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11TuesdayOctober82013TheTownofTuktoyaktukwouldliketothankandcongratulateallmembersoftheVolunteerFireDepartmentfortheirhardworkanddedication.Youreffortshelpkeepourcommunitysafe.Thanksforeverythingyoudo.RiverguideauthorexploresAthabascaandSlaveByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheauthorofthepopu-larMackenzieRiverGuidebookistakingonanewandevenmorechallengingriversystemforhernextprojectwhichcouldnditshomeonlineratherthanonpaper.MichelleSwallowauthorofthebeautifullyillustratedeldguidebooktopaddlingthemightyMackenzieRiverhasspentthelasttwosum-merscanoeingtheAthabascaandSlaveRiversasresearchforhernextendeavor.Butwhilesheinitiallysetoutonamissiontocreatean-otherguidebooktheowoftheAthabascaRiversystem-onemuchdifferentfromtheMackenzie-isnowpushingherinanewdirection.OriginallyIhadintendedthatitwouldbeexactlythesamestylesoIhadthesamepersondothemapsformeaheadoftimebutnowthatIveessentiallypaddledmostofitImnotentirelysurewhatImgoingtodonowSwal-lowtoldTheJournal.ThewholeideawiththeMackenziewasIreallywantedtoencouragepeopletopaddletheMackenzie.Iwantedthemtofeellikeitwassomethingthattheycoulddoandtofeelinspiredtodoit.AndtheMackenziesprettyconsistentitsmoreorlessaconsistentsizeallthewaydownitsamoreorlessconsistentrangeofskilllevelneededtheresalotofpeopleontheriverallthewaydown.ButtheAthabascahasgotdifferentavoursindiffer-entsectionssothatmakesitinterestingbutitalsomeansthatitcouldtakeabitmoretimetothinkitthrough.ThoughshemaystilldoabookprojectSwallowisnowthinkingmoreandmoreabouttransformingherresearchandrecordingsintoaninter-activeonlinelmorappofsomekindfocusedmoreonprolingtheriverthanoffer-ingtraveladvice.ImnotsurethatpeoplechoosetopaddletheAtha-bascainthesamewaythattheychoosetopaddletheMackenzieRivershesaid.IthinkmoreworkneedstobedonetoclassifyrapidsthatareontheAthabasca.Swallowalsoalmmakersaidshewasinspiredbytherecentaward-winninginter-activewebdocumentaryWel-cometoPointPointandcanenvisionsomethingsimilarfortheAthabascaandSlaveRivers.Withthemapsalreadydoneshepicturesaninterac-tivewebformatwhereviewerscanscrollthemselvesdowntheriverclickingondiffer-entvideoclipsprolingthevariousphysicallocations.RightnowImthinkingaboutitmoreasawayforpeopletolearnabouttheriverandthenImaydomoreofaguideinthefutureshesaid.AthabascafunandaccessibleJustbecauseshesmov-ingawayfromtheguideideadoesnotmeanSwallowwontrecommendtheriverstoavidpaddlers.ThefunthingabouttheAthabascaRiverisitsallcon-nectedbytheroadsystemsoitmakesitreallyquitesimpleitscheapforone-youdonthavetoyanywhereanditsincrediblyaccessibleallthewayalong.Swallowspentthreeweeksthissummercanoeingwithasequenceofpartnersonthreedifferentsectionsoftheriver-includingherwhitewaterenthusiastbrotherherfriendandherboyfriend-fromthetownofAthabascatoFitzger-aldbeginningintherapidscorridor.Ifyoureaskilledwhite-waterpaddleryouwouldlovethesectionbetweenAthabascaandFortMcMurray.Itsverybeautiful-tonsofwildlife-anditsprettyisolated...soifyouloverapidsthenthatsagreatplacetogo.IfyoudontloverapidsthenIwouldavoidthatsectionbecausetheyreprettybigandtheyrehardtoscoutandtheriverislargesoittakesawhiletogettoshore.ThesummerpreviousshespentthreeweekswithherbrotherandmothercanoeingfromtheAthabascasheadwa-tersinJasperthroughFortAs-siniboineendinginAthabascaaneasierfamilytripshesaid.Theresafewrapidsbe-foreHintonandtheresalotofdriftwood-alotofdeadfalleverywhereshesaidadd-ingthatmadeithardtondcampingspotssomenights.ButbetweenWhitecourtandAthabascatheriverisreallyatwatercalmmovesatadecentclipbutisreallysafewithlotsofwildlife.Wedseeseveralmooseandelkanddeereveryday.Itwasreallynice.Swallowsaidshealsore-allyenjoyedthesectionbe-tweenFortMcKayandFortChipewyanmadeespeciallymemorablebecauseoftheamountandfriendlinessofthepeoplewhowerescarceformostoftheotherpartsofthetrip.ReallyuntilyougettoFortChipewyantheresnotpeopleontheriverallthetime.InfactinsomecommunitieslikeHintoneventhosethoughcommunitiesarerightontheriveritwasastretchtondanypublicaccessatalltotherivershesaid.TheclosertoFortChipewyanthebetter-justreallyfriendlypeopleoutonthewater.Reallykindpeo-ple.Everyonewouldslowrightdownwhentheysawuswhichwasreallynice.NowthatshesrelocatedtoFortSmithSwallowsaidshewilleventuallyturnherattentionmoretotheSlavewhichshehopestocom-pletepaddlingnextsum-merallthewaytoGreatSlaveLake.Butfornowsheisgoingtokeepdreamingaboutthepossibilities.Imgoingtospendthewinterthinkingaboutitandcollectingstoriesshesaid.TheresalotIcouldgetdonefromFortChiptohere.NorthernersGuidesRiverguideauthorMichelleSwallowrightpaddleswithhermomandbrotheronajourneybetweenJasperandAthabasca.SwallowspartnerPierreBerubeenjoysaneveningsunsetalongtheSlaveRiver.PaddlingpartnerStephanieYuilltakesabreakalongtheAthabascaRivernearFortMcKay.PhotoscourtesyofMichelleSwallow