Tungsten John

David Quiring teaches history at the University of Saskatchewan.

This multifaceted book about the South Nahanni River region, which
straddles the Yukon–Northwest Territories border, offers an
entertaining description of various efforts by John Harris and Vivian
Lougheed to reach the legendary river. Harris also revels in the
folklore of the area, with much of it about mysteriously disappearing
gold prospectors and trappers. Assuming that others might want to follow
in their footsteps, Lougheed adds detailed information about the trails
explored. In addition to offering general and specific trail
information, the book also gives the location of various deteriorating
mining and trapping cabins, which serve as John and Vivian’s favored
accommodation.

These two middle-aged adventurers and assorted traveling companions
bicycled and hiked the remnants of various mining roads in a series of
expeditions over a number of years, bent on reaching the South Nahanni
River without resorting to the obvious method of flying there. While
they explored various routes in their search for a feasible trail to the
fabled river, they valued the search for adventure more than reaching
the river. When they finally found themselves within an easy hike of the
river, they chose not to proceed, preferring to leave it over the
horizon.

Harris brings honesty to his descriptions, acknowledging the terrors of
grizzly bears, hypothermia, wading across swollen rivers, and injuries
that occurred many days from the trail head. Although his book should
help travelers avoid many pitfalls of trial-and-error learning, it does
not assure safety or success to those who would follow in Harris and
Lougheed’s footsteps. Those who heed Tungsten John’s warnings to the
faint of heart or weak of body to stay out of the area will enjoy the
tales, old and new, that he spins.