The NATOGAMI RIVER Trip - August 2004!!.

Click on any of the pictures below to get an enlarged version.

August 3rd-25th 2004

Leaders

Participants

General Info

Maps Needed

Previous Trip Reports Used

Access Points

Total Paddling Distance

Number of Paddling Days

Number of Portages

General Campsite Information

Pace of Trip

Skill level of Group

Weather

Day 1, July 6th, 2004 – Wanapitei to Side of Detour Lake Road

Km: many
Hrs on Road: 5ish

Camper Report (Katy R. and Emily)

Day 2 - Roadside Rest Day

Km: 0
Hrs on Water: 0
Weather: sunny, cloudy, rainy, sunny breaks

We let the other Baytrip get ahead to avoid competition for sites and related confusion.

Camper Report (Hallie, Ellen, Katy R., Katie O., and Emily)

Day 3 – Roadside – Unnamed Lake 468102

Km: 15
Hrs on Water: 6
Weather: cloudy and STRONG North (head) winds

Nice Campsite.

Camper report (Katy R. and Tall David)

Day 4 – 468102 – Beach on Right shore halfway up Cooke’s Pond

Km: 47
Hrs on Water: 11
Weather: cloudy, sunny, N winds

Creek had less than half a dozen pullovers and a nice current. Some shallow swifts along the way near the end. Not easy following where you are on the map. Bushcrashing is possible in the creek but not recommended during bug season.

Camper Report (Hallie)

We were awakened early by Laurel, and shit was eaten (although not necessarily willingly) for breakfast. We got on the water by about 9:30, and headed to the never-ending creek. About halfway through the morning, when we were still excited about paddling, we played a game of trivia for granola bars. We paddled and dragged over beaver dams, and finally stopped for a floating lunch to rest our arms. The bad weather that had followed us all morning dissipated, and we enjoyed lots of sun and some wind to keep off the bugs. Midway through the afternoon we started getting antsy. Every corner was starting to look the same, we were getting tired, and no one knew when we would get to the campsite. After what seemed like an eternity, 47 kilometers after we hit the creek, it started widening, and “hallelujahs” were screamed as the creek opened up into a lake. A beautiful sunset was enjoyed, and cameras flashed. It look us awhile to find a suitable campsite, but, as dark rolled in, a beach site appeared. We found a note written with charcoal on a rock that said, “Burn this. Love BTB”, pointing to some wood. A sleeping group devoured pesto for dinner, and we finally got to sleep, happy with what we had accomplished.

Day 5 – Cooke’s Pond - 553500

Km: 26
Hrs on Water: 9
Weather: sunny, N winds

We traveled with a relaxed pace and had shallow swifts along the way. The bush crash site is small.

Camper Report (Ayden)

Ah, yes! Day five! This morning we woke up to the sound of the loons followed by the beam of the rising sun. We packed our gear and steered our canoes into the light headwind that was making its way from the north. We made our way through the light swifties with ease like an osprey and sliced through the river like a beaver. It was beautiful; we could hear more wildlife than days before. The sky was clear with a little bit of cloud here and there. We stopped by what seemed to be a little hunting cabin. We ate lunch there as well as putting what looked to be a new outhouse in to use. Once again we were off for our final stretch. We paddled our way into the evening sun. We found a small but good campsite and saddled up there for the night. The goo’ ol’ mates there made us a wonderful dinner. We kiddies were oft’ta bed.

Day 6 – 553500 - 595626

Km: 22.5
Hrs on Water: 8.5
Weather: cold, cloudy, N wind

Camper Report (Ellen)

“Shotgun not soloing when Old Lady Atkinson croaks!”

We pushed ourselves off the bush crash campsite to an oatmeal breakfast. This morning we approached our first true set. Scouting and then learning to shoot two lines at once. Afterwards Derek and Stuart lost the last lure in the limbo and we came to the sad realization that this morning was our last fish breakfast. Lunch was chickpea salad. During the afternoon that followed Old Lady Atkinson discovered her true identity, hence the quote of the day. Spaghetti dinner and sugar balls were served at a nice beach site.

