Nice! I did that trip about 12 years ago when the foot suspension bridge was still there. I packed my kick boat in on a deer cart and stashed it at the confluence. Hiked 10 more km into Fortress and fished for a couple days then hiked back out and floated out to the highway. I remember that drop at the Sunwapta confluence and from there to the highway was a pretty steep gradient all the way. Never forget it!
It's a great trip!! The run from the Sunwapta confluence to the hwy is a really exciting paddle. Unfortunately I don't think that bridge will replaced anytime soon.
Enjoyed watching this paddle on the Athabasca. Fast moving and exciting water! It is now more than 4 years since you posted this video and Jasper has just experienced an unbelievably devastating firestorm. I haven't seen the valley since 2010 while backpacking to Athabasca Pass and am shocked by the extent of dead pine as shown in the valley surrounding the Falls.😳😢
Thanks very much. It is an exciting section of the Athabasca River to canoe. Yes, many trees in the mountains were impacted by the pine beetle... prime tinder I suppose. It's terrible what happened in Jasper, hopefully they can recover.
That’s beautiful! I just completed a 2 day canoe trip down the Wabasca river last weekend. There’s no words to explain the majestic beauty of canoeing down a river with the birds singing... and I’m already dreaming of heading to BC to do some trips through the mountains!
Thanks, yeah it's a beautiful valley to canoe down. Definitely an exciting run after the Sunwapta joins in. Wabasca River sounds great... and I definitely hope to paddle the Kootenay River in B.C. someday. Thanks for taking the time.
Great video... Thank you... I was just thinking of your channel a few days ago - wondering when you would be putting out a new video and - voila - here it is... Your videos bring back a lot of pleasant memories for me from the '70s-'80s. The difference is you do the trips alone. I used to have to recruit team members, train them, then take them on a few trips. Most people only lasted a few trips and then the wet and cold got to them. I was never into clubs - the groups were too large for my liking. Good to see you are still on the rivers. I look forward to your next adventure... Michael
Thank you Michael, glad you enjoyed my friend. It has been a strange and difficult year so far, but hopefully I can get a few more trips in. It would be very nice to have some paddling partners on certain trips, but generally I go alone... clubs are not my thing either. It sounds like it would be a pleasure to have paddled with you... what areas/rivers were you paddling? Thanks again, take care.
35 Km in about 20 minutes!!! Yep that looked about right. lol What a wet and cold ride Nick, great job negotiating those angled waves. I thought you might loose it once but excellent recovery. Great video.
Thanks very much. Yeah I had a good wobble in the last rapid, and took on a fair bit of water, but managed to stay up-right. I'm hoping I can hike my canoe in, and paddle the first 30 km of this river, right from the source. Thanks again, take care.
Thanks very much Jim. Yes, plenty of water got in my canoe on this day... it was a really exciting run. It is a fantastic valley, and beautiful river to canoe down. Thanks for taking the time. Take care.
Thanks for posting! Your videos pushed me over the edge on buying a boat. We're doing the athabasca this year but down river of Hinton. Hope to see you out there!
Hey it's my pleasure, thanks for watching. Great to hear that you got a boat, you will really enjoy it. The Athabasca is a great river to paddle downstream of Hinton. I will likely do it again one of these summers. Have fun!!
Thanks very much Mark. Yeah it was a great section to canoe. The Athabasca is a real beauty up there. I'd been thinking about paddling this section for a couple years, so it was very nice to get it done safely. It was a great experience, and I learned a lot. Thanks again, take care.
Too bad you stopped before the good part at the end the action was starting ;) . Nice paddling as usual and awesome scenery ! Great to see you back on the water
Haha, yeah it would get real exciting if I paddled another 300 meters!! Definitely don't want to forget about the falls when taking-out. Thanks very much, it's always great to be on the water. Take care.
huge views and wow Rough! i thought you would hit smooth water again at some point but it took forever you were in the rough stuff for almost the whole time wow// also / 15 km portage//?? what!?/ you carried the canoe in 15km!?/those falls are amazing what a drop off !! what a great ride thanks for taking us with you
Hey thanks Thorn, glad you enjoyed. Yeah the river has a good pace to it for the most part, and some exciting rapids for sure. It was totally worth the hike in... to paddle this beautiful river. Athabasca Falls are quite impressive, very powerful. Thanks for taking the time, take care.
You crazy coot, what possesses you to sit on a peace of wood and ride those wild rivers through these majesticly beautyful moutains on a sunny day? HAHAHA, well done Nick, you did it again !!! :) Wonderful and thank you for sharing.
