Hood River, Nunavut

Infobox River
river_name = Hood River


caption =
origin =Takijuq Lake
mouth =
basin_countries = Canada
length = 400 km long
elevation =
mouth_elevation =
discharge = Arctic Sound
watershed = The Hood River of Nunavut, Canada is a 400 km long river draining into the Arctic Ocean from its headwaters in the interior of Canada's tundra at Takijuq Lake, close to the Northwest Territories border. The river ends at Arctic Sound near the community of Bathurst Inlet. The river is above the Arctic Circle and tree line.

Lake trout are plentiful and can be almost a metre long. The upper lakes of the Hood can be frozen until July, and on the banks of the river, grizzlies, wolves, wolverines, and muskox are plentiful. In the short Arctic summer, canoeists braving the mighty river can see the migration of the Barren-ground Caribou through the area. muskox and wolves are also common sights.

There are numerous rapids, waterfalls and glaciers along the river. The Wilberforce Gorge is a steep, high gorge that runs for 3 km (2 mi) at almost 76 m (250 ft) deep. The Wilberforce Falls inside the gorge are the highest falls north of the Arctic Circle falling 49 metres (169 feet) in two 24 metre (80 feet) drops.

Sir John Franklin on his first overland expedition came back up this river, after going down the Coppermine River and east along the Arctic Coast to Point Turnagain, while searching for the Northwest Passage. The river gets its name from a Midshipman Hood, who was murdered on the overland trek back to Fort Enterprise and (legend has it) was eaten by the starving crew. (Recorded in Sir John Richardson's Journals).

External links

* [http://www.wildernessbound.com/hood.html Hood River Nunavut] . wildernessbound.com
* [http://www.blackfeather.com/canoe/canoe_hoodriver.htm Hood River] . blackfeather.com