Nahanni Line Unincorporated: A Perfect 6 Piece Jigsaw, Even if Irregularly Shaped.

By John N. O'Dwyer

A journal of six lads who self-organized a ~20-day trip down the Nahanni River, NT.

We were a disparate group of six who were largely unknown to each other. Yet, we went directly from the "forming stage and norming stages" of team formation to the "performing stage," skipping over the "storming stage."

The river did the "storming" for us.

Fuck, we had so much fun!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tellwell Talent
• Release date: May 31, 2023
• ISBN: 9780228893936

John N. O'Dwyer

John O'Dwyer: a bon vivant and ne'er-do-well.

Book preview

Contents

1. The Team

2. WTF is the Nahanni?

3. A Word about River Ratings

4. My Journal and Photos

5. Our Daily Maps

Note: that the first draft was typed direct from my handwritten journal that accompanied us on our trip. Those of you who were on the trip know what this means. It smelled like campfire smoke, had been flavoured with Spirit of the Nahanni, and my writing, I am told, looks as if a big bug had stepped into ink and crawled across the page.

1. The Team

(& age at the time 😊)

Wayne Jollineau (59)

Norm Betts (39)

Roger Wright (49)

Kerry McLellan (31)

John O’Dwyer (35)

Gary Wilson (50+)

2. WTF is the Nahanni?

3. A Word about River Ratings

The Nahanni River in Canada, NT is known for its challenging whitewater rapids. The river features a variety of rapids ranging from Class I to Class VI, providing opportunities for different levels of paddling experience.

The classification system for rapids is based on the International Scale of River Difficulty (IRF), which rates rapids on a scale from Class I (easy) to Class VI (extremely difficult and dangerous). The specific classification of rapids on the Nahanni River can vary depending on the section and water conditions.

The International Scale of River Difficulty (IRF) is commonly used to classify rapids based on their difficulty level. The scale ranges from Class I to Class VI, with each class representing a different level of challenge and danger. Here is a brief description of each class:

1.Class I: Easy - Fast-moving water with small waves and few obstacles. Minimal maneuvering is required, and the risk is low. Suitable for beginners and families.

2. Class II: Novice - Straightforward rapids with clear channels. Occasional small waves and minor obstacles may require some maneuvering. Basic paddling skills are necessary.

3. Class III: Intermediate - Rapids with moderate, irregular waves and moderate obstacles. Precise maneuvering and good boat control are necessary. Scouting may be required. Suitable for experienced paddlers.

4. Class IV: Advanced - Powerful, turbulent rapids with large waves, complex maneuvers, and substantial obstacles. Precise boat handling, advanced paddling skills, and the ability to make quick decisions are necessary. Scouting is often required.

5. Class V: Expert - Extremely difficult and demanding rapids with highly turbulent water, large waves, steep drops, and dangerous obstacles. Precise boat control, expert paddling skills, and the ability to handle extreme conditions are required. Scouting and careful planning are necessary.

6. Class VI: Extreme - The highest level of difficulty and danger. These rapids are considered nearly impossible or extremely dangerous to navigate safely. They typically involve long and violent rapids with highly unpredictable conditions, extreme gradients, and severe hazards.

Class VI rapids are only attempted by a few elite and highly skilled paddlers. And feckin’ eejits like us!

4. My Journal and Photos

Background:

Wayne, Norm and Kerry knew each other. I knew Kerry. And Roger knew Norm. We had a last-minute drop-out so to fill the sixth spot, Kerry and I recruited our mail order bride (Gary) from an ad in our local newspaper in London, Ontario.

Five of us (no Gary) had all only met once before to plan the trip, in February. We did the Gatineau 55, now called the Gatineau Loppet: The Greatest International Cross-country Ski Event in Canada, back then 55km.

I managed to finish it, albeit, dead last! I used to run back then (and ran the New York City Marathon later that year) but I had never skied before and could not cross-country ski for the life of me. They wanted to pull me and close the course, but Kerry convinced them that I could and would finish. And I did!

To get a feel for the river, there are many vidoes available on YouTube e.g., (https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=niUE7VuJtv4) but, note that this is an example of doing it with professional guides.

If you do not watch the video, then do not continue reading this!

•It will make no sense at all!

•It will just be the bladderings from a mad feckin’ Paddy!

•Also, please note, that that this is an example of doing it with professional guides

•However, it does give you a true feel of the magnificence of the Nahanni River

So, we were six independent people in three canoes. Wayne and Norm were our organizers. Gary and I had done some white-water canoeing, but we were far from experts.

Boat 1: Wayne and Gary (the expert canoeist and the newbie)

Boat 2: Norm and Roger (the journeyman canoeists)

Boat 3: Kerry and Moi (a journeyman canoeist and a newbie)

When on the river, I would update my Journal after dinner each night, which as you will see, after a couple of day was usually after midnight, and which was usually in dusky light 😊

Getting There

Wednesday, 30th June 1993 (Day Zero-3)

Kerry and I arrived at London International Airport (YXU) at 1:40pm. Excellent timing for our 2:00pm flight to Toronto!

Arrived in Toronto on schedule. Flight to Edmonton International Airport (YEG), Alberta was delayed 50 minutes, but as we gained 10 minutes on the flight we were on time for our Yellowknife (YZF), Northwest Territories connection.

Arrived at YZF at 10:00 p.m. local. Got a shuttle bus to the Yellowknife Inn (now the Quality Inn & Suites Yellowknife). Gary was already there.

We went to the Gold Range Bar (see www.GoldRangeBistro.ca a notorious location with a reputation stretching across the Canadian Arctic) for a few beers.

Then went to the Right Spot (in 2017 the CBC called it once a notorious bar) where we played pool and watched a show or two. I got talking to some people from Snowdrift village, in the North Slave Region of the NWT.

Yellowknife,

Northwest Territories

Thursday. 1st July (Day Zero-2)

Gary flew to Fort Simpson 10:15 am. Kerry met a friend of his from back home – Willie Vickers. I slept. Kerry and I went to eat at 4:00pm at the Chinese Restaurant in the Gold Range.

We went from there to the Right Spot to play some pool. We left at 6:30pm. I went back to the