Canadian North flight # 439 sitting pretty.
Waiting to board our Inuvik-bound flight to begin the expedition at long last!
One minute before touch down in Iqaluit: brother Carl snapped this shot of a gorgeous half frozen river.
Taxi anyone? Who needs a cell phone! Waiting in Iqaluit airport for connecting flight to Yellowknife.
Iqaluit airport - Joined by brother Carl and good buddy Anthony for the first leg of the expedition.
First group shot in front of Bullocks Bistro in Yellowknife.
Last steak before digging into the dehydrated meals... An awesome slab of bison at the Bullocks Bistro in Yellowknife.
Cameraman Ryan Bray being cheeky.
Exploring Yellowknife with the crew.
An almost setting sun.
Taking a waterfront stroll.
Ready to head further north.
A pit stop in Norman Wells on the way to Inuvik.
Last time I was in Inuvik was 2006 when I traveled with Janet and our girls to kick off Into The Arctic. Nice to be back!
Our DJI Phantom 3 Pro drone from Canada Drones (http://www.canadadrones.com) getting ready for take off.
Getting some 4K aerial footage with the DJI Phantom 3 Pro.
2am... first bit of shooting in 4k with the Sony FS7 and Into The Arctic 3 begins!
Cool old boat in Inuvik with the sun slowwwwwwly setting. Actually, it never did set!
Getting some shots around town.
Our Lady of Victory church in Inuvik.
Planning with Peter Clarkson in Inuvik. Had a lovely dinner him and his wife while there. Thanks guys!
Peter Clarkson showing us the canoes we'll be using the next two weeks.
The fun part... final packing before heading out. Not sure how we found room to sleep in there.
David Thurton from the CBC interviewing me about the expedition.
A rare moment of Ryan in FRONT of the camera.
Being interviewed in the CBC Inuvik studio.
Look what I found for sale at the North Mart in Inuvik! Into the Arctic DVDs 🙂
Waiting for the shuttle to the airport and ready for the Arctic wilderness... bug jackets and all.
Getting the shot at the Inuvik airport.
Carl and Anthony trying to decide which plane we should take. Only the Twin Otter in the right can land where we're going.
... and then the canoes... will it all fit?!
Boarding call has been made! Twin Otter is loaded and we're heading to Aulavik National Park on Banks Island.
Flying over the Beaufort Sea toward Banks Isklad.
The tiny community of Sachs Harbour, on the south side of Banks Island. We need to land at the nearby airport and refuel in order to make it all the way to Aulavik National Park.
Northern skies.
Taking in the view from above.
Nearing Aulavik National Park.
The Thomsen River snaking into the distance.
The Parks Canada Green Cabin along the Thomsen River.
Landing in Aulavik National Park by the Parks Canada Green cabin.
Unloaded the plane and we're ready to set up camp.
The plane leaves us behind in a vast , wild land. The only way back now is to paddle down the Thomsen Rive to our pick up point.
Carl pitching one of our Mountain Hardwear tents for the first camp of the trip.
Beautiful evening skies over camp #1 on the Thomsen River.
The entourage of gear.
The Parks Canada Green Cabin.
An icy ridge with a contrasting dramatic sky in the background near Green Cabin camp.
Breaking out the sketchbook for my first piece of art in Aulavik National Park!
Capturing the scene.
We push off for our first paddle stock down the Thomsen River.
Feels great to be moving on the water.
The view from the bow.
Checking the maps before heading further down river.
Hauling our load uphill to to set up camp.
Sunglass selfie.
The guys at the prow keeping us entertained.
Bryan filming of the first muskox encounter.
Muskox in the distance.
Muskox showdown. Ryan gets some great footage of the incredible prehistoric looking beast.
A slow retreat.
Ryan Bray filming our first muskox and caught them in the act. Great shot and timing!
Built for the Arctic. The largest population of Muskox on the planet live here on Banks Island.
Reviewing shots.
The action captured on camera.
View near camp. Flowers abound everywhere.
Arctic wildflowers.
Rows of Arctic foliage.
Tenting under and endless sky.
Never a spare moment when there's so much to capture!
Setting off again.
Calm waters to make some headway.
Our next home away from home.
Magical light through the rain.
The endless packing and unpacking. At least we don't have to carry it on our backs the whole way!
The crew stopping for a quick photo shoot.
Large clusters of boulders in a sea of sand.
Paddling past a herd of Muskox, the dark specs in the background.
Water fowl keep us company.
A Peregrine Falcon nest view a great view over the river.
A Peregrine Falcon soars overhead.
A sleek Peregrine Falcon swoops through the air. Such amazing and beautiful birds of prey.
Taking in the view from the water.
A herd of Muskox spotted on the hill.
A lone beast.
Trying to keep the camera steady on some choppy water.
Pristine waters.
Falcons perched on a ridge.
Ready for take-off.
A Peregrine Falcon in mid-flight.
Cooking instructions for our home made dehydrated meals- thanks my wife Janet her weeks of hard work back at home!
