| River Trek
II - Down the Dumoine River!
Aaron - Pumbaa
Timo - Timone
Madeleine - Mermaid
Ted - Tedster/MacDougal
Emilie - Em
Hugo - Who-goes-there?
Francis - Frank
Antoine - Ang-toine
Harriet - The Spy
Jess
Leslie
Kat
Day 1 - The Drive In
Amid Hugo's talking and Doug's crazy music, we spent a little more than
6 hours in the Paddlefoot van, on both nice smooth highway and bumpy,
rocky log roads. It's a good thing Doug is such a good driver! We arrived
at the site, after a mini portage, and learned all about campsite set-up.
Antoine and Hugo bring back a 400-year-old tree. The art of toilet building
is taught, as well as the added bonus of 'constipation handles'. We
ate grilled cheese galore, and Antoine had a little soup accident. Hugo's
chair becomes instantaneously popular. We brush our teeth and spray
all over the woods and hit the sack. Both the boys and girls tents talk
talk talk until the wee hours.
Day 2
Leslie and Harriet are up at the crack of dawn. Once we wake everyone
else up, the girls pack and take down their tent at lightning speed,
the boys lag a wee bit behind. After take down, and a knot lesson on
the boats, we enjoy yummy French toast. Harriet re-names the toilet
the "time alone place", a slightly nicer name. We load the
boats, enjoy a nice, cool morning dip, and after a mini paddling session,
we're off to the great beyond! A few hours later we realize oops! We
forgot not one but BOTH cows (water bags) at the site! Good thing we
have the solar shower! We spend some time playing two truths and a lie,
and learn a bit about each other from all that talking the night before.
We shoot our first set of rapids, and we all survive! Harriet, Frank
and Antoine celebrate their first time ever in rapids, congratulations!
Our first portage around a short set of falls, after a bit of canoe
traffic, and we find someone else's left behind lunch. We enjoy a lunch
of cheese sammies, Ted reveals a liking to Dijon, and Madeleine's appetite
proves itself to be rather large! Leslie on the other hand is a slightly
more finicky eater. The boats that went ahead had a quick dip before
the next rapids, which surprised Jess and Frank with a pop-up ledge.
Luckily we're all star paddlers, and everyone makes it through with
flair. Set up camp on a nice site on a hill, full of blueberries and
black flies, and enjoy a big group swim. Hanging out around Timo's primo
fire playing a giant game of janitor while Timo and Aaron prepare Timo's
special chilli chilli bang-bang. Some great magic tricks, and Timone
turns out to be the love of Jess's life. Cards in the tents, Emilie
plays three sixes, and the boys 'spy' on the girls.
Day 3
Very rainy morning. So rainy that the fire is impossible to start! The
oatmeal takes a long time on the stove, and while 3 people guard the
food, the rest of us portage the gear around a large set of rapids.
Finally some yummy, warm in the tummy oaters. We set off at a slow and
steady paddle, and a song competition is scheduled for the evening.
Apparently Hugo, Ted, Emilie and Madeleine have a wee bit of trouble
paddling and singing at the same time! Not to mention Hugo and his incessant
butt scratching. The lake is so calm, it's like looking into a perfectly
reflective mirror…slightly eerie on such a large lake. We finally
reach the site, and set up our soaking wet tents to dry. Group swim,
and Timo meets the family of 1 million leeches. Yummy soup is prepared
with the aid of expert chef Frank, and an intense riddle session and
German lessons take place. Antoine spends some time drawing in the tent,
and passes out early: "is that a chainsaw in the distance?"
Aaron cooks up a pot of his specialty mac and cheese, much to the delight
of all of us. The boys get a special invite into the girls tent for
a massive game of cards, and then of to bed amidst rain rain and some
more rain.