Thanks, haha yeah it's not hard to get motivated for a trip like this. It was a fantastic trip!! Camping was great, and the canoeing was totally worth the effort. Thanks so much:)
Wow, just one continuous giant wave train from Sunwapta to Athabasca Falls! Awesome! But hold on...you pulled that canoe out to Athabasca Crossing? Equally Awesome! One of my most favorite places, Big Bend and beyond, the last true pristine stretch of the mighty Athabasca. Hard work put in for a great reward. Right on.
Thanks very much. Yeah it is quite calm up by the Crossing and Big Bend, but picks up nicely after the Sunwapta. Lots of nice wave trains. Definitely a bit of an effort to get the canoe there, but very much worth it. The Athabasca is a real beauty!! Thanks again, take care.
Not to often that the athabasca river is this clear,I can feel my hands going numb just watching you.Looks like fun!Great video thanks for sharing!hiked up the chaba river years ago to fortress lakes,beautifully area!
Thanks Gunter. Yeah the river was flowing at a moderate rate. I ran it the day before, and it was higher and not as clear. Yep, the water is slightly chilly:) Definitely a beautiful area. Thanks again, take care.
Hey great to hear from you Pablo. Hope you are doing well. It's a very nice run, mostly straight forward class II, some class III towards the end. Many take-outs along the hwy. Take care man.
Thanks very much. I first thought of this trip after watching your Fortress Lake hiking video. Big thanks to you!! Hope you are getting out and exploring the mountains and backroads. Take care.
"last rapid of the day and then falls then the take out" Haha better make sure the take out is before the falls. Nicely done!! One of my favourite paddling stretches bar none. I hope you were wearing a drysuit. I wasn't, and went for a long cold swim. Gotta love the 15km portage with the cart.
Haha, nothing better than a 15km portage to start the day!! Thanks, it was my first time starting at the Chaba. Calmer than I expected up there, but the Sunwapta then adds to it nicely. I was wearing a drysuit for sure... man that would be a cold swim!! That last rapid is an absolute blast!! Thanks for watching, take care.
Another thrilling ride! I had to keep reminding myself to take my eyes off the water and enjoy the scenery! Very glad to see another video from you. atb -Larry
Thanks very much Larry. Definitely some nice scenery in there, I soaked up as much as I could. It's been an interesting and trying year so far, hopeful that I can get a couple more trips in. Haven't been home or around a computer much, hope you are doing well.
Wow-what a beautiful place to start your adventure !! those rapids seems to just keep going, and going. i bet you didn't have a problem sleeping that night lol, and you sure wouldn't want to forget about them falls ! good to see you out on the river again Nick , be safe take care atb john
Thanks very much John. Yeah it's a very nice valley to canoe down. Starts slow, but the whitewater definitely builds as it goes. I was very nervous about the last rapid above the falls, but it went well... had a blast. Unfortunately some people have forgotten about the falls, and canoed right over them. Only one lucky person has ever survived. Most fatalities are people taking pictures near the falls. Thanks again John, take care my friend. Nick
Nice seeing you out again. And thanks for taking us along. This one seemed pretty intense. with my skills, I cannot imagine handling the sunwapta junction. Take care.
Thanks very much Nate. Definitely some exciting paddling on the Athabasca River here. Yes, things speed up a bit once the Sunwapta Rivers joins in. Safely progress your way up in river difficulty, and you will be paddling this in no time. Take care.
Thanks very much Terry. Yes the weather was very nice for this trip. The falls are a big tourist attraction, but I had the whole place to myself. Really enjoyed it out there. Take care Terry, thanks again.
Looks like an exciting part of the river! My brother and I did the falls to old fort point on Saturday the 6th of June. Might have to do this trip next!! Thanks for sharing man!
Thanks Adam. Yes it is exciting, especially after the Sunwapta joins in. A couple easy chutes in the beginning, but mostly flat water, past Big Bend Campground towards the Sunwapta River. Then some class II, and maybe a bit of class III. There are multiple take-out spots along the highway as well. Thanks for watching, have fun.
Thanks very much Dana. Yeah it was a lot of work on this day, but very much worth it. I was very happy to safely canoe this stretch of river. Take care.
Ahhh Nick, thanks you for the video... might be as close as I get to the mountains this year. Had planned to come to Jasper in July but probably won’t work now. Looks like you had a great trip God Bless you brother. Have a good summer!
