Our gear is designed, sewn, and tested in the White Mountains. This summer it went a lot farther north. We outfitted guide Celeste Alden and the crew of Gens du Nord for six weeks on the Coppermine River. Here's her report.
This summer I was lucky enough to spend six weeks paddling down the Coppermine River, a historic route through the Northwest Territories and Nunavut in the far north of Canada. I led the trip through YMCA Camp Menogyn, a summer camp based out of Grand Marais, Minnesota, with a mission of providing transformational wilderness experiences for youth. My co-guide was Nansi, who brings a wealth of experience working with young people in the outdoors. We had five participants, ages 16 to 18, all of whom had done some whitewater paddling, but this would be their longest expedition yet. We called our little group Gens du Nord, "People of the North," and we had the immense privilege of spending an entire summer paddling through, drinking from, and living on the Coppermine.
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Packing for a place that changes by the hour
Trip planning started months before the floatplane dropped us on the water: food, gear, boats, and layers, along with every logistical piece an Arctic expedition demands. Layers matter more than almost anything out there. The Arctic climate is never still. Rain, blistering sun, and gale-force winds are all possible in a single day. The sun never sets during the Arctic summer, but the evening hours turn cold, which makes layering essential. Our priority was keeping everyone warm for six weeks while keeping packs light and everything quick to dry. The Alpha Direct Hoodie and Sunseeker Hoodie from Burgeon proved to be essential trail staples delivering warmth, sun protection, and comfort without the weight.
Ice, and the waiting
Our trip began with a drive to Winnipeg, then a flight to Yellowknife for final organization before a floatplane out to Destefanny Lake. The first couple of weeks were spent paddling large Arctic lakes rimmed by tundra. It had been a long, cold winter, and the ice hadn't finished melting when we started, so several of our first days were spent waiting it out, entertaining ourselves on small islands in the middle of huge lakes.
The Upper Coppermine
After the lakes, we reached the Coppermine River proper. The Upper Coppermine gave us several days of fun, intense whitewater. We were constantly getting soaked as we splashed down rapids, and the Alpha Direct was a lifesaver: it kept us warm even while we were wet.
The Lazy River
Next came a section we called the Lazy River, slower water where we saw most of our wildlife. One morning, cooking breakfast, we looked up to see an Arctic wolf loping along the opposite shore. The land changes here too, forested taiga rising into large rolling hills on either side. These were some of the hottest days of the trip, and we were forever getting in and out of the water. The Sunseeker Hoodie was incredible on this stretch — it kept us cool and protected us from the intensity of the Arctic summer sun.
Rocky Defile to Sandstone
After the Lazy River, the whitewater picks back up. We portaged around a famous rapid called Rocky Defile, then watched the Coppermine and September Mountains rise on either side of the river. We were ahead of schedule, so we took time to hike into the hills. The kind of days and conditions our lightweight Burgeon layers were made for. The final stretch, Sandstone, is essentially a multi-day canyon of near-constant whitewater. Watching the participants grow into confident paddlers over the summer was the best part, and running the Sandstone rapids together was a joy.
Out to the Arctic Ocean
As you emerge from the canyon, the last of the river opens up. One final portage around Kugluk Falls, and then it was time to paddle out into the Arctic Ocean. Emerging onto the sea after a summer on lakes and rivers was surreal, and we took long moments to take it in. We ended in Kugluktuk, a small town at the mouth of the Coppermine, where we spent a couple of days sorting gear and exploring. Our layers kept working for us there too, under bright sun and fierce Arctic wind.
What the river gave us
Transitioning away from river life has been hard, and I think most of us are still processing the loss of it. It's a precious thing to live in community and travel a river for so long, to build routines on the water and rely on one another and the little you carry. Gratitude became the theme of our Coppermine summer: for the water, the land, our bodies, and the gear that carried us. Coming back into cell service and the news of the summer's wildfires only deepened that perspective. To paddle and swim and portage these remote rivers is an extraordinary privilege, one we'll carry forever. The Coppermine changed how we think about wilderness, community, and what it means to move through a place with gratitude, and we were thankful, every paddle stroke, to have gear we could rely on.
Celeste Alden guided Gens du Nord down the Coppermine River in the Sunseeker Hoodie and the Alpha Direct Hoodie - designed, sewn, and tested in New Hampshire.
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