Nahanni River

DREAM ADVENTURE NUMBER SIX: raft the Nahanni River



Why is the Nahanni River so Famous?

* Perhaps the most visually diverse river on the planet.
* The world’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.
* Fabled in 1908 by the disappearance of two prospecting brothers and the subsequent finding of their headless bodies. Headless Creek, Deadmen Valley, Funeral Range, Somber Range and Thundercloud Range were resulting place names and the presence of hot springs encouraged a legend of tropical banana growth.
* Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau paddled the river in 1970, a time when Heads of State were not known for river expeditions while in Office.
* One of Canada’s most famous National Parks and soon to be enlarged. It will become one of the largest Parks in the world, nearly the size of Switzerland.
* Virginia Falls is nearly twice the height of Niagara, the canyons are Canada’s deepest. The area was not glaciated during the last ice age and the resulting refugeum has retained an ancient antecedent river, pre-dating the surrounding mountain landscape.
* The small First Nations village at the mouth of the river is not accessible by road and is one of the few remaining as such.
* “Greatest river trip in the world” – Bill Mason, film maker, naturalist and environmentalist, author of Path of the Paddle and the film series of the same name.
* Subject of the eloquent 1950 account by Englishman, Raymond Patterson entitled “Dangerous River”, which went on to sell thousands of copies in many languages.

Nahanni River Info

Departing from Virgina Falls (twice as high as Niagara Falls!), this rafting trip is the experience of a lifetime. The best times to go are June through August and the whole trip takes about 1 week.

"Over the course of this 150 mile journey from Virgina Falls to Blackstone Landing, this fast flowing river drops a heart pumping 1300 feet. Each section of this epic voyage takes you through canyons, over rapids and past some of the most stunning scenery on Earth.

Even the names conjure up images of danger and excitement as you tumble through Hell's Gate, pass Headless Creek and camp out in Deadmen Valley. So remote is this region of North-Western Canada that the only practical way to arrive is by air. This start to the voyage could not be more spectacular, as you land alongside the towering Virgina Falls [pictured above].

...Towards the end of this epic voyage you pass Kraus' Hotsprings where you can soothe your aching limbs, rejoice in nature and congratulate yourself on nearly completing this most exhilarating of journeys..."
*501 Must-Take Journeys. London: Octopus Publishing Group Lmtd, 2008.

The pictures show such a remote place in wilderness that would be amazing to witness the nature at it's untouched best. I can only dream about being hurtled down a river for hours a day and stopping to get a well needed rest each night; camping out under the stars.

Trans-Canada train trip

DREAM ADVENTURE NUMBER THREE: trans-Canada via train



I have never been to Canada. I think it must look a lot like the Pacific Northwest but more cold and less populated. I also absolutely love trains. I have never gone on a long trip on a train but I have gone cross country on a greyhound bus (ah, to be poor and adventerous). Looking at pictures of Canada though, I think it would be such a relaxing and beautiful place to train across. There are a few places I'd like to stop and see; being on the top of that list is Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada. I've always wanted to visit the falls. I think they're one of nature's most breathtaking sights.



below is an excerpt from 501 Must-Take Journeys*:

"Completing the journey currently compromises three stages. The first from Halifax to Montreal takes you from the extremely picturesque Nova Scotia coast, through New Brunswick. Skirting the Appalachian Mountains, you are then transported to Montreal, the beating heart of French Canada. The second leg allows you to sample the most modern railway Canada has to offer. The Motreal to Toronto link feels strangely normal compared with the rest of the trip. Business people barely look up from their laptops as the train passes along the St. Lawrence River, past the Thousand Islands and along the shore of Lake Ontario. From Toronto, Canada's most modern cities, you embark on the truly monumental part of the train ride. The seemingly endless forests of Norther Ontario eventually five way to open prairies as you cross the Continent's interior -- the vastness of it all is quite breathtaking. After two nights on board, the train approaches the Rockies. Waterfalls and sheer rock faces heave in to view one after another and this is them time to grab a seat in the panoramic dome car. After this, Kamloops is the last major stop before arriving in Vancoucer..."
*501 Must-Take Journeys. London: Octopus Publishing Group Lmtd, 2008.

and from Vancouver I'd just continue on the train to my home town which would only be a few more hours.

estimate on price:
flight from my hometown to Halifax = about $400 with tax
train from Halifax to Montreal = $136 cheapest to around $250 for a cabin (trip is 20 hours long)
train from Montreal to Toronto = about $80 (trip about 5 hours)
train from Toronto to Vancouver BC = cheapest berth is about $900 (trip is about 3 and a half days to 4 days)
train from Vancouver BC to home = under $50

The trip takes about 6 days; so about $1500 for the whole trip -- Plus sight seeing and food which realistically could easily be under $250 for the week if you were budgeting. Unless I decide to stay in a hotel somewhere for a day. However, meals are paid for if you buy a spot in a sleeper cabin or berth. Of course, it'd be wonderful to take a day here and there to stay the night and sight see around some of the old towns in Canada.