Paddling Against Poverty

Paddle Blog

Thursday August 16, 2007
We picked up a watertight food transport barrel today at 'Europe Bound' on King Street. These things stand about two feet high and a foot in diameter. They're made of thick, rigid plastic and have a lid held in place with a metal retainer which will keep squirrels, racoons and food bandits of that size out of your provisions. Of course the barrel is no match for their larger cousin the bear. Hanging the barrel high and away from a tree trunk is the only way to keep your food supplies safe at night from a hungry bear.

Friday August 17, 2007
We are going to have a satellite phone along on the trip and our plan is to call in updates at the end of each day's paddling which will be posted here in the weblog. Albert To and Steve Lee have kindly offered to maintain the site during the expedition and so they will handle the posting of our updates.

Wednesday August 22, 2007
This weekend we're headed for Palmer Rapids, northeast of Bancroft, where we're taking a two-day whitewater canoeing course given by Wilderness Adventures, an Etobicoke-based trip guiding and canoeing/kayaking training outfit. The course should give us important skills and knowledge about travelling over the moving water of the French River. One of the skills taught is what to do when your craft capsizes so I think we can look forward to doing some swimming during the course. All of our other trips have been over flat water (lakes and streams) where the skill requirements are not as high. It should also be a fun weekend of camping and canoeing with a group of like-minded outdoor enthusiasts and we're looking forward to trying out a chicken, peas and rice in one pot recipe that we came across on the Net.

Thursday August 23, 2007
One very important part of making an expedition like ours happen is logistics. In our case that means transportation because we will need a second driver and car to accompany us. Firstly, to Key River on highway #69 (the end point of our expedition) where our car will be dropped off at Key Marina to await our return. From there we travel across highway #522 to Birchwood Camp & Cottages near Nipissing which is our put-in point. Ben's brother Dennis and sister-in-law Belinda have offered to provide this crucial transport link for us and we are very appreciative of their support.

Monday August 27, 2007
What a great time we had at our white water canoeing course at Palmer Rapids over the past weekend. Our instructor, Barry Godden, taught us a thousand things that we didn't know about canoes, how to manoeuvre them in moving water, how to read moving water, how to stay safe in moving water and how to recover if the unanticipated should happen. Our execution of some of the paddling strokes he taught us was less than perfect at times but he remained encouraging and helpful. Palmer Rapids is a great place to learn about moving water canoeing because in a short space of the lower Madawaska River there are different water conditions which allow students to progress from the basics to actually running a challenging set of rapids. We learned many paddling strokes and put them to the test in running a set of rapids which I had not thought we would be able to master before the start of the course. It started to rain on Friday night after we got our tent set up and continued off and on during Saturday and through much of that night. Fortunately our tent stayed dry so the rain through the day didn't matter. Among many techniques we learned both the front and the back ferry which allows a canoe to move across, or at a right angle to, the current without being moved downstream by moving water. Elayne confounded Barry by asking for an explanation of this 'blackberry' technique but he took it in stride. We also tried a purely fun technique which involved placing the canoe at the right spot in a wave of a rapid and then just sitting there, paddles out of the water, while our canoe literally surfed the wave and remained motionless in the middle of fast moving water - what a strange experience. The course was fantastic and we're so much better prepared for our expedition than we thought possible.

