Clint, the bush pilot, tries to contact Fort Simpson to tell them that they’re changing their flight plans to do some sightseeing. However, Clint is not able to get through to Fort Simpson, even after many attempts. Gabe feels nervous and “wondered if this was such a good idea, to go ahead when [they] weren’t getting through on the radio” because “nobody would know where [they] were going” (33). Clint reassures Gabe and tells him they have an Emergency Location Transmitter that will help people find them if they crash. They continue to fly towards Virginia Falls and Gabe is in awe of the natural beauty that surrounds them. The old man in the back points out different animals that he sees, and Raymond helps by translating the native Slavey language into English. When they finally reach Virginia Falls, Clint decides to land the plane upstream so that they can take a closer look. As they taxi downstream, the engine stops running.

Clint tries to get the engine starting again, but it won’t. He sends an emergency message out through the radio. They don’t know if it reached anyone because the radio wasn’t working earlier when they were trying to call Fort Simpson.