The research challenge

I’m a writer of adventure fiction, mystery, and life on the edge. I create resilient characters who encounter the dark side of life and come out swinging.

A thread of truth and accurate facts cross every page of my books and that’s what this blog is about: finding facts that bring my fiction to the edge of believability. I feel that asking my readers to suspend disbelief to often will test their loyalty every time until they’ve had enough and decide to move on to another author. Therefore I seek the facts.

Ever hear of the Nahanni? How about Dead Man’s Valley, Headless Valley? One last try, Albert Faille?

Here’s the story:

In about 1905 the brothers Mcleod were working at Fort Simpson in the Northwest Territories when the cry of gold came down river. So they decided it was time to go prospecting and claim their fair share. Up the Nahanni they went. They camped at the mouth of second canyon now called headless valley because they were found tied to trees upside-down and headless. Since then and as late as 1950 over thirty men have been found headless in and around the canyon.

Headless valley, or whatever name you choose, was not touched by the ice age. Unlike the Grand Canyon where the river cut the canyon headless valley’s 4,000 foot high canyon walls were pushed up. The valley itself is heated by thermals and the canyon walls riddled with Karst.

Two tribes occupied headless valley. The Dene lived down by the river the Naha lived in the karst and would raid the Dene killing them and taking prisoners. During the great migration both tribes moved to a warmer region that we now call the desert southwest. The Naha became the Apache the Dene the Navajo.

Hang in there with me.

The migrating tribes were followed by a beast called the Waheela a wolf-like cryptid. I caution you at this point that this IS NOT a big foot legend. The Navajo who pass down their history orally talk of a great beast that has the snout of a wolf but the stubby legs and body of a bear.

The only pertinent fact I have left out is that there is an intact skeleton of the Waheela on display somewhere in Canada.

Now I need your help:

I’m 27,000 words into my outdoor adventure Nahanni and want to involve the Waheela but am at a loss for details. I’ve searched Google and found all sorts of strange pictures and lore but if I click on five sources I find five versions. I feel that if I could find the location of the skeleton I would also find the facts.

My offer:

Find the location of the Waheela skeleton. If possible get some contact information for me and I’ll give you a FREE Audio copy of Ghost Detectives book 1, plus I’ll credit you in the front of Nahanni when it comes out in December. Go to my website and contact me directly...kitkcrumb@gmail.com

Note: This offer is good for 14 days from the day of posting or to the first 10 responders with usable information within that time frame.

Happy researching.