Monday September 03, 2007
We completed a short trip on the Grand River from Paris downriver to the Brant Conservation Area this past Saturday. The outfitter was Grand Experiences and they provided a shuttle from the conservation area to Paris which was helpful. The water levels on the Grand are quite low at this time of the year and a great deal of the time our paddles hit bottom. We did encounter about ten sets of rapids and although they were quite tame a couple of them gave us some moments of excitement. I would say that we negotiated them well if not always just right. We took the time to get out and study one set which looked a bit challenging and discovered a "tongue" of dark water which proved to be the right place to pass through. We practiced our whitewater techniques (peel outs, S-turns, C-turns, front and back ferrying, side slips) which was good for us. In general we got good exposure to moving down a river and keeping our eyes open for what was was coming up ahead, positioning ourselves and avoiding spots where the water showed that there were obstacles just below the surface ("pillows" in the water, and even more minor disturbances which warned of rocks and logs just below the surface). After the completion of our Grand River 'warm up' run we drove back up to Paris and had an excellent "Fillet of Soul" (sole) dinner at the Coffee Bean cafe. For dessert we went across the street to Truffles for some delicious organic ice cream. It's unlikely that we'll find anything like that on the French River but we'll be enjoying campfire cooking and great scenery.

Friday September 07, 2007
Getting last minute supplies and doing the final packing is our agenda for Friday. On Saturday morning we'll head north at 6:30am and meet Ben's brother Dennis and sister-in-law Belinda at 8:00am at the McDonald's restaurant on highway 400 just south of Barrie. From there we head up the 400 to the Swift Canoe location just outside of Waubaushene to pick up our canoe and then continue north on highway 69 to Key River where we'll leave our car at the marina to await our return at the end of the trip. We'll then be shuttled to Wade's Landing on the South Bay of Lake Nipissing via highway 522. Our plan is to get a 7:00am start on Sunday morning and, weather permitting, make it to the mouth of the French River by late afternoon. Keep an eye on the "Updated Trip Info" section of our site (in the left sidebar) as the Route Map has a canoe icon which will show our position as of the end of each day. This weblog will also be updated daily - all via the miracle of satellite technology and the support of Albert and Steve in updating the website.

Saturday September 08, 2007
This is our pre-launch day and it has gone extremely well so far. We met Belinda and Dennis at 8:00AM at the McDonald's north of Molson Park on highway 400 just south of Barrie. We got to Swift Canoe on highway 400 at Waubaushene at 9:00AM just as they were opening and got the canoe loaded on the car. The drive up the highway to the Key River Marina went quickly. This is where we'll end our trip and so we left our car there and continued with Belinda and Dennis. The drive on highway 522 is very scenic and we had an enjoyable lunch stop at the Hillside Motel in Port Loring. We drove on to Wade's Landing which is the at the southmost tip of South Bay on Lake Nipissing for a stop at Billy-Bob's General Store and then continued on to Birchwood Campsite located just outside Wade's Landing. Birchwood is a great campsite with well cared for grounds and clean washrooms and showers. We spent the evening talking with the campground owners, Brigitte and Joachim, and tossing a ball for their dog Charlie. We set our wristwatches for a 6:00am wakeup.

Sunday September 09, 2007
Day One - By the time we had everything packed and ready it was 9:00am. Joachim saved us some labour by transporting all of our stuff to the dock on his tractor. He and Brigitta, and their dog Charlie, saw us off. The campground is on the South River which leads out into the South Bay of Lake Nipissing. On our way out to the lake we saw a huge blue heron swoop low over the water out ahead of us. We covered more than 20 kilometres today which is quite good considering that the wind was creating one to two foot swells that played havoc with our canoe. From about 3:30 to 5:00pm we searched for a campsite. That part of the shoreline of Lake Nipissing is rock which rises five to ten feet above the water making all but the most desperate canoe landings next to impossible. Luck was with us as we found a cove with a sandy beach located just east of Campbell's Bay. The wind had breakers pounding the beach all night long and we were glad to have placed our tent about 30 yards back from the beach where Elayne had found a small clearing in the woods. We were stiff and sore after our first day out on the water and hoped for calmer weather next day. I got on the satellite phone and called in a report of our day's adventures hoping that our idea to have Albert and Steve maintain our weblog and progress map would work as we had planned.

