Athabasca River Canoe Trip - Hinton To Whitecourt - Pt. 2 of 2

[@hunterda0209]

We are doing this route starting Saturday. From just west of Jasper to Whitecourt. Your videos have been a real inspiration.

[@nickharland3795]

Looks like you are going to have some nice weather. It is a moderate current coming out of Jasper, but picks up nicely after Hinton. Lots of good camping along that stretch. I hope you have a great trip!! Thanks David.

[@grahamhardy8499]

Thanks Nick for your videos. We have utilized your videos in past for past planning. Kooteney R in 2020, N.Saskatchewan R in 2021, Red Deer R in 2022 and really helps with choosing a portion that meets the skill levels of our party. Third week in August it looks like the Athabasca R will be the river of choice this round. (Like the insulated food pack idea. Great to see the bear spray on standby and food packs hung high during the night slumber).

[@nickharland3795]

Thanks Graham. I'm glad to help in any way. Yes, the insulated barrel works great. The Kooteney River is a trip I definitely want to do. I hope you have a great trip on the Athabasca River.

[@bohrerbros7555]

Hi Nick, your canoe shows the scars of the many adventures you have been on (scratches on the bottom). A sharp axe always comes in handy on a camping trip and that cover is a great idea. Thanks for sharing Nick.

[@nickharland3795]

Thanks again. Yeah I've had that canoe for five years now, and there are more than a few scraps. But no serious damage of any kind, should be good for many years to come. Yes, a very nice sheath for my axe. It will out-live the axe by many years I'm sure. Take care.

[@rialobran]

A much used word is awesome, but sometimes it's warranted this is one of those occasions. Thanks for taking the time to film this, I enjoyed every minute. :)

[@nickharland3795]

Thanks again. Yeah it was a really enjoyable trip. Other than wind, it was pretty much a perfect trip. Good current, mostly blue skies, and the best camping I've ever had on a river. I saw two people fly-fishing along the shore during the second day, other than that, I saw nobody else on the river the entire trip. Thanks for taking the time. Take care.

[@nibimocs]

Always enjoy watching your on-the-river videos but the campsite footage made this one all that more special! Great trip, if a little windy. Thanks for sharing!

[@nickharland3795]

Yeah the wind was a problem at times, but didn't take away from the whole experience. The campsites were great, and there were lots of other nice options too. I will try this trip again in late summer or fall, in another couple years. Thanks for watching. Take care.

[@2yung4u]

you passed my gold panning spot by the train trestle bridge just before whitecourt, another enjoyable video!

[@nickharland3795]

Thanks very much. Do you have good luck panning the Athabasca?

[@TaralgaBushAdventure]

Great video Nick, like the brats on the fire. Geez, the canoe bottom's getting pretty scratched up! Keep up the great content, thanx!

[@nickharland3795]

Thanks very much. Yeah brats over a fire is the way to go, can't go wrong. Thanks, take care.

[@terryw.milburn8565]

Wonderful few days on the river, Nick ! Lovely Blue skies. Glad Dad helped ya out. ATB T God Bless

[@nickharland3795]

Thanks again Terry. It was a very enjoyable canoe trip, and shuttle services are always a big help. Have a great weekend. Take care. Nick

[@DougLutz]

Look like a lot of fun. Thanks for sharing! The sizzling smokie made me realize I was quite hungry!

[@nickharland3795]

It was definitely a fun trip. You can't go wrong with smokies over a campfire. Thanks Doug, take care.

[@themiwoodsman7222]

So beautiful and peaceful, got to love coffee and sunshine. nice heavy duty ax mask indeed, nice ! at least ya can't say you didn't eat good LOL but ya got to make that fuel for the paddle . looks like you had pretty nice weather but a little windy . Hwy 43 wow your way up north holy smokes , really enjoyed the videos Nick , thanks for taking me along ,look forward to your next adventure atb john

[@nickharland3795]

Hey thanks again John. Yeah the weather was quite nice after the first day, lots of sunshine. It was windy, but all in all it was really good conditions. It's a really good sheath, even better than I was expecting. I really like the look, and it will last a very long time. Yep, Whitecourt is in the north central part of Alberta, about 7 hrs drive north from the Montana/Canada border. Thanks very much John, appreciate it. Take care. Nick

[@JoeOsChannel]

Another great video. And I really liked that leather axe sheath, that looks really nice.

