
Bathurst Inlet is nestled right up along the shoreline, and has had a year-round populaion of about a dozen Inuit for the last 100 years . Unfortunately, due to health reasons, they have had to leave it barren for the last couple of winters while seeking medical assistance in Yellowknife.

Being close to the water increases the chance of a breeze. I think they may have had that in mind when settling here as the mosquitoes are downright vicious when there's no wind.

The historic Bathurst Inlet Lodge that began it's life as a Hudson Bay Trading post.

Ancient boat sits quietly by in Bathurst Inlet.

Inside the lodge artifacts fill the walls.

It's like a museum in here.

Bathurst Inlet Lodge head office. Every corner leads to another unique building.

Cool looking igloo house at Bathurst Inlet. These were originally brought in as it was thought that the Inuit might like their design and their durability in the tough arctic environment with their metal construction.

A traditional fish drying rack that stills gets lots of use today. Drying are Lake Trout and Arctic Char.

Sunset over Bathust Inlet.

The long sunsets at this time of year were great for photography. Instead of trying to get one good shot and then the sun is gone, I could run around and around and it was still there.

Overlooking the Burnside River delta at Bathurst Inlet as the sun begins to set behind the clouds.

Flying over the Burnside River delta. The sand continually shifts from year to year and appears and disappears with the tides.

Max Attwood doing some filming from the helicopter as we flew to Wilberforce Falls. He had joined me for the week as my brother Carl had retunred home. Max has been doing a lot of filming and editing for Les Stroud's Survivorman show. Les recommended him to me, as he not only had great skills, but could also handle himself in the outdoors. Both equally important on this kind of trek.

Grizzlies seen from the air on our way to camp at Wilberforce Falls. In this region they tend to have much lighter coloured fur than ones I had encountered in the western arctic. It was great to see this as it gave me a better idea what to watch for later when on the ground.

Flying over Wilberforce Falls I realized that you can never see the entire falls from one perspective as there are so many facets to it.

The river runs deep and dark below the falls through fantastic red rock walls.

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The second drop of the Hood River as it continues downstream.

The pools that lie quietly since the spring overflow subsided contrast against the ever turbulent main flow.

Looking downstream the greens of the tundra really contrasted with the red rock of the canyon. In the distance, the canyon transforms back into a somewhat more quiet Hood River.

The split at the top of the falls show clearly in this shot. From the far side, the water levels were low enough that one could walk into the middle section and hike down a ways. Unfortunately I didn't have time for that on this trip as we stayed on this side. But that was more than enough to keep me really busy!

Veils of mist rises magically from the canyon, dancing in the light.

A big view of Wilberforce from the ground.

What you don't get in this photo is the powerful sounds of water crashing, frothing, bubbling and then plummeting further down. Nothing can compare with being there.

Taking a break from painting to enjoy the view. I have to watch sometimes that I don't get so caught up rushing around with the creative stuff that I don't sit there and soak it in. After all, that's where the inspiration comes from.

Looking over the lip of the main drop. Wouldn't want to miss the pull out upstream if I were canoeing here!

Max filming above the falls while we filled our water bottles. What great tasting water.

Late afternoon sun lights up the rock.

The first drop under the evening sun.

A rainbow comes and goes as the sun catches the shifting mist.

A small rope tied off to bushes to the right would keep my easel from flying off the cliff should a gust of wind come up. I on the other hand would have to fend for myself.

Getting a canvas well underway. With so many possible angles to choose from I found it hard to make a choice. In the end though, this scene is one that I want to large back in the studio to try and convey further the incredible power of the rushing waters below as they twist and crash through the canyon.

What a spectacular vantage point to paint from!

The ever changing rainbow that danced in the mist when the light was just right.

Ethereal colours in the mist.

Max carefully positioned to capture some great footage. It's a long way down!

A neat outcrop of rock, one of many along the canyon's walls. This one is part of one of the paintings I began on location.

The beauty wasn't just in the big landscapes. These flowers stood out with their amazing blues.

This plant looks like hairy snow peas.

Little burst of colour.

Eyeing up another perspective for a blank canvas.

A new painting gets underway as I lay thinned down oil paints onto my panel mounted linen.

As the sun worked its way across the sky and changed angles, the canyon took on new looks.

The community is dwarfed in this massive Arctic Barrenlands landscape.

Max trying to keep the mosquitoes at bay with his head net. Even in the middle of the day they were nasty unless there was a breeze.

Hiking east from Bathurst Inlet gave us some other great views to explore.

The Bathurst Inlet cemetery. Peace and quiet.

Page Burt: at home on the land. Page has been coming up to Bathurst Inlet for over 30 years, and shared with us many of its natural and historic wonders.

The arctic... land of the big sky.

A caribou blending right in with its environment.

Looking at a talu from the side. Holding a bow horizontal to the ground, this low blind would offer enough cover for effective hunting at close range.

One of many remnants of past inhabitants. This is a talu, a stone blind for hunting caribou.

Painting with Page's dog for company. She kind of liked positioning herself for the camera.

No the dog did not wind up in the painting, though she was beautiful.

Hard to see in this photo, but the community lies in the distance to the right of the big rock sitting upon a hill. Seemed natural to include it in this painting.

Page and Max hiking in time for a late supper.