Monday September 10, 2007
Day Two - We woke up in our nice campsite away from the beach to the sound of a strong wind and waves crashing on the beach so we rolled over and went back to sleep. We woke again at about 10:00am with no change in the wind and wave activity. Both of us felt hungry so we set up some tarpaulins as a windbreak and enjoyed a hearty breakfast of oatmeal with raisins and a hot drink. When the dishes were done we talked about the situation and decided the wind was too high to venture out on the lake and so we retired to the tent for a couple of more hours sleep with the roaring of the surf singing in our ears. We awoke at 1:30pm and had lunch in our makeshift shelter. As we were eating we noticed that the sky was beginning to clear and the wind was almost gone. We took this as a good sign and broke camp as quickly as we could and started paddling. We figured that with the time we had left we could make it to the campsites at the mouth of the French River. It is only about five kilometres to Frank's Bay and we covered that distance in just over an hour. From that point we crossed the open water to reach the islands about half a kilometre north. We stopped to talk to a family who were out fishing in their boat and they pointed out which islands the campsites were located on. After a brief inspection of the three available campsites we chose one and soon had a roaring fire going. I wanted to get a photo but could not find the camera. After a frantic search Elayne spotted it in some tall grass where I must have dropped it. We got a late night picture after we had finished our meal of freeze dried turkey and rice with added soy protein. We took time to enjoy the fire and called Belinda and Dennis on the satellite phone. They let us know that our weblog had been updated with yesterday's events so we knew that Albert and Steve were receiving our daily reports. We had just finshed brushing our teeth when a few drops of rain came down and we retired to the tent for the night. Once again there was a high wind with waves crashing on the shore of our island campsite. As a note I want to explain why we bothered setting up a shelter for our meals when our tent would do just as well. It is a very bad idea to expose your tent to the smells of food, toothpaste, suntan lotion or just about anything else you can think of if you want to avoid nocturnal visitations by roaming bruins. Bears follow their nose and they have an exceptionally well developed sense of smell so you want to steer clear of sleeping anywhere that might be a source of interest to them. Don't cook or bring food, or other items, anywhere near your tent or sleeping gear.

Tuesday September 11, 2007
Day Three - We had a rough night last night with high winds and pelting rain. We were very glad that the tent held up under the weather. The storm had not subsided in the early morning and so we slept in until about 9:00am. Once again we enjoyed our staple breakfast of oatmeal with raisins and hot coffee for Elayne and tea for me. After our quick meal we were underway and entering the mouth of the French River at about 10:30am. Today's paddle was enjoyable due to the absence of wind and rain. After we had made camp I went for a swim but Elayne declined to join me due to the coolness of the water. Lake Nipissing had been much warmer. There was a bit of rain but it stopped by the time we had our supper of turkey tetrazinni and couscous (very tasty) and we were treated to a flaming red sunset against the cloud cover while we ate. Our tent was set up on bare rock because it is a challenge to find a decent campsite on the French River. The tent was being held in place by large rocks placed on the tent pegs. We hoped for calm weather as we did not want to put this construction to any serious kind of test. After going over the map we realized that we must have taken a wrong turn somewhere near Drunken Island (yes, that is the name) and headed north instead of west which had put us in a blind alley leading into Twilight Bay. We called in our report over the satphone and retired for a good night's sleep.

Wednesday September 12, 2007
Day Four - We awoke to beautiful sunshine and after breakfast we did some exploratory paddling to confirm for ourselves that we had taken a wrong turn yesterday and ended up in Twilight Bay. That will teach us to pay more attention to our compass. After retracing our route for a couple of kilometres south we paddled in and out of the main channel of the French taking advantage of protected side channels among various islands when we could. For lunch we stopped at a tiny speck of an island in the main channel where we disturbed an otter. Lunch consisted of pemican (smoked and dried bison mixed with Saskatoon berries), pita bread, a cereal bar and a drink made from powdered juice crystals. After lunch we soon reached the eastern side of Okikendawt Island and briefly debated going into the town of Dokis to seek a shower at a marina there but gave it up in favour of making better time. To the south of the island we had a 600 metre portage past the Chaudier Dam and it took two trips to get our gear and canoe through. Elayne struggled over the hilly, rough path with her 75lb. pack but got it to the other end. After getting underway again our only objective was to locate a campsite. We checked one on Boom Island but it was marshy and mosquito infested. We then paddled over to Restoule Bay but the two sites on Hale Island were even worse. We backtracked to Keso Island and made camp on bare rock for a second night. After our active day we were ravenous and had a great dinner of chicken dijon with mashed potatoes (freeze dried of course) and added soy protein which really hit the spot. We had spoken to Belinda and Dennis on the satphone and they told us we could expect single digit temperatures so we put on our long johns and touques for the night. We had covered 14 kilometres including a 600 metre portage which seemed to be a productive day all in all. The following day was expected to be much better weather-wise and we looked forward to it.