Day 7 – 595626 - 585761

Km: 14
Hrs on Water: 7.5
Weather: COLD, cloudy, N winds, rain at night

Camper Report (Hutch)

We started the day with one of our eight granola breakfasts….yummmmm (NOT!). We left the campsite at 11 am and battled headwinds on Newnham Bay. As we approached our lunch spot a giant gryphon came out of the sky and snatched Sam out of the bow of our boat. We all stopped for a couscous lunch. After lunch the gryphon returned Sam and he told us of his great journey to a land where polar bears lived in the South Pole and penguins lived in the north. He also told us of a land of candy, marshmallows, and Whiskey Rivers. We paddled against the winds until we reached the end of the bay. We then decided to camp on the beach. The night ended with a pizza dinner and rain.

Day 8 – 585761 – Cabin on Unnamed Lake

Km: 20
Hrs on Water: 8
Weather: COLD, rain all day, N winds

Camper Report (D’rak, wait a minute…..I’m not a camper…..am I?)

The morning started well as the rain had stopped from the night before as we rose from out of our tents. Even I decided to make his presence felt this morning. However, soon after the cream-o magically leapt out of the food pack the rain came, and it came with a north wind, the best way to wake up in the morning. Although, the weather was seemingly bad it turned out to be an awesome day. Crossing Lake Kesagami was an amazing paddle. The mist blurred our vision of the black spruce canopy that lined the shoreline as our canoes bounced up and down with the large rolling waves. We felt like we were on a roller coaster ride as the waves caused our fellow canoeists to momentarily disappear from our sight. Chilled to the bones, we stopped for a lunch of Logan loaf and hot chocolate. Warmed by the fire and by thoughts of sailing with the wind, we got back on the lake. All seven boats were lashed together and the monster tarp was tied to bow decks and paddles. 1-2-3…the Black Pearl took off south down the lake into Opimicon Bay. Arrrrrrr….Hard to starboard, waves of 3, steady as she be, dip your oars so deep as to wake the codfish, hoist the sails and more silly phrases came pouring out of our pirate boat. I lost my voice yelling out commands and I pretended to be the captain. Hallie and Stu did the hard work by getting the sail high. Ellen, Sam, and Emily kept the sail up from the bow. Tall David, Hutch, and Ayden worked the rudder. Everyone else took their turns at various tasks which included bailing and chillaxing. By the time we got to the portage we had calculated that we had done speeds as high as 10 km/h in the Black Pearl. The portage into the unnamed lake was muddy, but it felt great between the toes for those of us with sandals. I gave a quick ecology lesson on why the morphology of leather leaf, Labrador tea, and sphagnum moss make it suitable for a low water availability environment. We also saw the sundew plant in the middle of digesting a small insect. Our eyes will be peeled for more exciting carnivorous plants. Once on the unnamed lake we discovered a cabin north on the late that was open but apparently abandoned. We set up our tents on the inside of the shack out of the rain. Stu and Hallie headed up a Mac and cheese expedition as Franco helped out. Double brick dinner! Yummmmmmmm! Sleep well.

Day 9 – 442710 – hummock/hill in creek

Km: 3
Hrs on Water: 5
Weather: COLDER, rain all day

The creek is really narrow and hard to follow. Dragging sections is a must. The creek could be paddled in a day had the weather and medical situations been different. We set up camp in the hummock (it is the only visible slight elevation of land that you will see along the way). We dragged our boats trough bush and water to get to it. It was a bad and wet site.

Camper Report (Hallie)

Up “Shit Creek” WITH a paddle.

