Tuesday 12th August 2008
It's been a cruel finish to what has been an amazing trip! After paddling nearly 4,000kms (2,000kms for Alaine and Leonie), the weather dealt the final blow. Being only 70kms from the ocean, a one and a half days paddle, we checked the weather forecast for the days that we would be crossing the ocean. The report wasn't good, it was going to be extremely windy for the days of the crossing. When we left Inuvik two days earlier, the weather report was for near perfect conditions for the ocean crossing part of the trip, despite the weather over the previous few days being extremely cold and wet.
With this new weather information I had to make the toughest decision that I've had to make in years, to keep paddling into weather that we knew we couldn't paddle in or retreat back to Inuvik against the current with the knowledge that we hadn't got to our preferred finishing point of Tuktoyaktuk. With the past week's weather of being very cold and wet and two days of continuous rain and maximum temperatures of 5C, we were in a quandary as to what to do. Since crossing the Arctic Circle, the weather has been very cool except a couple of brief encounters with the sun.
With the wind coming from the North, it meant that we were always ploughing into it. So with the continuous rain, the intense cold weather and the wind waves that splashed over the bow of the canoe making it an extra cold/wet trip for Alaine. Despite her wearing several layers of clothing she was chilled more than Leonie and I. With Tony leaving us a Inuvik, it meant that Leonie was paddling her canoe by herself and in moderate wind conditions, we needed to tow her to keep the nose of the canoe in line. So this made it more imperative that we had calm conditions on the ocean to ensure that our crossing was safe. Leonie did an amazing job in paddling the canoe herself and should feel very proud of her determination and abilities.
As we stood in the rain on a beach 70kms from the ocean, the decision to turn back would affect us for a long time to come. I have completed four other very long rivers to the end and Alaine and Leonie were looking forward to completing the entire MacKenzie River, although we had paddled thousands of kms, we had a hollow feeling inside it wasn't about what we had achieved up until then. Our minds and hearts were focused on that last little bit and when we decided for safety sake to retreat, sadly we had forgotten what we had actually achieved.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Friday, August 8, 2008
August 2008
Friday 8th August Getting ready to paddle to Tuktoyaktuk
Alaine loading up the canoe in her new 'warm' jacket
Without Tony it meant that either Leonie or I had to paddle a canoe alone. Alaine was concerned about the ocean leg and preferred that I stayed in our canoe because of my experience and skills but she was also worried about Leonie paddling the canoe solo. Leonie however had no problem with going it alone, in fact she seemed to be excited about it.
Once Leonie's canoe was loaded she went for a test paddle, the nose of the canoe was lifting way out of the water so the weight had to be rearranged to make the bow of the canoe heavier to stop it from lifting. Once this was done, we set off at around 5.00pm. Just over a kilometre downstream we passed between barges at the Government wharf. Workmen was busy, they looked on as we passed. They must have wondered why we were paddling so late in the afternoon against strong winds, light rain and a sky that looked as if it was going to explode. Leonie’s canoe was being lifted and thrown about by the wind waves.
Setting up camp on the firm mud
It's hard to believe that we are already here at Inuvik. We arrived at approximately 7.15 p.m. on Thursday 7th (after a two days of hard paddling). We pulled into the harbor and were astounded to find that two other paddlers had arrived the same day.....a Japanese guy- he'd arrived three hours before us (we'd had word that he was on the river somewhere though never caught sight of him) and a French guy from Paris, (Alain is his name), who had arrived just one hour before us (we never knew he was on the river and we never caught sight of him and he got here only one hour before us.......just shows how big the river is).
Alaine has given me a name (actually several names!!) but the one I'm referring to on this occassion is 'Dead Eye Dick'........she reckons that I can spot anything kms away but obviously I didn't spot the paddler one hour in front.
We've been amazingly lucky with the paddling conditions (blue skies, calm winds, NO mozzies, NO flies, NO bears (but sure could see where they've been.........and I thought I had big feet). But since crossing the Arctic Circle about five days ago the weather and wind began to change and the temperatures began to drop.
Tony is leaving us at Inuvik and three of us are paddling onto to Tuktoyaktuk. This I've just brought to Alaine's attention, is actually going to be he hardest part of the paddle. Why.....there's no current once we reach the tidal areas, the cold, the cloud cover, the rain and the fact that we have to paddle in the ocean for 40kms and the locals are still warning us about the bears.
Thursday 7th August
The wolves were howling throughout the night, it was an amazing musical. The sense of truly being in the wilderness was magical.
The current had slowed considerably and although we only had 55 kms to reach Inuvik, it would take us all day. Within a few minutes of paddling we saw a black wolf sitting under a tree. It didn’t move until we got close, then it stood up and watched us. I’m sure it was wondering who the hell we were. We eventually moved off before it did. Some time later we saw another black wolf trotting along the shore on the other side of the river.
The day was cold and the wind made it even colder. When we stopped for lunch we nearly froze. Now that we were getting closer to Inuvik there were several cabins along the way, though very few were inhabited.
We arrived in Inuvik on a chilly evening and stopped at the town wharf. Another paddler, a French guy had arrived an hour before us. He had taken twice as long to get there. Also a Japanese paddler had arrived earlier that day. It seemed that every paddler on the river were now in Inuvik.
We unloaded our more expensive gear and walked into town in our canoeing clothes (what a sight) and found a hotel. We showered (such blissful luxury) and went out for a very enjoyable meal.
The river was calm, the weather was cold and I mean…..cold and the sky was dark and cloudy. We had our first break at the beginning of the Lower Ramparts, a stretch of cliffs just before Tsiigehtchic (Arctic Red River). Although impressive they were not as good as the Upper Ramparts that we had passed earlier. The cloudy weather didn’t enhance them either.
Rounding the cliff lined bend we saw life, a ferry was crossing the river a km or two away. Soon the church at Tsiigehtchic on the hill appeared and all the other houses of the community. We pulled ashore beside some local boats. Although the Dempster Highway is only 200 metres away it doesn’t reach the small town. The Arctic Red River is in the way. The ferry carries cars from the highway to the town and also across the Mackenzie River for those driving to Inuvik.
We stopped and walked into the community. There wasn’t a lot to see but the shop was open. The local children were chatty and warned us of wet weather ahead.
We bought more tortillas, which we have enjoyed with cheese spread and jam, but again they were mouldy. The tiny communities were not good for fresh foods. We had lunch next to the canoe with a local dog looking on. It was icy cold.
The sun shone a little when we left, and the Ramparts looked much more spectacular. The ferry was busy taking cars and trucks across the river.
Ahead the straight river faded into a haze. It soon became rough so we kept closer to shore. The Richardson Mountains were over to our left but they kept disappearing from view as the rain haze came and went.
We stopped early at 5.15pm just before Point Separation. The sun had come out and the camping site was good. The day’s temperature had changed from being icy cold to being quite warm. We were in for a good last night’s camp on the main river. Later we were blessed with the view of the Richardson Mountains showing its splendour and rugged appearance.
A big barge came powering up river, it was probably the biggest we had seen so far and not far behind it was the tourist boat the Noweta, which carried about 16 passengers. Only a couple braved it outside in the cold to wave to us.
1.00am another late night before I hit the sack.
We left them and slogged on against the strong wind and rough water. We later found a good campsite at a place called the Grand View, and it truly was.
We settled in, and for appetisers we had wine, oysters, dip and crackers and sat looking across the river taking in all its beauty. Just as we finished I saw a black object floating quite quickly across the river. First thoughts were that it was a log but it was moving too fast. With the aid of binoculars I noticed it was a bear out for a big swim. It swam right across the very wide river and when it was within thirty metres from the opposite side it just drifted. We watched for over 20 minutes. Eventually it climbed up the shoreline and fled into the forest.
In the meantime a barge motored upstream towards us. There were two Moose or Caribou on the other side of the river but when the barge passed they were gone.
About 8.30pm the family casually paddled towards us. Shouted hello and continued on their way. The young boy was paddling by himself, Michelle had her daughter with her and she was chatting away and playing with her toys. Wes had the younger son with him. They were only a spot in the distance after 30 minutes.
We spent most of the day gearing up for our last fling to Tuktoyaktuk, updating the blog as it had been hard to do it in other communities along the way, shopping for a bit more food, although we really didn’t need any more. Alaine and Leonie shopped for more clothes as the weather was becoming colder and colder every day. I tried to hurry them, so we could get going as we were losing precious time. And when I said to them that they shouldn’t need any more clothes with all the spare fat they had around their bodies, it somehow didn’t go down that well. I just couldn’t understand why they got a little shirty with my innocent comments.......I always try to tell the truth even if it is a bit exaggerated!!!
Around 5.00pm Alaine and I loaded our canoe once again. Leonie was still shopping or maybe doing a few minutes on the fitness treadmill after my comments. (by the way, Leonie lost 10 kgs in weight on the trip). Tony came to wave us off, he had decided earlier in the trip that he wanted to finish at Inuvik.
Alaine loading up the canoe in her new 'warm' jacketWithout Tony it meant that either Leonie or I had to paddle a canoe alone. Alaine was concerned about the ocean leg and preferred that I stayed in our canoe because of my experience and skills but she was also worried about Leonie paddling the canoe solo. Leonie however had no problem with going it alone, in fact she seemed to be excited about it.
Once Leonie's canoe was loaded she went for a test paddle, the nose of the canoe was lifting way out of the water so the weight had to be rearranged to make the bow of the canoe heavier to stop it from lifting. Once this was done, we set off at around 5.00pm. Just over a kilometre downstream we passed between barges at the Government wharf. Workmen was busy, they looked on as we passed. They must have wondered why we were paddling so late in the afternoon against strong winds, light rain and a sky that looked as if it was going to explode. Leonie’s canoe was being lifted and thrown about by the wind waves.
To help keep her bow from blowing around I put a tow line on the front of her boat. It worked well. We paddled for three and half hours and covered 25 kms we found a campsite which allowed us to get out on fairly firm mud. The wind dropped at 10.30pm. Owl hooting.
Setting up camp on the firm mud
Friday 8th August Morning
It's hard to believe that we are already here at Inuvik. We arrived at approximately 7.15 p.m. on Thursday 7th (after a two days of hard paddling). We pulled into the harbor and were astounded to find that two other paddlers had arrived the same day.....a Japanese guy- he'd arrived three hours before us (we'd had word that he was on the river somewhere though never caught sight of him) and a French guy from Paris, (Alain is his name), who had arrived just one hour before us (we never knew he was on the river and we never caught sight of him and he got here only one hour before us.......just shows how big the river is).
Alaine has given me a name (actually several names!!) but the one I'm referring to on this occassion is 'Dead Eye Dick'........she reckons that I can spot anything kms away but obviously I didn't spot the paddler one hour in front.
We've been amazingly lucky with the paddling conditions (blue skies, calm winds, NO mozzies, NO flies, NO bears (but sure could see where they've been.........and I thought I had big feet). But since crossing the Arctic Circle about five days ago the weather and wind began to change and the temperatures began to drop.
Tony is leaving us at Inuvik and three of us are paddling onto to Tuktoyaktuk. This I've just brought to Alaine's attention, is actually going to be he hardest part of the paddle. Why.....there's no current once we reach the tidal areas, the cold, the cloud cover, the rain and the fact that we have to paddle in the ocean for 40kms and the locals are still warning us about the bears.
Thursday 7th August
The wolves were howling throughout the night, it was an amazing musical. The sense of truly being in the wilderness was magical.
The current had slowed considerably and although we only had 55 kms to reach Inuvik, it would take us all day. Within a few minutes of paddling we saw a black wolf sitting under a tree. It didn’t move until we got close, then it stood up and watched us. I’m sure it was wondering who the hell we were. We eventually moved off before it did. Some time later we saw another black wolf trotting along the shore on the other side of the river.
The day was cold and the wind made it even colder. When we stopped for lunch we nearly froze. Now that we were getting closer to Inuvik there were several cabins along the way, though very few were inhabited.
