Nahanni Day 18 – Lindberg Homestead
We woke up to a miserable morning with drizzle, mist and bloody cold. Had breakfast burritos and got in the canoes pronto. Most of the current is lost in the splits so we had lost that major advantage – the current was only doing 0.5-1 kph so a 30 km day seemed like a lot of padding. We got to it, and yes it was a long paddle. But the skies cleared and the water stilled and we could see forever. The reflection of the clouds on the water made you feel that you were flying. We happened upon a water bison huge and imposing on the shore and frankly not the least bit interested in us or what we were up to.
Continued paddling and continued some more and then even a bit more after that, and after 5 tough hours of paddling, by almost 2 pm we pulled into Nahanni Butte. It is a town of about 85 people that sits on the opposite shore of the Butte. Immediately upon arrival we dove into the BMC food barrel (bread, meat, cheese) and ate with a frenzy. Then we hung around waiting for our water taxi who pulled all of our kit onto the speedboat and took it to Lindberg – we waited a couple of hours and back he came to take us down to Lindberg. The boat ride saw the end of the Nahanni as it joins the Liard and thereafter is the Liard (which will dump into the MacKenzie and ultimately the Arctic Ocean). The Liard is a muddy water – looked like milk chocolate being churned up by the propeller.
This is a particular buggy part of the Nahanni – in fact there is a game where you clap your hands together and count the bugs you’ve caught. Dale read somewhere that someone caught 43 bugs in a clap!
Tomorrow we are up at the crack of dawn to drive to Fort Simpson and fly back to Yellowknife – home on Monday.
We have come to the end of our paddle – amazingly the back of the envelope has us at 250,000 paddle strokes, 340 km travelled, 1300 vertical feet dropped during the paddle, one brutal portage, multiple life firsts in rapids, 3 bears, 1 bison, a gaggle of geese, two swans, an eagle, a lynx, 1 porcupine and one helluva an experience.
IWD you continue to make dreams come true and I am truly sorry you were unable to join us – I think you would have loved this one for sure!! I think this trip should be on everyone’s bucket list and can think of no better way to do it than with BlackFeather. Wendy, Rob and Sarah you guys were amazing, reading the water, sighting the lines and setting is up for success. The food was outstanding – fortunately or unfortunately this is the first TYL trip that I have not lost weight on!!!! Nona, what can I say, there is no blog without you doing the behind the scenes work – THANKYOU!!!
This is our 6th TYL adventure……………stay tuned for lucky 7.
The Team
View of the Nahanni Butte
perfect reflection
note the bison in the background
on the Liard boating to Lindberg
exhausted but success!
2 Responses
Another terrific accomplishment, fait accompli, in the name of Heart Health. Congratulations to you Heather (such an inspiration you are) and your crew! I have been following your blog with extreme interest and envy. It was only today though, when I put the name “Wendy” together with “Black Feather” that I realized this must be THE Wendy Grater who was responsible for introducing Jamie to white water paddling back in the day when he was Jamie Bulawka and a camper at Kandalore! How delightful to see that she, too, continues to be an inspiration 🙂 Safe trip home.
Congratulations all around. Can’t wait to see you (Heath & Perry) in September and see more photos and hear more stories. Love Dave & Carole