đ¶ Canoeing the wild Nahanni River
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 25. 08. 2024
- đŁ ADVENTURES ON THE WILD ALSEK RIVER âą đŁ Adventures on the wi...
This is a video of a 13 day canoe trip down the wild South Nahanni River in the Northwest Territories of Canada. The South Nahanni River is one of the prime wilderness rivers in Canada. There are few traces of civilization along the river including zero light pollution, making for potentially excellent northern light viewing conditions. Fortunately during this canoe trip, we were able to view several Northern Light displays.
From Ft. Simpson, we flew by bush plane to a gravel bar on the Nahanni River named the Bunny Bar where our canoe trip started. From there it was down river to Virginia Falls where we portaged around the falls before canoeing through four mighty canyons and finishing our canoeing at Nahanni Butte.
In total, we canoed down the Nahanni River for some 330 kilometers.
Highlights include:
00:43 Buffalo Airways
02:15 Fort Simpson
04:53 Flight to the Nahanni River
08:46 Beaver in action
11:16 Tufa mound
18:50 Virginia Falls
20:12 Northern Lights display #1
22:49 Fourth Canyon
25:45 Figure 8 Rapids
26:18 Third Canyon
26:31 The Gate
29:23 Second Canyon
30:17 Northern Lights display #2
31:43 Paddle cabin #1
32:15 First Canyon
32:34 George's Riffle
35:53 Northern Lights display #3
36:59 Lafferty's Riffle
37:43 Kraus Hotsprings
38:29 Paddle cabin #2
41:00 Wood bison
41:58 Nahanni Butte
43:21 River taxi
44:52 Ferry across the Liard River
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Absolutely beautiful. Hopefully this place will stay prestine and unmolested wilderness for many years to come.
Thank you for taking us there.
The most beautiful place I'd ever seen...things to do before I die.
+peter yeung
Glad to hear that you enjoyed the video. The wilds of Canada are beautiful to explore.
You want decapitation?
It's called the headless valley.bigfoot still kills
@@jquest43 what would Bigfoot do with the heads.... Play football?
@@jquest43 bigfoot doesn't know how to start fires dude
@@jquest43 *lost naha tribes that hide out in the mountain caverns
Beautiful location, and well-made videos.
Glad you made it back with your heads intact. :)
+kc8ppo
It was touch and go for awhile but everyone kept their heads about them :)
You didn't see any ghost wolves, Sasquatch or bear dogs? Glad you experienced the nihanni and made it safely!
+Michael G
No đ» but spooky northern lights.
Thanks for taking us along this adventure with you. The falls were spectacular. The canyons, trees, river,....đ
Lucky you made it out in one pieceđ
Hammerson has told us some creepy stories
Those cata-canoes could also be called cata-canoe-yaks for their spray skirts (reminds me of Kayaking). Way to go! Thanks for doing the trip and not freaking about the scariness and the myths and inexplicable.
Thank you for laying out the real info people need to decide whether to chance such a trip. The photo of the falls and canyons transfixed me and I had hoped it might be a possibility but your thorough exposition on the river has shown me any river trip in Nahanni is well beyond our capabilities...I'm especially referring to the portage and constant rowing. Thank you for saving me from a possible disastrous decision. Great job with implanting the arrows and labels and I love Beethoven"s 6th.
+curious and new
>I'm especially referring to the portage and constant rowing
Be aware that on some trips you neither have to row nor portage anything other than your own personal items. So talk to a trip company about exactly what level of effort you want and they may be able to accommodate you.
I had the privilege of guiding RM Patterson's grandson down the Nahanni. Such an amazing place with amazing history and natural beauty
Can you suggest a good guide for this trip?
The Rugginess of Our Shared Planet, Still Leaves Beauty to Behold !!
I've always wanted to see the Northern Lights and this was probably the next best thing! I think they were the most beautiful on August 27, when it was a cloudy night with the canyon walls high in the sky, not very likely to see them but those were some of the most breathtaking photos I've saw of the Northern Lights. I'd love to see them dancing around the night sky in real time. This was a wonderful documentary! Thanks for sharing!!!