We arrived in Inuvik on a chilly evening and stopped at the town wharf. Another paddler, a French guy had arrived an hour before us. He had taken twice as long to get there. Also a Japanese paddler had arrived earlier that day. It seemed that every paddler on the river were now in Inuvik.We unloaded our more expensive gear and walked into town in our canoeing clothes (what a sight) and found a hotel. We showered (such blissful luxury) and went out for a very enjoyable meal.
Wednesday 6th August
It was raining quite heavily when we woke and very bleak outside. The rain delayed us, but when we did decide to go we wasted no time. The sky was chocked with almost black, heavy clouds.
When we moved around Separation Point and into the Mackenzie River delta where the river split into several channels, the river became rougher. It was also wet, especially for Alaine who was at the front of the canoe taking all the splash from the waves. It was also a hard slog.
After 20kms we entered the East Channel, which broke off from the main river. We were quite happy as it meant that we would be out of the wind and away from the big waves, but on the downside we had a slower current.
With the delta came muddy shoreline, so it was hard to land anywhere without getting mud up to the knees.
It was raining quite heavily when we woke and very bleak outside. The rain delayed us, but when we did decide to go we wasted no time. The sky was chocked with almost black, heavy clouds.
When we moved around Separation Point and into the Mackenzie River delta where the river split into several channels, the river became rougher. It was also wet, especially for Alaine who was at the front of the canoe taking all the splash from the waves. It was also a hard slog.
After 20kms we entered the East Channel, which broke off from the main river. We were quite happy as it meant that we would be out of the wind and away from the big waves, but on the downside we had a slower current.
With the delta came muddy shoreline, so it was hard to land anywhere without getting mud up to the knees.
Tuesday 5th August
The river was calm, the weather was cold and I mean…..cold and the sky was dark and cloudy. We had our first break at the beginning of the Lower Ramparts, a stretch of cliffs just before Tsiigehtchic (Arctic Red River). Although impressive they were not as good as the Upper Ramparts that we had passed earlier. The cloudy weather didn’t enhance them either.
Rounding the cliff lined bend we saw life, a ferry was crossing the river a km or two away. Soon the church at Tsiigehtchic on the hill appeared and all the other houses of the community. We pulled ashore beside some local boats. Although the Dempster Highway is only 200 metres away it doesn’t reach the small town. The Arctic Red River is in the way. The ferry carries cars from the highway to the town and also across the Mackenzie River for those driving to Inuvik.
We stopped and walked into the community. There wasn’t a lot to see but the shop was open. The local children were chatty and warned us of wet weather ahead.
We bought more tortillas, which we have enjoyed with cheese spread and jam, but again they were mouldy. The tiny communities were not good for fresh foods. We had lunch next to the canoe with a local dog looking on. It was icy cold.
The sun shone a little when we left, and the Ramparts looked much more spectacular. The ferry was busy taking cars and trucks across the river.
Ahead the straight river faded into a haze. It soon became rough so we kept closer to shore. The Richardson Mountains were over to our left but they kept disappearing from view as the rain haze came and went.
We stopped early at 5.15pm just before Point Separation. The sun had come out and the camping site was good. The day’s temperature had changed from being icy cold to being quite warm. We were in for a good last night’s camp on the main river. Later we were blessed with the view of the Richardson Mountains showing its splendour and rugged appearance.
Monday 4th August
It was cold and although the wind was calm when we started it soon started to strengthen. At lunchtime two power boats with First Nation Rangers on board stopped to have a talk. They were going up river to meet other Rangers from upstream communities and were guiding them back to Inuvik. The First Nation people were wonderful people. Never shy to talk to us, always warm, happy and friendly.
They told us it was windy around the next corner and the river will be rough. It was and we struggled, criss crossed the river, keeping to the deeper water and in the main current. A fish camp nearby had fish drying under a shelter.
It had been a hard day, we had paddled for hours and by days end we had only paddled 68kms. The wind calmed by 11.00pm.
It was cold and although the wind was calm when we started it soon started to strengthen. At lunchtime two power boats with First Nation Rangers on board stopped to have a talk. They were going up river to meet other Rangers from upstream communities and were guiding them back to Inuvik. The First Nation people were wonderful people. Never shy to talk to us, always warm, happy and friendly.
They told us it was windy around the next corner and the river will be rough. It was and we struggled, criss crossed the river, keeping to the deeper water and in the main current. A fish camp nearby had fish drying under a shelter.
It had been a hard day, we had paddled for hours and by days end we had only paddled 68kms. The wind calmed by 11.00pm.
Sunday 3rd August
Calm and not too cold. Had to skirt around a sandbar and island. I spotted two moose on the end of the island. We crept up to them and we were watching for several minutes before the young one noticed us. Mum still didn’t know we were there and we paddled off before she ever did.
A barge (which we had seen at Fort of Good Hope) caught up to us at a corner, and Tony and Leonie tried to keep up with it but had no chance. We would see it three more times before we get to the end.
The rain moved in and the river turned rough. We had to get to the shore to be safe. Here we stopped and put more clothes on. We took off again in the shelter of the shore but had to stop when extremely heavy rain came in just before we had to cross an exposed area.
We pulled over and erected tents to shelter until the storm had passed. It was very cold and wet. We were back paddling within 90 minutes, crossing the river in slightly calmer but still rough conditions.
We stopped at a river entrance next to a cabin and a spot called the Trading Post to gather up fresh water, it tasted good.
Kilometres later the sky was dark and bleak, the water was rough and the temperature was again icy cold. We were late camping, 8.30pm and the bleak weather didn’t help us to settle in. Huge bear tracks were embedded in the dirt all around the camp and even bigger ones a hundred metres away in the mud.
Calm and not too cold. Had to skirt around a sandbar and island. I spotted two moose on the end of the island. We crept up to them and we were watching for several minutes before the young one noticed us. Mum still didn’t know we were there and we paddled off before she ever did.
A barge (which we had seen at Fort of Good Hope) caught up to us at a corner, and Tony and Leonie tried to keep up with it but had no chance. We would see it three more times before we get to the end.
The rain moved in and the river turned rough. We had to get to the shore to be safe. Here we stopped and put more clothes on. We took off again in the shelter of the shore but had to stop when extremely heavy rain came in just before we had to cross an exposed area.
We pulled over and erected tents to shelter until the storm had passed. It was very cold and wet. We were back paddling within 90 minutes, crossing the river in slightly calmer but still rough conditions.
We stopped at a river entrance next to a cabin and a spot called the Trading Post to gather up fresh water, it tasted good.Kilometres later the sky was dark and bleak, the water was rough and the temperature was again icy cold. We were late camping, 8.30pm and the bleak weather didn’t help us to settle in. Huge bear tracks were embedded in the dirt all around the camp and even bigger ones a hundred metres away in the mud.
A big barge came powering up river, it was probably the biggest we had seen so far and not far behind it was the tourist boat the Noweta, which carried about 16 passengers. Only a couple braved it outside in the cold to wave to us.
1.00am another late night before I hit the sack.
Saturday 2nd August
The strong wind made steering the canoe difficult. After an hours paddle we noticed the tents and canoes of the family on a huge sandbar. All but one of the family were sleeping. As the river narrowed the current became quicker.
We stopped for lunch just before the location of Little Chicago and sat on a log looking at a beautiful view. The weather had changed amazingly, it was now sunny and warm. We carried on with the help of a swift current. We stopped and drifted, laid back, basked in the sun and relaxed for 15 minutes. Tony jumped into the water and had a quick swim, a swim in Arctic waters. We had a great view of the range.
Found a good campsite. A water bird in the river was making one hell of a loud and strange call. Leonie couldn’t believe it was a bird, it must be an animal, she said.
The wind calmed. As I was taking a photo of the midnight sunset, the family paddled by. They were all chatting. Couldn’t believe it, they must have paddled 60 odd kilometres and still looked so relaxed.
The strong wind made steering the canoe difficult. After an hours paddle we noticed the tents and canoes of the family on a huge sandbar. All but one of the family were sleeping. As the river narrowed the current became quicker.
We stopped for lunch just before the location of Little Chicago and sat on a log looking at a beautiful view. The weather had changed amazingly, it was now sunny and warm. We carried on with the help of a swift current. We stopped and drifted, laid back, basked in the sun and relaxed for 15 minutes. Tony jumped into the water and had a quick swim, a swim in Arctic waters. We had a great view of the range.
Found a good campsite. A water bird in the river was making one hell of a loud and strange call. Leonie couldn’t believe it was a bird, it must be an animal, she said.
The wind calmed. As I was taking a photo of the midnight sunset, the family paddled by. They were all chatting. Couldn’t believe it, they must have paddled 60 odd kilometres and still looked so relaxed.
Friday 1st August
There was a storm in the night. It was a chilly morning and the sand cranes
were still calling.
By mid morning the wind had increased and the chill had changed to cold. The wind increased further and the river chopped up to an uncomfortable stage. We stopped for lunch near a creek just after Askew Island and sat on a low lying bed of dried rocks. It was exposed and chilly but there was no better place to stop.
Further along on the right side of the river we came across a family with their dog resting on shore and getting away from the high wind. They too were canoeists and were from Norman Wells and on their way to Inuvik. We knew they were on the river somewhere as Cheryl whom was a great help to us at the council offices of Normal Wells, had said that her good friends Michelle, Wes and their three children and dog were paddling to Inuvik.
There was a storm in the night. It was a chilly morning and the sand cranes
were still calling.
By mid morning the wind had increased and the chill had changed to cold. The wind increased further and the river chopped up to an uncomfortable stage. We stopped for lunch near a creek just after Askew Island and sat on a low lying bed of dried rocks. It was exposed and chilly but there was no better place to stop.
Further along on the right side of the river we came across a family with their dog resting on shore and getting away from the high wind. They too were canoeists and were from Norman Wells and on their way to Inuvik. We knew they were on the river somewhere as Cheryl whom was a great help to us at the council offices of Normal Wells, had said that her good friends Michelle, Wes and their three children and dog were paddling to Inuvik.
Michelle was chatty but Wes avoided talking. He was either shy or he just didn’t like people invading his privacy. Their little girl was playing with toys. The other two children were First Nation and the eldest boy who looked about 13 was paddling a collapsible kayak by himself. The little one just had on a T shirt and no shoes and we shivered just looking at her, they must build these North West Territories people to be hardy.
We left them and slogged on against the strong wind and rough water. We later found a good campsite at a place called the Grand View, and it truly was.
There were very large, very fresh bear tracks imbedded in the mud and those prints went right down to the rivers edge!!
We settled in, and for appetisers we had wine, oysters, dip and crackers and sat looking across the river taking in all its beauty. Just as we finished I saw a black object floating quite quickly across the river. First thoughts were that it was a log but it was moving too fast. With the aid of binoculars I noticed it was a bear out for a big swim. It swam right across the very wide river and when it was within thirty metres from the opposite side it just drifted. We watched for over 20 minutes. Eventually it climbed up the shoreline and fled into the forest.
In the meantime a barge motored upstream towards us. There were two Moose or Caribou on the other side of the river but when the barge passed they were gone.
About 8.30pm the family casually paddled towards us. Shouted hello and continued on their way. The young boy was paddling by himself, Michelle had her daughter with her and she was chatting away and playing with her toys. Wes had the younger son with him. They were only a spot in the distance after 30 minutes.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Thursday 31st July
There was mist on the river at 6.15am and it hung around for an hour. It was beautiful. The sky was near cloudless, surely a sign of a good day? By 9.10am we were heading over to the Rampart Cliffs. They looked spectacular from a distance.
We paddled across towards the gap in the cliffs and within 2kms of them rocky islands and shallows rock bars and ledges were creating rapids. By manoeuvring mainly towards the right we managed to skirt them.
We were soon in the narrow gorge with cliff walls staring vertically each side of us. The left cliffs were illuminated by the morning sun. They were spectacular. An eagle glided above the cliffs.
We took photos for the next hour until the gorge widened and we were no longer hemmed in by the stunning vertical barrier. Then, before us on a hill in the distance we could see the white church of Fort of Good Hope. It wasn’t long before we pulled up at the muddy boat ramp, got changed and walked into town to do some shopping.
With the long summer holidays for students still running, several of them were in the store or mingling outside. In a small village like this there wasn’t a lot for them to do, however satellite television did manage to keep them in touch with fashion and habits and styles of the youth in big cities.
