Aha! Adventure - Mountain River, NWT

Dates: August 15- Sept 2/3, 2026 (if you are driving from Calgary)

             August 16 – Sept 1, 2026 (if you fly into Whitehorse)

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Cost: $8600 plus GST

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The Mountain River is a favorite for seasoned northern canoeists.  Known for its fun whitewater, big waves and spectacular narrow canyons, this is a bucket list trip.  With stunning mountain scenery, hiking and strong current, this river will keep you engaged from the start to the end.  We have a good chance of seeing Dall Sheep, caribou, wolves and bear along the river. We will have the opportunity to hike to tufa mounds and along alpine ridges when we need a break from the exhilarating whitewater.

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We will be taking inflatable Soar canoes on this adventure.  The boats are more stable and forgiving, and will be a good way to enjoy the heart thumping class 3 canyon rapids.

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There will be a pre-trip meeting via Zoom.  After you register, you will receive an email when this will occur.  At the pre-trip meeting, you will meet your group and we will discuss clothing selection, food planning, packing techniques, meals and travel logistics.

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All of our Aha! Adventure trips are "community catered".  All participants and guides take their turn providing and cooking breakfasts and suppers on the trips. Everyone looks after their own lunches and snacks. This is a fun way to share, try new meals and learn how to bake and cook in the backcountry. Guides will help at every meal and give you lots of assistance! 

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Prerequisites: You need to have solid intermediate canoe skills for this trip and be comfortable paddling class 2/3 rapids. We recommend that you take a whitewater refresher before the trip to get ready and feel confident with eddy turns and ferries. You should have experience canoe tripping and recommend if you are a novice to get more experience with a different trip before you sign up for this one. You should also have a good fitness level for the portage.  Come join one of our spring canoe courses to get ready!

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Cancellation Policy:  A $800 non-refundable deposit is required to register. The balance is due 30 days before the trip start date. No refunds on or after this date. We recommend trip cancellation insurance.

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Itinerary:

Aug 15-16: We are leaving from Calgary and driving up in the van. You are welcome to join us or if you choose to fly to Whitehorse, you need to be there by the evening of August 16th.  The van will arrive in Whitehorse and camp at a nearby park. You can choose to camp or stay at a hotel that night.

Aug 17:  We will depart in the morning for Mayo.  If you are staying in a hotel in Whitehorse we will pick you up in the morning.  We plan to fly out either in the afternoon of the 17th or the morning of the 18th depending on the weather.

Aug 17 or 18:  We will be flying into Dusty Lake to start our adventure.  We will need to portage 600m to get to the river.

Aug 18- 30: Enjoy 13 days paddling down the Mountain River to the Mackenzie River.  Hike to breath-taking views, view wildlife and catch grayling. Enjoy the canyons and paddle thrilling rapids!

Aug 31: We will be picked up with a floatplane and brought back to Mayo.  We hope to drive back to Whitehorse that night.  *Always be aware that travel in the north can be delayed by weather*

Sept 1-2/3:  Drive back to Calgary

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Cost Includes:

• Safety equipment (throwbags, first aid kit, emergency communication)

• Group camping gear (tarp/shelter etc.)

• Group cooking equipment (pots, stoves, utensils, fuel)

• Experienced and qualified guides

• All canoe gear (canoes, paddles, pfd's)

• Camping on the drive up and down

• Floatplane drop off and pick up

Transportation Details: You can join the van from Calgary, or you can fly to Whitehorse.  If you fly, you need to be there by Aug 16th and can leave Sept 1st. We recommend that you do not cut your flights close, due to weather and delays.  Ideally you leave more time to spare before and after the trip so that you are not worried about catching your flights.

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Medical Form and Waiver:

In order to participate in this trip, you are required to fill out all your registration and medical information.

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EMERGENCY EVACUATION AND TRIP CANCELLATION: In rare cases, if you have an emergency and need to be evacuated from the trip, you will be responsible for any extra charges.  The quickest way to get off our remote trips is via floatplane or helicopter and if we contact these companies directly for the quickest service, you will be responsible for the expense.  To ensure that there are no surprises, we recommend that you get evacuation insurance.  An evacuation could be very costly in remote locations, so we recommend that you are covered through your credit card or another plan.  One option available is Tugo Insurance at:  https://www.tugo.com/en/travel-insurance/canadians/.  You may also want to consider purchasing trip cancellation insurance if for some reason (i.e. illness) you are unable to go on the trip.  If cancellation is required at the last minute, you will need to have trip cancellation insurance. This will protect yourself and Aha! Adventures and allow us to offer great trips into the future.

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Aha! Adventures and the Youth Farm Bible Camp are not-for profit.  Any profits of our Aha! Adult Trips are invested back into our programs and go towards our youth programs to getting more youth into the wilderness.  Thanks for supporting us!