Paddlefoot Trip Log: Explorers
July 10th – August 6th, 2004
Rupert River, Quebec from Lac Mesgouez to Waskaganish
Guides: Fran Bristow Trippers: Ali Stanley
Myles Clinton Carmen Kuntz
Race D’Atry Haley Kuntz
Jessica McCanna
Lauriane King
Rob Wight
Shawn Cameron
Put in: Route du Nord, km 221 onto Lac Mesgouez
Take out: Waskaganish
Total Distance: 370km
Number of rapids we paddled: 30
Number of rapids we lined or carried over: 3
Number of portages: 18 (total distance portaged: 17km)
July 10th, Day 1
From put in to 100m away from road
Distance: 100m
Shawn ‘The Yellow Dart’ Cameron writes:
Day one on the Rupert and Fran has insisted that I be the first to write in this journal. We have been canoeing for almost 100 metres and everyone is exhausted. Its 7:30 and we are all fading slowly. We broke the van driving here and depainted the trailer to its original grey.
Laurianne writes:
“Something to do is something to lose.” by Laurianne King. In the morning we had breakfast. It was cereal and raisons. After breakfast we went down to the lake, We talked, relaxed and played cards. Its was fun and relaxing at the same time. After our relaxing time at the lake Robb and Bri finally came to pick us up. The van they were in was in worse condition then it was yesterday. One of the back windows was broken and so it took them 10 minutes to fix it up. Then we were on our way to our put.
July 11th, Day 2
From 100m from road to flooded beach bay on Lac Mesgouez
Distance: 14.5km
Shawn ‘Vern’ Cameron writes:
We paddled much further then we did yesterday. Horray. The water is extremely high and our beach campsite was nearly completely submerged. We paddled past a very small island with 24 trees (I counted) and we hear by claim it as Frob Gunther. Frob Gunther Frob Gunther Frob Gunther Frob Gunther Frob Gunther Frob Gunther Frob Gunther.
Jessica writes:
Today we paddled 10 km to a water logged island covered sand, but not a lot of bugs. I saw this cool tree on the side of a huge cliff. It was pretty cool.
Lauriane writes:
In the morning when everyone was getting up we packed up and put most of everything in the canoes. For breakfast Myles made us french toast with syrup and while having breakfast we talked and asked each other riddles. After we finished breakfast we cleaned up and packed everything and went on our way.
Fran writes:
Impressive day! Unbelievable weather; beautiful sun and reassuring tail winds. The group paddled 14 km from our put in to a flooded beach in a bay on Lac Mesgouez. We took many breaks, took in the scenery, strummed the guitar and enjoyed the rays. Came in contact with the first sign of fire damage today.
July 12th, Day 3
Flooded beach bay to camp on slope of Lac Mesgouez (backwards!)
Distance: 10.5km
Lauriane writes:
The weather was okay but it should have been better. It was cloudy and a bit rainy. We met a guy who talked about how he made his own kayak and that he is also going down the Rupert. It was so cool! He was soloing down the Rupert River in his homemade kayak. I thought it was awesome and so did everyone else.
Haley writes:
Today we set up camp up a hill from the water. The view from the site made the hike worthwhile. The campsite (that we made, and wasn’t a campsite before) was covered with moss and four-leaved white flowers and reminded me of an alpine meadow from one of Jack Kerouac’s books. We had planned to hike up another hill but decided against it after seeing the dense forest and uneven ground.
Shawn ‘smells like soot’ Cameron writes:
What’s this: = ? A dead one of these: + !!!! (Good one Shawner but a real ‘had to be there’ type of joke)
July 13th, Day 4
Slope on Lac Mesgouez to camp at portage around C4 ledge
Distance: 16km
Haley writes:
Muffin breakfast! Which we ate in the boats – everyone was so hungry after hauling things down the hill. Quick paddle to our old beach bay campsite. Watched the rain come in off the water – HUGE DOWNPOUR. We hid under the tarp and ate wraps with veggies and cheese. Played games: ‘shake your knees really fast’ dance, ‘pass the rooster’, ‘knees slappy bang bang’ (as named by Shawn) and ‘make Shawn feel stupid’ otherwise known as ‘make a water bottle, garbage and a knife look like people’.