We had lunch on a bench near the church which we were told had beautiful paintings inside and a must to see. Unfortunately it was locked and the priest wasn’t around so we missed out.
A First Nation man generously gave Tony a fresh fish. We left the village heading towards the Arctic Circle in brilliant sunshine and with the river shimmering and shining. We were ready and waiting to cross the circle. It was my second time to canoe across the Arctic Circle so it was a little bit special.
There was a fish camp (locals cabins and tents) at the mouth of the Loon River which came out just below the Arctic Circle. An island nearby had one of the best sand bars that we had seen on the trip. It got 10 out of 10 on the score card but we didn’t stop to camp on it. Some time later, above the Arctic Circle we found another sand bar, where we camped and I made a fire and cooked the fish. It was yummy.
A few Sand Cranes were on the sand bar and came within a hundred metres of us. Their call was amazing. We could hear them all night on the sandbar and flying overhead. We were told that we would hear them but be lucky to see them……..we were lucky.
The wind started to blow at 11.00pm and rain started to develop.
Alaine jumped out knee high, right into thick, gluggy mud and boy, was she was far from cheerful!! We moved on keeping close to shore after everyone had put on more clothes. Alaine wasn’t happy that we were paddling on into the wind though we were in the shelter of the shore and out of the even stronger winds out where we would normally be paddling.
Paddling was quite tough and although Alaine’s wrist was hurting, she was paddling extremely hard, Tony and Leonie couldn’t keep up.
In the meantime the sand was still being blown around as though it was a storm in a dessert, and the river was filled with whitecaps and huge ocean type waves.
After lunch the wind calmed a little so the river was less suicidal and we managed to make some headway. I spotted a bear from afar and when we neared, it came out of the bushes looked at us and ran into the forest.
We struggled on to an island a few kilometres from the stunning Ramparts
Cliffs. We arrived just as a storm started to batter the island and as we were erecting our tents. A bigger storm was lashing the Rampart gorge.
Tuesday 29th July
The sand cranes were still calling in the morning, it was a lovely sound to waken up to. By noon we had reached the Cargajou Ridge and the steep rock cliffs. They were amazing. We floated with our legs up and basking in the hot sun.
We had lunch with the steep cliffs as a backdrop, they were stunning. Further along the cliffs dropped straight into the water. The different textured rock face and formations were incredible. We drifted and took photos and tried to capture the amazing beauty around us and burn it into our memories.
There was mist on the river at 6.15am and it hung around for an hour. It was beautiful. The sky was near cloudless, surely a sign of a good day? By 9.10am we were heading over to the Rampart Cliffs. They looked spectacular from a distance.
We paddled across towards the gap in the cliffs and within 2kms of them rocky islands and shallows rock bars and ledges were creating rapids. By manoeuvring mainly towards the right we managed to skirt them.
We were soon in the narrow gorge with cliff walls staring vertically each side of us. The left cliffs were illuminated by the morning sun. They were spectacular. An eagle glided above the cliffs.
We took photos for the next hour until the gorge widened and we were no longer hemmed in by the stunning vertical barrier. Then, before us on a hill in the distance we could see the white church of Fort of Good Hope. It wasn’t long before we pulled up at the muddy boat ramp, got changed and walked into town to do some shopping.
With the long summer holidays for students still running, several of them were in the store or mingling outside. In a small village like this there wasn’t a lot for them to do, however satellite television did manage to keep them in touch with fashion and habits and styles of the youth in big cities.
We had lunch on a bench near the church which we were told had beautiful paintings inside and a must to see. Unfortunately it was locked and the priest wasn’t around so we missed out.
A First Nation man generously gave Tony a fresh fish. We left the village heading towards the Arctic Circle in brilliant sunshine and with the river shimmering and shining. We were ready and waiting to cross the circle. It was my second time to canoe across the Arctic Circle so it was a little bit special.
There was a fish camp (locals cabins and tents) at the mouth of the Loon River which came out just below the Arctic Circle. An island nearby had one of the best sand bars that we had seen on the trip. It got 10 out of 10 on the score card but we didn’t stop to camp on it. Some time later, above the Arctic Circle we found another sand bar, where we camped and I made a fire and cooked the fish. It was yummy.
A few Sand Cranes were on the sand bar and came within a hundred metres of us. Their call was amazing. We could hear them all night on the sandbar and flying overhead. We were told that we would hear them but be lucky to see them……..we were lucky.
The wind started to blow at 11.00pm and rain started to develop.
Wednesday 30th July
The morning was a little hazy but otherwise it was the beginning of a beautiful day. The scenery around us was grand, and not dissimilar to parts of the Kimberley, though it lacked the rich ochre colour of the Kimberley. The Bat Hills were over to our right and other hills in the distance on the left, the views were simply stunning.
At the end of Dummit Island, just after two channels converged there were some manageable rapids over to the right side of the river. Tony and Leonie headed across into them to have some fun. We could hear Leonie shouting with excitement.
A few kilometres further, just beyond Hardie Island, Alaine noticed a golden cloud heading our way and just beside it , the start of some ominous looking clouds. It was quite unbelievable as it was a calm, beautiful day yet a sandstorm was whipping up and ominous clouds were forming rapidly. Within minutes the full force of a storm had hit us. The river had turned into one mass of breaking waves and the wind was virtually wrenching our paddles from our grasp. We had to make our way to shore to be safe.
The morning was a little hazy but otherwise it was the beginning of a beautiful day. The scenery around us was grand, and not dissimilar to parts of the Kimberley, though it lacked the rich ochre colour of the Kimberley. The Bat Hills were over to our right and other hills in the distance on the left, the views were simply stunning.
At the end of Dummit Island, just after two channels converged there were some manageable rapids over to the right side of the river. Tony and Leonie headed across into them to have some fun. We could hear Leonie shouting with excitement.
A few kilometres further, just beyond Hardie Island, Alaine noticed a golden cloud heading our way and just beside it , the start of some ominous looking clouds. It was quite unbelievable as it was a calm, beautiful day yet a sandstorm was whipping up and ominous clouds were forming rapidly. Within minutes the full force of a storm had hit us. The river had turned into one mass of breaking waves and the wind was virtually wrenching our paddles from our grasp. We had to make our way to shore to be safe.
Alaine jumped out knee high, right into thick, gluggy mud and boy, was she was far from cheerful!! We moved on keeping close to shore after everyone had put on more clothes. Alaine wasn’t happy that we were paddling on into the wind though we were in the shelter of the shore and out of the even stronger winds out where we would normally be paddling.
Paddling was quite tough and although Alaine’s wrist was hurting, she was paddling extremely hard, Tony and Leonie couldn’t keep up.
In the meantime the sand was still being blown around as though it was a storm in a dessert, and the river was filled with whitecaps and huge ocean type waves.
After lunch the wind calmed a little so the river was less suicidal and we managed to make some headway. I spotted a bear from afar and when we neared, it came out of the bushes looked at us and ran into the forest.
We struggled on to an island a few kilometres from the stunning Ramparts
Cliffs. We arrived just as a storm started to batter the island and as we were erecting our tents. A bigger storm was lashing the Rampart gorge.
Tuesday 29th July
The sand cranes were still calling in the morning, it was a lovely sound to waken up to. By noon we had reached the Cargajou Ridge and the steep rock cliffs. They were amazing. We floated with our legs up and basking in the hot sun.
We had lunch with the steep cliffs as a backdrop, they were stunning. Further along the cliffs dropped straight into the water. The different textured rock face and formations were incredible. We drifted and took photos and tried to capture the amazing beauty around us and burn it into our memories.
I spotted a bear from several hundred metres and paddled towards it. We were quiet so it didn’t realise we were there. The bear walked slowly along the shoreline. We watched it for some time before it spotted us. It walked closer towards us, looked at us before rearing up onto two legs and grunted. The bear then turned and pushed through the undergrowth and out of sight. It returned to shore as we paddled further along. Soon after we drifted past the bear we caught sight of a large beaver sunning itself on a rock.
What a day it was turning out to be!! 
Further along next to Axel Island, a police runabout stopped. The three policemen from Norman Wells were checking out the rapids downstream. Apparently they come down every so often to check out the power boats along the way and make sure no one was in trouble along the river.
Monday 28th July
We walked into town to do last minute shopping. We heard some news of a small boat having been capsized near Tuktoyatuk (where we were headed to) by a big wave and sadly four people had drowned, only a teenage boy survived.
We had brunch at a diner before leaving. I had an Oilman’s omelet. Like all the meals we had in Norman Wells, the quality was excellent.
We were packed and ready to leave by 12.45pm. There were several man made islands with oil wells working away and an oil rig which at that time was out of action and losing thousands of dollars every day. Norman Wells and surrounds had been quite an education.
The day was cloudy and hazy so it ruined our view of the Mackenzie Ranges. By late afternoon the haze had gone and we got good views of the Norman Range.
We camped next to a stream and had steak, potatoes and corn cooked over the campfire. The beautiful sound of the sand cranes were with us all night. Yet another magnificent midnight sunset.
Had 48km to get to Norman Wells. The river was calm and temperature hot. A smoke haze was still hanging around.
We arrived at the oil and gas mining town at 2.30pm and of course, being Sunday, only the supermarket was open. Checked out museum. It had so much stuff in it, it was amazing for a small town. Out from our camp was one oil rig and several man made islands with oil pumps. There are no roads into Norman Wells, until they make winter roads when everything freezes over.
We had our evening meal at the Mackenzie Hotel. I was surprised at the quality. We all had great meals and of course a couple of beers, blueberry tart and ice cream. I also had some of my leftover fish which was as delicious as the night before.
Saturday 26th July
32kms paddle to Fort Norman. A bigger community than we expected. It was Saturday, so only the store was open. It had a great little log church. Floor buckled, but still looked as if it was used. Treated ourselves to ice cream and a drink.
We topped up our water supplies from the Great Bear River. Thewater comes straight out of the Great Bear Lake, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world. Pure, cold, fresh water! You can't get any better than that.
A few kms further we stopped at a spot where the smoke was coming out of the ground due to burning coals. We walked close, but the fumes were overpowering. The stench of the fumes gave out a pungent odour.
It was a beautiful afternoon. We found a great camping spot and I managed to become the hunter again. I caught a huge fish the locals call a Coney. It was so big it was hard to lift. Too much for a meal for four so we had left-overs the next day.
Another great sunset.
Friday 25th July
Cool Morning, cloudy, with sunny patches. The current was swift. We were paddling between 11 - 16kms in an hour. Calm conditions, small mountain ranges a distance off and landslides of the shoreline made the day special.
Found a great campsite on a Seagull Island. Again, no mosquitoes. Since starting the Mackenzie leg of the journey, all but 2 campsites have been free of mosquitoes.
Thursday 24th July
Windy again!! Tried my hand at fishing the Backwater River. although it was clear, Tony and I had no luck. Decided to change roles and be the gatherer rather than the hunter. The water was near black.
We met the police boat returning from Fort Simpson. The current was fast. We were paddling at 10 - 14kms per hour. Loved it!!
Camped at Redstone River, but the water was too milky to catch fish.
Wednesday 23rd July
It was still quite story and it began to rain, although not for too long. It was also cold at times.
We left the mountain ranges behind and had a hard paddle along a straight part of the river.
We had another good camp next to a stream.
Tuesday 22nd July
We met another barge fighting it's way up-stream against the currents. A police boat going downstream to to Norman Wells stopped to check us out. Other than that we only see the odd powerboat.
The river has now turned milky, due to some of the rivers carrying glaciers silt from the mountains. Fishing has deteriorated, the fish can't seem to see my lure. I tried fishing at a clear spot between the Mountains River, but I still had no luck.
Water current was good. The day was hot and calm. Arrived at the village of Wrigley late afteroon. We met 10 students and 2 leaders on a 44 day trip from Fort Providence. They were beaming and excited amd loved the river and experiences so far. It was great to see young people so excited and positive. They are going to learn so much about the country and themselves. They were on a YMCA trip from Calgary.
