Thelon Esker Hike

For a number of years I've wanted to do a solo trip, something at least a couple weeks long. This fall I pondered possible canoe routes and thought about how long I might be willing to be away from my spouse and my two boys. Or how long they would allow me to be gone. The weeks ticked busily by. Lakes froze, snow fell, and the thermometer hit -25 Celcius when suddenly I discovered what has to be my journey for next summer.

North America's longest esker, the Thelon Esker, stretches 700 km across the Northwest Territories and is almost entirely within the tundra. For anyone who hasn't hiked on an esker, they are relatively easy walking compared to most ground in the wilderness. My spouse Leanne and I walked a few kilometres on an esker near the Arctic coast in 2013 (see image below) during our hike from Kugluktuk to Paulatuk, and that was some of the most memorable hiking on the entire route. An esker provides great views, a breeze to blow the bugs away, and a sheltered campsite on the lee side when the wind is howling. No wonder they are common migration paths for caribou.

So here's my journey for next summer: hiking the Thelon esker from east to west, about 700 km, in the summer of 2020. Some preliminary research suggests that it has never been done before. All the more reason to hike the entire length!