+Brittany Lanning
Glad you enjoyed it and I hope that you get to see them dancing in the northern Canadian skies well away from light pollution.
Thank you for sharing. I have always dreamed about going there since reading Dangerous River over forty years ago - bucket list trip.
what a time we live in,that you can share an adventure like that globally,thank you,for the time,foresight and effort to share your trip with all of us,thank you,well done.R.
+Randy Davie
Yes, the Internet has certainly made sharing globally feasible.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Iâm approaching 70 and am only now learning of the Nahanni Valley. Thought you maintained a diplomatic approach to your guidesâ services and much appreciate your tact. Only complaint for me ( word nerd) was the term racinated standing in for deracinated trees. I will search out your other postings.
You are a true adventurer.
Beautiful trip for die-hard adventurerers! Thank you for sharing, never heard of Nahanni River before.
My this brings back fond memories...your flights, the Tufa mounds, Patersons books etc. I canoed the Nahanni in 1997. A trip of a lifetime. Jerry in Guelph, Ont.
Great video. Thanks for the memory refreshed.
+Jerry Daminato
Interesting to hear that you canoed there in 1997. I did enjoy reading RM Patterson's book,'The Dangerous River', on my trip as it evokes a spirit of place that can still be found there.
Brings back some great memories. I took my Mum down for her 65th birthday At 88 she still talks about it
+dave brown
You're lucky to have made such a memorable trip with your Mum.
@@tletter It was such a beautiful place we didn't even fight lol. We dropped in to see Gus Krause on the way up. Loved the hot springs named after him.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful trip . Wonderful
I cant believe thT mel and ethel ross went up stream all the way to the falls w a 7.5 horspower motor.amazing place.
What an amazing trip! Definitely added to our road trip! Canada has so many epic canoe trips! The year I have set aside for Canada might not cover it all lmao
+Ferulloscoasting
You could certainly see a lot in a year but Canada is a very large country - happy travels.
I bet your dad would have been excited and proud of you taking this trip Thomas.
+AlanD
It was a trip that I should have taken with him but it's too late now.
What an amazing trip! Thanks for taking me along on this lousy Sunday morning. I felt like I was there .
+jay hyland
I thought that you were there - isn't that you in the background at czcams.com/video/XAOqKcGNL8w/video.html đ
At 13.11 that is surely a pyramid and that makes sense as its near the water and the area is made of a lot of granite rocks. This pyramid is seen again a little later. Certainly looks it to me anyway.
Terrific video. My Dad and I paddled the Nahanni in 1980. One of the highlights was "bumping" into Dick Turner on the Liard. He wrote Wings of the North about bush flying in the north. Hope to get back again to the Nahanni. Will view your Alsek video. You'll have to check out the Yukon and the Stikine Rivers for future trips.
Amazing. Thank you for sharing. A heck of an experience!
+Richard Costa
It was indeed a heck of an experience. Perhaps you'd also enjoy a similar type of trip on the remote Alsek River (see czcams.com/video/99TjGcOHg_8/video.html).
To those who plan to stay in the Nahanni, please be careful. It is also called the headless valley and is to believed to be cursed. Over 16 gold miners have died in these lands, mainly located by the canyons. Most have been burned and heads missing. Their camps burned too. The tribes people told these miners that there are humanoid creatures (my guess kinda like skin walkers) that roam the lands, mainly by the river. The authorities all mostly say itâs due to an animal attack and never connected any of the cases together even though itâs all similar.
This was amazing!!!! Ive read and watched so much on the nahhani valley but never like this thank you so much for bringing us along on this wonderful adventure. Now all that is left is to experience this in person!!
+Carlos
Hope that you make it there.
Amazing country . Thanks for posting .
+Stewatpark Park
Glad you enjoyed this brief glimpse into northern Canada.
What a majestic and grand land flow free Nahanni.
The Baked goods that came out the oven.... a moment of silence.....