Day 4
We woke up to, yup, you guessed it, more rain! Apparently some of the
campers are very early risers (did the guides forget about us?). Yummy
cream of wheat for breakfast, and everyone likes it. We set of with
a nice tailwind down to lake Dumoine. We attempt a sailing session,
however amidst a battle of sail versus paddles, the winds die down a
bit as soon as the sail is up. Emilie almost falls in three times while
on paddle duty! Push to the good site, which is gorgeous, and half of
us set up while the others go out on an intense wood mission (which
was very successful!). Frank and Antoine take on the serious job of
sawing and getting the fire started, and their success is enjoyed by
all. Tasty, very garlicky, hummus is prepared for lunch. Group swim,
Leslie is a bit too cold to go in today, and Madeleine discovers the
mermaid within. Hot chocolate is enjoyed by all around the toasty fire
in the late afternoon. Timo heads out to fish, but no luck today. A
delicious sticky marshmallowy surprise after supper, with chocolate
as well for the non-mallow eaters, and everyone gets wired and runs
around. We have an intense french session for Frank, and learn lots
about motorcross. The moon is full and bright, and the sky is clear,
resulting in a gorgeous night to sit by the water and chat. Eventually
when the sugar highs ware off we all crawl into the tents for a good
nights sleep.
Day 5
Wake up to a slightly grey morning, and Jess gives the infamous, what
do I do if the boat goes over talk (the bilingual version). We set off,
and hit a few rapids. A small portage in the morning, and we snail our
way through a few lakes. We find a nice site at the very top of Lac
Laforge, and Jess and Timo make friends with a nice lady up the lake.
The site is primo, with a beach and a forest! Lots of spare time, so
of course we swim a bit. Frank and Antoine widdle away at some wood,
and Frank takes a long, deep nap. Aaron the chef cooks us up yet another
yummy dinner, which we eat in the dark before crawling into our tents
for a nice, long nights sleep.
Day 6
HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMILIE!! Hula necklaces and happy birthday song to Emilie.
Fantabulous scrambled muffins for breakfast, followed by a vigorous
game of charades on the beach (cow orgasm-Madeleine, mermaid birth-Hugo).
Many planes fly overhead, and we enjoy a wonderful swim in the middle
of a huge lake under a clear blue sky, and a hot hot sun! We witness
first hand the take-off of a floatplane, and it drops something, which
we cannot find…a mystery that will last forever. We're loving our
first hot and sunny day! Arrive at a beautiful site, where the longest
wood mission ever takes place. Group swim to end a sunny day, and Timone
and Antoine try their hands at fishing...again to no avail. After a
scrumptious dinner of couscous extraordinaire, surprise scrambled brownies,
complete with candles, for the birthday girl with a song and a card
courtesy of the group. Once the chocolate wears off, we hit the sack.
Day 7
Breakfast is some unsweet oatmeal…not! Enjoyed by all. We head
off down the river, and the largest swirlie whirlpools in the world
tip Emilie and Harriet's boat, but the girls prove themselves after
by smoothly gliding down the rapids, which were well done by all! We
power through the long long portage, 1.5 km, and swim at the bottom
of the falls in the crazy current, fun times! A well deserved good time
after such an efficient and awesome portage…kudos to Frank and
Harriet, portaging extraordinaires! Run into a few more canoeists, and
show them how its done on bridge rapids…..wow was there ever a
lot of water! Pumbaa takes on water, and Hugo and Jess swamp, with smiles!
Paddle a wee bit and camp at Little Italy, a slightly overcrowded area.
Aaron outdoes himself again with phenomenal rose pasta, and off to bed.
Day 8
Wake up to a granola breakfast and the sad news that Hugo is leaving.
Jess and Aaron try to flag down a plane, and eventually we all end up
making necklaces and bracelets, sipping tea and hot chocolate, while
Hugo plays hair stylist with all the ladies hair, aren't we all pretty!
Eventually a plane lands, and it turns out that Jess and Hugo are flying
out together. After Hugo's final cow orgasm, we say our 'see ya laters',
and Jess and Hugo take off into the sky. Leslie, Antoine and Ted attempt
a wild turkey chase, and the afternoon is full of napping. Kat arrives
from the sky, excited from her plane ride, and shares with everyone
some scrumptious chocolate mints. Everyone shares comments, and enjoy
huge quesadillas.