Thursday September 13, 2007
Day Five - We awoke to a frosty morning with a temperature in the 3 to 5 degree celcius range which made it a challenge to get out of our sleeping bags to heat water for coffee, tea and oatmeal with raisins. We sure could have used some sunshine but there was heavy cloud cover and a stiff breeze which made it seem even cooler. Nevertheless we got through breakfast, filtered and purified drinking water for the day, loaded the canoe and got underway. After an hour or so of paddling we began to get intermittent sunshine and the temperature warmed which made the journey enjoyable. We covered about 9 kilometres before lunch which we ate on an island just west of Jeurie Marlee Island and enjoyed the view out over the water. After lunch we found it tough going while we played hide and seek among the islands with a strong headwind. Once we turned southwards along the east side of Commanda Island we were sheltered from the wind and the going was quite easy. We made our way as far as the approach to the Rainy Rapids and set up camp there. As it was only late afternoon we both took advantage of the sunshine to get into the water for a refreshing dip even though it was quite cool. After setting up the tent we had a hearty meal of teriyaki chicken with rice and corn topped off with fruit bars for dessert. The mosquitos were bothersome and we felt tired so we retired to the tent for the night. Elayne called her friends Lynda and Shelley on the satphone to let them know we were alright and remind them that our progress was being reported daily on our website. We were hopeful that tormorrow would bring us sunshine and good paddling.

Friday September 14, 2007
Day Six - Today brought us beautiful sunshine - warm with no wind. We enjoyed getting up and having our breakfast. We didn't rush to get started and set off at about 10:00am. We got turned around again and had a hard time finding the opening leading to the Rainy Rapids. Fortunately we were able to follow two fishermen who were going into the channel we were looking for. This was the approach to the Rainy Rapids and ironically enough by the time we got there the sky was dark and the wind was up and then the rain started. It was not an ordinary rain but a heavy, drenching downpour. In no time we were both soaked to the skin. We portaged past the first set of rapids and ran through the second set with only minor difficulty. When we got to the third set of rapids there was no clear portage and we searched in the downpour until we found a way to get around that very long and winding watercourse. The portage was poor and wet rocks made the footing treacherous - especially carrying the canoe. We set off downriver again with the pouring rain continuing to drench us. We came to another set of rapids which we ran successfully. Another kilometre downstream we came to the "Blue Chute/Double Rapids" and we set up camp on the high rocks at the brink of the river. We had the woosh and roar of the water just below us. Just as we were about to change into dry clothes a group of paddlers arrived to inspect the rapids and we had to wait until they left before we could change. We soon had a warm fire going and had a much needed supper of pineapple chicken and southwestern couscous with added soy protein. Needless to say we both felt that a spell of good weather was sorely needed over the next few days if we were going to make up some of the time we had lost. We have three or four sets of rapids ahead of us tomorrow.

