Nunavut Parks & Special Places - Trip Planner March 2007 SOPER HERITAGE RIVER/KATANNILIK TERRITORIAL PARK The untouched splendor of the river valleys willow growth with trees reaching heights of more and highlands of Katannilik Territorial Park is than 3.6 m. The geology of the valley is also of a nature-lover’s paradise. The park covers more interest. Large crystals of mica litter the ground than 1,500 km2 in the Meta Incognita Peninsula in numerous places and present a shimmering on southern Baffin Island in Nunavut. From ground in low light conditions. Rockhounders Kimmirut, at the south end, the park stretches will also find pyrite, marble and granite, lapis north to the south shore of Frobisher Bay, a lazuli, diopside, rutile, and scapolite. short boat ride from Iqaluit. Along the river itself, on its many tributaries, A hike in Katannilik along the 1,200 km Itijjagiaq in the streams and rivulets flowing down the Trail will take you through a variety of landscapes sides of the valley, countless cascades echo the - from the lush growth of the Soper River Valley recurring theme of the park, and the reason it is to the barren plateau of the park’s uplands. named Katannilik - “the place of waterfalls”. The Soper River and its 1,200 square-kilometres The richness of the Soper valley draws an meandering wilderness is central to the park. unusual concentration of wildlife to the area, Known locally as Kuujjuaq (“big river”) the including caribou, arctic wolf and fox. Peregrine Soper River was designated a Canadian Heritage falcons and gyrfalcons nest in the area as do River in 1992 for its cultural significance in the plovers, snowbuntings, horned larks, and many lives of Inuit, its natural beauty and its countless varieties of sea birds. opportunities for recreation. The river flows into In contrast to the lush and diverse vegetation of Soper Lake (Tasiujajuaq or ‘big lake’). Known the valley, the barren country of the uplands is for its striking fragrance, this valley has the devoid of vegetation providing the visitor with most luxuriant plant growth on Baffin Island. another face, story and experience. Although far north of the treeline, it has unique VISITING KATANNILIK BY WATER temperatures, and a soft riverbed, is the only The Soper River lends itself to a wide range of significant limitation to hiking. Crossings water activities. You can canoe, kayak or raft can only be attempted with safety in the downriver from the Mt. Joy area. The best upper reaches of the river beyond Mt. Joy. way to travel the river is to make frequent A more ambitious route, geared to the stops to explore the surrounding countryside. experienced hiker, starts in the northern Take a hike up a side valley to see wildflowers corridor on the south shore of Frobisher Bay which bloom in abundance in late July and and follows the 120 km Itijjagiaq Trail to early August. Examine the amazing growth Kimmirut. A guide can be hired to take you of willow bushes along the valley bottom and to the trailhead by boat from Iqaluit. Expect side creeks. This scenic valley is a perfect place a difficult climb on the north end of the trail. to pitch a tent and stay a few days. If you are not hiking all the way to Kimmirut, The river is friendly and not suited to you must make arrangements for a boat trip whitewater rafting. But water levels do back to Iqaluit. fluctuate so be prepared for some portages. If you are hiking the Itijjagiaq, be sure The length of your trip depends on your to get a copy of the Guidemap from the sites date back to 2500 BC. Remember, it skill and the water levels. Katannilik Park Office in Kimmirut, or is against the law to disturb or take artifacts There are many attractions around Soper through Nunavut Parks. from these sites. Lake that can be reached in day trips from In spring or fall, you can arrange a Contact the Katannilik Park Centre for Kimmirut. One you won’t want to miss is snowmobile trip along the Itijjagiaq Trail information about Kimmirut’s attractions. the Soper River Falls which funnel water which has long been a winter travel route from the river into Soper Lake, and the between Iqaluit and Kimmirut. Cross- SAFE TRAVEL reversing falls. country skiing and dogsledding trips are Nunavut’s Territorial Parks offer some of the More information is available at the also possibilities. Visit www.nunavutparks. most breathtaking scenery and magnificent Katannilik Park Office in Kimmirut, and com to find a local guides or outfitters. wildlife imaginable, but there are risks when online at www.nunavutparks.com KIMMIRUT travelling in a remote area. You must be VISITING KATANNILIK BY LAND While in the area, it’s worth spending at self-reliant and responsible for your own The entire park is also ideal for hiking, the least a day in Kimmirut. This picturesque safety. The extreme environment can change terrain is not all suitable for beginners. Inuit settlement of 400 has a thriving arts quickly, challenge your survival skills and The length and difficulty of hikes vary and crafts community and many artists are face you with an emergency. Also remember, greatly. You should be able to find a hike in internationally known for their detailed when you travel in Nunavut you are in polar Katannilik suitable for your skill level. carvings. Visit the Soper House