Day 9
Oatmeal breakie in preparation for the day of rapids. Full, solid day
of lining, portaging and most of all shooting rapids! Madeleine and
Frank go down rapids backwards and flip, and Timo saves the canoe. Leslie
and Kat flip at the bottom of Thread the Needle due to a close encounter
with a boulder. Find a broken stripped canoe, and a large snake above
snake rapids. Perfect camp set-up, and a goodnights sleep.
Day 10
Sleep-in, get ready quickly and eat some granola. Start the day with
some rapids, and Aaron mixes up the days. Beautiful scenery, cliffs
and hills. At Big Steel, portage, a boat flips, Aaron and Em pass gear
pick-up, boat overload, Kat and Leslie get the loose canoe. Mandatory
swim, rash wash. Timo catches big bass fish with a piece of corn, and
the big bass meets his fate with a large rock (Madeleine was not pleased).
Continue on our merry way, and drop off the garbage, hurray! Hot hot
day, and not quite enough water drinking. Arrive at camp, and after
a quick set-up (we're pros now), the fish is prepared while we relax
and bead some jewellery. Eat a yummy Alfredo pasta dinner with the fish,
and Brownies!! Late night journal writing, and off to bed.
Day 11
Excellent morning, unbelievably fast. Perfect portage, and although
it is 1.5 km again, it seems like a piece of cake on the nice groomed
trail. Lots of water is drank, and 2 nutris enjoyed by all. Wonderful
swim, fun big rock in the river. Gorp as pre-lunch snack (yum yum) followed
by yummy hearty soup. Lunch campsite has many empty cabins, "lease
land". Small rapids and swifts after lunch, and we see swimming
chipmunks??!!?? Paddle, race to Kat - Mado and Antoine are the winners.
Crazy rapids, lots of lining. Kat and Emilie have an adventure in shallow
water with a pillow rock. Magnificent rescue of brute strength. #12
is the born again swift, and Leslie introduces us to Prince Ali. Arrive
at nice campsite late, original plan destroyed by crazy people who don't
know river language staying at our campsite. They took pictures of Kat
and Emilie stuck in the rapids! Lazy perogies for dinner.
Day 12
Wake up below Red Pine Rapids. Everyone passes in Examination Rapids
with flying colours. Swam under falls and ate lunch at the falls. Paddled
some more, and saw Bald Eagle Cliff. Portaged falls, and swam. At campsite
Harriet lost clothes in current. Catapult contest with Ted and Paddle.
Antoine wants a girl he understands, so the group decides to help;
The 10 Commandments for a Guy to Please a Woman
1. Compliment frequently
2. Never point out a girls faults
3. Do nice things for no reason
4. Don't flirt with any other girl aside from your girlfriend
5. Never ditch your girlfriend to hang out with the guys
6. Never compete with girlfriend
7. Never say "are you PMSing?"
8. Always listen to conversations and compliment later on
9. Try to prevent her from doing something you don't like - negative
before incident, positive or silent after
10. Always apologize when wrong - ALWAYS!!
Ate a hummungo feast of FOUR courses: Mac and cheese, couscous, rice
pudding, brownies. Girls go for a late night skinny dip. Everyone finally
goes to be tired, and late from the brownie sugar high. Talk talk talk,
just like day 1.
Day 13 - Pick-up
Very early wake-up to an authentic Voyaguer wake-up. Girls get ready
quickly, the boys are slow. Eat scrumptious pancakes with chocolate
chips. At the pick-up Hugo and Jess are there to surprise everyone,
my how clean they look! Off to river-boarding and a scrumptious lunch.
We meet Hugo and Emilie's brothers, the entire Tardif clan is reunited.
Finally the time for goodbyes, and everyone loads into their respective
vans. Thanks to everyone for an amazing trip, we had our ups and downs,
but we stuck through it all excellent work and hopefully we'll reunite
someday on the river once again!
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