Hey, it was my pleasure, thanks for watching. Definitely a fun trip, and the last rapid was the most exciting rapid I have ever run. Exciting, yet terrifying at the same time. Hope you can make it out to the mountains, have a great summer too. Take care.
Another awesome journey Nick!...beautiful mountain range....man you was covering some real estate in short order!...the falls were majestic!...atb...Dave
Thanks very much Dave. Yeah the river moves pretty good, and the mountains are always nice to gaze at. Athabasca Falls are great, not the biggest around, but very, very powerful. Thanks again Woods, take care my friend.
Great to see you're back on the water Nick. Winter is officially over! By the way Forrest Fenn has reported on his webpage that someone found his chest of gold and gems. Waiting for more information on that but it's certain you and I won't find it now. I still think the whole thing was probably a hoax. Anyway, it looked like you almost got flipped at about the 3:25 mark. Those rapids would scare the hell out of me. The falls are intense. We have nothing like that in Florida. Nice video. Beautiful country.
Thanks very much Roy, it's great to be on the water. Some fun rapids for sure, and the falls are definitely to be avoided. One lucky person survived an accidental plunge over the falls, all others were not so lucky. Tourists taking photos, tourists walking the river's edge, and unaware canoeists have lost their lives to these falls. Not the biggest falls, but they are incredibly powerful. Oh well, no gold treasure for me... hope it was real and someone got lucky. Thanks, take care.
Wow. The Athabasca looks as mighty as I thought it would be at this time of the year. I had the Chaba in mind these days because it surely wouldn't be dry like in September but this confirmed my idea of skipping the Athabasca for now. I still need a little bit more confidence on fast moving water like this. Damn covid had my swift water rescue class cancelled this spring. Thanks for sharing and it's too bad you can't walk your canoe to the Chaba headwaters. It's so gorgeous up there. What are the inflatable bags at bow/stern for? Just buoyancy in case of a flip over? Stay safe out there and keep the videos coming!
Thanks very much Laurent. Yes the Athabasca has some definite class II, II+, and III rapids downstream of the Sunwapta River confluence. Such a beautiful river, and exciting at the same time. The air bags are as you said, flotation/buoyancy bags. Makes self-rescuing much easier. If you ever want to paddle one of these rivers, let me know. Thanks again, stay safe and take care.
You took on a bit of water. This is one of my favourite videos so far.. You've got skills on the canoe. Gotta get to work. do you have a June Trip coming up------ staying in AB. We are deep in this covid shit.
Hey Darrell, thanks again man. Yeah this was an exciting one, and a gorgeous part of the river. I have no set plans yet, but hope to get some canoe trips in soon. Looking forward to a good summer for canoeing. Take care.
Good to see you out there, and envious of your canoeing trip. New camera ? Image looked very stable. What paddle are you using ? Thanks for this treat on a Monday evening 👍🏻, greetings from the Netherlands.
Thanks very much Udo. Definitely had a great time out there. Same camera, Go-Pro Hero Session 5. It is a Luna paddle, 56", plastic/fiberglass? Works great. Take care, greetings from Canada.
I hate YT at the moment, I almost missed this. That was intense and exciting just sitting in my armchair! Those waves were as big as anything I've ever done, but not over 35km and not alone. You sir have balls of steel....you didn't fancy the falls? ;)
Yeah it was an exciting paddle for sure, I was very happy to get it done. Long day but definitely worth the effort. The falls were on my mind constantly, not to be forgotten. I made myself very familiar with the take-out spot. Stayed out of trouble enough that I was able to paddle to it safely. Thanks for watching, take care.
Yeah it was a very exciting rapid, can't afford too big of a mistake there. It was just a day trip... I didn't want too much weight in the canoe. Got lucky and had pretty nice weather.
I had a shuttle driver... my girlfriend was with me and we hiked to the Big Bend site together. When I carried on to Athabasca Crossing, she went back to my truck was able to pick me up at the falls. Yes it was very quiet, only a small handful of vehicles. Lots of wildlife to be seen.
Great videos Nick! I do a little kayaking on rivers but I am planning on purchasing a canoe to do multi-day trips. I found your videos a couple days ago, looks like you have a few different canoes. Do you think a 16’ prospector would be a great all-around boat for solo or tandem use on multi-day trips? Or do you think it would be better to get a smaller solo canoe (14’) and a second larger tripping canoe (17’). It would be pretty cool to watch a canoe/gear choice video from you!