[@nickharland3795]

Thanks very much Joe. It was a great stretch of river to paddle, I will be coming back for sure. Yes it is a very nice sheath, exactly what I wanted and needed. Take care.

[@wyopobo5339]

Hey Nick. Great two part video. Always nice to see you out there. Looks like a great river. take care..

[@nickharland3795]

Hello Martin. It is a great river, part of the old fur trading route. Thanks very much, take care.

[@sortavala]

Nice trip and video again! River looks quite fast flow and it makes to possible to do a long trip in four days. 👌

[@nickharland3795]

Thanks very much. Yeah is a good sized river with mostly swift currents, and a few class I rapids. It was a great river trip, one I will be doing again in the future. Take care.

[@mildredstv7743]

so windy but i love the river so qiet, i love everything about water i love nature so enjoy.

[@nickharland3795]

Yes it is a very nice river. It was windy, but otherwise very nice and sunny. Quite enjoyable. Thanks for watching.

[@blumenmaedchen115]

Wonderful video 👍 Have a nice day

[@nickharland3795]

Thank you very much. It is much appreciated. Have a nice day too.

[@dwaynema]

Great video! Thanks for sharing.

[@nickharland3795]

Thanks very much, appreciate you taking the time.

[@jimhanson7476]

Hi Nick, great camp sites, how where the bugs... Great video and adventure... Take care..

[@nickharland3795]

Hi Jim, yeah I was really impressed with the camping opportunities on this river. The bugs were almost non-existent. Only saw a few mosquitoes, and no flies or wasps. It was windy during the days, and breezy enough in the evenings to keep them away. Thanks for taking the time, take care.

[@handsbare]

Shortly before Whitecourt are supposed to be some rapids not passable by open canoes. That is why we put out a few km ahead of the town (some 50 years ago). You seem to not have encountered any thing like that??

[@nickharland3795]

No, there weren't any rapids near Whitecourt. The only real rapids of the trip were much closer to Hinton than Whitecourt. I'm not sure what may have been there years ago. Thank you for watching.

[@BCBoatsAndCanoes]

Perfect start to my weekend, thanks for sharing. If I win the lottery, I’ll join you one day.

[@nickharland3795]

Other than wind, it was a perfect canoe trip. I really enjoyed it. If I ever win the lottery, I'll fly you over for a canoe trip. Thanks, take care.

[@blackriverrambler3963]

The best way to travel from Hinton to Whitecourt! For this time of year anyway lol And a most excellent axe sheath. Very nice 👍 Thanks for taking us along Nick. What’s in the mix for the next adventure?

[@nickharland3795]

Hey thanks again. I agree, the best mode of travel, no horns, car alarms or traffic jams!! Yes he did a great job on the axe sheath, I couldn't be happier with it. Working on some day trips on Upper Athabasca in Jasper, and N. Sask River in Banff. A few hikes too, hoping the weather is good and the smoke is not too bad. Thanks for taking the time, appreciate it very much. Take care.

[@billy7805]

You like the clipper canoe Where you filmed the beaver you must be close to the windfall area

[@nickharland3795]

Yep, I really like my Clipper canoe. Couldn't be happier with it! Yeah that sounds about right, likely near the Windfall area. Thanks for watching Billy.

[@raunholt]

Always a great trip.

[@nickharland3795]

Yeah I really enjoyed it, and will definitely be doing it again sometime. Thanks, take care.

[@oldredcoonhound2182]

It was a cold windy weekend. Hope you get many years of use out of that sheath. I think it is built to last😂.

[@nickharland3795]

It was a very windy weekend... But otherwise perfect. I expect I will get decades of use with that sheath. You did a fantastic job on it, exactly what I was wanting in a sheath. Thanks very much.

[@Princesscabinstories]

I am thinking about doing this route September long weekend.. is three nights reasonable. Or maybe put in at emerson creek road and take out at windfall road? Any expert advice to share? Looking for no more than class 1.

[@nickharland3795]

Three nights is very reasonable for the full 200 km from Hinton to Whitecourt. It would be fairly long days on the water/50 km a day, but should be no problem. This stretch has no more than class I+, and only in a couple spots (easily avoidable). Shortening the trip would leave more time for relaxing at camp, but either way it's a fantastic canoe trip. Hope you have a great trip!!

