The Porcupine Caribou herd, which was estimated at 218,000 animals in 2017, migrates every spring to the Arctic coast west of the Firth to calve. Then, after calving is complete, the herd gradually migrates, often in small groups, to the southeast on its way to its wintering grounds in the mountains further south. This means crossing the Firth River.

Some distance downstream from our lunch spot; caribou were crossing the river. It was a moment of great excitement. After the first large group, some smaller groups consisting of mothers and their calves came through. Each calf was sticking closely to its mother, as for the first year of its life, a caribou calf is almost inseparable from its mother while it learns what it must do to survive. When it eats, it often has its nose near the mother’s nose and learns what foods she is eating so that it can follow suit. We watched as several caribou calves closely followed their mothers into the water and crossed the river.

However, this intimacy does not go on forever. At one year, just before the next calf is born, the mother suddenly rejects it and drives it away. The poor calf at first seems confused and upset, and tries to maintain contact, but eventually it gives up, and joins a peer group of similarly rejected one-year olds. It all sounds very heart rendering, but nature does what it needs to do to preserve the species.

On Day 2 we got on the river, and before long stopped as a tributary, Muskeg Creek, where our guides caught 4 large Dolly Varden. They would be dinner that evening!
A short distance below the fishing hole, we stopped on river left, and went for a steep hike up to a high ridge which overlooked the river. Our hike ended at some tors – rocky knobs formed by erosion from wind and rain – that indicate the are was never glaciated. Glaciers would have quickly destroyed the tors as they ground over the mountains and valleys.
We had a great view of the river far below, and it was exhilarating to think we had reached the tors that we had so admired from the river an hour or two previously. Along the way we came across some fossils which the guides told us were from coral. The Firth River Valley was once covered by shallow seas, and as a result has deep layers of sedimentary rock.
On the way down, I had magnificent views of a rough-legged hawk that posed for quite some time at the very top of a tall spruce tree. It was quite a sight to finally see the bird that we had heard shrieking for the better part of the morning.
A little further along the river we were back in winter. An expanse of aufeis, ice that forms as water issues from underground springs all winter, framed the river on one side. It was July 16th, but it had not all melted yet.