Thanks very much. I think the 16' Prospector is great for an all-round canoe. Excellent for tripping, solo or tandom, and can handle class II water quite well. It all depends on the class of rivers you plan on running. It is a very versatile canoe.
Love the videos! Any suggestions for a good 3 day trip with my son who is a novice at portaging/Canoeing? Haven't done a whole lot of rivers just the North Sask around Edmonton here and there.
Thanks very much Dale. My first canoe trips were on the North Saskatchewan River. It was a 3 day trip from Drayton Valley to Devon. The McLeod River is also nice if the water is not too low. From Hwy 47 to Hwy 32, about 100 kms.
It was a great trip, really enjoyed it. A long day though, about 6 hrs of hiking and 5 hours of paddling. No time for beer breaks:) Arrived at the falls at 7pm, and was very tired. And hungrier than I think I've ever been. Had a fantastic 9pm meal over the campfire that night. Cheers!!
@@nickharland3795 All the camp sites in the park are closed, where did you stay? Is there a good one just outside Jasper that is convenient for day trips inside?
@@AlbertaGeek There is spot just outside the park gate, north entrance(Hinton side). Just a small road on the south side of the hwy. Not much, but good for a quick camp. Still a bit of driving, but somewhat convenient. Thanks for watching, take care
Mostly class II, with a few class III's scattered in there. The last rapid I have seen rated as a class II+ in one guidebook, but all other books rate it class III. It felt like a class III to me:) Yeah paddling season is from May to September (possibly October) most years. Thanks again, take care.
Hopefully someday. I would love to see the lower Athabasca in person. Grand Rapids would be spectacular to see, then down to Fort McMurray. thanks for watching, take care.
Good stuff, Nick and it's about time!😋😉 That looks like so much fun, but wow I bet that water is cold. Do people take those falls in a kayak? They look pretty fierce, but people do some crazy things so I'm curious. Glad to see you back enjoying the river!!
Thanks Eric. Yep it is very cold water, pretty close to the glacier source. Just as Marty said, nobody paddles down the falls. One lucky soul has survived the plunge (accidental), all others were not so lucky. Many people have died there, mostly tourists taking pictures. Thanks again, take care.
Great video, nice to see a new one from you. Thanks for sharing. Looks pretty rough in spots. So do you hike the banks to scope it out of just wing it?
Thanks very much. Was rough in a few spots, the river flows pretty good after the Sunwapta comes in. I hiked and scouted the final rapid near the falls more than a few times over the last couple years... and scouted and ran them the day before this video was taken. Everything else was good to run by scouting from river.
Athabasca Crossing campground, about 15 km portage to the put-in. There is no significant whitewater between the put-in and the Sunwapta River. Nice scenery, but pretty slow in spots.
@@nickharland3795 Hike down about 1.3kms from Sunwapta falls, run has numerous class II/III rapids all the way until a III+ S-bend corner just before the falls, can take out above S-bend. It is a Sunwapta with more space in between rapids. Would love to join you at least for a shuttle.
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Nice! I did that trip about 12 years ago when the foot suspension bridge was still there. I packed my kick boat in on a deer cart and stashed it at the confluence. Hiked 10 more km into Fortress and fished for a couple days then hiked back out and floated out to the highway. I remember that drop at the Sunwapta confluence and from there to the highway was a pretty steep gradient all the way. Never forget it!
It's a great trip!! The run from the Sunwapta confluence to the hwy is a really exciting paddle. Unfortunately I don't think that bridge will replaced anytime soon.
Enjoyed watching this paddle on the Athabasca. Fast moving and exciting water! It is now more than 4 years since you posted this video and Jasper has just experienced an unbelievably devastating firestorm. I haven't seen the valley since 2010 while backpacking to Athabasca Pass and am shocked by the extent of dead pine as shown in the valley surrounding the Falls.😳😢
Thanks very much. It is an exciting section of the Athabasca River to canoe. Yes, many trees in the mountains were impacted by the pine beetle... prime tinder I suppose. It's terrible what happened in Jasper, hopefully they can recover.
That’s beautiful! I just completed a 2 day canoe trip down the Wabasca river last weekend. There’s no words to explain the majestic beauty of canoeing down a river with the birds singing... and I’m already dreaming of heading to BC to do some trips through the mountains!
Thanks, yeah it's a beautiful valley to canoe down. Definitely an exciting run after the Sunwapta joins in. Wabasca River sounds great... and I definitely hope to paddle the Kootenay River in B.C. someday. Thanks for taking the time.