We moved on and camped on a rock island. It was perfect until a storm came through and the sand patches were whipped up by the wind.
Monday 28th July
We walked into town to do last minute shopping. We heard some news of a small boat having been capsized near Tuktoyatuk (where we were headed to) by a big wave and sadly four people had drowned, only a teenage boy survived.
We had brunch at a diner before leaving. I had an Oilman’s omelet. Like all the meals we had in Norman Wells, the quality was excellent.
We were packed and ready to leave by 12.45pm. There were several man made islands with oil wells working away and an oil rig which at that time was out of action and losing thousands of dollars every day. Norman Wells and surrounds had been quite an education.
The day was cloudy and hazy so it ruined our view of the Mackenzie Ranges. By late afternoon the haze had gone and we got good views of the Norman Range.
We camped next to a stream and had steak, potatoes and corn cooked over the campfire. The beautiful sound of the sand cranes were with us all night. Yet another magnificent midnight sunset.
Had 48km to get to Norman Wells. The river was calm and temperature hot. A smoke haze was still hanging around.
We arrived at the oil and gas mining town at 2.30pm and of course, being Sunday, only the supermarket was open. Checked out museum. It had so much stuff in it, it was amazing for a small town. Out from our camp was one oil rig and several man made islands with oil pumps. There are no roads into Norman Wells, until they make winter roads when everything freezes over.
We had our evening meal at the Mackenzie Hotel. I was surprised at the quality. We all had great meals and of course a couple of beers, blueberry tart and ice cream. I also had some of my leftover fish which was as delicious as the night before.
Saturday 26th July
32kms paddle to Fort Norman. A bigger community than we expected. It was Saturday, so only the store was open. It had a great little log church. Floor buckled, but still looked as if it was used. Treated ourselves to ice cream and a drink.
We topped up our water supplies from the Great Bear River. Thewater comes straight out of the Great Bear Lake, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world. Pure, cold, fresh water! You can't get any better than that.
A few kms further we stopped at a spot where the smoke was coming out of the ground due to burning coals. We walked close, but the fumes were overpowering. The stench of the fumes gave out a pungent odour.
It was a beautiful afternoon. We found a great camping spot and I managed to become the hunter again. I caught a huge fish the locals call a Coney. It was so big it was hard to lift. Too much for a meal for four so we had left-overs the next day.
Another great sunset.
Friday 25th July
Cool Morning, cloudy, with sunny patches. The current was swift. We were paddling between 11 - 16kms in an hour. Calm conditions, small mountain ranges a distance off and landslides of the shoreline made the day special.
Found a great campsite on a Seagull Island. Again, no mosquitoes. Since starting the Mackenzie leg of the journey, all but 2 campsites have been free of mosquitoes.
Thursday 24th July
Windy again!! Tried my hand at fishing the Backwater River. although it was clear, Tony and I had no luck. Decided to change roles and be the gatherer rather than the hunter. The water was near black.
We met the police boat returning from Fort Simpson. The current was fast. We were paddling at 10 - 14kms per hour. Loved it!!
Camped at Redstone River, but the water was too milky to catch fish.
Wednesday 23rd July
It was still quite story and it began to rain, although not for too long. It was also cold at times.
We left the mountain ranges behind and had a hard paddle along a straight part of the river.
We had another good camp next to a stream.
Tuesday 22nd July
We met another barge fighting it's way up-stream against the currents. A police boat going downstream to to Norman Wells stopped to check us out. Other than that we only see the odd powerboat.
The river has now turned milky, due to some of the rivers carrying glaciers silt from the mountains. Fishing has deteriorated, the fish can't seem to see my lure. I tried fishing at a clear spot between the Mountains River, but I still had no luck.
Water current was good. The day was hot and calm. Arrived at the village of Wrigley late afteroon. We met 10 students and 2 leaders on a 44 day trip from Fort Providence. They were beaming and excited amd loved the river and experiences so far. It was great to see young people so excited and positive. They are going to learn so much about the country and themselves. They were on a YMCA trip from Calgary.
We moved on and camped on a rock island. It was perfect until a storm came through and the sand patches were whipped up by the wind.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Monday 21st July
It was such a perfect sunny day and the views of the Nahani ranges were stunning. We paddled on in calm conditions, sometimes just floating, looking at the magnificant scenery. We were spellbound.
We had lunch sitting on a log in the hot sun, being mesmerised by the stunning scenery that lay before us. I think we would be hard pressed to find another a magical lunch spot along the river.
When the day was over we found a perfect campspot on a sandbar island, overlooking the ranges that we had passed during the day. Two barges went by.
Sunday 20th July
We had lunch sitting on a log in the hot sun, being mesmerised by the stunning scenery that lay before us. I think we would be hard pressed to find another a magical lunch spot along the river.
When the day was over we found a perfect campspot on a sandbar island, overlooking the ranges that we had passed during the day. Two barges went by.
Sunday 20th July
It was sunny, but windy which made paddling a little more tiring. The current was still good so we still made good time.
We stopped at the Wrigley/Mackenzie River ferry crossing. Dave and Danny invited us for coffee and biscuits and a ride across the river on the ferry. They were great guys, told us a lot about themselves and the ferry. The ride was extremely interesting and enjoyable.
Camped overlooking the very scenic Nahani Mountain Range. Beautiful night. A porcupine strolled around our camp.
Saturday 19th July
Now in Fort Simpson after an easy paddle of 30kms, with good current. Unfortunately, no Internet access on a weekend. Can't call home because everyone is in bed! Midday here, 2.00am in Perth.
Our next community, Wrigley, is small, so it will be a week before we hit another store.
Weather today is again HOT!
The river Nahani joins the Mackenzie, so the water will become less clean and the river will widen.
Friday 18th July
Warm and calm today. Within 10kms the river had narrowed and the current had increased and we were doing 10 - 14kms per hour. It was just amazing watching the trees fly by.
Called in Jean Marie to have a look around and meet some of the locals. We laid back and rested in the sun a few times, just letting the current take us.
Met a couple in a power boat at Rabbit River. They allowed us to camp on a hill next to some cabins that their family own. Great Spot! Fantastic sunset again and good talk with the locals.
What a day! We covered about 80kms, fairly easy paddling! :)
Thursday 17th July
The river was calm for half hour before the wind picked up. It turned out being quite a hard day making about 58kms.
Found an amazing sandy beach for this area. Like being at Ningaloo.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Wednesday 16th July
Crossed Mills Lake. For the first 2 hours it was like a mill pond before chopping up again. Had a snack at a rocky spot. Caught another fish. With my fishing licence costing US$40, I need to get my moneys worth!
Entered the river again, no more lakes, and found another decent campsite. Caught another fish. Hot and calm.
Tuesday 15th July
With less than 3 hours sleep, it was going to be a rough day, but a least the current had increased again. We had about 16km to get to Fort Providence where we stopped for two and a half hours. A friendly dog followed me for two hours and was sitting at the rivers edge when we left.
We paddled another 20kms before stopping on an island just before Mills Lake. And I proved my worth after catching a fish each and donating to the girls to cook. It was a good campsite!
Monday 14th July
Left the Great Slave Lake and entered the Mackenzie River. We were now on our final leg, 1800kms of it.
Our spirits were lifted by an increase in current. It felt good after having no help from the current. With another few kms we would be entering Beaver Lake. Another barrier in our way. We paddled for 25kms and stopping on another island before the big expanse of water.
The idea was was to camp early, try to get some sleep and then cross the lake at night when the wind dropped. By 8.30pm it was calm enough to do the big crossing. The lake opened onto a mill pond and was absolutely beautiful. We were headed toward the setting sun which occured about 11.30pm. The moon came up and the clouds and dying sun made the crossing magnificent. Certainly a highlight!!
We crossed the lake and arrived where the river narrowed at 3.30am. Although it was dark, we could still see. We crashed for few hours, and were up at 6.30am to face another day.
Crossed Mills Lake. For the first 2 hours it was like a mill pond before chopping up again. Had a snack at a rocky spot. Caught another fish. With my fishing licence costing US$40, I need to get my moneys worth!
Entered the river again, no more lakes, and found another decent campsite. Caught another fish. Hot and calm.
Tuesday 15th July
With less than 3 hours sleep, it was going to be a rough day, but a least the current had increased again. We had about 16km to get to Fort Providence where we stopped for two and a half hours. A friendly dog followed me for two hours and was sitting at the rivers edge when we left.
We paddled another 20kms before stopping on an island just before Mills Lake. And I proved my worth after catching a fish each and donating to the girls to cook. It was a good campsite!
Monday 14th July
Left the Great Slave Lake and entered the Mackenzie River. We were now on our final leg, 1800kms of it.
Our spirits were lifted by an increase in current. It felt good after having no help from the current. With another few kms we would be entering Beaver Lake. Another barrier in our way. We paddled for 25kms and stopping on another island before the big expanse of water.
The idea was was to camp early, try to get some sleep and then cross the lake at night when the wind dropped. By 8.30pm it was calm enough to do the big crossing. The lake opened onto a mill pond and was absolutely beautiful. We were headed toward the setting sun which occured about 11.30pm. The moon came up and the clouds and dying sun made the crossing magnificent. Certainly a highlight!!
We crossed the lake and arrived where the river narrowed at 3.30am. Although it was dark, we could still see. We crashed for few hours, and were up at 6.30am to face another day.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
July 2008
Update for Sunday 13th July
Wind was still blowing when we left. It was cold and Alaine, who was in the front was becoming wet from the splash of the waves. It was hard work and our speed was down to 3 - 4 knots an hour.
Finally reached some water where 150 pelicans were floating and bobbing around. We found a camping spot on Island next to an old house. Lots of insects, but was okay after 7 hours of paddling. The girls had blisters and were a little sore. They paddled well.
Update for Sat 12th July
We finally left Hay River on calm conditions, although the forecast was supposed to be 20 knot winds. It was great to be in the water again and have the girls with us. The conversation might be a little better.
After a while we saw a canoeist chasing us. He was a local who wanted to know who we were.
We had calm conditions for about 3 hours. The lake was magnificent and the girls didn't know what all the fuss was about.
Then the wind suddenly picked up and we were headed into quite a rough time. The girls remained quiet. We managed about 23kms till we stopped and called it a day. We had paddled for about five and a half hours!!
Wind was still blowing when we left. It was cold and Alaine, who was in the front was becoming wet from the splash of the waves. It was hard work and our speed was down to 3 - 4 knots an hour.
Finally reached some water where 150 pelicans were floating and bobbing around. We found a camping spot on Island next to an old house. Lots of insects, but was okay after 7 hours of paddling. The girls had blisters and were a little sore. They paddled well.
Update for Sat 12th July
We finally left Hay River on calm conditions, although the forecast was supposed to be 20 knot winds. It was great to be in the water again and have the girls with us. The conversation might be a little better.After a while we saw a canoeist chasing us. He was a local who wanted to know who we were.
We had calm conditions for about 3 hours. The lake was magnificent and the girls didn't know what all the fuss was about.
Then the wind suddenly picked up and we were headed into quite a rough time. The girls remained quiet. We managed about 23kms till we stopped and called it a day. We had paddled for about five and a half hours!!
Friday, July 11, 2008
Windy Weather
Friday 11th July
Unfortunately when we rechecked the weather this morning, there was a wind warning. So we will not travel today as the Lake is no place to be in windy conditions....this, Tony and I know from experience!!
Leonie's bag has finally arrived and she is now a much happier camper.
Whilst in Hay River, I've had the opportunity to update the Blog and there are many new details that I've added. You may want to revisit previous postings.
Unfortunately when we rechecked the weather this morning, there was a wind warning. So we will not travel today as the Lake is no place to be in windy conditions....this, Tony and I know from experience!!
Leonie's bag has finally arrived and she is now a much happier camper.
Whilst in Hay River, I've had the opportunity to update the Blog and there are many new details that I've added. You may want to revisit previous postings.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Suncor admits it wrongly evicted canoeists
Followup Article in Slade River Journal - Many thanks to SRJ for their kind permission to reproduce.
By GABRIEL ZARATE, SRJ Reporter 09.JUL.08
Two Australian campers evicted by a Suncor employee from an island in the middle of the Athabasca River should never have been bothered.
