6/21 We flew to Nahanni National Park on a Simpson Air Cessna 185 floatplane. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising more than 7 million acres and is a pristine example of Canadian wilderness. It is representative of the Mackenzie mountain range region as it was when it was the exclusive domain of the Dene, before the Europeans arrived. The South Nahanni river, which cuts through the length of the park, has created spectacular canyons, some of which are 3000 – 4000 ft deep, and awe-inspiring rapids and waterfalls. We landed on the river just above Virginia Falls which is twice the height of Niagra and hiked to the top of the falls.
Imagine Waking Up to This – View of Little Doctor’s Lake from Nahanni Mountain Lodge
Virginia Falls
The violence of the rapids leading to the falls was amazing; unfortunately time did allow us to take the 2 hour hike to the bottom, so we didn’t get a view of it’s true magnificence. On the way back to Fort Simpson we landed on Little Doctor’s Lake to see the Nahanni Mountain Lodge, owned and run by Ted Grant the owner of Simpson Air and had an enjoyable time talking with a group of men who had rented the Lodge for the week. What a gorgeous place to get away from it all and just relax and fish. The trip was well worth it both for the scenery and the enjoyment of meeting new people. However, Arlyne did find the flight to be extremely bumpy and nauseating, and vowed never to fly in a small plane again. I, however, totally enjoyed the trip, perhaps because I love sailing, with it’s constant interaction with the wind, and found the flight quite delightful.