Shawn ‘The Surly Snail’ Cameron writes:
The sound of cheers and hoorays added to the sound of buckle clasping we entered the Rupert River. Not 100 meters later was our first rapid. Everyone was excited to be shooting the first whitewater of the trip. Soon after we were required to portage to our campsite, wherein I found discarded cans that appeared to be from the early 1600s…I think. I have lockjaw.
Haley ‘Puffy’ Kuntz writes:
The campsite itself was on land burnt by the forest fires but the view across the river was awesome.
July 14th, Day 5
From portage trail to camp at the end of the C4
Distance: 3km
Jessica writes:
Today we had jam, honey, mustard, cheese and pita for lunch…not too shabby. I don’t remember the morning but we lined a big rapid and by ‘we’ I mean all of the guides..(shifty eyes). We set up camp early and got the tents and tarps up just in time for the rain. Under our tent ended up being a gynormous puddle so we had to move our tents. I sacrificed my sweater to help dry the tent…bad plan.
July 15th, Day 6
From the end of C4 to camp on the helicopter landing pad
Distance: 13.5km
Lauriane writes:
That day will always be in my head. It was the day that Rob and I first tipped the boat. We were the first two people on trip to tip the boat. It all started when Myles was trying to get Rob’s attention. I saw what Myles wanted us to do but rob didn’t. When we got a little closer to where he was he started to yell at us but we couldn’t hear what he was saying. Then we saw a big wave on the right so we paddled left. Then we saw a bigger wave on the left and we were doomed. We paddled as hard as we could to go forward on to the bigger wave but it was no use. The wave sucked us in. We went sideways then went backwards. All the time we were surfing the wave it was awesome and scary for me. When went backwards Rob was on the top of the wave and I was sinking down in the bottom.
July 16th, Day 7
Duff Day
Shawn writes:
We all packed our stuff. I discovered a new way of packing which took much longer and was much harder but looked nice after which I discovered we were having a rest day.
Jess writes:
After I unpacked all of my stuff we roamed around watching the helicopters (we stole their landing area…whoops). Then we had pancakes for breakfast and Fran, Shawn, Haley, Carmen and I climbed up the cliff behind us and took pictures of the view.
Haley writes:
Then Shawn, Carmen, and Haley went swimming as Fran got medical attention from the good trip doctor, Race.
Shawn writes:
It was on our climb down that Fran received her devastating wound. I swerved to the right climbing over trees trying to find a trail but Fran and the rest went forward and she tripped and impaled her arm on a stick. Fortunately it will all be documented in a play by play photo diary curtsy of your humble narrator, Shawn CI.
July 17th, Day 8
From helicopter site to camp after the Gorge
Distance: 7km (portage: 1km, carryover: 15m)
Lauriane writes:
When Shawn and I became partners for the day I knew it would be a crazy day. It started nice and mellow. A few little rapids but going towards the end of the day we had to go down this rapid and eddy out quickly before the big waves. We were fourth in the ducky order. We thought we had it pretty straight but we ended up missing the eddy. We basically ended up going down the whole rapid backwards. Shawn was terrified while I was having fun and enjoying the ride. Right behind us was Myles to the rescue. As soon as Shawn and I could see land we quickly pulled out into the eddy. Shawn was so terrified that he jumped into the water to cool himself off. Race and Fran came to see if we were OK. That day was the best because we got to go down a rapid backwards. That was mine and Shawn’s crazy day.
July 18th, Day 9
Site after the Gorge to camp at the end of 450 m portage
Distance: 8.3km (2 portages: 200m and 450m).