Wisconsin...I kayak and wished SO much that I was with you all! What joy! What views! Thank a You For this wonderful adventure!
+Karoyl Cooper
As you kayak, you might also enjoy the following northern river trips:
1. đŁ Adventures on the wild Alsek River (czcams.com/video/99TjGcOHg_8/video.html)
2. đŁ Arctic National Wildlife Refuge via Hulahula River (czcams.com/video/ekZrtlKuLwk/video.html)
Thoroughly enjoyed your superb videoing and still shots down this pristine riparian ecosystem. Ive never seen the Northern Lights:( I greatly appreciate you sharing them with us all. Thanks for the great narrating job.
+Jim Rodgers
The Northern Lights are fascinating to watch as they extend across the whole sky and change constantly. However, their appearance is not guaranteed.
Incredible adventure, I can only dream to visit such places! âŠMaybe one of these days đ€đŒ
Great doco despite the overwhelming music.
What a great trip, you captured some great footage. Thanks for sharing!
Quite the adventure! Excellent job with the filming and narration! Thanks for sharing!
I found Nahanni National Park in the early 80s and I had wanted to go there for a while.
+Mike
Hope that you get there - safe travels.
This was so entertaining, the narration, the videography, the info, all of it! Thanks for bringing us along
+frow jah
Glad you enjoyed it!
did not need the music, but very well done and awesome trip. wish i was paddlin with you.
Did u approach the headless valley too
awesome video., what a trip. ty for bringing us along
+Paychek2822
Ty for coming along đ
Low key looking for Sasquatch in the background hahah excellent video, wish I could get up there one day!
+Butch Cassidy
Too far north for sasquatch đ
@@tletter Not according to the legends ....
@tletter too far north? Where there is food there is predator.
No sasquatch?
@@Nath4n1977 very funny ; >
@blackbart99 they're real you monkey.
So are the 5 Israeli spies who were caught dancing, celebrating and taking pictures as Americans burned on 9/11.
"I want a nation of workers, not thinkers." John d rockefeller
Very cool thank you
+Dominick Carbonara
Glad you liked it
Outstanding journal ... the best ever !
I hope im this cool when im 50
Great video. fantastic adventure.
Live in Ontario with dreams of visiting one day :) Thanks for sharing, looks like an incredible journey!
+PS Weaver
Well there are a lot of wilderness canoeing opportunities in Ontario too.
@@tletter yeah but Nahanni is truly wilderness
Beautiful Thanks ... I have been very interested in this area
+Mary Gilbertson
Hopefully you get there to enjoy it in person.
Beautiful video, thank you for sharing.
+Alan Hollar
Thank you for commenting.
Beautiful scenery! Your video is so lifelike and clear, Thanks for sharing!
+Karen Dantes
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting.
Wonderful trip, thankyou for sharing. Would love to do this one day!
the most video i like.
+black barbie
You might also like the film about a trip down the Hulahula River in Alsaka ( czcams.com/video/ekZrtlKuLwk/video.html ).
Next to Mel and Ethals trip report, this is probably my next favourite Nahanni report on the Tube......... Great job giving it an old school feel with your narrating. A job well done you guys
Great Story Telling. Thank you!
+Andy Cheung
Glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely wonderful and great share, thanks!
Hello... As an astronomer and amateur astro-photographer, I can tell you that you captured some amazing photos of the aurora but what you say are meteors are in the first two of three experiences you shared, in fact, just satellites. This is still a very cool thing to capture imho. Meteorites are very difficult to capture and would require a quicker shutter speed, but that's another topic. That said, your shots are magnificent and I appreciate your dedication in staying up to capture this amazing phenomenon. I am not being critical, only pointing out the facts while trying to show my appreciation for your hard work. If you ever get a super-long streak like this (similar to what you thought was a meteor) which appears really bright, there's a good chance it's the ISS. Thanks for sharing your adventure. I am envious.
+Ray Jr. St. Louis
Thanks for the informationđ
At 16:20 it is so beautiful it looks like they are inside of the acrylic painting.