Gallery, next bear country. Polar bears are strong, fast and to the Katannilik Park Centre in Kimmirut agile on ice, land and in water. Hiking in the Soper River valley is gentle to view and buy local arts and crafts. and friendly. Releatively easy two or three- For more information on Safe and day trips can be taken in the south end of A wide variety of geology, flora and fauna Sustainable Travel and Polar Bear Safety in Katannilik from Kimmirut to Shoogle Lake can be seen within a short distance of Nunavut, please visit our website at www. or Mt. Flemming. You can reach Soper Falls Kimmirut. Or take a trip to the nearby flow nunavutparks.com from Kimmirut in an easy one-day hike. edge in sprint to watch sea mammals and PLANNING YOUR TRIP A popular trek is to fly into Mt. Joy from birds and look for icebergs. There are many Careful planning – starting before you Iqaluit and hike the southern section of the small bays and coves to explore. leave home – is the key to a successful and Itijjagiaq Trail to Kimmirut. During summer, boat trips can be arranged enjoyable naturalist adventure in Katannilik The Soper River, which can be dangerous to see archaeological sites on the small Territorial Park. to cross because of high water levels, water islands around Kimmirut. Some of these For detailed information on planning your Fishing is permitted anywhere in the park, WATER LEVELS trip, the ‘Travelling’ Section of each park but a license is required for non-Inuit. For By the end of May, the snow has melted off page on www.nunavutparks.com includes information about fishing and hunting the land in the lower valley and south-facing a list of guides and outfitters operating in contact the Department of Environment slopes, overflowing the ice-choked river. In Katannilik Territorial Park, accommodations Wildlife offices in Iqaluit or Kimmirut. June, the ice on the Soper River breaks up in Iqaluit and Kimmirut, airline information INUIT OWNED LANDS and by the end of the month (sometimes and other trip planning information. You can as late as the first week of July), the ice also contact the Katannilik Park Centre in There are several areas of Inuit Owned on Soper Lake goes out. Throughout the Kimmirut, or Nunavut Parks staff in Iqaluit. Lands (IOL) within and adjacent to summer, run off from snow melting in the Katannilik Territorial Park. It is expected Before planning your trip, we recommend highlands feeds the Soper River. Still, water that the extent and location of IOLs may you read the Nunavut Handbook, and levels can drop 30 cm (1ft.) a day; and can change in keeping with the Nunavut Land the Itijjagiaq or Soper River Guidemaps. also rise quickly after a rain storm. This is Claims Agreement. Please check with These publications are available from the important for river travelers to remember. Nunavut Parks, or the Katannilik Park Katannilik Park Centre in Kimmirut, from The combination of the Soper River’s large Centre to confirm IOL boundaries and any Nunavut Tourism and the Unikkaarvik drainage basin and the permafrost, which related access requirements. Centre in Iqaluit or by contacting Nunavut does not allow rain to soak into the ground, Parks & Special Places. In the Baffin region, access to Inuit Owned causes rain water to run off quickly. The Lands is under the jurisdiction of the water levels have been known to rise 1 ½ m If you have any doubts about your skill Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA). The (5ft.) after 4 days of rain! level and experience, consider hiring a local Nunavut Land Claims Agreement permits guide or outfitter. For information, visit travel across IOL for personal or casual www.nunavutparks.com or contact the WHEN TO VISIT travel to or from a place of recreation, for Katannilik Park Centre in Kimmirut. Generally, the hiking season starts when emergency purposes, and for water travel, to the snow melts in late May or early June REGISTRATION AND PERMITS a 100-foot strip of IOL bordering the river. and ends with the first snowfall in early For further information regarding IOL in the The registration and de-registration process September. However, don’t plan to hike Baffin, contact QIA. has been established to help park visitors the Itijjagiaq Trail from the Frobisher Bay have a safe and enjoyable experience. It CLIMATE trailhead before mid-July. You can only get is mandatory for all visitors to the Soper Arctic weather is unpredictable. Generally to the trailhead by boat from Iqaluit, and Heritage River and Katannilik Territorial July is the warmest month, with clear blue the ice doesn’t usually leave the bay until Park. Contact Nunavut Parks & Special skies and brief rain storms. By mid-August the first week in July. Places, or the Katannilik Park Centre for temperatures are cooler, the skies more FLOWERS AND BERRIES information on registration and permits for overcast, and all-day drizzles are common. In carrying firearms in the park. If you want to see carpets of Arctic September you can expect frost at night and a wildflowers, come in mid-July. You can still We require that you carry a satellite phone few snow flurries as well. Wind is a BIG factor find the early June bloomers in “snowpatch and a GPS with you through the park to in the Arctic. Light winds are a blessing that communities” and the fall flowers