the 370-kilometre Canol Heritage Trail. A national historic site, the trail was originally an oil route built by the US military during the Second World War. While the project proved a disaster and was quickly abandoned, the road following the oil pipeline has become a well-known hiking destination, and will take you into some of the most remote wilderness areas left on the planet.
“It’s truly God’s country when you’re up there,” said Gonzalez.
The views from the Mackenzie Mountains are almost overwhelming. But even amidst such scenery, locals like Gonzalez have not lost sight of the simpler, smaller wonder of nature.
“There are all kind of things for people to enjoy in the outdoors,” he said. “Sometimes it can be just a frozen, frosted snowflake that looks like a feather in the wind."
Northwest Territories key contacts
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YukonKlondike Visitors Association
Nestled in the heart of the world-famous Klondike region, Dawson City, Yukon, is a place of history and adventure. Hiking, gold-panning, fishing, biking and snowmobiling are popular activities for locals and visitors alike. Travellers are often intrigued by the area's rich culture and heritage and love to visit museums and cultural centres located in Dawson City. The town is also home to the most northerly golf course for those who want to enjoy some friendly competition.
There is no shortage of accommodations in Dawson City. Guests can choose an RV park, campground, hostel, hotel, cabin or bed and breakfast. Make plans to visit Dawson City and have a memorable vacation.
Contact the Klondike Visitors Association for more information about this terrific destination.
Klondike Visitors Associationwww.dawsoncity.ca