Natogami (ON) - On day 9 of a 23 day trip, twelve campers and their two counselors from Camp Wanapitei set off from a cabin where they had spent the night, to head to a creek. At the time they left, no one realized the terrors that lay ahead. “We thought we were getting a river full of shit”, said camper Katie O’Kell, “We ended up getting a whole creekfull”. The camper and their two counselors set off down the creek in pretty good spirits. The skies were cloudy, there was a chance of rian, but as James “Hutch” McCutcheon said, “I thought I could do this with my eyes closed”. After an hour, though, the campers were feeling differently. “The creek was getting worse, but we still thought the crappy part would be behind us soon”, remarked Emily Curtis. “I really don’t think it would’ve been as bad as it was if it wasn’t for the bunch of complaining wussies (campers)”, this reporter overheard maniac leader Derek Cutler remark under his breath to Laurel Atkinson, the other trip leader (The previous quote was edited from ‘weather’ to ‘bunch of complaining wussies’). “Derek’s constant whining was almost as bad as the log jams”, whined Alex Trebbne. As the day wore on everybody’s spirits started to drop. “It was freaking miserable” remarked Ellen Stephenson. “It was also freaking freezing”. The group stopped for snacks and the rain began to fall. “It was an endless dreary rain the felt it would never end”, said Katy Radlett. “We soldiered on throughout log jams and endless reeds”, remarked Atkinson. “The creek gradually turned into swamp, which was really hard to get through. The day started getting colder, and the campers were shivering uncontrollably. “Half of us were wet up to the waist from wading in the creek”, Ayden Branch told this reporter, “and the other half of us had raincoats that were completely soaked through”. Finally, Atkinson and Cutler decided to drag a boat and see if they could find land while McCutcheon and Branch dragged their boat down another fork to see if they could find land that way. “we were about 100 meters down the right fork when we heard the counselors scream”, said McCutcheon. “We asked them if they’d found the portage, and they said they had….I just stood there in the rain for five minutes, turned around and slammed my paddle down on the thwart and broke it”. Meanwhile, Radlett and Hallie Herz decided to drag their boat to land. “Suddenly, Hallie couldn’t breathe”, said Katy. “She had an asthma attack”. “We moved her to the next boat back,” said Trebbne. The campers waited in the boats for about an hour --- they were waiting for Laurel who went off to find the hummock to possibly camp on that night. “It was raining, and it was freezing”, said Sam Norris. “Cold cold cold cold cold cold cold cold cold,” pretty much summed it up for Stuart Todd. Finally, Laurel came back and the group decided to camp on the dry (“dry-ish,” Norris said) land above the swamp. Food packs were brought up, and Atkinson brought Herz, who was still suffering from an asthma attack, up to dry land where a tarp had been set up. Once they got to the tarp, Herz had another asthma attack. “If my fingers could work,” said Atkinson, “I could get her puffer out”. Finally, when the group was kind of dry, they ate chocolate, fig newtons, and tuna wraps for dinner, and headed to bed. “I could honestly say,” concluded Gillies, “that it was the worst day of my life”. This is Hallie Herz reporting for Camp Wanapitei News. Now back to you….

Day 10 – hummock – Beach 436666

Km: 2
Hrs on Water: 3.5
Weather: COLD, rain all morning clearing into the evening, FROST at night

PORTAGE – from just below the hummock we followed a 230 degree compass bearing to find the creek again. No clear trail exists but the landscape offers relatively easy passage. Bring flagging tape.

From below the portage, the creek contains a lot of water and is easy to navigate.

Camper Report (David S./Franco/Dr.S)

Derek and Laurel decided to sleep in because of the weather; it was much warmer by 10 am. Before waking up the group, Derek asked French David if he wanted to come and find the portage. Derek and French David left at 10:30 shooting a bearing of 230 degrees but we found some sort of portage that formed a detour around the wood. We found the creek, and Derek let me shoot the bearing back to our camp. I decided not to take the detour and cut right towards the wood. For a moment, Derek thought I got us lost but I was right on target. After a breakfast of granola, chocolate chips, raisons, butter, brown sugar, and rain water, the group did the portage in two trips and finished the 1 km left of the creek. At the end of the creek there was a really good campsite on a beach. We played a few games of mafia and Stuart was always one of the first to go. A lot of people read their books, including me. We went to bed later that night.

Day 11 – 436666 – RL above the log jam 358713

Km: 19
Hrs on Water: 6.5
Weather: cloudy with sunny breaks, NO NORTH WINDS!!!