Saturday September 15, 2007
Day Seven - There was very little rain today and some intermittant sunshine. Yesterday's campsite on the brink of the rapids allowed us to watch four other canoes run the rapids which showed us the best path through them. This gave us more confidence and as soon as we were ready we shot through the surging water. The first set was very intense with fast moving water in a narrow rock channnel creating tremendous hydraulic force. You don't want to get the approach wrong as the canoe might get turned sideways and wrapped around a rock. We kept ourselves in the "tongue" of the water flow and as we came to the end of it Elayne did a perfect cross-bow draw to change our direction away from an obstacle ahead. After we had passed through the rapids I thought to myself that our whitewater instructor, Barry Godden, would have been proud of us. Later in the day we also ran the 'Big' and the 'Little' Parisien rapids. We had expected to have to deal with the Crooked rapids but the low water levels had all but eliminated any sign of them. We stopped for a nice lunch on an island about 1.5 kilometres below the nonexistent Crooked rapids. Once the river widened again we found ourselves dealing with an intense headwind and occassional downpours. We passed by Cross Island where some Jesuit priests were laid to rest after drowning in the rapids and we saw the white crosses overlooking the river. By the time we reached Bark Bay, just above Parisien Island, we were ready to call it a day and set up camp.

Sunday September 16, 2007
Day Eight - Last night, at about 2 or 3 am, we were thrilled to be awkened to the howls of a wolf pack somewhere on the French River. It is one of the great outdoor experiences to hear them from your tent! We woke up to mist and fog obscuring everything further than six feet away. It was beautiful but when the sun came up the veil was lifted to a clear blue sky with the surface of Bark Bay as smooth as a pane of glass. After a hearty breakfast of oatmeal and raisins we set off and made good time under a clear, sunny, warm sky. In an hour we had covered six kilometres and decided to stop for an early lunch at Owl Head rock. As we set off after lunch we noticed that a breeze had come up and soon we were paddling into a heavy wind with gusts that had to be in the 50 to 60 kilometre per hour range. The wind created wave conditions in the order of 8 to 12 inches - all coming against us of course. What had started out as a day in which we could have covered added distance turned out to be an average day where we covered about 12 kilometres. Forunately we found a great campsite on Lost Child Bend in the main channel which is less than an hour's paddle from the French River Supply Post just off of highway 69. The campsite had a sandy beach and there was enough topsoil to securely peg down the tent. By about 9:00pm the wind died down. We enjoyed a great supper of pasta prima vera with added soy protein and a dessert of hot chocolate and strawberry fruit bars. We had put up a wind break that turned out to be unnecessary and even the temperature had risen somewhat.

Monday September 17, 2007
Day Nine - We had a record day for paddling today covering about 23 kilometres and we ran two sets of rapids and portaged around another. On our way we stopped at the French River Supply Post where we indulged ourselves in a piece of cheese, ice tea and two ice cream bars each. What a treat it was and we enjoyed every bite while seated at a picnic table outside the Supply Post. The French River runs through a high rock gorge below the Supply Post which is very dramatic and beautiful. We had some trouble finding a campsite for the night and searching for one added some 5 kilometres to the day's journey. The portage past Recollet Falls was not difficult as there is a boardwalk over the entire distance. We ran two sets of rapids without incident after taking our time to set up our route through them and plan the execution. We covered a good distance today despite the ever-present headwind. The scenery was enjoyable and made the kilometres slip by. We reached our campsite, in Pickeral Bay at the western end of Fourteen Mile Island, quite late after rejecting several others as unsuitable. Our supper of mediterranean pasta (with added soy protein) was finished just as the sun was going down. As a bonus we saw an early moonrise over the pine trees and the entire scene was reflected in the mirror surface of the still water. We spoke with Belinda and Dennis on the satphone and they told us the weather is supposed to be good for the next few days so we anticipate a good day's paddling south to Georgian Bay tomorrow.