Carmen writes:
TODAY WE WOKE UP TO THE STEADY ROAR OF THE INFAMOUS “BACKWARD” RAPID AND PACKED UP FOR ANOTHER DAY ON THE WATER. WE PADDLED ALL MORNING TO EVENTUALLY STOP ON A LARGE ROCK FOR LUNCH. A LUNCH OF OUR FAVOURITE FISH…TUNA!!! IT HAD BECOME A DREADED WORD BUT I THINK THAT THE GUIDES WOULD SAVE IT FOR THE DAYS WHEN WE WERE MOST HUNGRY SO WE WOULDN’T COMPLAIN ABOUT IT (NOT THAT WE EVER COMPLAIN ABOUT ANYTHING AT ALL ha ha) WE THEN PADDLED ON EVENTUALLY COMING TO A PARTICULARLY SKETCHY PORTAGE TAKE OUT WHERE MYLES, FRAN AND RACE HAD TO CATCH OUR CANOES AS WE PADDLED THROUGH A SMALL CHANNEL OF SWIFTS THAT LED INTO A HUMONGO RAPID. SO WE ALL LOADED UP WITH STUFF AND HEADED OFF DOWN THE PORTAGE. ON EVERYBODY’S 2ND LOAD WE NOTICED THE SUN WAS GETTING VERY LOW. JESS AND I HAD GONE BACK FOR ANOTHER FINAL LOAD AND AS WE CAME OUT OF THE THICK BUSH WE NOTICED TO OUR DELIGHT (That’s right, Delight) THAT THERE WERE TENTS BEING SET UP. SO THAT’S WHERE WE CAMPED. IT WAS OVER LOOKING PART OF THE RAPID AND ALL THE SWIFTS AFTER IT. WE ALL ENJOYED THE BEAUTIFUL SUNSET AS WE GOBBLED DOWN OUR DELISH COUSCOUS. THEN TO SUM UP A FUN FILLED DAY THE HOTCHOC WAS PASSED AROUND AND THE TEN TIRED BUT HAPPY CAMPERS HEADED TO BED. OH YEA…WE ALSO DID A 200M PORTAGE IN THERE SOMEWHERE THAT I FORGOT ABOUT! (OOPS, SORRY)
July 19th, Day 10
Site at the end of the portage trail to camp on rocky slope between hydro lines
Distance: 28km
Fran writes:
This day never quite made it into our group trip log, but I will do my best to fill in the blanks. In the morning we went for a stroll to the edge of the river to admire the splendour of the rapid we portaged the day before. With the sun high in the sky we scrambled into our canoes and started out on our way.
Around midday we came upon a C3 that we ran on river left. It was a neat run, we started heading left a cut hard to hit an eddie behind a big rock. We all climbed up on that rock for lunch. After lunch we continued on downstream. We ran into a few swifts and a C2 before the river widened. We fought strong headwinds throughout the afternoon but passed underneath the hydro lines and new our campsite was near. The hydro lines made freaky crackling noises. Finally, we made it to our campsite just before some light rain began to fall. There we found some pre-cut firewood waiting for us. We put it to use to make some soupy lazy pirogues and enjoyed our diner under our blue tarp with a great view of the river.
July 20th, Day 11
Site between hydro lines to camp at the beachy sand dunes
Distance: 21km
Haley writes:
Today we had Harvest Crunch for breakfast (my favourite breakfast) and set out. The guides surprised us with brownies for snack that had got up early to make. Thanks. That was a great surprise. We stopped at an island that appeared to be all moss. We played games in the sand and had soup and more harvest crunch for lunch. Not too long after lunch we came to an island of sand dunes. Fran announced it as our home for the night and everyone got out of the boats and ran around in the soft, hot sand. Sand tobogganing was even attempted. Shawn, Carm and I made Alfred pasta with the help of Fran. Mmmmmm! The four of us plan to sleep under the stars tonight.