Exciting! and Marvellous!
Thanks very much John. It was a great day on the water!!
Great video... Thank you... I was just thinking of your channel a few days ago - wondering when you would be putting out a new video and - voila - here it is... Your videos bring back a lot of pleasant memories for me from the '70s-'80s. The difference is you do the trips alone. I used to have to recruit team members, train them, then take them on a few trips. Most people only lasted a few trips and then the wet and cold got to them. I was never into clubs - the groups were too large for my liking. Good to see you are still on the rivers. I look forward to your next adventure...
Michael
Thank you Michael, glad you enjoyed my friend. It has been a strange and difficult year so far, but hopefully I can get a few more trips in. It would be very nice to have some paddling partners on certain trips, but generally I go alone... clubs are not my thing either. It sounds like it would be a pleasure to have paddled with you... what areas/rivers were you paddling? Thanks again, take care.
35 Km in about 20 minutes!!! Yep that looked about right. lol What a wet and cold ride Nick, great job negotiating those angled waves. I thought you might loose it once but excellent recovery. Great video.
Thanks very much. Yeah I had a good wobble in the last rapid, and took on a fair bit of water, but managed to stay up-right. I'm hoping I can hike my canoe in, and paddle the first 30 km of this river, right from the source. Thanks again, take care.
Hi Nick, not often you let water in your canoe... This section looks heaven and fast.. Well done .....
Thanks very much Jim. Yes, plenty of water got in my canoe on this day... it was a really exciting run. It is a fantastic valley, and beautiful river to canoe down. Thanks for taking the time. Take care.
Thanks for posting! Your videos pushed me over the edge on buying a boat. We're doing the athabasca this year but down river of Hinton. Hope to see you out there!
Hey it's my pleasure, thanks for watching. Great to hear that you got a boat, you will really enjoy it. The Athabasca is a great river to paddle downstream of Hinton. I will likely do it again one of these summers. Have fun!!
Great ride! Sure is great seeing you progress over the years. I'd be swimming for sure
Thanks very much Mark. Yeah it was a great section to canoe. The Athabasca is a real beauty up there. I'd been thinking about paddling this section for a couple years, so it was very nice to get it done safely. It was a great experience, and I learned a lot. Thanks again, take care.
Too bad you stopped before the good part at the end the action was starting ;) . Nice paddling as usual and awesome scenery ! Great to see you back on the water
Haha, yeah it would get real exciting if I paddled another 300 meters!! Definitely don't want to forget about the falls when taking-out. Thanks very much, it's always great to be on the water. Take care.
huge views and wow Rough! i thought you would hit smooth water again at some point but it took forever you were in the rough stuff for almost the whole time wow// also / 15 km portage//?? what!?/ you carried the canoe in 15km!?/those falls are amazing what a drop off !! what a great ride thanks for taking us with you
Hey thanks Thorn, glad you enjoyed. Yeah the river has a good pace to it for the most part, and some exciting rapids for sure. It was totally worth the hike in... to paddle this beautiful river. Athabasca Falls are quite impressive, very powerful. Thanks for taking the time, take care.
You crazy coot, what possesses you to sit on a peace of wood and ride those wild rivers through these majesticly beautyful moutains on a sunny day? HAHAHA, well done Nick, you did it again !!! :) Wonderful and thank you for sharing.
Thanks, haha yeah it's not hard to get motivated for a trip like this. It was a fantastic trip!! Camping was great, and the canoeing was totally worth the effort. Thanks so much:)
Wow, just one continuous giant wave train from Sunwapta to Athabasca Falls! Awesome! But hold on...you pulled that canoe out to Athabasca Crossing? Equally Awesome! One of my most favorite places, Big Bend and beyond, the last true pristine stretch of the mighty Athabasca. Hard work put in for a great reward. Right on.
Thanks very much. Yeah it is quite calm up by the Crossing and Big Bend, but picks up nicely after the Sunwapta. Lots of nice wave trains. Definitely a bit of an effort to get the canoe there, but very much worth it. The Athabasca is a real beauty!! Thanks again, take care.
Not to often that the athabasca river is this clear,I can feel my hands going numb just watching you.Looks like fun!Great video thanks for sharing!hiked up the chaba river years ago to fortress lakes,beautifully area!
Thanks Gunter. Yeah the river was flowing at a moderate rate. I ran it the day before, and it was higher and not as clear. Yep, the water is slightly chilly:) Definitely a beautiful area. Thanks again, take care.