A spokesman for Suncor said the company “regrets the inconvenience” to the two Australian canoeists who were evicted from an island at 10:00 p.m. as they were about to go to sleep on an island just offshore of Suncor’s industrial operations.
“I think this is a case of good intentions misapplied,” said Brad Bellows of Suncor.
On June 20, Tony Chounding and Terry Bolland (featured last week in the SRJ as “Visitors of the Week”) were canoeing down the Athabasca, on a journey from Jasper National Park to Tuktoyaktuk. After a long day on the river they set up camp on a small island just upstream from the bridge linking Suncor facilities on both sides of the river. The two made supper and were about to go to sleep when a security guard using a blowhorn ordered them off the island. They protested, saying it was night and they did not know the river. But the Suncor employee would not listen.
Oilsands leases end at the banks of the river. Suncor had no legal right to evict the campers.
Asked why the action took place, Bellows explained the island was in the middle of an industrial site. “The foremost concern of our security people is the safety of our employees and the public,” he said.
Bellows indicated Suncor would review its security procedures to ensure recreational users of the river were not interfered with.
By GABRIEL ZARATE, SRJ Reporter 09.JUL.08
Two Australian campers evicted by a Suncor employee from an island in the middle of the Athabasca River should never have been bothered.
A spokesman for Suncor said the company “regrets the inconvenience” to the two Australian canoeists who were evicted from an island at 10:00 p.m. as they were about to go to sleep on an island just offshore of Suncor’s industrial operations.
“I think this is a case of good intentions misapplied,” said Brad Bellows of Suncor.
On June 20, Tony Chounding and Terry Bolland (featured last week in the SRJ as “Visitors of the Week”) were canoeing down the Athabasca, on a journey from Jasper National Park to Tuktoyaktuk. After a long day on the river they set up camp on a small island just upstream from the bridge linking Suncor facilities on both sides of the river. The two made supper and were about to go to sleep when a security guard using a blowhorn ordered them off the island. They protested, saying it was night and they did not know the river. But the Suncor employee would not listen.
Oilsands leases end at the banks of the river. Suncor had no legal right to evict the campers.
Asked why the action took place, Bellows explained the island was in the middle of an industrial site. “The foremost concern of our security people is the safety of our employees and the public,” he said.
Bellows indicated Suncor would review its security procedures to ensure recreational users of the river were not interfered with.
Thursday 10th July
The canoe has arrived but Leonie's missing bag hasn't.
Have finished last minute shopping and tonight we're busy packing with the hope of leaving Hay River paddling the lake and towards the MacKenzie River tomorrow.
We have two or three days on the lake to paddle before we reach the river. Fingers crossed the weather will be to our benefit.
We were invited by the Groenewegen family to join them for 'smokeys' (sausages) and coffee.
The canoe has arrived but Leonie's missing bag hasn't.
Have finished last minute shopping and tonight we're busy packing with the hope of leaving Hay River paddling the lake and towards the MacKenzie River tomorrow.
We have two or three days on the lake to paddle before we reach the river. Fingers crossed the weather will be to our benefit.
We were invited by the Groenewegen family to join them for 'smokeys' (sausages) and coffee.
Wednesday 9th July
Today was a busy day, we spent all day shopping.......definitely not my favourite pass time, but shop I did. I called into Superior Sound to see if I could have the images from my digital camera uploaded onto a disk. Craig Kovatch very kindly took the time to do this for me, thanks Craig.
I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank Stephen Prior of Freeway Communications in Abbotsford, BC for the personal time he took, to input and upload and register my SPOT messenger. The spot messenger has been a valuable way of giving our location to family and friends at home. I sincerely recommend this tool for anyone considering travelling into the wilderness.
Brett Murdoch from Valhalla Pure Outfitters, Abbotsford, BC for downloading all the maps onto my GPS, again impossible for me to do without a computer. I know it took a considerable time to do. Thank you Brett. The GPS with maps of the river has been another fantastic aid, which has made travelling along the river much easier.
Doug Swallow of Canoe North, Hay River NWT has also been a big help. We've had many an email from Doug answering Alaine and Leonie's questions over this past 9 months of planning. He has been very generous with his time and knowledge. Thanks Doug.
During our stay here at Hay River, we've met many friendly and helpful people who have been happy to share their knowledge and experiences of this vast area.
The hire canoe is still to arrive, as is Leonie's missing bag.
Back at Harbour House we began to pack the food into day packs, seemingly a never ending job. We're (well I am) worried that we wont be able to fit every thing into the canoe.
Today was a busy day, we spent all day shopping.......definitely not my favourite pass time, but shop I did. I called into Superior Sound to see if I could have the images from my digital camera uploaded onto a disk. Craig Kovatch very kindly took the time to do this for me, thanks Craig.
I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank Stephen Prior of Freeway Communications in Abbotsford, BC for the personal time he took, to input and upload and register my SPOT messenger. The spot messenger has been a valuable way of giving our location to family and friends at home. I sincerely recommend this tool for anyone considering travelling into the wilderness.
Brett Murdoch from Valhalla Pure Outfitters, Abbotsford, BC for downloading all the maps onto my GPS, again impossible for me to do without a computer. I know it took a considerable time to do. Thank you Brett. The GPS with maps of the river has been another fantastic aid, which has made travelling along the river much easier.
Doug Swallow of Canoe North, Hay River NWT has also been a big help. We've had many an email from Doug answering Alaine and Leonie's questions over this past 9 months of planning. He has been very generous with his time and knowledge. Thanks Doug.
During our stay here at Hay River, we've met many friendly and helpful people who have been happy to share their knowledge and experiences of this vast area.
The hire canoe is still to arrive, as is Leonie's missing bag.
Back at Harbour House we began to pack the food into day packs, seemingly a never ending job. We're (well I am) worried that we wont be able to fit every thing into the canoe.
Tuesday July 8th
Alaine and Leonie have arrived. Tony and I met them at the airport, we had ridden on bikes lent to us from Harbour House. Alaine looked like she need some exercise so I got her to ride the bike back, it was only a 15 minute ride.
Unfortunately Leonie has one of her bags missing. It's one that has her paddle, sleeping bag, sleeping mattress, a few clothes (we're a bit tired of seeing her in the same top now) and a few other bits and pieces.
Alaine and Leonie have arrived. Tony and I met them at the airport, we had ridden on bikes lent to us from Harbour House. Alaine looked like she need some exercise so I got her to ride the bike back, it was only a 15 minute ride.
Unfortunately Leonie has one of her bags missing. It's one that has her paddle, sleeping bag, sleeping mattress, a few clothes (we're a bit tired of seeing her in the same top now) and a few other bits and pieces.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Interview with Slade River Journal on 2nd July
Hi, Zarin here, CDU Web Developer Extraordinaire
I have just received permission from the Slade River Journal (http://www.srj.ca) to reproduce the 2nd July photo's and article on our boys. Quite interesting reading I must say!! Here goes:
I have just received permission from the Slade River Journal (http://www.srj.ca) to reproduce the 2nd July photo's and article on our boys. Quite interesting reading I must say!! Here goes:
Reproduced curtesy of Slade River Journal
By Don Jaque 02.JUL.08
Thank you Slade River Journal for your kind permission. Don Jaque has also informed me that they are following up on the Suncor debacle as they take the view it was illegal to kick them of the Island. The story will run, probably front page, this week So keep posted to the blog and find out what happens!!Tony Chounding and Terry Bolland are pleasant older Australian canoeists who started their river trip in Jasper National Park and are paddling down the Athabasca, Slave and Mackenzie Rivers to Tuktoyaktuk and the Arctic Ocean. They were in Fort Smith for a brief one-day stop June 27 and lucked into the Francophone St. Jean Baptiste Day pig roast with all its fun and hospitality.
The most notable experience of the two men so far was getting kicked off an island in the middle of the Athabasca River adjacent to the Suncor oilsands mining property. They had run some of the class III rapids upstream of Fort McMurray and portaged the very large ones. After a long day of paddling through Fort McMurray, they found a nice island, set up their tents, made supper and around 10:00 PM were about to crawl into their sleeping bags for the night. They had observed traffic moving about routinely on the Suncor property for some time when a truck stopped across the water from them and turned on its flashing red and blue lights. The driver, using a blow-horn, ordered them off the island. They tried to reason with him, calling out saying they did not know the river and did not know where to go to camp at that time of night. The Suncor employee ignored them, and continued to order them off. Finally they packed up camp and left. Chounding said ironically, as they departed the island the Suncor employee called out, “Have a good journey!”
They continued on past the Suncor plant, which they said was an extraordinary spectacle and a unique experience with all the smoke and lights and pipes of the industrial installation. Chounding likened it to seeing Hades. He said the fumes from the plant were so noxious he could taste them.
Aside from the Suncor incident they have enjoyed their trip so far. They saw a great deal of wildlife upstream of McMurray, including cow moose with calves almost every day, but had seen nothing but eagles on the Slave River.
Bolland is an experienced canoeist and this trip is his third on major North American waterways. He had already done the Mississipi and the Missouri Rivers. His website (canoeingdownunder.com.au) describes him as “the most qualified and respected Canoe/Kayak Instructor in Western Australia.”
They are in a bit of a hurry, with a plane ticket leaving Vancouver in mid August, so they cannot tarry long in any one place. Chounding said when they see a community, “they drop in from nowhere and make up their mind in a hurry what it is like.” He said Fort Smith has a “strong sense of community” and they were impressed with how helpful people are.
Monday 7th July 2008
We scouted around town for all the things that we would need for when the 'girls' arrived. We ended up being invited to have dinner with Jordan Groenewegen and his wife. Jordon is the son of Rick and Jane Gorenewegen who own the Harbour House the bed and breakfast where we're staying.
We had an enjoyable evening that was made even better by the large amounts of icecream (my favourite dessert) that was being dished up.
We scouted around town for all the things that we would need for when the 'girls' arrived. We ended up being invited to have dinner with Jordan Groenewegen and his wife. Jordon is the son of Rick and Jane Gorenewegen who own the Harbour House the bed and breakfast where we're staying.
We had an enjoyable evening that was made even better by the large amounts of icecream (my favourite dessert) that was being dished up.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Sunday 6th July
As the sun went down, just before midnight we donned our PFD's and warmer clothing and headed out into the lake. Ten pelicans flew by, between us and the fiery red sky. The lake was calmer than the previous night so steering the canoe was much easier. At one of stops a black coyote or wolf came walking along the shore towards us, it wasn't at all frightened. Eventually after getting around 15 metres of it, it slipped into the forest.
We were both tired from the lack of sleep so we were nodding off. I thought about singing to keep awake but I didn't want to annoy Tony, in hindsight it may have been a good idea!!
A long narrow streak of cloud was lashed with a deep redness as the sun came up at 4.30 a.m.
The lake stayed calm, we reached Hay River after doing 39kms at 7.30 a.m. Relieved to be there we were now ahead of schedule and here before the 'girls'.
Harbor House where we were meant to be staying when the 'girls' arrived was right in front of where we had landed. We booked in and had a hot shower and a bed to sleep off three days of lack of sleep.
Ahead of schedule, we now have a few days to rest up.
We left Jasper after lunch on the 6th June and arrived in Hay River before breakfast on the 6th July.
Saturday 5th July
The sun had just set before midnight and the wind had calmed though not completely. We pushed out heading out to the bay and towards the red sky on the horizon and then slowly moved in a more westerly direction. The wind was still strong enough to be a nuisance so steering was still an issue.
We stopped at a handful of places to pee, stretch our legs and have nibbles of fruit and nuts. By 4.30 a.m. the sun was rising again, it never did get completely dark.
By 8.30 a.m. the wind was quite strong and the wind waves and the wind swells increased with every passing minute. With no rudder apart from my arm straining to be one, I let the boat run with the swells, then when the big waves had passed I headed the boat in the direction of the waves which were usually headed towards shore. Like in the ocean the waves seem to get bigger and more confused when rounding points. So for safety sakes, I stayed well away from them. In my experience going a kilometre or two in distance to be safer is the best option. But Tony didn't share my view, he wanted to keep closer to the shore. I tried to compromise by slowly bringing the boat around closer to shore by using the waves. But by doing so, I was caught off guard by a big wave that broke over the top of us and twisted the boat around. Because the waves were directly behind us, I couldn't see them approaching. Luckily we both braced hard although the canoe went further over than I would have liked. This was probably the closest I'd come to capsizing in ocean like conditions in years.