July 21st, Day 12
Beachy sand dunes to rock outcropping above a C2
Distance: 25.5
Haley writes:
This morning as I was packing up my thermarest and sleeping bag from sleeping outside I spotted 6 canoes coming around the point. It turned out to be a boys camp from New York. They gawked at us, chatted with us and boasted about killing and eating a goose. They had two dogs and trip with them one whose name was Rupert. I liked the dog who was a husky. Beautiful dog. This group planned to get to Waskaganish in a week or something like that. Sleeping under the stars was amazing with the stars and the really open view. I was a bit cold for the first time this trip.
July 22nd, Day 13
Rock outcropping to our makeshift campsite
Distance: 13.5
Carmen writes:
OUR MORNING ON DAY 13 HAD AN EXCITING START EVEN THOUGH THE WEATHER WAS NOT COMPLETELY COOPERATIVE. AFTER CHOWING DOWN ON RACE’S DE-LISH BANNOCK WE HEADED OUT ALMOST DIRECTLY INTO OUR FIRST RAPID OF THE DAY. THIS C2 PROVIDED US WITH SOME CHALLENGING WAVES AND INTERESTING BOIL LINES. JESS AND RACE ENDED UP DUMPING AND AFTER GATHERING UP ALL JESS’S RANDOM FROO-FROO AND THE BARRELS WE HEADED OUT AGAIN INTO SOME STRONG HEADWINDS. LUCKILY THE ONLY CASUALTIES WERE RACE’S TOWEL AND SPONGE. PETE WAS UNFORTUNATELY SAVED. WE TRUCKED THROUGH A 800M PORTAGE AND WERE REWARDED WITH A BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF THE FALLS AND SOME HARVEST CRUNCH. AFTER PADDLING AROUND THE CORNER OF THE SWIFTS AT THE END OF THE RAPID WE WERE SURPRISED BY SOME INSANELY STRONG HEADWINDS WHICH FORCED US TO PULL OUT ON RIVER RIGHT FOR A LUNCH OF SOUP. I DON’T BELIEVE SOUP HAS EVER TASTED SO GOOD. WE WERE ALL SOAKING WET AND FREEZING COLD BUT BY THE END OF LUNCH AND AFTER LISTENING TO MYLES TO PLAY THE GUITAR WE WERE ON OUR WAY AGAIN. THE WIND CONTINUED TO FIGHT US BUT WE PREVAILED AND JUST AS WE WERE THINKING THERE WAS NO HOPE OF FINDING CAMP RACE SPOTTED A SITE. WE UNLOADED THE BOATS AT ‘TURBO SPEED’ AND SET UP CAMP. DINNER THAT NIGHT WAS A MIX OF FRIED RICE AND BASICALLY ALL THE CANS THAT WE HAD LEFT. IT WAS SO GOOD. WE WERE WARM, DRY, FULL AND READY FOR BED JUST AS THE GUIDES PULLED OUT THE HOT CHOC AND MARSHMALLOWS! PERSONALLY I’M NOT A BIG MARSHMALLOW FAN BUT I FOUND MYSELF REALLY REALLY ENJOYING THE SUGARY TREATS. WHAT A WAY TO END A SUPER FUN AND LONG DAY!
July 23rd, Day 14
Makeshift campsite to Old Nemiscau
Distance: 25km
Haley writes:
Today we set out early to beat the winds. Right after starting to paddle we passed a small hunt camp with about 4 cabins and a bunch of wooden structures for drying hides and smoking fish. We stopped for a lunch of pitas and cheese on an island. Just before lunch Ali realized that he forgot his fishing rod at the last site. After lunch we paddled directly into the wind for a while. Then after rounding a point we were able to see metal roofs across the bay. Old Nemiscau. I was excited to see people from the town and excited to explore the town. It turned out that there was only one man at Old Nemiscau. His name was Willie and he looked after the town every summer. People from New Nemiscau come to the old town on weekends and for special celebrations. Kind of a cottage destination. Willie was good to us and had no problem with us camping on the beach. But that wasn’t the best he did for us. He also gave us a HUGE pike he’d caught that morning and couldn’t eat himself. We were ecstatic! Race fried up the fish and we ate it with tri-coloured pasta. What a feast and what a nice gesture from Willie. Alfredo sauce on the pasta and fish. Yum!!!!
