Far North

Will Hobbs
Far North
Avon Books, 1996
Genre-Narrative, Adventure, survival


Gabe is experiencing the Northwest Territories for the first time. He's attending boarding school in Yellowknife while his dad is working in the wilderness. His dad has arranged for Gabe to fly along with a bush pilot who is taking Dene (one of whom is his roommate who is dropping out of school) back to their village. Excited to show off the wilderness, the pilot flies them over the Nahanni River and sets the plane down above the Virginia Falls. When the engine fails to restart, the pilot tells the passengers to get all the supplies off. Unfortunately, the tree holding the mooring line pulls out and the pilot and plane are washed down the falls. Gabe, his roommate Raymond, and an old man must survive while waiting for rescuers. Gabe and Raymond decide to build a raft and take advantage of the Chinook to raft out while the river is ice free. However, the weather turns, and they end up in Deadmen Valley. Johnny, the old man, uses his native skills to help the boys survive. After Johnny dies, the boys first try to hike out on the frozen river and then trek into the mountains in search of game. Having killed a moose, they return to the cabin only to have a grizzly thwart them. With Raymond injured and the loss of the meat, the boys set out again down the river.