Congrats man!! You keep getting better and better! Skys the limit bro
Hey great to hear from you Pablo. Hope you are doing well. It's a very nice run, mostly straight forward class II, some class III towards the end. Many take-outs along the hwy. Take care man.
Glad to see you out canoeing the beautiful Rockies. Man I love Jasper and the Rockies. Take care.
Thanks very much. I first thought of this trip after watching your Fortress Lake hiking video. Big thanks to you!! Hope you are getting out and exploring the mountains and backroads. Take care.
"last rapid of the day and then falls then the take out"
Haha better make sure the take out is before the falls.
Nicely done!! One of my favourite paddling stretches bar none. I hope you were wearing a drysuit. I wasn't, and went for a long cold swim.
Gotta love the 15km portage with the cart.
Haha, nothing better than a 15km portage to start the day!! Thanks, it was my first time starting at the Chaba. Calmer than I expected up there, but the Sunwapta then adds to it nicely. I was wearing a drysuit for sure... man that would be a cold swim!! That last rapid is an absolute blast!! Thanks for watching, take care.
Another thrilling ride! I had to keep reminding myself to take my eyes off the water and enjoy the scenery! Very glad to see another video from you. atb -Larry
Thanks very much Larry. Definitely some nice scenery in there, I soaked up as much as I could. It's been an interesting and trying year so far, hopeful that I can get a couple more trips in. Haven't been home or around a computer much, hope you are doing well.
awesome video nick! im headed out there tomorrow morning haha what a coincidence
Thanks very much. Right on... have fun out there.
Wow-what a beautiful place to start your adventure !! those rapids seems to just keep going, and going. i bet you didn't have a problem sleeping that night lol, and you sure wouldn't want to forget about them falls ! good to see you out on the river again Nick , be safe take care
atb john
Thanks very much John. Yeah it's a very nice valley to canoe down. Starts slow, but the whitewater definitely builds as it goes. I was very nervous about the last rapid above the falls, but it went well... had a blast. Unfortunately some people have forgotten about the falls, and canoed right over them. Only one lucky person has ever survived. Most fatalities are people taking pictures near the falls. Thanks again John, take care my friend. Nick
Nice seeing you out again. And thanks for taking us along. This one seemed pretty intense. with my skills, I cannot imagine handling the sunwapta junction. Take care.
Thanks very much Nate. Definitely some exciting paddling on the Athabasca River here. Yes, things speed up a bit once the Sunwapta Rivers joins in. Safely progress your way up in river difficulty, and you will be paddling this in no time. Take care.
Awesome Trip, Nick ! Great weather Too. Loved The Ending ! Stay Safe & Well, Friend ! ATB T God Bless
Thanks very much Terry. Yes the weather was very nice for this trip. The falls are a big tourist attraction, but I had the whole place to myself. Really enjoyed it out there. Take care Terry, thanks again.
Incredible video. Totally gripping !
Hey thanks very much. Glad you enjoyed it. It was a great trip.
Looks like an exciting part of the river! My brother and I did the falls to old fort point on Saturday the 6th of June. Might have to do this trip next!! Thanks for sharing man!
Thanks Adam. Yes it is exciting, especially after the Sunwapta joins in. A couple easy chutes in the beginning, but mostly flat water, past Big Bend Campground towards the Sunwapta River. Then some class II, and maybe a bit of class III. There are multiple take-out spots along the highway as well. Thanks for watching, have fun.
I just found and subbed. I look forward to supporting the channel.
Hey thanks a lot. It is much appreciated. Take care.
that was a workout by the looks of it another great video !!
Thanks very much Dana. Yeah it was a lot of work on this day, but very much worth it. I was very happy to safely canoe this stretch of river. Take care.
Ahhh Nick, thanks you for the video... might be as close as I get to the mountains this year. Had planned to come to Jasper in July but probably won’t work now. Looks like you had a great trip God Bless you brother. Have a good summer!
Hey, it was my pleasure, thanks for watching. Definitely a fun trip, and the last rapid was the most exciting rapid I have ever run. Exciting, yet terrifying at the same time. Hope you can make it out to the mountains, have a great summer too. Take care.
Another awesome journey Nick!...beautiful mountain range....man you was covering some real estate in short order!...the falls were majestic!...atb...Dave
Thanks very much Dave. Yeah the river moves pretty good, and the mountains are always nice to gaze at. Athabasca Falls are great, not the biggest around, but very, very powerful. Thanks again Woods, take care my friend.
