July 1, 2023: Canada Day in Fort Simpson

We did not fly into Nahanni National Park today as planned because, although it was a beautiful sunny day in Fort Simpson, it was rainy, foggy, and zero visibility at the landing site at Virginia Falls in the park. As well, the water level of the river is very high due to recent rains, with risk of flash flooding, so even if we were able to fly in, it's not yet confirmed when Parks Canada will allow us to get on the water.

So, our guides quickly came up with plans for spending the day in Fort Simpson. Since it was Canada Day, there was a free BBQ lunch celebration by the river, with what seemed like the entire town in attendance. There were lots of both Canadian flags and Every Child Matters flags, and the mood was festive and welcoming.

Iron Throne of the King of the North

After lunch we walked along the shore of the river, just below where the Liard River meets the Mackenzie River. It was quite a nice sandy beach, and Miles and Kendra enjoyed exploring and hopping from rock to rock. 

Rock jumping

Stick whacking

Driftwood that looks like a duck

Then we headed back to the inn. Mark and I enjoyed taking turns sitting on both of the decks with a view of the river while listening to Kendra teach Miles a card game. We are really pleased that there is another child for Miles to play with on this trip.

Our guides held a BBQ dinner for us at their cottage down the street. One of our guides, Fraser, has foraged for mushrooms around the world, and has promised to forage for us on the Nahanni River. [PS. We did not end up foraging any mushrooms - sad.]

Miles is thrilled with his Canoe North swag ("free hat!") in his favourite colour, purple

Miles was awed by the large size of the ravens

The weather looks like it should be good for flying in tomorrow, even if we have to spend an extra day or so at Virginia Falls while the water level drops. Our guides will also need time to ferry the boats and all our supplies down the portage to the base of the falls, which will take some time (usually they would go in advance to get ahead on this chore).

We met our final fellow guest, Jen, who lives in Fort Simpson and is a last-minute addition to the trip. She is replacing a man who fell sick with COVID en route, and is stuck in Calgary. She had a whirlwind of a time to clear her work schedule, and if we hadn't been delayed on our flight into the park, would not have been able to pull it off.

In addition to Fraser, our other guides are Andy, Lauren, and Maegan.


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