Hi All, Sorry to be so long since we have been in touch, but until late Saturday we were not near hydro, let alone a computer.
At noon on Monday, July 14, we got a call from Charlene who flies for Simpson Air (Alan's former company, Alan's former girlfriend) to see if we were interested in flying to Virginia Falls, as there was a couple there who wanted to go, and a second couple who were going to share the expenses had cancelled out. I told her we were very interested but were unsure about what plans to make since we didn't want to interefere with whatever plans Alan had made, but he would be back from a flight at 1 pm for a quick turnaround and a bite of lunch. When he came in, he said that would be a great opportunity and he would go and talk to Ted (Simpson Air) and see what he could set up, and perhaps even include that flight with a stay at Little Doctor Lake (the isolated cabin in heaven where we stayed last time). He finished his lunch and was off, phoning us at 1:50 to say that all was set, to pack and be ready as quickly as possible for Virginia Falls and a stay at Little Doctor for 4-6 days! What a mad scramble to get ready. Alan picked us up so we would have a vehicle to do what needed doing. We then returned home and packed a bin of tins that we would take to Little Doctor, as our 206 would not have weight allowance for that as well as our gear and passengers. Then to the Northern Store for some groceries, back for lunch, repacking and were at Simpson Air for 3 pm!!! Jean was an excellent pilot and guide as he described all the mountain ranges, rivers, plateaus etc that we passed on the way. The majesty of the mountains can not be related in words or photos, but needs to be experienced in person to really appreciate them. We finally circled Virginia Falls before landing at their dock. Virginia Falls is twice the height of Niagara Falls and is on the South Nahanni River. Only 800 to 1200 people a year come to the park to see this wonder of nature, as there are no roads into this area. We felt very privileged to have spent a couple of hours there, viewing the falls from different vantage points along the boardwalk. When we get photos developed, I will share some when we get home,as Alan doesn't have a scanner. >From there we were flown over the Nahanni Mountain Range and Ram plateau to Little Doctor Lake. Alan and Loren, his co-pilot, were there already, and had gove fishing for our supper. As they had no flights until late the next day, their boss had OK'd for them to stay at Little Doctor overnight with us. As we landed, we saw a mama moose and two little ones just at the mouth of the river near the cabin. Alan and Loren met us in the boat as we landed, with two good sized pickerel for supper. Our pilot, Jean, fileted them for us, as I tried to remember how he did it, as I was hoping to have opportunity to do it later. Then Jean was off with the other two passengers and we were there with our two "tall, dark and handsome" pilots. Interesting to watch Loren and Alan, and easy to mistake one for the other from a distance,as they are similar in colouring, stature, nature and movement. Our first meal of pickerel was mouth watering!! At midnight, Loren suggested we all go fishing, so off we went, for about 2 1/2 hours, as it never got dark, dusk was was dark as it got. 6 pickerel and many mosquito bites later, we headed back to the cabin, having thrown back any fish that were less than 4 pounds. Finally to bed. In the morning, Alan cleaned fish while I started the rest of breakfast, and yes, we did have pickerel for breakfast! A bit more fishing before Alan and Loren had to leave. We sent the uneaten fish with them, as we were certain we would be able to get more. As he was leaving, Alan did a "buzz" with the Twin Otter over the cabin and lake. My goodnesss, but he can operate that machine and make it perform. It was awesome! We spent 6 days at Little Doctor Lake, enjoying every moment of it. The weather could not have been more perfect. We bathed in the lake each morning, spent much time sitting on the beach in disbelief at our good fortune of being in such incredible surroundings, trying to drink in the beauty of the place, knowing that we may never see it again. We went fishing frequently. We threw back the pike, in preference for pickerel. We had 7 meals of pickerel while we were there, enjoying the last as much as the first. Yes, we did cut back to once a day after the first couple of days. We had a propane fridge and stove so were quite comfortable in our surroundings. In total we took 23 fish out of the river. We did bring some back to share. I did become fairly good at fileting, even though my process would be considered inefficient and slow, but it worked for me :-))) It is not something I have ever done before. Although we observed lots of wildlife, and heard a variety of it, there were no signs of bears this time at all! When Alan came to pick us up on Saturday evening, he was empty, having done a drop off at the Falls. He invited me to sit in the right seat, as I had never been in the Otter before. It was so satisfying to see Alan in his element, having full control of this big machine, doing what he loves to do. We lifted off and were up in the air so quickly that it felt as though I was on a roller coaster. He even encouraged me to fly the plane once we were up and trimmed out. It felt much heavier and more solid than John's plane. Wonderful experience. The flight was only about half an hour before we started the descent. To conserve fuel, and to show what it could do, we descended at half a mile a minute initially, then faster to an immediate and smooth landing in the Mackenzie River in Fort Simpson. What a pleasure to fly with Alan, as many others in the community have already told us. Yesterday we caught up on laundry, resorting and organizing our belongings and doing some groceries, in between walking to the river to see Alan off or watch him land. It is only a short walk (equivalent to about 3 blocks) to the river. We also watched the 3 outfitter companies clean and sort gear to get ready for new groups to canoe or raft on the river. Having seen what they do, I would love to do that too, if we ever come up here again. Better save my money, as it is not cheap. I believe a 12 day adventure on the river is about $4000 per person, not including the flight to Fort Simpson. Last night we were invited to Jacques and Laverna's (Alan's bosses) for yet another BBQ. Lamb skewers for appetizers, ribs and lobster tails for entree with salad and mixed veggies, while beer and wine flowed. We are not starving here at all. As we waited for Loren and Alan to get back from flying, we chatted with Pete Cowie again, he has been a bush pilot up here since 1964, and is so knowledgable and full of stories. We knew when Alan was back, as he suddenly showed up at Jacques house, 100 feet up, just atop of their trees, buzzing before landing in the river. I could hardly believe my eyes at how low and quiet it was until it was just over us. He is like a kid with a BIG toy, and Jacques is so proud of how Alan handles his Otter. How great to see this approval and acceptance. We are not yet ready to come back to reality and head home. Not sure just when that will be, but want to experience a few more things before we do. We will be in touch before then. So for now, goodbye from Fort Simpson, John and Jo