We finally came to Buffalo River and after surfing across the sand bar, we made camp. We tried to sleep that afternoon for another midnight run. Thirty seven pelicans landed at the river mouth as we were setting up camp. We had paddled around 49kms today.
Friday 4th July
Left by 8.00 a.m. The Lake was calm. We stopped on a rock island which turned out be a seagull rookery with a great number of chicks.
The wind increased and the conditions on the lake deteriorated and so by midday it was too rough to paddle. We had only paddled 20kms when we found a neat spot in Dawson Bay to sit it out. We decided that to cover the distances we need, we would have to paddle at night when the wind seems to calm down.
Thursday 3rd July
Paddled down the channel with ducks and loons flying and landing in front of us. Saw this giant of an owl that flew ahead of us a couple of times and perched in trees close by.
We reached the Great Slave Lake after two and half hours of paddling in the channel. There was a fairly light side wind and it took us a further two and half hours to reach Fort Resolution. It looked a fantastic place from the Lake it appeared to have a number of new buildings.
We landed on the local beach, not quite to Perth standards but up here, it was a magnificent beach.
We landed on the local beach, not quite to Perth standards but up here, it was a magnificent beach.
Tony wanted to stay the night but I was concerned with the weather and wind stranding us halfway along the lake. We still had a 142kms to paddle to get to Hay River to meet the 'girls' so I felt it important that we keep going.
We did a little bit of shopping and talked to a local teacher and his wife, had a bite of lunch and took off across the bay to Little Buffalo River 20kms away. We were told that this was a particularly beautiful spot.
Paddling was good for the first hour, then the wind came in and the wind waves increased in size. The next thing we knew, we were paddling in pretty rough conditions. Waves were breaking over the canoe and at times with such force that they pushed in our spray decks allowing water to enter the canoe.
Because the waves were coming from an angle, it was really difficult to keep the canoe on a straight course and it wasn't a good idea to surf down the big waves which could potentially cause a capsize.
Although I am used to paddling in such rough conditions, I think Tony was relieved when we entered the Little Buffalo River without a capsize.
Cold and wet, we came across a lot of shacks with no one home. A little dejected we went on a bit further and then found a cabin with a number of people. They invited us to share their fire and have coffee and to eat sow belly, potatoes, onions and if we wanted, hunks of pork steak. Immediately our spirits were lifted as we got out to join. This was Terry, his family and group of friends who were very welcoming. They were on holidays from Manning in Alberta.
We left them around 9.45p.m. and set up camp at a nice campsite a little further down river. Today was another testing but yet, a good day.
Wednesday 2nd July
Ducks and seagulls were chattering early again there were no mozzies.
We had to work out a system so that Tony didn't get his feet wet, because he had an infected big toe. We tried to find logs to place into the water to use as stepping stones to get into the boat.
After taking off, we noticed a coyote swimming swiftly across the wide river, we caught up with it about 50 metres before the shore. It reminded me of myself as it was grunting and groaning as it swam. His eyes reflected a sense fear, little did he know that he had nothing to fear. Once on shore, he took off like the cartoon character the Road Runner.
We saw several magnificent bald eagles.
I had taken my shirt off yesterday and today my belly has pink and white patches of where my tummy rolls had been exposed and shielded. Now I know what a zebra feels like.
On the positive side, it's made me look at my belly and much to my surprise and delight......its looking somewhat flatter.
Much better today as there was much less wind and even swifter water at times. We saw a bear on a log but it didn't hang around. We are now close to the end of the Slave River and are in the Delta. Camping places are non existent. It seemed as if we were in for a rough camping night when suddenly we saw a white picnic table and old cabin and a flat area to camp on. God must be shinning on us today!!
Some locals from Fort Resolution came down for a drive and told us that we could paddle down the channel which was a short cut to the Lake.
At this campsite there were many mozzies and 100's of dragonflies, the odd kingfisher but it was a much better campsite than we could have imagined finding in such a location as the delta.
The locals though, did mention in passing that it was sometimes a favourite location for bears!!
Tuesday 1st July
It was 'Canada' Day today, but we didn't even see a sole.
There were small logs drifting by, bobbing up and down and with some imagination, they looked like people having difficulty swimming, I felt like putting my hand out to rescue them!!
The wind had eased today. It made me chuckle when a bunch of young, mature geese 100 of metres away tried to get away from us by running along the shoreline, jumping logs, hopping into the water and back onto shore until eventually they ran out of shore. Then a couple of them tried climbing the sloping sand cliff without success. When they realised that we had gone by and had nothing to worry about they stood there watching us.
It was a better days paddling, and we found a low, damp sandbar to camp on and today we covered 74kms. We hoped that there wasn't going to be flood in the night!
Monday 30th June
Not a good day for this last day of June. The wind was strong and the side wind made is extremely difficult to keep the canoe tracking straight. It meant that I had to perform many half draw strokes and sweep strokes which, after hours on end began to create a niggle in my shoulder blade.
The clouds moved in, it soon became misty, bitterly cold and then to top it of, it began to rain.
We had lunch sheltering behind a big tree trunk that had been washed up, using this to try and shelter from the weather.
The day didn't look good and progress was slow but again we found a decent campsite under a sloping sand cliff and once again, there were no mozzies.
Today we had seen eagles, geese, ducks and ducklings but only covered 67kms.
Sunday 29th June
With the relief and excitement of all the rapids and the hard lifting behind us, we can now focus on the hard slog to the halfway mark. The river head is destined to become wider and slower, a dismal thought when we still have lots of kms to paddle.
The wind started of strong and became stronger as the day wore on. Our day brightened when we met a very vivacious lady at Salt River who filmed us during our rest break and was interested to know everything about what we were doing. She went back to her nearby village and returned shortly after bringing with her three elders to meet us. They still live their traditional ways and don't want to see their surrounds nor culture change.
Leaving the boat ramp we met a family who said that we should call into their cabin when we passed. We took up their invitation and had an enjoyable lunch with them and during our conversation we learnt a great deal about the country. During the winter months, Earl, the owner of the cabin is a trapper.
Leaving the cabin we headed into an extremely strong wind, we did less kms (59kms) that day but found a great sandbar for camping that didn't have any mozzies.
Saturday 28th June
Well, I couldn't not portage and Tony was adamant that he didn't want to portage. The solution was naturally, a compromise!
I left the camp early in the morning with the canoe on the trolley (that we had bought in Vancouver for this very purpose), some gear in the canoe and I carried my pack on my back. Tony and I had agreed that whatever distance I covered when the portage lift guy and Tony came by, I would put the canoe on the car. I had happily covered 13kms along the gravel road before they came. It was a pretty hard slog but for me, this is all a part of the journey. Once the canoe was loaded onto the car, I continued the portage with my pack still on my back. I walked quickly as there was also a few extra kms to cover as the canoe was being taken to the river edge which was a couple of kms out of town.
Whilst on the first part of the portage, there was about four cars that passed me. One car that passed changed to reverse and as it drew up beside me, an aussie accent greeted me. Amazingly it was a young man called Josh Singleton, who was over here staying with a guy called Dave Gemmell. These guys had met during Dave's three year stay in Perth. It was great to meet someone that I knew and Dave was very welcoming too.
The boys mentioned about the 'Spit Roast Pork' night (the barbeque that we were invited to at Fort McMurray) and said we should come along. Dave also invited me to have a shower at his place once I got into town. I gladly accepted the offer. By the end of the day I had walked almost 30kms and at midnight just as I was about to get into my tent, a guy approached me asking if I could help him get his car out of a bog which was a km or so away. Unfortunately the car was bogged too deeply and we needed to get a vehicle to pull the car out.
Tony, Terry, Dave and Josh along the banks of the Slave River
The following email and the image above was sent from Josh:-
G'Day
My name is Josh Singleton, I am a West Australian born and raised and a kayaker (also a member of Ascot Kayak Club). however I am currently in Fort Smith, North West Territories, Canada staying with a friend, Dave Gemmell, who spent the last 3 years in Perth. But today, June 28th, on our drive out for our daily paddle I saw a person walking along the side of the road, and blow me down it was non other than Terry Bolland! Terry was on the portage around the major rapids of the region. With up to grade 5 rapids in the region on a one kilometer making scouting next to impossible, a portage is the safest option by far. After a short chat with Terry along the road he continued into town as Dave and I went for our paddle. Later in the day we met back up with Terry and met Tony. We went back to Dave's house where Terry had a fresh shower, Tony declined the offer, having already had a bath in the river. Luckily the local french community of Fort Smith was putting on a pork spit roast so we all headed down and enjoyed some good food, cold beers and good conversations. Whilst there Terry and Tony also got interviewed by the local newspaper, the Slave River Journal (http://www.srj.ca/). Terry and Tony both seem to be in high spirits and motivated to keep going strong. Attached is a photo of Tony, Terry, Dave and myself beside the Slave River at the Fort Smith boat ramp where they will set camp and spend the night.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Friday 27th June 2008
We've arrived at the start of the 25km section of rapids on the Slave River. The weather has been pleasantly warm though the water speed has slowed down.
Tony and I are wanting to do differnt things at this section, I want to portage and Tony wants to get a lift. For me, my expeditions are about pushing myself and doing it without any vehicle assistance and so I can't see myself accepting a lift. At this stage we're discussing just how this portage is going to work for each of our needs.
I'm looking to do the portage tomorrow so stay tuned to see how we've resolved this issue!!
I can't believe how quickly time has come for the 'girls' to join us, Leonie has already left Perth and is now in Sweden catching up with her son. Alaine is still at work, coping with organising the end of financial year stock take, group certificates as well as getting the quarterly BAS statement finalised. When I think about it, Tony and I left just at the right time!
We've arrived at the start of the 25km section of rapids on the Slave River. The weather has been pleasantly warm though the water speed has slowed down.
Tony and I are wanting to do differnt things at this section, I want to portage and Tony wants to get a lift. For me, my expeditions are about pushing myself and doing it without any vehicle assistance and so I can't see myself accepting a lift. At this stage we're discussing just how this portage is going to work for each of our needs.
I'm looking to do the portage tomorrow so stay tuned to see how we've resolved this issue!!
I can't believe how quickly time has come for the 'girls' to join us, Leonie has already left Perth and is now in Sweden catching up with her son. Alaine is still at work, coping with organising the end of financial year stock take, group certificates as well as getting the quarterly BAS statement finalised. When I think about it, Tony and I left just at the right time!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Tuesday 24th June 2008
Here we are at Fort Chipewyan, Tony and I have just finished a meal at the local cafe, service was very quick.......there was just the two of us.
We're camped on a beautiful beach with glorious sand under our feet and not the mud that we've almost become accustomed to. The weather has been sunny, it's so nice to have after the last couple of days of cool and drizzle.The scenery is quite lovely and not unlike Albany in Western Australia.
We met a guy who lives in Fort Simpson, which is our next village after here. He said there's a barbeque happening on Saturday night and that we would be welcome along if we get there in time. Distance to there is approximately 200kms but we're heading onto the Slave River where we've got the big, long rapids (grade 4's and 5's) coming up on this section. I expect we'll be portaging and the last portage of 1.5 kms took us five and half hours!!!! Maybe the thought of a barbeque will inspire us to hasten up our portages.
Here we are at Fort Chipewyan, Tony and I have just finished a meal at the local cafe, service was very quick.......there was just the two of us.
We're camped on a beautiful beach with glorious sand under our feet and not the mud that we've almost become accustomed to. The weather has been sunny, it's so nice to have after the last couple of days of cool and drizzle.The scenery is quite lovely and not unlike Albany in Western Australia.
