'It happens': Travellers wait patiently for ferry service at Fort McPherson to resume

Travellers stranded on either side of the Peel River crossing near Fort McPherson, N.W.T. were watching the river Thursday, trying to decide whether to wait for the ferry to start movingor pack it inaltogether.

The Abraham Francis ferry has been docked since Sunday night, as rising water fills the river with logs and other debris, making the crossing treacherous.

• Ferry's out: Travellers and supplies headed to Fort McPherson, N.W.T., stranded due to high water

Among the stranded travellers are a couple of honeymooners, Meret and Nikos Stamoulis, who are visiting from Switzerland. They were on a road trip up the Dempster Highway to Inuvik, but were stopped in their tracks at the Peel River.

Meret Stamoulis says she's disappointed they won't be able to complete the trip. "We actually planned to go toInuvikto stay a bit there and then come back," she said. "Now we probably have to just turn around here already because otherwise we'll lose too many days."

A family from Aklavik is arranging for a boat to come pick them up and bring them home.

Lorna Storr says her school-aged granddaughter has a perfect attendance recordthat she doesn't want to break.

"We might beovernightingin Fort McPherson or callAklavikand have them come up the Peel with a boat and take all of our stuff," said Storr.

Local help for stranded travellers

The river continued to rise Thursday, for the fifth day in a row. It follows high amounts ofrain and snowfall in the mountains, followed by warm weather.Water levels are up more than two metres since Saturday.

People in Fort McPherson have stepped up to help, offering their cabins to stranded travellers so they don't have to double-back to Eagle Plains, Yukon, or pay for a hotel.

They're also bringing water and food to the shore.

Long-haul truckers, well-prepared for northern highway disruptions, are just waiting it out on shore. Six or seven trucks are stranded on the Yukon side, while long-time truckers Dan Eckstein and Jimmy Sherburne are waiting in Fort McPherson.

• Dempster Highway ferry crossing at Fort McPherson still closed

Eckstein shrugs. "It happens," he says, while Sherburne calls it "mother nature at its worst."

"If you're going to plan a trip up here," he said, "expect the unexpected."

Both say they are used to travel delays, including ferry closures.

The Department of Infrastructure says it doesn't expect the ferry to be back in the water until Friday or Saturday.