Mountain River Canoe Adventure

Another jewel of the Mackenzie Mountains. This wild whitewater river flows 370 km, dropping over 1,200 metres over its course, with large volume rapids, fast current and five beautiful canyons. The raft descent includes a spectacular helicopter portage and is an opportunity for those without advanced whitewater canoe skills to enjoy a spectacular northern mountain river.

The Mountain River starts as a small creek high in the western Mackenzie Range of the Northwest Territories and flows down the mountains to the Mackenzie River above Sans Sioux Rapids, about 100 miles south of the Arctic Circle. Depending on the snow and ice melt, the Mountain River in high summer can be anything from demanding and challenging to heart stopping and spine chilling. The Mountain is perfect for the intermediate paddler keen to explore the ultimate wilderness river.

Mountain River Canoe Trip - Itinerary

Norman Wells to Willow-Handle Lake
Your journey north from your home will be a refreshing departure. You will fly over the largest expanse of wilderness in the world with stunning views on cloudless days, pass through quieter and friendlier airports, meet friendlier and less harried service personnel and generally begin to immerse yourself in the wilderness experience that is about to unfold. This is the first day listed for your trip. Please plan to arrive in Norman Wells on the mid-day flight or earlier. Norman Wells is a small community on the Mackenzie River. It is accessible by air from Yellowknife. This picturesque town is nestled between the Franklin and Mackenzie Mountains and dates back to 1919 when Imperial Oil set up a small refinery.

One of your guides will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the float plane base for final preparation before the trip. There will be a place to leave clothing not required for the trip. There will be a chance for last minute questions concerning clothing, gear, packing and other details. Weather permitting we will only be in town briefly so please do not count on major purchases prior to the trip.

After loading the Twin Otter aircraft you will be flying westward over the dramatic Mackenzie Mountains. The float plane lands at the headwaters lake, surrounded by craggy mountains. These reach heights of over 2,700 metres, dominating the background with rock colours of buff, grey, cinnamon, green and maroon. Be sure to keep lots of film handy! This is one of the first of many great highlights of the trip. Camp will be on Willow-Handle Lake. An alpine gem, frequented by mountain caribou.

PushMe-PullYou Creek
After breakfast we begin with a three and a half mile long portage from the lake to PushMe-PullYou Creek across muskeg, marsh and waist high brush. PushMe-PullYou is an aptly named creek, barely wide enough to fit a canoe in and not quite deep enough to float one either. Thus you push and pull the loaded boat for several miles as the creek imperceptibly deepens and widens until at last you can actually get in and float. Camp will be near the junction of PMPYC and Black Feather Creek. Campsites are on gravel bars or alluvial fans, and offer easy access for us to hike in the surrounding canyons and hills.

Black Feather Creek to Mountain River
The channel triples in size at the junction with the Mountain. Navigational skills are required from the outset to negotiate the braided channels. The gradient increases through the day with exciting hay stacks to challenge your whitewater skills. Constant vigilance to nuances in current and anticipation of where you want to be in the river before you actually need to be there requires concentration. This day as on others there are chances to fish for trout and grayling in the clear mountain water.

The river increases in volume along with the waves and you will experience the dramatic canyons, fantastic hikes, hot springs, wildlife, spectacular scenery and great whitewater. The steady whitewater includes large holes, boils and very large and erratic waves. Exciting whitewater that demands respect.

The Stoneknife River enters the Mountain and the intensity of the combination is simply awesome. Standing waves and haystacks of eight feet are not uncommon and avoiding them is getting harder. Leaving the last of the 5 canyons the river remains swift. Paddling is easy and the surrounding mountains slowly meld into the Mackenzie River Valley.

Mackenzie River to Norman Wells
Morning will find us paddling on the Mackenzie River to our rendezvous point where we will be met by a power boat to take us back to Norman Wells. Late in the afternoon you can settle into your hotel room (not included) for that long awaited shower and prepare for the evening. The group may want to gather at a local eating establishment (not included) to recount tales of whitewater and canyons.

Departure
After goodbyes and a last look around Norman Wells, we will head for home with a cargo of fond and spectacular memories.