We met a guy who lives in Fort Simpson, which is our next village after here. He said there's a barbeque happening on Saturday night and that we would be welcome along if we get there in time. Distance to there is approximately 200kms but we're heading onto the Slave River where we've got the big, long rapids (grade 4's and 5's) coming up on this section. I expect we'll be portaging and the last portage of 1.5 kms took us five and half hours!!!! Maybe the thought of a barbeque will inspire us to hasten up our portages.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Sunday 22nd June
We've had a couple of good days on the water and the mozzies haven't been in the plague proportions that they were......I can almost enjoy my daily constitution!!!
Expecting to be in Fort Chipewyan in a couple of days, have no idea of what the place is like. We still haven't seen any bears I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.
Expecting to be in Fort Chipewyan in a couple of days, have no idea of what the place is like. We still haven't seen any bears I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.
Friday 20th June 2008
We managed to leave Fort McMurray with all our goods intact!
Time on the river was much slower today as the water flow has reduced considerably. We camped on an island a kilometre from the Suncor work site (Suncor is a mining company that mines the sands by the Athabasca river.........and sadly the landscape is ravaged by this mining).
We were there for about three hours, during that time an employee of Suncor had been driving up and down on the mainland opposite to where we were. Just as Tony was about to hit the sack at around ten past ten, a car pulls up opposite us, and a fellow gets out and with the aid of a megaphone shouts "You are on Suncor land and you cannot stay there, you must move on." He repeated this a few times, and only when he saw us packing to leave did he then get back into his car and drive off.
We couldn't believe that an island could be a part of their property but as we were visitors we felt that we had no choice but to move on. We were far from impressed at having to pack up our gear and get back into the canoe at that time of night. By the time we had packed up and got back into paddling gear the sun had set. We paddled off downstream wondering why on earth someone from Suncor didn't mention this to us as soon as they saw us there. As we passed the site with chimneys, lights, noise and smoke billowing out of the stacks and actually being able to taste the pollution we just wondered why anyone would want to work there (it could only have been for the good dollars). Although the site looked a futuristic and unsightly landscape, the setting sun and smoke haze blended together and created a strange but oddly beautiful scene allowing us to momentarily forget the damage and pollution caused by this type of mining.
Luckily some 5kms or so downstream we found another little island where we had to erect the tents with a plague of mozzies attacking us.
Time on the river was much slower today as the water flow has reduced considerably. We camped on an island a kilometre from the Suncor work site (Suncor is a mining company that mines the sands by the Athabasca river.........and sadly the landscape is ravaged by this mining).
We were there for about three hours, during that time an employee of Suncor had been driving up and down on the mainland opposite to where we were. Just as Tony was about to hit the sack at around ten past ten, a car pulls up opposite us, and a fellow gets out and with the aid of a megaphone shouts "You are on Suncor land and you cannot stay there, you must move on." He repeated this a few times, and only when he saw us packing to leave did he then get back into his car and drive off.
We couldn't believe that an island could be a part of their property but as we were visitors we felt that we had no choice but to move on. We were far from impressed at having to pack up our gear and get back into the canoe at that time of night. By the time we had packed up and got back into paddling gear the sun had set. We paddled off downstream wondering why on earth someone from Suncor didn't mention this to us as soon as they saw us there. As we passed the site with chimneys, lights, noise and smoke billowing out of the stacks and actually being able to taste the pollution we just wondered why anyone would want to work there (it could only have been for the good dollars). Although the site looked a futuristic and unsightly landscape, the setting sun and smoke haze blended together and created a strange but oddly beautiful scene allowing us to momentarily forget the damage and pollution caused by this type of mining.
Luckily some 5kms or so downstream we found another little island where we had to erect the tents with a plague of mozzies attacking us.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Thursday 19th June 2008
Wow......Tony and I have paddled all of the Grand Rapids with just one portage.......and I have to say, it's quite an exhilarating feeling!!
The Old Town canoe has been a great choice, it's felt stable even with its heavy load of gear. Today, as we paddled on one section of the river it looked like the river met the horizon and as we paddled along I decided that we would move over to the left hand side. We paddled across easily but as we got over, I saw the ledge. My mind raced as I thought "Oh no, I've done the wrong thing here" then verbalising "Oh Shit"and the tone used to verbalise certainly left Tony with no doubt that we were coming into something pretty big.
Well it was big, in fact in was a huge, huge, massive wave that spanned almost the entire width of the river. From where we were, it towered above us like a double decker bus and Tony and I had no other option other than, straighten the canoe, drop over the ledge and head straight into it.
The volume of water that slapped into Tony and onto our deck was immense. Once through it seemed like we were padding down into a valley, it was quite a spectacular feeling. Coming out of it felt as though we were trying to climb Mt Everest and it seemed to be taking forever. We had no idea what to expect once we climbed on top of the wave or what the next wave would be like. Fortunately it didn't get any worse and the waves dissipated and the river continued with its fast flow.
The fact that we came through the rapid unscathed though very wet can be attributed to some excellent paddling and given that Tony hasn't paddled anything like this before, he really needs to be congratulated. Having said that however had we known what was coming up, there is no way we would have done it. I think both Tony and I have strained buttock muscles after coming through this rapid that must have been a grade four!!
As Tony and I shot the last rapid, I looked back at an amazing scene . The two mountain ranges met and I could see a valley with the river flowing down. It appeared as though we had closed one door and opened another because as I looked forward the scenery was quite different.
We are now in a motel room in Fort McMurray after being advised against camping in this town and our canoe is behind a fenced area along with a float plane. Fort McMurray is a mining town that unfortunately has a fairly large problem of antisocial behaviour and petty theft. The town itself isn't unpleasant though I haven't yet had a good opportunity to check it out properly.
We are staying for only one night and will be back onto the river tomorrow. Though I must admit having a hot shower is a very special treat and, we've taken the oppotunity to do some laundry!!
The Old Town canoe has been a great choice, it's felt stable even with its heavy load of gear. Today, as we paddled on one section of the river it looked like the river met the horizon and as we paddled along I decided that we would move over to the left hand side. We paddled across easily but as we got over, I saw the ledge. My mind raced as I thought "Oh no, I've done the wrong thing here" then verbalising "Oh Shit"and the tone used to verbalise certainly left Tony with no doubt that we were coming into something pretty big.
Well it was big, in fact in was a huge, huge, massive wave that spanned almost the entire width of the river. From where we were, it towered above us like a double decker bus and Tony and I had no other option other than, straighten the canoe, drop over the ledge and head straight into it.
The volume of water that slapped into Tony and onto our deck was immense. Once through it seemed like we were padding down into a valley, it was quite a spectacular feeling. Coming out of it felt as though we were trying to climb Mt Everest and it seemed to be taking forever. We had no idea what to expect once we climbed on top of the wave or what the next wave would be like. Fortunately it didn't get any worse and the waves dissipated and the river continued with its fast flow.
The fact that we came through the rapid unscathed though very wet can be attributed to some excellent paddling and given that Tony hasn't paddled anything like this before, he really needs to be congratulated. Having said that however had we known what was coming up, there is no way we would have done it. I think both Tony and I have strained buttock muscles after coming through this rapid that must have been a grade four!!
As Tony and I shot the last rapid, I looked back at an amazing scene . The two mountain ranges met and I could see a valley with the river flowing down. It appeared as though we had closed one door and opened another because as I looked forward the scenery was quite different.
We are now in a motel room in Fort McMurray after being advised against camping in this town and our canoe is behind a fenced area along with a float plane. Fort McMurray is a mining town that unfortunately has a fairly large problem of antisocial behaviour and petty theft. The town itself isn't unpleasant though I haven't yet had a good opportunity to check it out properly.
We are staying for only one night and will be back onto the river tomorrow. Though I must admit having a hot shower is a very special treat and, we've taken the oppotunity to do some laundry!!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Tuesday 17th June 2008
We managed about 32kms today which wasn't too bad given that the day included a portage of five and a half hours. The portage was a tough one and really hard work. There was a steep hill of about 300m high which we had to carry our gear up and over. We must have been the first ones through for this season as there weren't any tracks of where anyone else might have come through. We made the trek several times before finally getting all our gear over. Then the final trek of bringing the canoe, Tony and I dragged the canoe with ropes it must have still weighed about 50kgs!
The numbers of mozzies didn't make the portage any easier, they're in plague proportions!!
We did five rapids which went quite well and we'll be approaching more over these next couple of days. The canoe feels really very stable and is handling well through the rapids.
All in all, today has been one of the toughest to date.
The numbers of mozzies didn't make the portage any easier, they're in plague proportions!!
We did five rapids which went quite well and we'll be approaching more over these next couple of days. The canoe feels really very stable and is handling well through the rapids.
All in all, today has been one of the toughest to date.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Sunday 15th June 2008
Well after the start we had yesterday, I was hoping for a better day today and that is indeed what we had.
We met up with some people who had just been out fishing and we got chatting to one another. As we were leaving they mentioned that there was a shack downstream and that we should call in and see a guy called Greg.
We met up with some people who had just been out fishing and we got chatting to one another. As we were leaving they mentioned that there was a shack downstream and that we should call in and see a guy called Greg.
Tony and I set off downstream, seeing plenty of wildlife again. Lots of moose, elks, geese with goslings and ducks with ducklings. We eventually came to the shack the guys had mentioned and we took the opportunity to call in and meet Greg and two of his friends visiting from the city. We spent an hour chatting around the open fire drinking coffee with Baileys and listening to a lot of stories of around the area. Tony hadn't had the pleasure of Baileys in coffee and quickly became a convert to the 'coffee special' that I often enjoy myself.
Every so often one or other, of the two horses (that were free to roam around the property) would nudge their way closer to the fire to get the smoke, apparently this helped to keep the flies out of their eyes. Just before heading off again, Greg mentioned about a great little camping spot downstream where a German guy had built a wooden hut that anyone could use. Sounded like a good spot to head to. Greg also said that they might come down the river to test out their speed boats in the afternoon and bring us along a couple of beers. This sounded like a great idea and Tony and I spent the afternoon listening out for the sounds of speed boats!!
Later that afternoon after paddling around 50kms much to our delight, we heard the sound of jet boats. The guys soon caught up with us and handed Tony and I a beer each, we all sat in our own boats and drifted with the current sharing stories and before we knew it, we had downed three beers.
We eventually left winding our way (could have been the beers that made it seem windy) down the river to the wooden cabin. Tony took the opportunity to sleep in the wooden hut, whilst I erected my tent on a beautiful sandy beach next to a stream and river. It was good to sit here in the sun and reflect about the enjoyable day we had.
Tomorrow we hit some small rapids and it will be interesting to see if the canoe is more manageable since we dropped some weight. I think we'll be at the Grand Rapids in around two days time.
Saturday 14th June 2008
Well I know that I'll certainly remember Athabasca.....why.....because I helped save a man from drowning!!
As I was getting ready to pack up camp, a fisherman came hurrying across to me and asked if I had a rope to help get someone out of the river. Though a little dubious I grabbed my throw bag and headed in the direction that the fisherman went. Sure enough there at the bottom of the steep bank was a guy in the river calling for help. I threw him my throw bag but the guy was so inebriated and hyperthermic that he was unable to grab the rope, so the fisherman went down the slippery bank to tie the rope on him.
As I was getting ready to pack up camp, a fisherman came hurrying across to me and asked if I had a rope to help get someone out of the river. Though a little dubious I grabbed my throw bag and headed in the direction that the fisherman went. Sure enough there at the bottom of the steep bank was a guy in the river calling for help. I threw him my throw bag but the guy was so inebriated and hyperthermic that he was unable to grab the rope, so the fisherman went down the slippery bank to tie the rope on him.
The guy was too heavy and in such a state that he couldn't help himself and we had no chance of getting him up so I held onto him to keep him from falling back in the water whilst the fisherman called 911.
In the meantime another person arrived and he held onto the rope whilst I quickly undressed down to my undies (lucky I had them on!!) and got into the water. It was going to be the only way to get him out. I got behind the guy and started pushing up with my knees whilst pulling on the rope. The other rescuer was also pulling the rope tied to the guy. By using my knees and pushing up centimtre by centimetre and continually picking him up as he fell to one side we managed to get him to the top of the bank.