are just allow us to provide you with updates on keep away mosquitoes. Strong winds of 50 starting to blossom. If you love berries, park conditions, polar bear sightings; and to 70 kph can tear tents, tumble canoes and come in the middle-end of August. There to allow you to relay information to us whip up white caps. The wind chill factor can are no poisonous berries, so taste them all: – especially in the case of an emergency have serious consequences for the unprepared. blueberries, crowberries, cranberries, and where you will also need to pass on accurate With a 52 kph wind, at 0 C, the wind is bearberries. location coordinates from your GPS. If you equal to 20! You can expect tail winds in the do not have a satellite phone, you can rent morning as the cool air from the highlands BUGS AND WILDLIFE one from Nunavut Parks & Special Places. drops down the valley. By afternoon you will The good news is that there are no black Be aware that local topography and weather have headwinds to contend with as the sun- flies, deer flies, sand flies, yellow jackets, conditions can limit reception. warmed valley air rises. hornets, wasps or snakes! There are, however, trail hiked by only a handful of people FIND OUT MORE mosquitoes from late June to late August. a year. The Itijjagiaq Trail leads you NUNAVUT PARKS They make their debut around dinnertime up across the highlands of the Meta & SPECIAL PLACES when the wind dies down, and depart when Incognita Peninsula and down into   the evening cools. They return for breakfast the Soper River. You can arrange to 867.975.7700 867.975.7747 before the winds pick up. Arctic wolves, have your boat(s) and resupply flown [email protected] foxes, hare, lemming and raven live in the into Mt. Joy. Another possibility is to www.nunavutparks.com valley year-round, but they are shy and well have a Kimmirut outfitter meet you by KATANNILIK PARK CENTRE camouflaged. Migrating birds come north in boat and take you down the river. This  867.939.2416  867.939.2406 May/June and head south in September. You offers a great opportunity to travel and [email protected] will see caribou anytime of year in the valley, camp with an Inuit guide and learn to mostly lone bulls in June. By the end of see the land through their eyes. HAMLET OF KIMMIRUT August the females and calves are returning > Option III: A third option is to fly  867.939.2247  867.939.2045 from their calving grounds in the North. to Kimmirut and either paddle or [email protected] motor upstream. Check the Katannilik www.kimmirut.ca HOW TO GET Territorial Park page on www. SOPER HOUSE GALLERY nunavutparks.com for information on THERE  867.939.2168 airlines servicing Kimmirut. If you plan The park is only minutes from Kimmirut, to paddle up river you can fly foldboats QIKIQTANI INUIT ASSOCIATION although it is a good three hours hike into or inflatable kayaks in a s baggage or  867.975.8400  867.979.3238 the Soper Valley around Soper Lake. To get possibly rental canoe in Kimmirut. www.qia.ca to the river, you have three options:: You can paddle UP the lower river by NUNAVUT TOURISM > Option I: To fly in you’ll need to carrying around or line up rapids and charter a plane. There are two off strip sections with stronger current. In high Nunavut Tourism can provide detailed landing sites: Mt. Joy in the upper water this would be more difficult. inforamtion on your trip to Nunavut. Visit valley and the Livingstone in the Lower their website to request your copy of the Valley. Putting in at Mt. Joy offers The landing at Soper Lake is 3 km by Nunavut Travel Planner road from Lake Harbour. If you have not a longer trip with more rapids and  1.866.NUNAVUT (686.2888) set a date and time for a pick-up you can spectacular, canyon-lke scenery. If the [email protected] hike to town. Contact the Katannilik water is low, be prepared to wade, drag www.nunavuttourism.com or portage around shallow sections. Park Centre in Kimmirut in advance to arrange a pick-up.If you are planning on UNIKKAARVIK VISITOR CENTRE > Option II: If you are a bold adventurer chartering, you should plan well ahead as you may decide to hike in. From  867.979.4636  867.979.1261 you may not be able to arrange a charter in Iqaluit a local outfitter ferries you by [email protected] Iqaluit after you arrive. boat across Frobisher Bay to the trail head. The hike from Frobisher Bay to Mt. Joy takes 5 to 7 days. It is a rugged

ᐊᕙᑎᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ NUNAVUT PARKS NUNAVUMMI PARCS ET ENDROITS Department of Environment ᐊᕕᑦᑐᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᒥᕐᖑᐃᓯᕐᕕᖏᑦ & SPECIAL PLACES UNNAGIURHIQVIIT SPÉCIAUX NUNAVUT Havakviat Avatiligiyikkut ᐊᓯᖏᓪᓗ ᓄᓇᑦᑎᐊᕙᐅᔪᑦ Department of Environmnet & INNIITURLIIT Ministère de l’Environnement Ministère de l’Environnement ᐊᕙᑎᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ Government of Nunavut Havakviat Avatiligiyikkut Gouvernement du Nunavut  867.975.7700 ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᖓᑦ P.O. Box 1000, Station 1340 Nunavut Kavamatkut Case Postale 1000, Succursale 1340  867.975.7747 ᑎᑎᖅᑲᖃᐅᑖ 1000 Iqaluit, Nunavut X0A 0H0 Qiuqutaa 1000, Nayugaa 1340 Iqaluit, Nunavut X0A 0H0 [email protected] ᑎᑎᖅᑲᖃᕕᖓ 1340 Iqaluit, Nunavut X0A 0H0 nunavutparks.com ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ X0A 0H0