Thanks for this video. Did a very similar trip some years ago. Started at Rabbitkettle Lake. Wonderful river.
+Jim Tobin
It must have been a memorable trip.
Great Video, good job of landscape and river ! Victoria Falls shots very impressive. Just need to slow down a bit and except age disadvantage ,ie rafting, slow down be HAPPY !
Awesome video, great footage! Hope someday to be able to photograph such a beautiful place
+Scott Dunlap
Good luck with your travels.
except for the simple fact there's bee many cases of other people being found without their heads in that same area
+SomethingVod
Do tell!
Me ballen got me interested in visiting here
that was pretty-damn fantastic! good job, no GREAT job
Awesome video sir. I never knew about this river before this. Thanks for sharing.
The Gate at 26:55 makes me think there needs to be carved two ancient kings of Gondor carved on either side lol
Man this was a fantastic video. This was the best video showing what a trip to the Nahanni National Park is like. If you take another trip make sure to film some more lol.
+SilentCryptid
Checkout Adventures on the wild Alsek River (czcams.com/video/99TjGcOHg_8/video.html) and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge via Hulahula River (czcams.com/video/ekZrtlKuLwk/video.html).
hehe, made the same mistake with the sleeping bag. Those were some cold nights.
+Devin Wiles
Cold indeed but the upside was that I had no difficulty in getting up to watch the northern lights :)
Thank you for making this! Much appreciated.
+Maxim Budnick
You're welcome.
Hell with the Northern lights..I would have been panning for gold...that area is loaded with it
+Fedupwithfed forever
The Northern Lights helped me to pan for gold at night đ
An amazing video! Thanks for sharing your journey! I was too busy admiring the landscape to notice a fishing rod! You didnât happen to drop a line by any chance?
How freaky were the nights sleeping in the valley of the headless men? I'm genuinely intrigued to learn!
You totally just came from MrBallens video didn't you?
@@CZcams-Is-Trash Who else talks aboot Canada eh
@@philliam111 hammerson peters
Lovely setting. Please change the music to be more quiet and tranquil. The music overwhelms the setting. Thank you.
This was spectacular! Thanks for sharing this! :)
Very cool. Thanks for all the detail.
+Len Martin
You might also enjoy other films of trips in the Arctic regions:
đŁ Arctic National Wildlife Refuge via Hulahula River (czcams.com/video/ekZrtlKuLwk/video.html)
đŁ Adventures on the wild Alsek River (czcams.com/video/99TjGcOHg_8/video.html)
very nice trip report!
I remember that show ice pilots, that seems like yesterday that was on tv.
Just stumbled across this video looking for more rivers near me to paddle, looks awesome thanks for sharing!
Wow did you plan this all out or was it a guided trip? If so who was it through
I was working on that Noisy Ferry across Rabbitkettle River. The most beautiful place I have ever seen
+Michael Weibel
Thanks for your help đ
Just stunning.
+SoggyFries
Thanks for commenting.
excellent video! thank you for ALL the effort that went into publishing it.
+James W
Thanks for the comment.
By watching this I learned that u would fly up rivers then paddle downward , much easier ,
+Fredroger
Well then the film was a success đ
Ah ! laughed at the interspersing of pronunciations of Na-Hawn-Nee & Na-Hanni ... It is phonetically ( Na-Hawn-Nee ) Sorry about that:)) But no Problem for sure :)))
Oh , What a Great Video you made & shared !!! What a Wonderful , Adventerous & Brave Trip , A real pleasure to watch & to be reminded of Home , when one is so far away from it ...
Right from the get-go of that Great Pilot, bringing you in & the Wonderful Video , of your Journey .. Paddles Up & a Big Salute !! Thank-you so much for sharing this !!
what a beautiful place
+ebiros2
Made even more beautiful by the minimal impact of human presence.
@@tletter yes the inaccessibility of the region really preserves the pristine beauty. What a place !
The offering of tobacco should be of green tobacco leaf and is an offering considered by many native tribes as a peace offering to the sasquatch people.