July 24th, Day 15
Food drop day
Rob writes:
Today was the day where we (myself, Ali, Race and Haley) went to retrieve Ali’s fishing rod. A friendly couple named John and Liza took the four of us to collect Ali’s fishing rod. We left in a large motor boat. What took us around 8 hours in the canoes we did in about 30 minutes. When we arrive at yesterdays campsite Ali hopped out and found his fishing rod. Man, you should have seen the smile on his face. From there we went to a research station where we had lunch at two days ago. John then led us down a faded Cree tail hidden behind the hut. This led to an 800m portage that we did a couple of days ago. We fished at the put in. Everyone except Liza got a fish but she did catch a fishing line that I got snagged and broke earlier. When we got back to camp Liza showed us how to clear the fish. She fried it up and we had some with our dinner.
July 25th, Day 16
From Old Nemiscau to rock point after “the link”
Distance: 30km
Fran, writes
Said our goodbyes to Liza, John and Willie. Mouldy french toast for breakfast – you could taste the mould through the french toast, marg and syrup. We headed away from our campsite with a tailwind for the first time in 16 days!! Surprisingly enough the wind blew us too far and we had to turn around and paddle back into the wind to find the start of the “the link”. This is an area of river that joins it with Lac Nemiscau but cuts out some knarly portages. Near the beginning of “the link” Myles remembered Liza’s story of markings on a rock face. On river left we were able to see faint remnants of markings in a language that even the Cree today can not understand.
From there we paddled down a small C1/swift. Nothing our pro paddlers could not handle. After that, and as the rain started to fall, we kept our eyes out for a portage trail around a knarly drop in the river. After some hesitation we managed to find the start of the portage. We stopped there under a tarped tepee to eat our sammies and hide from the rain. At lunch Shawn discovered a white ball and decided to pry it open. He was a bit shocked to find a spider crawl out of it.
After lunch we completed the 600m portage at record speed, despite an extended pool of mud. The trail was fantastic.
From there we paddled a quick C1 followed by a C2 which we paddled down river left. We rounded the bend and were back on the Rupert! We paddled approx. 2 km of swift current and found a pleasant campsite on top of a rocky point. The weather was wet and cold and the sun was going down. We all put up camp and settled down for a bowl of hot chilli followed by a desert complements of Shawn. We all went to sleep dreaming of warmer weather and clearer skies.
July 26th, Day 17
From rock point to camp on rock cliff with the snake
Distance: 22km
Haley writes:
We packed up camp and had oatmeal with raisins. We got to pick paddling partners today. Race and Fran ended up together but were good and stayed with the group. We each got the map for part of the day so we each tested our navigational abilities. We had a floating lunch of tuna (the last tuna lunch thank goodness!!) Not long after lunch we got to our campsite. We found out soon after arriving that a snake was sharing our home with us. We stayed out of its way but saw it a few times while staying there.
The view from the campsite was super and we enjoyed an awesome sunset. I liked that I couldn’t see any power lines from the campsite. Spaghetti was for dinner and we went to bed well fed and in good spirits.
July 27th, Day 18
From rock cliff to campsite by Oatmeal Rapids and the James Bay Road
Distance: 18.5km
Lauriane writes:
In the morning we had cream of wheat with peaches. Everyone liked it, I just sort of tolerated it. I was partnered with Ali for the day.
