Mountain River
The Mountain River runs from the MacKenzie Mountains near the Yukon/NWT border to the MacKenzie River north of Norman Wells. Access to the river requires a float plane trip from Norman Wells to the put-in, and unless you do a very long trip a boat shuttle or float plane pick up from the takeout at the MacKenzie River confluence back upstream along the MacKenzie to Norman Wells.
Location of the Mountain River, NT
It is a typical cordilleran river, fast flowing in a wide valley with occasional canyons, spectacular scenery, and few bugs. There are many hiking opportunities along the river, none of which are portages! It is very much a remote wilderness area and requires wilderness experience to explore. To run the river also requires comfort in whitewater since minor rapids are fairly continuous and it is not practical to portage the larger rapids in some canyons. However it is not an extreme whitewater river and is run in canoes by both guided and private unguided groups.
Mountain River from the air
Paddling a Mountain River canyon
View from a Mountain River day hike
Evening on the Mountain River
Our Mountain River trip was one of my favourite canoe trips. I suspect this view is partly coloured by the fact that it was one of my first far north trips, it was a river I didn't know much about so had the element of discovery, the weather and water levels were ideal, and it was with a group I knew and had enjoyed tripping with before. However despite this bias I am comfortable saying that it is one of the best tripping rivers in the MacKenzie Mountains! And the fact that it is relatively little known and not heavily travelled is a huge plus in my opinion.
The unguided trip we did was a little over 300km and 13 nights on the land. The put-in for the route we took is at Willowhandle Lake, and is followed by a long portage from the lake to Push-Me-Pull-You Creek (yes there is a portage from this put-in, but there are none on the river itself). This tiny creek flows into a larger creek known as Black Feather Creek that then flows into the Mountain River itself. The Mountain then flows through beautiful valleys and several canyons to the point where it meets the MacKenzie River. At this point we had arranged a boat shuttle to take us back upstream on the MacKenzie to Norman Wells. I believe this is the typical route used by both guided and unguided groups that run the river.
Our Mountain River trip map
Cessna 206 floatplane leaving Willowhandle Lake
Running a micro canyon on Black Feather Creek
Washing hair in a small falls along the Mountain River
Hiking along the Mountain River
Taking in the sunset above a side creek
Starting down Push-Me-Pull-You Creek
Gravel bar campsite on Black Feather Creek
Camping on the Mountain River
A Mountain River siesta
A moose crossing the Mountain River in fire smoke
Camping above a Mountain River canyon
With the vast number of places to see in Canada I don't see myself repeating any of the longer trips I have done, but if I was to redo one the Mountain River would be top of the list! If you are looking for a true wilderness experience with amazing scenery I can highly recommend the Mountain River.