We love your videos. Keep up the great work! 👍
Thanks very much. Glad you are enjoying. Appreciate you taking the time. Take care.
Great to see you're back on the water Nick. Winter is officially over! By the way Forrest Fenn has reported on his webpage that someone found his chest of gold and gems. Waiting for more information on that but it's certain you and I won't find it now. I still think the whole thing was probably a hoax. Anyway, it looked like you almost got flipped at about the 3:25 mark. Those rapids would scare the hell out of me. The falls are intense. We have nothing like that in Florida. Nice video. Beautiful country.
Thanks very much Roy, it's great to be on the water. Some fun rapids for sure, and the falls are definitely to be avoided. One lucky person survived an accidental plunge over the falls, all others were not so lucky. Tourists taking photos, tourists walking the river's edge, and unaware canoeists have lost their lives to these falls. Not the biggest falls, but they are incredibly powerful. Oh well, no gold treasure for me... hope it was real and someone got lucky. Thanks, take care.
Wow. The Athabasca looks as mighty as I thought it would be at this time of the year. I had the Chaba in mind these days because it surely wouldn't be dry like in September but this confirmed my idea of skipping the Athabasca for now. I still need a little bit more confidence on fast moving water like this. Damn covid had my swift water rescue class cancelled this spring. Thanks for sharing and it's too bad you can't walk your canoe to the Chaba headwaters. It's so gorgeous up there. What are the inflatable bags at bow/stern for? Just buoyancy in case of a flip over? Stay safe out there and keep the videos coming!
Thanks very much Laurent. Yes the Athabasca has some definite class II, II+, and III rapids downstream of the Sunwapta River confluence. Such a beautiful river, and exciting at the same time. The air bags are as you said, flotation/buoyancy bags. Makes self-rescuing much easier. If you ever want to paddle one of these rivers, let me know. Thanks again, stay safe and take care.
Great video nick!! Seeing this Makes me wanna do a canoe camping trip next year.
Thanks very much Bo. Yeah not many things are better than a canoe camping trip. Take care man.
You took on a bit of water. This is one of my favourite videos so far.. You've got skills on the canoe. Gotta get to work. do you have a June Trip coming up------ staying in AB. We are deep in this covid shit.
Hey Darrell, thanks again man. Yeah this was an exciting one, and a gorgeous part of the river. I have no set plans yet, but hope to get some canoe trips in soon. Looking forward to a good summer for canoeing. Take care.
Good to see you out there, and envious of your canoeing trip. New camera ? Image looked very stable.
What paddle are you using ?
Thanks for this treat on a Monday evening 👍🏻, greetings from the Netherlands.
Thanks very much Udo. Definitely had a great time out there. Same camera, Go-Pro Hero Session 5. It is a Luna paddle, 56", plastic/fiberglass? Works great. Take care, greetings from Canada.
Hey man, this was one of the runs we talked about! Nice to see you made it out there, looks like fun!
Thanks Clayton, yeah this was definitely a fun one. The Athabasca is a real beauty. Hope you are getting out on the water as well. Take care.
I hate YT at the moment, I almost missed this.
That was intense and exciting just sitting in my armchair! Those waves were as big as anything I've ever done, but not over 35km and not alone. You sir have balls of steel....you didn't fancy the falls? ;)
Yeah it was an exciting paddle for sure, I was very happy to get it done. Long day but definitely worth the effort. The falls were on my mind constantly, not to be forgotten. I made myself very familiar with the take-out spot. Stayed out of trouble enough that I was able to paddle to it safely. Thanks for watching, take care.
That last stretch of rapids had me white knuckled, bad ass stuff! Did you camp at the crossing, or hike up and paddle out in 1 day?
Yeah it was a very exciting rapid, can't afford too big of a mistake there. It was just a day trip... I didn't want too much weight in the canoe. Got lucky and had pretty nice weather.
Did you hitchhike back to your truck? That's the section of highway where I did my intro for my Coal Branch video. It was deserted.
I had a shuttle driver... my girlfriend was with me and we hiked to the Big Bend site together. When I carried on to Athabasca Crossing, she went back to my truck was able to pick me up at the falls. Yes it was very quiet, only a small handful of vehicles. Lots of wildlife to be seen.
Great videos Nick! I do a little kayaking on rivers but I am planning on purchasing a canoe to do multi-day trips. I found your videos a couple days ago, looks like you have a few different canoes. Do you think a 16’ prospector would be a great all-around boat for solo or tandem use on multi-day trips? Or do you think it would be better to get a smaller solo canoe (14’) and a second larger tripping canoe (17’). It would be pretty cool to watch a canoe/gear choice video from you!