Myles writes:
Short paddle today. It was a sunny day with minimal headwinds. Our first sign of whitewater was a small C1 about half a km above Oatmeal rapids. We ran this in river right. The take out for the Oatmeal Rapid portage was a few hundred meters down a small water way on river right. The portage was muddy and it took us over an hour to get to our campsite at the picnic area (across the highway bridge on river left). There were numerous graffiti markings on the bridge pillars and on the road protesting the destruction of the river by the hydroelectric damn being established by Hydro Quebec. We swam after finishing the portage at the put in which required us to walk through a Hydro Quebec work camp. We had a fabulous meal of Dal that night in the shadow of the humbling Oatmeal Rapid. We had numerous contacts with Cree Hydro Quebec workers from Waskaganish and travelers one of which was doing a two month RV road trip to Anchorage, Alaska. We had great weather for sleeping and lots of white noise from the rapid with the occasional motorcycle revving in the parking lot (sigh…I was glad to get away from that)
July 28th, Day 19
From site at Oatmeal Rapids to 2nd portage on The Fours
Distance: 26km
Shawn ‘Fantastic Frisbee Fishbelly’ Cameron writes:
We left Oatmeal Rapid today I can’t remember what it was but I am sure breakfast was good. So we left Oatmeal Rapid and after 19 days they look delicious. As I recall the day broadened upon us leaving our hands sweaty and dirty (mine look dead) as approached our first rapids. We doodled and portaged, blah, blah. This is where the kayaker fell. Rob found his paddle. It was a black paddle stashed in dark water. I don’t know how he spotted it but it left everyone with a slowly fading hope of finding his camera. Now with an extra paddle and goose we did our first 2km portage. I’m tired…..tent….
July 29th, Day 20
From portage trail to the end of the 2km portage on The Fours
Distance: 4.3km
Carmen writes:
COME AND GET! COME ON…COME AND GET THE HOT CHOC…COME ON….BLAGHAAAAA!” THAT IS HOW I WAS WOKEN UP THIS MORNING. RACE TRIED TO LURE US OUT WITH HOT CHOC AND EVENTUALLY ENDED UP JUST JUMPING INTO THE TENT AND ATTACKING US. SO..AFTER OUT WELL ADVERTISED HOT CHOC AND HARVEST CRUNCH WE PORTAGED DOWN THE ….PORTAGE TRAIL AND PUT IT, READY FOR A FULL DAY. AFTER A VERY BRIEF PADDLE WE HOPPED OUT TO DO A 2KM PORTAGE. EVERYONE WORKED SUPER HARD AND TRUCKED RIGHT THROUGH TO THE END WHERE OUR CAMPSITE WAS WAITING. THE SKY LOOKING…POSSIBLY RAINY…SO WE QUICKLY SET UP TENTS AND TARPS AND GOT A FIRE GOING 4 LUNCH. AFTER LUNCH RACE DISCOVERED A ROCK UNDER THE WATER IN THE CURRENT THAT ALI NAMED THE ‘SUPERMAN’ ROCK. WE ALL TOOK TURNS PLUNGING INTO THE FRIGID WATER TO HOLD ONTO THIS ROCK WHILE THE CURRENT PULLED AND PUSHED YOU. NOW ‘CLEAN’ (ALWAYS A RELATIVE TERM) FRAN AND LA STARTED DINNER (QUESADILLAS). SOME OF US HEADED TO THE TENTS TO PLAY CARDS AND RACE AND MYLES STARTED A SEWING CIRCLE. BY THE TIME DINNER WAS READY RACE HAD FIXED THE VELCRO (That’s right, VELCRO!) BARREL STRAP AND MYLES HAD FIXED HIS SHORTS. AFTER OUR FIRST COURSE OF DINNER (WHICH BY THE WAY WAS SUPERB!) ALI AND ROB TOOK OVER FOR OUR SECOND COURSE OF MUSHROOM SOUP AND TOASTED TORTILLAS. JUST AFTER THE SUN WENT DOWN THE BUGS CAME OUT WITH FORCE. EVERYONE WAS FULL AND TIRED SO WE HEADED FOR OUR SLEEPING BAGS.