Tuesday September 18, 2007
Day Ten - We got off to a good start this morning under a grey sky. As we emerged from the protection of Pickeral Bay we experienced the first of the heavy wind gusts out of the southwest that would push against us all the way from Bad River Turn at the northern end of the Main Outlet (10:00am) down to our campsite on Obstacle Island on Georgian Bay (5:00pm). We dodged in and out of coves and inlets in an effort to get out of the wind but there was no avoiding it. The only remedy was hard paddling. We stopped for lunch at The Elbow which is the confluence of the Main Outlet and the Eastern Channel. The wind stayed with us as we pushed ahead to reach the 240 metre portage past the old logging camp below Bass Lake. On a tip from Kevin Callan's book we stopped in at one of the cabins in the camp, called Rainbow Lodge, and made a notation in the logbook about our French River expedition. The portage itself was not difficult as there is a wooden walkway and a cart to transport packs. The walkway also made carrying the canoe a lot easier. From there it was only a short 1 kilometre paddle to Obstacle Island but our constant foe the wind was there to dog our tracks to the last. We got our camp set up and had a good supper of grilled chicken breast and mashed potatos with spinach and feta cheese (freeze dried of course) and retired to the tent about an hour after sunset. As I wrote my day's journal entry the wind was roaring through the trees and I could only imagine what the conditions were like out on Georgian Bay. We spoke with Belinda and Dennis on the satphone and they told us that the winds tomorrow should be 15 kilometres per hour in the morning but would increase to 25 kilometres per hour in the afternoon. We planned to get an early start to take advantage of the better conditions and see how far we were able to go. The most optimistic scenario would put us at Key Harbour on the mouth of the Key River but depending upon conditions we may have to hold over at the bottom of Fox Bay or just above Dead Island Channel.

Wednesday September 19, 2007
Day Eleven - We didn't get as early a start as we'd hoped. By 9:00am we were on the water heading out into Georgian Bay with a light wind and no appreciable wave activity off of Obstacle Island. Our course was due southeast and as we made our way into open water we quickly discovered that even light winds mean serious business for a canoe on Georgian Bay. As we passed Beacon Rock we struggled with one and two foot swells. Around us the water was clashing with the innumerable rocks and tiny rock islands that spread out across this part of Georgian Bay and make up the Thirty Thousand Islands. We had to penetrate the maze of the Outer Fox Islands and then negotiate another stretch of open water as we made our way to Dead Island Channel. We stopped for lunch on the spit of land just above the Channel and we were treated to the sight of the sunlight glistening off of the aquamarine water of the Bay and the breakers crashing against the outer rocks and islets. By the time we set out across open water toward the south end of Dokis Island the wind had picked up. The swells were now in the three foot range and as we travelled the bow of the canoe was extended out into the air a good deal of the time before slamming down into the trough and soaking Elayne. The trip past Dokis Island was difficult as the surging water pushed us toward the rocky southern shore. Navigating in that rough water was a feat in itself. As we travelled southeast the wind and the waves came from the southwest. If we had tried to simply travel in a straight line southeast we would have been swamped in an instant. Instead we directed ourselves at a 45 degree angle from our desired direction of travel and the combination of our forward motion and the push of the waves caused us to move sideways in the direction we wanted to go. This required constant diligence and strenuous paddling on our part to keep ourselves from going over. We made our way in this fashion to Mann Island and from there toward the eastern shore of Georgian Bay. We hailed a passing fisherman who confirmed that it was indeed Key Harbour and the opening of the Key River that lay just before us. We discussed the pros and cons of setting up camp there for the night and agreed that we would push on up the Key River and try to reach the Key River Marina which was about 13 kilometres away. The Key River is wide and flat for the most part and for the first time since we departed the South River into Lake Nipissing 10 days earlier the wind was at our back. The Key River has many marshy stretches alternating with high rock that creates gorges in some sections. By the time we reached the final five kilometres we both felt the fatigue brought on by the rough crossing of Georgian Bay and our pace was languid to say the least. We reached the Key River Marina at 5:45pm and found our car where we had left it. Once the gear and canoe were loaded we made for the Parry Sound Travel Lodge and our first shower in 11 days.

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