INUVIK
This was no ordinary walk in the park.

Visitor specialist Melinda Gillis of the Parks Canada office in Inuvik led a half-day trip to Ivvavik National Park June 26 for a group of people from Inuvik. - Shawn Giilck/NNSL photo

A small group from Inuvik had the rare chance to take a whirlwind guided tour of Ivvavik National Park June 6 when it was offered at the Inuvik Petroleum Show.

When only one delegate from the show signed up for the tour, Parks Canada invited a few other guests, including media, to tag along for the ride.

The park, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, is located in the Yukon and managed and staffed by the Parks Canada Western Arctic Regional Centre in Inuvik.

Parks Canada visitor specialist Melinda Gillis makes regular trips to the park to lead educational excursions and to escort visiting campers. She's been visiting the park regularly since approximately 2006, she said.

Despite her familiarity, she said she never tires of visiting Ivvavik, which has always been a traditional and valuable resource to the people from around the Beaufort Delta region.

To the people on the NWT side of the border, the territorial line means next to nothing and Gillis said many still visit the park and region year-round.

"A lot of people snowmobile in here in the winter," she said, gesturing to the awe-inspiring vista of ancient red mountains overlooking the frothing Firth River.

The park is generally reached via a 75-minute flight from Inuvik during the warm months, and Parks Canada supervises the visits.

It's likely only a few hundred people visit the park each year, Gillis said, because of its remoteness, much like its national park counterparts Tuktut Nogait in the Paulatuk region and Aulavik on Banks Island.

Together, the three national parks represent some of the least-visited sites in Canada.

As the Twin Otter circled in for a landing, a lone Dall sheep was spotted as it scampered along the heights of the mountains.

The sheep are somewhat common in the British Mountains, said Gillis and her colleague, Renee Wissink, the manager of resource conservation.

Other common wildlife include grizzly bears, moose, caribou and muskox. The area is also part of the summer grazing grounds for the Porcupine caribou herd.

"Last time I was here there a small herd of muskox just over in that field," Wissink said a short time later, as the group embarked on a short hike around the park.

It was a cool day with light rain, which brought the mosquitoes out in nearly unbelievable numbers, but that generated no more than a few good-natured remarks. Most of the people were well aware of the rare opportunity to see the park with knowledgeable guides.

The hiking trails in the area around Sheep Creek and Sheep Slot look like nothing more than somewhat aimless game trails. The walking was easy enough, although you had to be aware of tussocks waiting to ambush your ankles.

The trail required two creek fordings, which quickly showed the worth of some serious waterproof boots.

Most of the hikers, though, were bold enough to walk through the ice-fed waters barefoot, so as to preserve their socks and boots.

"That's refreshing," quipped Wissink as he stopped to slip his footwear back on.

Signs of wildlife were everywhere, from numerous piles of moose scat and tracks to spots where grizzlies had been digging for ground squirrels. Unfortunately, no wildlife was seen. Gillis and Wissink said the caribou had likely been driven into higher areas by the legions of mosquitoes.

Tour participants Kelvin Jones and Daniel Gibson both appreciated what they were seeing.

"It was excellent," said Jones.

"I thought it was a really neat thing to do, and it's too bad more people don't take advantage of it. I've never been to that part of the country, and just the flight over is worth it by itself."

Too soon, the three-hour window to spend on the ground closed, and the group had to depart.

Most said they would be interested in returning to spend a few days at the park.

On the way back, the flight followed the Beaufort Sea coast past Shingle Point, where a group of about 20 beluga whales was visible.