July 30th, Day 21
From the portage trail to camp at the end of the 3km portage
Distance: 15km
Shawn writes:
Urination has become somewhat of a hassle lately. Yesterday it was the spider incident about which I refuse to go into detail. I woke up with a slight irritation in my bladder so of course I put my shoes on a searched out a tree behind the tent. Just as my zipper began to lower I noticed there was porcupine not more than four feet in front of me. The put in was a little sketchy (sketchy say like a little chip stand, very hard to find perhaps). Today was a very short day with not too much paddling involved. Small swift to larger rapid, very short – 70m portage. Little paddling again. Swift water for one km and paddled another 7km. Phew! Got the technical stuff out of the way. We only had two more portages to go. A 200 meter then a 2km. Fortunately, the water levels were so high that we combined the two portages to make a 3km portage next to 3km or rapid. Tents set up…tarp on tepee….saw a mouse….good day.
July 31st, Day 22
From end of portage trail to camp at the end of the 450m portage
Distance: 17.2km
Lauriane writes:
In the morning the guides actually let us have control of everything that they would have control over. Then onward we went to paddle. Shawn and Carmen were in control because they had the map. There was 4km that was apparently not on the map so they got confused for awhile. For lunch we had our last portion of GORP. Some people had couscous. I found the couscous good. After lunch we continued paddling in the rain. We had trouble finding the portage. The portage was only 450m which wasn’t that long.
When we finally found the portage I actually carried a barrel and fell twice but made it in one piece. After the portage we set up everything pretty fast and made dinner for the guides. For dinner we had spaghetti which was very good. We had an early night because we were tired.
August 1st, Day 23
From the end of the portage trail to the beginning of another one…
Distance: 17km
Haley writes:
Myles, did you leave this here when you came here a few days ago (bottle of Head and Shoulders body wash)? The joke of the day on Myles. What a good sport he was about the teasing.
Muffins with added granola was for breakfast. The granola added substance and texture. Mmmmm…..Icing was put on top of the muffins.
Then we left the campsite and paddled beside shores of clay and low cliffs. Race and Ali found a canoe, a stove and an empty poutine cheese bucket. We paddled down a small channel with 6 baby loons diving and following behind us.
Once at the campsite we had cream of broccoli soup in the company of many, many bugs. Some of u played cards in the tents and others made hemp.
August 2nd, Day 24
Beginning of portage to Smokey Hills campsite
Distance: 7.7km
Fran writes:
Started the day with a 300m portage! Quick and impressive. Awesome rapid day. Eddie hopping, skill testing ferry action. Big waves – swamped Rob and me.
We pulled up to the back to back Smokey Hills portages. Buggy! Stinky swamp.
We had snacks before the second run of the first portage. Carmen fell in up to her waste a couple of times (Bog of eternal stench). Some casualties: Race’s river knife and Jessica’s water bottle. They were assumed to be consumed by the Bog of eternal stench.
We paddle quickly across the bay. The bugs were the worst they’d ever been! As we paddle the 50m across to the second portage the thunder started sounding in the distance. We started the second portage in the rain. At the end of the first run we put up the tarp and started making lunch – Hearty soup! While it was cooking Ali and Rob went back for a second run as did Jessica and Shawn, who reappeared with a pack and barrel each! Carmen, Haley and I all grabbed a second load before lunch. Haley and Carmen were froo masters – fully loaded down with excessive froo.
We enjoyed a yummy lunch while swatting the bugs. We gawked at the bear trap that was hanging by our kitchen. Huge and Scary!
After lunch the weather cleared up and we set up our tents and most people crawled into them to escape the bugs or to sleep. Haley and Race stayed awake to make us a delicious dinner of Alfred. We chilled by the fire after dinner, listening to the guitar before climbing into our tents to rest our heads.
