Places > Canada > Nunavut > Baffin, Unorganized National Park
Auyuittuq National Park
Photo Credit: Ansgar Walk
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Little vegetation can be found in Auyuittuq Park, although the plants found there range from flowers such as Mountain Avens, Campion, Papaver, and Saxifrage to shrubs like Dwarf Birch, Arctic Willow, and heather. Many of the plants in Auyuittuq Park grow in clumps to create their own warmer "microclimate" to survive the harsh Arctic conditions.
Because of the exceptionally low vegetation supply, wildlife is very scarce. There are only 12 species of mammals that live in Auyuittuq Park including Lemmings (both the North American Brown Lemming and the Northern Collared Lemming), Arctic Hare, and Ermine to Polar Bear, Arctic Fox, and some Barren-ground Caribou.
The nearest towns are Qikiqtarjuaq and Pangnirtung. Visitors wishing to enter the park are required to register at the park office in Pangnirtung or Qikiqtarjuaq, and attend an orientation session. Park user fees apply.
The most common backpacking route in the park is known as Akshayuk Pass, and follows the Weasel and Owl Rivers via Summit Lake. In 2008, heavy rain and warm weather caused Summit Lake to burst through its banks, flooding the Weasel River and washing away the Windy Lake bridge (see photo below). As a result, the hiking routes in the pass are limited to either side of the Weasel River.
Well known peaks include Mount Asgard (shown in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me) with an 800 meter (2625 foot) face, and Mount Thor with a 1,250 meter (4,100 foot), 105° face.
Description from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
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