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| CANOEING |
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| RAFTING |
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| SELF GUIDED |
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| BAJA KAYAK |
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| CONTACT |
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NAHANNI
WILDERNESS
ADVENTURE LTD
969A Lawrence Grassi Ridge
Canmore, Alberta
Canada T1W 3C3
1-888-897-5223
PHONE
1-403-678-3374
FAX
1-403-609-2042
e-mail
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Trip Itinerary |
Start/Finish: Lindberg Landing to
Lindberg Landing Liard and South Nahanni Rivers
Length: 10 days
Distance: 200 km
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Day 1/2: Lindberg Landing to Nahanni Butte (40k)
My solo trip begins at Lindberg Landing on the Liard River. I will make my way west by pole and paddle to the confluence with the South Nahanni River (SNR). At the confluence of the Nahanni and the Liard Rivers is the Native village of Nahanni Butte. I plan to pay a visit to my old friend Bobby Vital. (km 40)
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Day 3-5: Butte to Kraus' Hot Spring. (65k)
The (SNR) is comparatively slow for 20k up until the Splits. From here the SNR flows swiftly through a maze of islands. The boundary into Nahanni National Park-Reserve is crossed at km 70. The North Elbow marks the end of the Splits and passage through the Yohin Ridge at km 90. ItÕs just another 15k to Kraus' Hot Spring and the 1940-71 homestead of Gus and Mary Kraus. I will be looking forward to a soothing dip in the 32C degree waters. (km 105)
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Day 6/7: Kraus' Hot Spring to Deadmen Valley (30k)
Leaving Kraus' I will pole past Gus's old motor launch that was pulled ashore long ago. Word has it that the price of fuel shut down Gus's aspirations for using the craft for trips up the Nahanni. I wonder what he would think about today's gas prices? The shear limestone walls of First Canyon rise up from here and will surround me until I reach Deadmen Valley (DMV). I will line past Lafferty's Rifle and side canyon. I will pass below the opening for Grotte Valerie locally known as the Sheep Caves where the remains of hundreds of Dall sheep have been found in icy galleries. Next on the journey will be White Spray Springs where clear cold water gushes from the canyon wall before flowing into the SNR.
First Canyon presents an upriver challenge as its walls are washed by fast moving water. Fortunately a lining beach tends to be available in the inside of each bend. With each meander I will need to ferry across. I have floated this canyon for two decades and have spent hours gazing up at the canyon walls and dreaming about exploring the treeless tundra of the plateaus. I hope to be able to follow a few streambeds to the top and explore over night. At kilometer 130 I am faced with George's Rifle, named for George Sibbeston who upset his canoe here. The only option is to line my canoe up the right shore to the point where the canyon wall fills in again. From there I will be required to make a ferry through swift flowing water at the top of the rapid to Cache Island.
The pioneers of the SNR typically crossed with lighter loads. Leaving their first load on the island they returned down river to bring another load up to the island. With the aid of my spray cover I hope to make it in one trip. (km 135)
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Day 8: Deadmen Valley (15K)
I will consider making it to Deadmen Valley a major achievement. Patterson made it here in 1927 with the help of Albert Faille's motorized canoe. In 1928 he returned with his partner Gordon Matthews, built a trapping cabin on Sheaf Creek and stayed the winter.
There are over half a dozen creeks flowing into DMV within its 15km distance. At the west end there is another maze of islands before the rise of Second Canyon at The Last Mountain in the Headless Range. DMV is named in memory of prospectors Willie and Frank McLeod who's headless bodies were found in a camp at the mouth of the now named Headless Creek. Their death is still a mystery. (km 150)
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Day 9/10: Deadmen Valley to Big Bend.
This 20k section takes me though Second Canyon. The walls rise to over 4,000 ft., dwarfing me and my canoe. At Big Bend the river veers away from the Headless Range and points toward the Funeral Range and the entrance to Third Canyon. (km 170)
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Day 10/11: Big Bend to Mary River (35k)
Third Canyon presents thirty-five km of fast flowing water to Mary River at the upstream end of the canyon. I expect that The Gate with Pulpit Rock at km 190 to be the main single obstacle of this canyon. I hope to take my tent to the canyon rim for the night's sleep. (210k)
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Day 12: Mary River to Flat River 20k
A major forest fire burned here throughout the summer of 1994. I hope to make good time on the easier flowing water up to the Flat River, the Nahanni's main tributary.
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Day 13/14: Flat River to Virginia Falls 20k
The next 2 days will test my energy and skill as an upriver traveler. The remaining distance to the falls includes Wrigley Tricky Currents, Clearwater Rapids, Figure Eight Rapid, False 4th Canyon and then 3k of Fourth or Painted Canyon to the base of the falls. Figure Eight Rapids has sheer walls for over 300m. I may need to resort to the portage trail. I expect there will places in Fourth Canyon where I will be scratching my way up the colourful canyon walls in deep water, only to pull my canoe up to me with a long line before going on. I am looking forward to my first view of (316ft.) Virginia Falls (250k)
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Day 15: Climb Sun Blood Mountain from above the falls.
The 3000m climb ascends along a forest trail to an alpine ridge and then above treeline to a grassy knoll.
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| Day 16-20: Return Down river to Lindberg Landing Š (500k total for the trip)
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