I just returned from my summer Arctic canoe trip where I used your 15′ solo PakCanoe. I successfully paddled 625 miles on the Lockhart, Baillie, Back and Armark rivers plus three smaller unnamed rivers. The canoe performed admirably carrying myself (205 pounds) and about 250 pounds of other gear for the 46 days I was on the water. It was amazing how well the canoe handled in really large rapids and big waves on the lakes. The boat rides right over the tops of the big waves rather than diving into them. The canoe is also very maneuverable in rocky rapids. It was also very nice to be able to bring the boat back to Yellowknife from Cambridge Bay as regular baggage and also much less expensive. Needless to say, I will use the boat on any solo trips that I do in the future.
The trip route I took entailed seven rivers systems. I began on the Lockhart river (Alymer Lake). From there I ascended a small unnamed river for about 100 miles to its headwaters. I portaged into a second river system with no name. It joined the Baillie river after about 100 miles. I descended the Baillie to the Back River and paddled through the big lakes on the Back to the north end of Garry Lake. From there I ascended a small stream – sometimes no wider than the canoe followed by several portages which finally put me on the Armark River. The Armark flowed north to the Arctic Ocean where I was picked up and flown to Cambridge Bay. From there I flew commercial air to Yellowknife and the drive to Arizona.
Bob Dannert
