A canoe trip down the Horton River is a wildlife lover's quintessential arctic expedition. As the farthest north river on the North American continent, the Horton flows from northerly boreal forest lands, across rolling tundra, and through fascinating badlands where we encounter the Smoking Hills, ancient alluvial hills that have been burning for centuries. The river spills out of the Cape Bathurst Peninsula, a great thumb-shaped point reaching into the Beaufort Sea.

The Horton offers spectacular scenery, a swift, clear river and amazing wildlife. In June and July, we are likely to spot oldsquaw ducks, Arctic and common loon, ptarmigan, peregrine and gyrfalcons, bald and golden eagles, black brant, scoters, mergansers, scaup, and many shorebirds, including plovers, yellowlegs and godwits.

The 50,000-strong Bluenose caribou herd migrates north and west through the lower half of the river. We are likely to encounter thousands of caribou near the coast, where large post-calving groupings occur. The timing of the migration varies from year to year, but it is almost certain we'll encounter large groups. Muskoxen also inhabit the river. Wolf packs follow the caribou migration. Arctic grayling, lake trout and burbot thrive in the river.

Much of the Horton River lies within the Northern Interior Plain region of the Mackenzie Lowlands. It is generally low, hilly topography marked by numerous lakes and streams. Sparse stands of trees line the riverbanks for the first 200 km downstream of Horton Lake, yet virtually disappear as we approach the coast. On the lower Horton lie its 'badlands.' where deeply dissected Mesozoic rocks are exposed on the steep slopes. Nearly devoid of vegetation, the area feels desolate yet intriguing. The coastal region east of the Horton River contains vast deposits of lignite, a rock which spontaneously combusts when exposed to oxygen. Wind erosion of the slopes tends to maintain the combustive activities. We explore these 'Smoking Hills' on our way to the coast.

Even by Northwest Territories standards, the Horton is remote. The Inuit from Paulatuk, the nearest community, rarely travel this far. The river offers few obstacles, save the wind, but there are a few stretches of whitewater through a series of rock canyons. We'll scout and run, or scout and portage, depending upon water levels.