Riverman:

I guess I need your email and your real name. ;-) I am using mine.

I am retired (early), so I have time. Where do you live?

So far I have researched the MacKenzie, the Horton, the Coppermine, the
Yellowknife, the Thelon, the Nahanni, the Porcupine (Alaska), the Slave,
and the Yukon. I am not saying that I am enthused about all of them,
each has it's merits and demerits. The Thelon could be the most
expensive, high floatplane costs. The Yukon is probably 80 days from
headwaters to the sea, I could not be gone that long. Some, such as the
Coppermine, are more technical than I would be comfortable with,
especially with a small group in a very remote area. The MacKenzie has
a lot of appeal, due to the history, and all the logistics could be done
with public transportation, especially with a folding canoe, so probably
the cheapest. Some of the rivers, such as the Nahanni and the
Yellowknife, are fly in, but you can drive to the takeout, so cheaper in
that sense.

Not sure what the best catastrophe plan is. The MacKenzie has enough
traffic you should be able to flag down a passing boat of some kind,
especially if you had some signaling device. The Horton is the other
way around, you might have to wait weeks for a search party. Thinking
about one's survival skills is probably critical.

Richard



riverman wrote:

"Richard Ferguson" wrote in message
...
For some reason, I have got it in my craw to canoe to the Arctic Ocean,
perhaps on the McKenzie or the Horton, the Yellowknife looks too
technical for my taste/experience. I have done a lot of research, I
have the McCreadie book, I even made up web pages for a half dozen
rivers with a summary of my research, including links to good trip
journals, etc.

What I am short is a willing partner for a month long trip. I used the
web pages as a sales tool for some of my friends who I thought might be
game. However, it is hard to find someone who can take off that much
time.


Hmm. Lets talk. I'm a teacher, so I have summers off. I've done from the
headwaters of the Snake to the Peel to the McKenzie...it was 2 weeks.
Logistics are managable, but its a pricey trip. You'd want to have two solo
canoes, I think, to carry gear and to enable you to get out in case of
catastrophe.

What rivers are you thinking of?

--riverman