Rafting the Nahanni, 2023

We were on the same Air Tindi and Air North flights as Kristie, so not quite leaving all our group behind just yet. Miles picked out a beaver pelt as his souvenir in the airport, which is a pretty unique item that we wouldn't find for sale elsewhere. There was a rainbow in the sky as we arrived home, and we had a happy reunion with Thurmon. Still feeling the closeness of our time together as we arrive home in Pearson Airport A rainbow on the ride to our house Good-bye Nahanni and good-bye to our travel guides and companions. This was truly the trip of a lifetime. PS. It gets dark here so early - the light dims before 9 pm!

I just saw a bear! It was a junior black bear, walking upstream along the bank across the river. He was in view for maybe 5 minutes, then back into the trees. The bear! Last night there were odd sounds - a high-pitched screech and low moan. Maegan says it was the Common Nighthawk - most of us thought it was some combination of a bird and a bison. [Addendum: The low moan is made by the males when displaying, by air rushing through their feathers!] We packed up for the last time, and were ready just in time for our pick-up by the two boats from Nahanni Butte. It was an interesting change to go fast in a power boat, but not as pleasant or comfy as our rafts (we were sitting on a metal floor, and the breeze was strong and cold). Once in the village we waited for the rest of the gear and our guides to catch up. In all our time on the river we only saw two other small groups - a couple, and a family of four - the family also camped at the same site as us at The Gate. It is an amazing gift to...

I woke from an anxiety nightmare about returning home (we were a day late and I was worried that Thurmon hadn't been taken out for a walk; we had rented out our condo to a friend who turned it into an Air BnB party place, and I couldn't find my Presto card as the streetcar was fast approaching...). The air is quite hazy with smoke and my throat is a bit sore. Maybe it will create a bit of cover from the sun at least. ------- It was cooler, which was a relief, although a shame that our view of the landscape was so diminished by the smoke. We arrived at Last Chance Camp by lunchtime, after a leisurely stretch on the river. Miles and Kendra rode on a boat with Lauren, who kept up a constant stream of camp songs and games to entertain them.  Smoky haze Lauren and Maegan braid Miles' hair There are clear wolf prints and several piles of bison droppings at our campsite, but no actual sightings of the animals - I'm sure our big, noisy group frightens them off. We did find a ti...

We got back on the river and through the rapids at Lafferty's Riffle as we exited First Canyon. These weren't nearly as lively as those at Virginia Falls, likely due to the river having dropped by at least a couple of feet since we started out. After a few minutes we were at the Kraus homestead, where there are hot springs. They were pleasantly warm and smelled very sulphuric. Mark and I dipped in our feet (Miles didn't want to, and after yesterday's hike/swim he has blisters that we are trying to keep dry, so that's just as well), but some others in the group went in up to their necks. If the day were cold/rainy, I'll bet the hot springs would be more tempting. Our feet in the hot spring pool - the water was a beautiful blue-green colour The sulphur creates a delicate white residue on the surrounding beach that we carefully left undisturbed We also visited the inside of the old Kraus family cabin, which has been filled with wooden paddles from past travellers o...

Our day started hot and sunny and stayed that way. A sun dog was visible in the sky above the incredibly high cliff walls. We went through some fun rapids on George's Riffle on our way into First Canyon, where the almost vertical walls rise to 1,000 feet, had a snack break pull-over, and then just as we thought we were stopping for lunch, it turned out we were at our campsite at Lafferty's Creek for an early day off the river.  George's Riffle A sun dog (forms when sun shines through icy clouds) It is in an area of karst, with the extensive cave networks of Grotte Valerie. The caves are classified Schedule 1 (not accessible to visitors), as there are delicate crystals, stalactites/stalagmites, year-round ice lakes/rivers, and hundreds of Dall sheep skeletons that have mysteriously accumulated. We had a quick swim in the river after lunch to cool down - it didn't seem quite as silty, and there was an area where the current wasn't strong. Then we headed up the rocky w...

It rained a bit overnight, so our laundry was perhaps wetter than when we hung it up. We packed it up, with plans to dry it out at the next campsite. The sun is so strong, so late into the evening, and so early in the mornings, that it will surely have a chance to dry, although today started out overcast. I packed a sleep mask for both Miles and myself, and we've needed it - it never seems to get dark, even in the middle of the night - just slightly less bright. We made an earlier start on the river, with our amazing passage through the vertical walls of The Gate, and on through Third Canyon. Much of the rock is black, in layers, looking almost human-built. Miles and Kendra rode in the front of Maegan's boat, and she took them through as many waves as possible. Andy taught them how to make a high-five slap with a paddle, which was very popular. Then it started to rain. We had a downpour for about an hour, which was surprisingly chilly. We hadn't put on our wetsuits because ...