By the time I got him to the top of the bank both of us were covered with mud. All three of us (rescuers) together carried him across to a bench next to a barbeque where we sat him down. The guy mumbled something about not having any more clothes and tried to stand up, but he was still unable to stand on his own two legs and promptly fell over and split his head on the barbeque. Now not only was he drunk and hyperthermic but he was bleeding from the cut to his head! Fortunately it wasn't long after this that the ambulance arrived, followed by the police and just for good measure also the firebrigade.
I wondered whilst I was in the shower warming up, if this guy would remember why he had such a sore head when he woke up!!
Needless to say our start to the day was a bit later than usual.
I wondered whilst I was in the shower warming up, if this guy would remember why he had such a sore head when he woke up!!
Needless to say our start to the day was a bit later than usual.
Pictures below taken by the third rescuer.
Terry & Tony launching the Canoe from their Athabasca campsite
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Friday 13th June 2008
Well we've made Athabasca in time to get to the post office. We've now packed some gear that we can do without and have sent it off the Canoe North in Hay River. We really needed to lessen the load in the canoe as we're coming up to the Grand Rapids in around three days time. The canoe needs to be lighter so it's easier to control. At the moment the canoe is hard to control because of the weight and given that we're coming up to rapids in the next few days its important to reduce the weight. We're carrying around 50L fresh water, 50kg of food (food for a month) plus our camping gear and clothing.
Tony and I must have looked pretty rough when we called into the post office as they lady there wasn't particularly helpful until we told her what we were doing. Once she knew, she was much more friendly, though she did make some comment about Tony smelling........she did add though that she actually liked the smell of smoke!! The people in Athabasca generally seem to be very nice.
When we arrived here there was thunderstorm with rain but it had cleared when we came out of the post office. Tony and I went and had an enjoyable steak meal.
We've seen a great number of moose with their calves, we even saw a mother and her calf crossing the river. The calf only got about a third of the way across and was really struggling, fortunately the mother and calf turned back to the river bank. They tried to get up the steep bank but the calf was too weak, it lay down for a rest,hopefully it got its strength back.
Tony and I must have looked pretty rough when we called into the post office as they lady there wasn't particularly helpful until we told her what we were doing. Once she knew, she was much more friendly, though she did make some comment about Tony smelling........she did add though that she actually liked the smell of smoke!! The people in Athabasca generally seem to be very nice.
When we arrived here there was thunderstorm with rain but it had cleared when we came out of the post office. Tony and I went and had an enjoyable steak meal.
We've seen a great number of moose with their calves, we even saw a mother and her calf crossing the river. The calf only got about a third of the way across and was really struggling, fortunately the mother and calf turned back to the river bank. They tried to get up the steep bank but the calf was too weak, it lay down for a rest,hopefully it got its strength back.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Thursday evening 12th June 2008
We are only about 50kms from Athabasca now and camped on a very muddy river bank.
The weather has been cool. Quickly phoned the shop (the business I have when I'm not on expeditions), Canoeing Down Under and suggested to Alaine that she brings along rubber boots. Tony and I were talking about the mud and we think Alaine will find the mud difficult to cope with, it'll be interesting to see just how she does cope.
We need to lessen the load in the canoe and we're hoping that we get to Athabasca before the post office closes so we can post some things to Hay River, things that we can do without . Alaine and Leonie are hiring a canoe from Canoe North in Hay River and so we'll take the liberty of sending stuff there. The girls (that word is used loosely) arrive in Hay River on the 8th July.
We've seen plenty of moose with their calves. deer, beaver and ducks. The water was running a bit slower yesterday (Wednesday) but picked up today (Thursday).
The weather has been cool. Quickly phoned the shop (the business I have when I'm not on expeditions), Canoeing Down Under and suggested to Alaine that she brings along rubber boots. Tony and I were talking about the mud and we think Alaine will find the mud difficult to cope with, it'll be interesting to see just how she does cope.
We need to lessen the load in the canoe and we're hoping that we get to Athabasca before the post office closes so we can post some things to Hay River, things that we can do without . Alaine and Leonie are hiring a canoe from Canoe North in Hay River and so we'll take the liberty of sending stuff there. The girls (that word is used loosely) arrive in Hay River on the 8th July.
We've seen plenty of moose with their calves. deer, beaver and ducks. The water was running a bit slower yesterday (Wednesday) but picked up today (Thursday).
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
On the Athabasca River - Four Days On
Monday, June 9, 2008
Well we've been on the water now for four days. The weather has been cool and the water running fast. Monday 9th and we're camped on one of the number of islands/sandbars. Already we're heading towards Fort Assiniboine.The weather forecast for the next couple of days is showery with possible thunderstorms maximus reaching 13c for Tuesday and 15c for Wednesday. Thursday looking brighter with some sunny breaks and a top of 19c.
Well we've been on the water now for four days. The weather has been cool and the water running fast. Monday 9th and we're camped on one of the number of islands/sandbars. Already we're heading towards Fort Assiniboine.The weather forecast for the next couple of days is showery with possible thunderstorms maximus reaching 13c for Tuesday and 15c for Wednesday. Thursday looking brighter with some sunny breaks and a top of 19c.
Sunday, June 8, 2008 - The Journey has begun
Tony and myself have received a great deal of support from my good friends Ed and Sue. These guys live in Utah where they enjoy an active life. Ed and Sue drove their RV towing a trailer from Utah to pick Tony and myself up from Vancouver. They drove us around to the various shops where we picked up our almost new but 2nd hand canoe, our Spot Messenger, our food shopping and all the other various bits and pieces we needed. They then drove us to our put in point in Jasper, Alberta. Without this truly wonderful support, our 4,000km paddle would not have started with such ease and, so Ed and Sue, my very sincere and heartfelt thanks.
Our drive to Jasper went well until we had just passed through a toll gate. I was looking out of the rear window as we passed through the gate we hit a big bump and then I saw the trailer unhitch. I said to Ed "We've lost the trailer" but in my mind I was thinking it's OK, the chains will keep the trailer attached. No sooner had I thought that when the draw bar which was sleeved came adrift and the remaining part of the trailer with the canoe shot past the RV, heading straight towards a ravine. Fortunately there was no on coming trafffic and the canoe stopped several metres beside us. We now had one slightly less than perfect canoe, it's bow and front hull have some damage. Sadly there were no plastic welders on the way to Jasper, looks like we'll be using bitumen tape (also known as plumbers tape in Australia) for our 4,000km paddle.
We arrived in Jasper on Wednesday 4th June. It's a very scenic place and definitely an abudance of wild life. We've seen moose, deer, elk, a variety of birds and several big bears!!
Thursday 5th June
Tony and I decided to do a trial run from Athabasca Falls to Jasper, approximately 28kms. We went to the Falls but it was 8kms of gorges so erring on the side of caution (because we hadn't paddled our C2 in whitewater together before), we put in past the gorges about 8kms downstream. So with Tony at the front and me at the back off we set for the next 20kms.What a paddle we had! I'd suggest that the rapids were around Grade III, with standing waves and lots if bounce. We did pretty well and even though we had our spraydeck on, the canoe got swamped. Fortunately our repair job on the bow of the canoe with the bitumen tape held well.
No reason not to start our trip and so, our Three Rivers Expedition will start tomorrow, Friday 6th June 2008.
Posted by Terry Bolland at 5:41 PM 0 comments
Three Rivers Expedition
The Three Canadian Rivers Expedition, comprising of Athabasca, the Slave and the MacKenzie, a total of 4000kms, is going to be the most challenging, the most diverse, the wildest and more dangerous than any of my other three mighty American Rivers that I have completed.Although the Mississippi 4000kms, the Missouri 4000kms, and the Yukon 3500kms, were remote and had their different and difficult challenges and dangers, the Three Rivers Expedition with its big wilderness rapids, large unpredictable lakes and an untamed wilderness landscape will be truly be an amazing test of endurance and fortitude.On this trip I won't be alone, Tony Chounding and I will tackle the entire 4000km journey in a canoe meeting up with two others, Alaine Davin and Leonie Cockman at Hay River on the Great Slave Lake, at the half way mark.
The Expedition will start around the June 9th upstream of the town of Jasper in the Rocky Mountains near the Columbian Ice field and finish at the Beaufort Sea above the Arctic Circle and a stones throw from the North Pole. Our first challenge will be paddling through the stunning high mountain scenery of the Jasper National Park and down the icy cold river with demanding rapids, ledges, boulder fields, standing waves and an array of white water much of it through canyons.On the calmer sections we are sure to see an array of wildlife and pass by such sights as the high Sunwapta and Athabasca Falls, and other exquisite wilderness scenes that make up the most famous picture books. Compared with Perth it will be cold and we will feel the full brunt of the unpredictable mountain weather.As we move away from the huge mountain peaks of the Rockies and into the forested high hills the river will calm, but still run with haste. In the next 630 kms of remote paddling we will pass a couple of small towns before pausing at the historic town of Athabasca. Here, in the early days fur traders and settlers came from the town of Edmonton by cart trail and then floated down the river on barges and small boats to get to such places as Fort McMurray, Fort Chipewyan and the Peace River Settlement, which were in the wilderness to the north.The river downstream of Athabasca flows through a large wilderness area. For the next 400kms we will see no civilization, only wilderness and a number of grade 3 to 5 rapids, which have taken the lives of several river users. This section will be the most dangerous section that we will encounter on the whole trip, as we will not only have to paddle or portage the rapids but we are expected to come across a number of black bear that frequent these rapids.The most strenuous part of our journey though, will be trying to portage around the Grand Rapids the biggest and most dangerous on this section. This 2.0 km class 4 - 5 rapid, which can apparently be heard 5 kilometres upstream, is not easy to get around due to the formidable and difficult terrain. Here we may have to canoe the easier sections, line and lower the canoe by rope down the more intermediate sections and portage all the difficult sections. This rapid may take a day or two to complete.
Beyond the Grand Rapid we will encounter 11 grade 3 to 4+ rapids, many that are un-navigable for open canoes. Much of this stretch of river is in an inaccessible valley with very high, steep cliffs which does not give much room for the more usual portage trail, nor the chance to abort the trip. Lining, wading and lifting will be necessary to avoid the worst of the rapids.On an expedition last year 12 bears, not counting cubs, were seen in two days along this section. Two encounters were said to be pretty scary.Soon after these major rapids we will arrive at Fort McMurray. This is where for a brief moment we will leave the wilderness and enter a wilderness that has been devastated by tar sand mining. This will be the ugliest part of our journey, but we only intend to linger at Fort McMurray long enough to top up our supplies.From Fort McMurray the river widens at times to 500 metres, becomes shallow and flows smoothly and steadily towards Lake Athabasca and the small community of Fort Chipewyan. At Fort Chipewyan our journey starts on a new course as the water flows from the lake and into the 440 km Slave River. The Slave River is famous for its huge rapids where at the 160km mark, near Fort Smith, a 24 km section of class 4 - 5 whitewater begins. This section of rapids are said to be the largest section of Class 5 whitewater in North America and even bigger and longer than the Colorado through the Grand Canyon. We will definitely portage this section of rapids.After this long set of rapids we will breath easy and head further down stream towards the Great Slave Lake, where we will meet others dangers like exceptionally rough waters and high winds. The Great Slave Lake is 28 568 km2, the fifth-largest lake in North America and the tenth in the world. Here we will paddle 135kms along the lake to reach Hay River, our half way mark. Hopefully we will be on schedule and will meet Alaine and Leonie at Hay River on the 9th of July.
As our first stage of the journey comes to an end another one starts. Although all the dangerous rapids are behind us we still have another 2000 kms of treacherous river conditions of the MacKenzie ahead, including another 100 kms of exposed lake. With the group growing from two to four, there will be a change in group dynamics and different issues will pop up that we will have to deal with.Along this 2000km journey, where the summer sun never goes down, we will be very isolated passing only 8 small villages where supplies will be scarce and expensive. Carrying food and supplies for the entire journey will be important.After 4 more weeks of solid wilderness paddling, averaging 70kms a day, our biggest threat being the unpredictable weather and the occasional bear, we hope to reach the community of Tuktoyaktuk on the Beaufort Sea around the 10th of August.
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