The log jam is incorrectly reported at other coordinates on other trip reports we used

Camper Report (Katy R., Emily, Hallie, and Katie O.)

Woke up late and had a slow start. Chocolate chip pancakes were whipped up by Emily and Ellen. We headed off into the lake, awaiting the mouth of the Natogami River. We reached the mouth and cheers were exchanged as we realized that we had NO MORE lake paddling! We cruised down the Natogami, chatting and sharing stories. We pulled up to our first little bit of whitewater and shot it easily (I like to eat, eat, eat, apples and bananas….). A small lunch of chickpea salad was eaten. Then we continued paddling, looking for our campsite. Just at the log jam, Alex and Undale (Ayden) found a nice place to camp. Derek cooked up a storm of rice, onions, and caribou, our special meal. It was so sexy! After dinner, chocolate was eaten by all (some had a little more than others), and we got a bit hyper! We sat round the camp fire talking and laughing at jokes about Survivor. Then bed, long day tomorrow.

Day 12 – 358713 to A-frame (300 805 ish)

Km: 23
Weather: nice when sunny but cool when cloudy

Shallow swifts all day with maybe 1 or 2 R1’s in our water levels. The rocky ledge marked by the topo was not easily runnable with our levels. Can scout/line/liftover on either side.

Camper Report (Emily and Katy R.)

This morning started off like every other: moans, groans, and multiple violent threats from Derek. We stayed at one of the best sites yet. Many beautiful pooping logs were scatters about, and the majority of them were taken advantage of. A slimy, yet tasty, oatmeal breakfast was prepared by Sam and Ayden and we (BEFORE NOON) left our site and embarked on another day’s journey. Many swifties and rapids were enjoyed by the group before our lunch of tea biscuits. Now this was no ordinary lunch. In fact, I may say it was the angriest, most stressful lunches that I have enjoyed on trip so far. The tea bisks were cooked to perfection thanks to our talented leaders. What I found especially puzzling, though, was that even though there were enough biscuits for everyone and condiments galore, every single one of us was acting like the meal was the last food we would ever see or eat. “PASS THE PEANUT BUTTER! THE PEANUT BUTTER! OH MY GOSH WHERE IS THE PEANUT BUTTER?!?”. Eventually, we all got enough food to satisfy our bellies. Well, I am not sure if Tall David’s belly ever gets full, but anyways….After lunch we continued on our Natogami River Journey. Unfortunately, the tea bisks did not quite stick to our ribs and all too soon we were ready for dinner and our sleeping bags. After what seemed endless hours of paddling and paddling we arrived at our new home for the night. After yummy lasagna, a hunt for axe murderers, and some dandy hot chocolate we hit the tents for an early night. Ahhhh! Mosquitoes! G’nite.

Day 13 – 300185 ish - 196918

Km: 19
Weather: SUNNY!

There were continuous shallow swifts with scattered R1’s along the way. It can be challenging to keep off the rocks. There are two runnable ledges above ‘20-foot’ falls. We camped above the falls on RL. The PORTAGE around the falls and site were in bad condition with a lot of blown over trees.

Camper Report (Katy R.)

Woke up to the sun shining and thank goodness the ax murderer didn’t show his face in the night, we were safe. Breakfast was prepared; it was granola and everyone was in a good mood. But we couldn’t eat until Sam got up. SAM GET UP!! But still he slept, so Katy and Tall David took the tent down on him (hee hee hee). Finally, we ate our sexy meal and set off. We had beautiful sunny weather and swifties (woo-hoo!) all day long! We stopped for lunch in an eddy and had some very very sexy pasta salad, which everyone agreed was the best yet. We paddled on and suddenly we saw “campsite, good good!”. But there was a problem: half wanted to stay and half wanted to go. So Derek with his quick thinking set up a court room to sort out this problem. With his crazy Scottish accent we came to a solution we will push on towards the falls. Oh, by the way we had 4 dumps that day. We got to our campsite/portage and found there was no portage, so we had to bush crash over and under the fallen logs. We set up our tents in the really crappy campsite, and James and Dr. S. whipped up some sexy Alfredo. Some card games were played then bed. The site had amazing blueberries!