[@potatothorn]

nice catch of the Beaver!! great time on the water with you as always.. love your riverside camps. This was a really long trek wow! ok i must have missed something in the first one because there's your truck at the end.. how did you get from one end to the other? awesome video thanks for taking us along!

[@nickharland3795]

Thanks very much. Yeah camping was a real pleasure on this trip, all the sites were nice. I drove to the start, and my truck was shuttled to the finish, where it was waiting for me. Thanks for taking the time. Take care.

[@jimlandon3808]

Hi Nick, great videos and this has put the trip on my To Do List! Can I ask what maps you use for planning and navigating? Thanks.

[@nickharland3795]

Hey Jim, thanks very much. Yes this is a great canoe trip, I highly recommend it. For this trip, there is a really good map made by ARCA. It shows from Jasper to Whitecourt. Mark Lund's guidebook for Alberta Paddlers is also very helpful. You can find both of these in most camping/outdoors/sports stores. Thanks for taking the time, take care.

[@HuyFishin]

this place is all so familiar since i'm originally from whitecourt. I would love to do a float like this but i'm too scared of doing it alone.

[@nickharland3795]

This was a very enjoyable trip, and it was nice to end it in Whitecourt.

[@kodaxrose50]

That's awesome

[@nickharland3795]

It was a great time out there. Thanks for watching.

[@dwaynema]

We are planning a trip down the north sask from rocky to Drayton. Do you know of any shuttle services in that area?

[@nickharland3795]

HelaVentures near Rocky will do it, but it's expensive as they need to use one of their vehicles to get their driver back to rocky. To lessen the cost, you could arrange to meet your vehicle at the end of trip in Drayton, and then take their driver back to Rocky. Also, if you drop your boats off at the put-in beforehand, you could probably get a cab in Drayton to take you back to the put-in.

[@dwaynema]

Nick Harland thanks Nick! Appreciate the advice. Your videos have been very helpful and a source of great intel on river conditions etc. Paddle on!

[@oldchicago3216]

👍👍👍👍

[@nickharland3795]

Thanks very much Chicago.

[@albertarooftoptenters]

Looks very similar to the NSR between Rocky and Drayton.

[@nickharland3795]

Yeah they share many similarities. Some large cliff faces. NSR has Abraham's Gate, this one has The Gates.

[@cfraser650]

How do you always have a truck waiting for you ??

[@nickharland3795]

Whitecourt cab company wanted $320 to drive me to Hinton, so my Dad kindly volunteered to help with shuttling my truck. Not how I originally planned it, definitely an inconvenience for him... But much appreciated by me. Logistics are a real pain sometimes.

[@fenman]

@@nickharland3795 I live in Edmonton with a truck. let me know if you need a lift upstream somewhere.

[@mahnoorahmed2772]

Can you swim in this river? Or paddle board?

[@nickharland3795]

I wouldn't recommend swimming in the river. Wading in calm water along the shore would be ok, but swimming could be dangerous. A paddle board would work. Thanks for watching.

[@mikejessmax]

Just a question, where did you get that barrel from?

[@nickharland3795]

It was either from MEC or Totem Outfitters, in Edmonton.

[@MatthewRitchieTheNextChapter]

Wheres part 1?

[@nickharland3795]

It should be there with the other uploads.

[@bobparsons77]

Interesting way to keep some food. Metal drum lined with tinfoil

[@nickharland3795]

It's a plastic canoe barrel that I lined with 2 layers of duct insulation, and 1" foam on top and bottom. Seemed to work pretty good, still had ice at the end of the trip. I kept all the meat and perishables in there, it's quite bear-resistant, almost bear-proof. Thanks again Bob.

[@bonpecheur4565]

@@nickharland3795 I like the idea too, if you dont mind I'll borrowed it ;) thank's for the tip and nice video !

[@chuyencuabeo9747]

CAM TRAI THAT LY TUONG

[@nickharland3795]

Thank you.

[@claytonkirk8155]

Hey Nick, i live in edmonton too, would love to connect and talk paddle routes with you if you are open to it. Let me know!

[@nickharland3795]

Hey Clayton, right on man. Yeah I'd be open to that.