A warm delicious meal after a hard day of paddling. Nothing beats it!
Bon appétit!
We paddle by a muskox from long ago.
Capturing an Arctic panorama.
Hiking past a Muskox skull and some wildflowers.
A closer look. Life surrounds death.
Taking a break to take in the view.
We spot some fresh wolf tracks.
Looks like a large one.
Looking back at camp.
Small shelters in an untamed land.
Cresting the hill.
Checking out the huge view from the ridge.
Carl and Anthony are in their element.
Taking it all in.
A perfect curve in the Thomsen River.
This view says it all.
Incredible light covers the land as I take a few photos and try to figure out where to set up my easel.
Feeling rather tiny...
My first oil painting of the expedition at last! I think I will need a bigger canvas.
Capturing the light.
A productive day.
Muskox skulls that look like they've been here a long time.
A closer look.
Rock circles on the hill tell of past peoples who live on this land.
Fishing at Char Lake.
Carl catches a lake trout for our next meal. A great addition to our dehydrated meals!
A falcon soars overhead.
We spot the nest on the ridge. A perch with a great view.
Baby falcons snuggled together in their nest.
A good spot to set up camp.
Filming of the edge of the water.
Portrait of an Arctic beauty.
Muskox wool, looking like part of the vegetation.
Another great view.
Dinner time with the crew.
Trying to charge some solar panels in limited light.
Taking in the moment.
Camp next to a permafrost edge that is giving way to the river.
Home base for the night.
A particularly picturesque view of the Thomsen.
Alone in it's element.
A herd of Muskoxen roaming the land.
A beast as old as time.
A lone Arctic wolf running along on the opposite bank.
The wolf swam across the and showed up behind camp...
... and came in closer to investigate.
An Arctic wolf letting us know that we're on his territory.
Sniffing around.
A very close encounter. Carl and the wolf.
Carl got this great shot of Ryan Anthony and I filming the encounter.
Our curious visitor circling around camp.
An Arctic wolf up close and personal.
Look closely, and you'll see the rest of the family of 5 Arctic wolves having a snooze on the river bank.
Muskox skeleton still intact.
An Arctic grey fox coming to investigate.
Perched on a ledge to capture the view in my sketchbook.
Behind the scenes shot of me talking to the camera with a spectacular vista in the background.
Patches of ice left over from the thaw.
A view from Head Hill.
A great view of the Thomsen that I painted. Photo by Ryan Bray.
Anthony, Carl and I cresting the hill on our hike to Head Hill, the site of an unusually large number of Muskox bones, some dating back to the 1850s.
Perfect weather for a hike.
Muskox skulls scattered on Head Hill.
Another painting started while on our hike to Head Hill. The vast number of Muskox skulls and bones concentrated in this small area where a fascinating an unique part of this Arctic landscape.
Ryan rigging up the Sony FS7 4K camera on to a Ronin 3 axis brushless gimbal rig for some smooth cinematic shooting.
Ryan and his "posse" getting some epic shots with our Sony FS7 4K camera on a Ronin rig.
My travelling studio.
Light breaking through on a nearby ridge.
Hiking back into camp after a painting session, with laundry blowing in the wind at our temporary homestead.
Wildflower speckled hill with the Thomsen in the distance.
Telling stories around the cook stove.
Capturing a moody sky and rolling hills.
Painting to the rocking of the current. Sometimes it's the only way to get the perspective.
Our two tiny canoes putting the landscape into perspective.
Hoards of mosquitoes trying to move into the tent with us.
Muskox spotted on a distant hill.
All the rain has helped the summer foliage.
Colourful wildflowers perched on seemingly uninhabitable rocks.
Wildflowers thriving in the 24 hours of sunlight.
A solitary moment, feeling small in an immense land.
Enjoying an endless sun at 2am.
Lacing up for the big hike.
Our tents, mere specs in the distance, await our return after a long hike.
A crane soars over the land. Their calls could be heard through heavy winds.
Taking in the big view over the Thomsen River.
Brief light flooded the land during our hike up and brought rich colours across the landscape.
Anthony capturing a moment with my brother Carl at the apex of our journey.
Enjoying the big view of Castel Bay. Was hoping to get a vista like this but didn't know if it was going to happen until we crested the hill.
The gang on the "summit" of the a hill about 6km from our last camp. The view offered was spectacular.
My trusty tarp saves the day and keeps me dry and sheltered from gusting winds as I try to capture the scene.
Painting a big view of Castel Bay looking past the end of the Thomsen River.
Looking out at 2am past the end of the Thomsen River to McClure Straight and the Beaufort Sea.
Enjoying one of the calm evenings that showed up on the last part of the trip.
Last bit of colour hangs along the horizon.
A canoe makes a fine wind break for cooking dinner.
My wife Janet's "special bag" contained some special things indeed, unveiled on our last evening on the Thomsen River.
Ending our Bank Island trip on a fine note.
Last group shot before the Twin Otter comes to whisk us away.
Leg 1 of the journey wrapped up and heading out of Aulavik National Park. This was awesome!