Thanks very much. I think the 16' Prospector is great for an all-round canoe. Excellent for tripping, solo or tandom, and can handle class II water quite well. It all depends on the class of rivers you plan on running. It is a very versatile canoe.
Love the videos! Any suggestions for a good 3 day trip with my son who is a novice at portaging/Canoeing? Haven't done a whole lot of rivers just the North Sask around Edmonton here and there.
Thanks very much Dale. My first canoe trips were on the North Saskatchewan River. It was a 3 day trip from Drayton Valley to Devon. The McLeod River is also nice if the water is not too low. From Hwy 47 to Hwy 32, about 100 kms.
Great Video the river looks amazing! I am curious what time of year you did this run? Thanks!
Thanks very much. Yes, it is an exciting and beautiful river. This was in early June, just before the high waters. It was a nice, medium flow.
Awesome. You most have covered that distance in under 4 hours. How tired were you at the end? No time for beer break. Cheers my friend.
It was a great trip, really enjoyed it. A long day though, about 6 hrs of hiking and 5 hours of paddling. No time for beer breaks:) Arrived at the falls at 7pm, and was very tired. And hungrier than I think I've ever been. Had a fantastic 9pm meal over the campfire that night. Cheers!!
@@nickharland3795 All the camp sites in the park are closed, where did you stay? Is there a good one just outside Jasper that is convenient for day trips inside?
@@AlbertaGeek There is spot just outside the park gate, north entrance(Hinton side). Just a small road on the south side of the hwy. Not much, but good for a quick camp. Still a bit of driving, but somewhat convenient. Thanks for watching, take care
What Class are these rapids, especially the last run? Nice run. Also does this river flow like this all year or is it seasonal?
Mostly class II, with a few class III's scattered in there. The last rapid I have seen rated as a class II+ in one guidebook, but all other books rate it class III. It felt like a class III to me:) Yeah paddling season is from May to September (possibly October) most years. Thanks again, take care.
White knuckle ride in my computer chair..WOW
Glad you enjoyed Jerry. Thanks for taking the time. Take care.
You should do a trip in Fort McMurray
Hopefully someday. I would love to see the lower Athabasca in person. Grand Rapids would be spectacular to see, then down to Fort McMurray. thanks for watching, take care.
Good stuff, Nick and it's about time!😋😉 That looks like so much fun, but wow I bet that water is cold. Do people take those falls in a kayak? They look pretty fierce, but people do some crazy things so I'm curious. Glad to see you back enjoying the river!!
No. Those falls are very nasty. The're a series of very narrow canyons with brutal eddies right after the falls.
Thanks Eric. Yep it is very cold water, pretty close to the glacier source. Just as Marty said, nobody paddles down the falls. One lucky soul has survived the plunge (accidental), all others were not so lucky. Many people have died there, mostly tourists taking pictures. Thanks again, take care.
Great video, nice to see a new one from you. Thanks for sharing. Looks pretty rough in spots. So do you hike the banks to scope it out of just wing it?
Thanks very much. Was rough in a few spots, the river flows pretty good after the Sunwapta comes in. I hiked and scouted the final rapid near the falls more than a few times over the last couple years... and scouted and ran them the day before this video was taken. Everything else was good to run by scouting from river.
that would make for a horrible day forgetting about the falls.
It sure would!! The falls were on my mind every second of the trip:) Thanks Kal, take care.
I've paddled this from below Sunwapta falls to Athabasca falls. But where is this put-in?
Just looked it up, that wouldve been quite the endeavor to get your canoe to the put-in. Well done.
Athabasca Crossing campground, about 15 km portage to the put-in. There is no significant whitewater between the put-in and the Sunwapta River. Nice scenery, but pretty slow in spots.
Hey Nigel, how is the Sunwapta River below the falls? Short class II/III to the Athabasca? Thanks.
@@nickharland3795 Hike down about 1.3kms from Sunwapta falls, run has numerous class II/III rapids all the way until a III+ S-bend corner just before the falls, can take out above S-bend. It is a Sunwapta with more space in between rapids.
Would love to join you at least for a shuttle.
@@nickharland3795 Text me 780 499 6455
I would've flipped that canoe many many times .
Thanks Joe. Haha, yeah it could be a very cold swim in there. Take care.