23-Jun-2007 -- While traveling back South on the Dempster Highway from a visit to Inuvik, we (myself and Tim Wilson) parked and set out with light gear (GPS, compass, rope, snacks, water) to ford the Blackstone River and hike approximately 7 miles to the confluence point. We had no bear spray because it's illegal to fly with it, and it was unavailable in Fairbanks or elsewhere due to trout fishing season demand. Looking for a suitable fording spot on the Blackstone, we encountered a grizzly bear mother and cub footprints in the mud. Since the planned hike was mostly along stream banks, and the bears were present and active, we abandoned the hike.

Update 29-Jul-2024: Since the confluence is still unvisited since our 2007 attempt, we (myself and Tim Wilson) spent over 6 months planning, and I flew to Bozeman to start the mission. We were stopped at the Canada border due to having a shotgun for bear protection and chose not to continue without the shotgun. We believe we met all the legal requirements, and if they give us express permission for 2025, we'll try again. Apart from the shotgun we had an inflatable paddleboard for crossing the Blackstone River.