MOUNTAIN LIFE - Blue Mountains | Summer 2019

52 with a forward body position controlling gravity centre would be crucial to prevent serious injury. The technique is the same for running waterfalls 30 feet and under where you may have a shallow landing or need to keep momentum moving downstream and away from harm. Aniol cleaned the debris away, placed his boat on the shelf and stepped into it, sealing himself in. The rest of us remained silent and waited until he was ready. (There isn’t much to do until it is your turn anyway.) No one wanted a different option, no one suggested one, the team was in harmony. This was a dangerous move. Aniol teetered forward, disconnected from the rock with grace and entered the water audibly connecting with the river bed. No smile, just a nod and a thumbs-up as he caught an eddy to watch the team. A peek over the shoulder and he could see the Canyon, but he watched and waited as we took our turns sliding off the rock, falling, and smashing back into the river. The Canyon and the gradient locked my gaze downstream—farther downstream than I’ve ever stared in a straight line. The river pulled my gaze on and on as my imagination filled in the blanks. We had arrived at our destination. The whitewater here was simple with the low, late-summer flows. We spent almost all our attention on our experience, casually riding the river through the Scimitar Canyon and into the calm pool downstream. spectacularnwt.com pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/nt/nahanni @bennymrr BEN MARR No one wanted a different option, no one suggested one, the team was in harmony. This was a dangerous move.