August 3rd, Day 25
Duff Day
Race writes:
Rob and Jess were up at the crack of dawn and were soon building a fire. Ali and Rob soon after proceeded to make a very yummy breakfast of pancakes. Soon after our somewhat late breakfast we began to talk about a sweat lodge. The mission to collect enough fire wood for a bon fire to heat our rocks was soon accomplished. There was even enough time for a game of frisbee.
The fire was started and we slowly added the rocks until all 22 were in the fire. Meanwhile LA was working hard in the kitchen cooking up some soup for lunch. Lunch was a fantastic mix of cream of broc and fussili.
With our tummies full we entered the sweat lodge which we had made out of a tent fly and tent poles from the girls tent. We pined down the edge with extra stones and used a small ‘zip up vent’ in the front as the door. Everyone squirmed in and we began our first of three rounds.
We ended each round with a brief but fantastic swim in the river. Just before the third round some Cree men showed up to survey the site for work that needed to be done for a fishing day that would be held there a couple of days later.
Also, a group showed up from the Missinabi Headwaters (an adult group). It was quite a awkward situation. We had just come out from out little sweat lodge dripping with sweat and standing around in our bathing suits when they showed up.
We stoked the fire to heat the rocks for a third round. Shawn, Carmen and myself were the only three this time. Some others worked on dinner. Ali, Myles and Rob went fishing.
Ali writes:
Rob, Myles and I went fishing shortly after a few Cree me from Waskaganish told me about the fishing spot at the end of the portage trail in a little bay. We caught one Walleye and a tree fish. When we got back I learned how to fillet fish and a man from the other group offered me some fish batter. I fried the fish up in the batter and everyone got a little taste even the man that gave me the batter. They were tasty but pretty small pieces.
August 4th, Day 26
From Smokey Hills to Waskaganish
Distance: 24km
Race writes:
Up early we were attempting to hit the water early. It was our last day but it still consisted of 24km and one major boulder garden of a rapid. We had muffin and cake for breakfast and were craving more. The air was cold and the wind was blowing the heavy morning mist against us. We started the day’s paddle by pulling into the current just below the rapid at Smokey Hill. The wind was against us but the current was strong.
Jessica had found an old aluminums external backpack frame and attempted to make it hold the shoe bag so that no one would ever have to carry it again by hand. However, it was the last day and we decided to leave it behind. Soon after we left we came by the house of Dave the pilot who did our food drop. We wasn’t home so we continued on.
Myles writes:
From there we travelled quickly with consisted current to the top of the last rapid. With a bit of consideration we decided on a line and ran the last set down the middle. Shawn and I tipped on the last rock in the rapid (the last set on the last day…dang!) and paddled the last bit of flatwater to Waskaganish shivering all the while. Shawn was the first to set foot on the shore. Congratulations bra! We set up camp next to the hotel in a fenced in yard owned by the manager of the Northern store (grocery store). Everyone we me in Waskaganish was very friendly. We met up the Broadback trip shortly after setting up camp and together had a nice hot meal at ‘Wavies’, the restaurant in the hotel.
QUOTES:
“Can I put my chicken wing on your sister?” Robbie
“Chill out…Its all good.” Race
“Do I have mustard under my nose?” Carmen
“Why do I have sam on my leg?” Shawn
“Quack.” Fran
“That’s a good question.” Myles
“Whoa Daddy!” Myles
“Step into my eddy.” Fran
“Look at me. I’m an ugly bug and I want to go in the water!” Jessica
“What the heaven.” Ali
“Oh my goodness.” Ali
“ ‘His’ egg sack Race?…… ‘His’ egg sack?” Myles
Congratulations guys on a river well travelled, a trip well trekked and an experience well experienced. On behalf of Fran, Race and Myles, you were all an absolute pleasure to trip with. Hope to see you again soon.