+Naed Rentsek
A gift of tobacco has naught to do with the "sasquatch people". Do you have the sasquatch people đŁ where you live?
@@tletter yep
@@tletter sure do
I thought your film was very good! I am a little amazed that those 2 canoes tied together didn't flip on some of those rapids. And that is quite the portage around Virginia Falls. How nice of the Parks service to provide the boardwalk!
I'd be curious to know what software you used to edit the film, add in the maps with the moving canoe, etc. And what camera you used in filming it.
I've been living in Alaska and have done canoe and raft trips over the years but never took movies. I turn 70 in 2 months and now walk with a cane so I may not ever be filming.
+mrfreezeak
The cameras used were the Sony HX60V, RX100 and AS100 (all have been replaced by newer models). Corel VideoStudio Ultimate version was used to make the video - the Ultimate version includes the add-ons required to make maps with an animated traveller.
I admire your adventures in Alaska.
Nice. Thank you.
+Terry Smith
Cheers.
great - really appreciated
Super video. So good I've watched it twice... so far.
I'm envious of your canoeing options on that side of the 'pond' ... We are a bit limited when it comes to wilderness in the UK.
More !
+Graham Smith
Well come over to Canada and enjoy the great canoeing opportunities that can be found in the mountains and rainforests of British Columbia; the Arctic; the Prairies; and the on the Canadian Shield. There are canoe routes on which you can follow the trade routes of the Hudson Bay Company and the Nor'Westers.
It's on my 'hit list'. Canada is without a doubt, the place that I most want to visit.
Enjoyed very much. Thank you.
+Robert Hiorns
Good to know.
More than welcome friend.
Nice trip and views I like !
Thank you for such a great video! What outfitter did you go with for the trip?
wonderful video. loved every minute.
+Wyomin' Po Boy
Good to hear.
lucky guy's but I would've went looking for that gold above the falls on the upper reach!
+kendokunti
Perhaps I did đ€«
@@tletter Like it !!!!!!
Wellcome to wild rivers Siberia!))
+baikalrafting
Like one of these trips?
đŁ Arctic National Wildlife Refuge via Hulahula River (czcams.com/video/ekZrtlKuLwk/video.html)
đŁ Adventures on the wild Alsek River (czcams.com/video/99TjGcOHg_8/video.html)
Great video!
Very, very well done.
+Grant Sawisky
Thanks, I'm glad that your enjoyed my film.
where are the headless people?
+C Joe
Deep in the forest with the sasquatch đŠ
@@tletter Noooo......
Great video! Iâm considering a trip and reading The Dangerous River right now. One question: why did the guides refuse to cross the river to climb Sunblood at Virginia falls?
+Michael Brown
The head guide was ill at ease in his job and wanted complete control over the participants.
Thanks for the reply. This is a trip Iâve had on my mind for a while and am starting to seriously plan. Iâd love to pick your brain a bit more. If youâre up for it, send me an email and we can connect.
Ps - I liked your Deep River video too - thatâs where I first learned about the Nahanni.
A lot more commercialised today, as your film proves. Good old corporate Canada, hard at work making you spend around $50 each for a pass in to the wilderness, and then you still gotta pay for things like, overnight stay, camping permit etc etc. I wonder how much of the area is now deemed "off limits" by some bureaucrat sat in his office in the city? All the mystery of the area is now gone. Just looking at the amount of paddles in the shed, and the endless planes flying in and out, you can see the number of people now travelling through the Nahanni is now in the hundreds, maybe thousands. I wonder how many man made laws are now in place on such a trip, with government legislation, and national parks? Quite different from when Mel and Ethel Ross filmed their journey in 1958. Definitely the trip of a lifetime, and one of the most beautiful places in Canada, if not the world.
+RSR423
Yes it is different then 1958 but there are not many places in the world that have remained the same over the past 60 years. Note that most of the planes flying in and out are only stopping at Virginia Falls for a couple of hours and then they depart leaving those staying overnight in peace and quiet.