Day 14 – 20 ft. falls – island right below/among a set (178953)

km: 5
Hrs on Water: 7
Weather: cloudy with sunny breaks, COOL

Below Falls is a long R2 with a 10-ft drop at the bottom we ran right up to the drop and carried over on river right. Following this was a fun R2 with a fun 1m ledge among it. Below is a sea of rocks in calmer water that make a great swimming/lunch site. Following is another short R1/R11 that is connected with swifties all the way to a long, rocky drop on the right side of the island that contained our campsite.

Camper Report (Alex and Katy R.)

We woke up to cloudy skies, it was a little cold out, and the sky threatened rain. Ayden and I masterfully cooked oatmeal for breakfast. Yesterday some folk had picked voluptuous blueberries while Ayden kept eating them. The oatmeal tasted of tangy blueberry and was eaten with gusto. The portage we camped on was extremely tricky; there was a dead log garden to navigate. On the way down the first set of the day someone found Derek’s shoe which was lost the previous day. After a few sets, we stopped at a ledge to eat lunch and swim. Not soon after lunch, Katy and I found the campsite. The day was a wonderful day of white water --- our best so far! We had wicked sets and no one dumped!! We ate tuna tortillas for lunch, and some campers went swimming down the rapids. At the camp site, pasta was made with Sam’s special sauce. Later, Hallie and James made the most amazing brownie mix. Hope we don’t get sick!

Day 15 – 178953 – 168979 (40ft falls)

Km: 4
Hrs on Water: 2
Weather: cloudy with occasional showers

Calm water brings you to ’10 ft falls’ marked on the map. The PORTAGE is bushy but short on RR. Next up is a small runnable chute that brings you right up to the PORTAGE of ’40 ft.’ falls on RR. The trail follows the shore. Nice campsite.

Camper Report (Ellen)

We woke up late to a breakfast of scrambled muffins. We paddled a short distance before reaching a falls which we portaged around in record speed. It was a very short portage. A few swifts separated us from the next falls/portage which we camped at. Awesome chili and lemon cranberry bread was consumed for supper. Some frothy white water and the promise of a warm spot beside the first convinced some to brave the cold water bum sliding. There was also a tattooing party. Hopefully the tattoos can cover James’ wounds he received going over the falls. Many our Olympic events were born today from log lifting to flex off to bum sliding to a hairiness competition. It was a short day on the water but a fun day without a doubt. Be on the lookout, future groups, for Ayden’s and Katy’s names on the huge driftwood tree below the falls.

Day 16 – 168979 – RL ½ hr paddle past Horseshoe Falls (154018)

Km: 4.5
Hrs on Water: 5
Weather: cloudy and cool

A fun chute starts below the ’40 ft.’ falls. Swifties connect it to another R1/R2. This brings you up to Bullseye Chute which is right above a falls. Because of the proximity to each other, we PORTAGED on RL around both. The trail is hard to find/follow but it is a short walk. After this is another R1/R2. Following are two wee ledges that take you right up to Horseshoe Falls. PORTAGE is in RR and is short but hard to follow as usual. Swifties follow downstream and the bushcrashing opportunities are fairly plentiful.

Camper Report (Katy R. and Katie O.)

We woke up refreshed after our half rest day. We packed up and had a creamy breakfast of shit. After brekkie, Derek sat us down and we had an inspiring talk about the environment and our trip. After we all felt a bit closer to Mother Nature and lucky to be out in the middle of the woop woop aka the middle of nowhere. We packed up and pushed off, excited for the best day ever. We hit some beautiful sets and they were shot wonderfully, but on one set Franco and Emily thought they would go for a swim, with their packs! We came to a falls and the counselors went to check it out, while the campers waited. Then, out of nowhere, a huge stick throwing fight was started off by Katy and Ayden. It was broken when we had to portage. After a sexy lunch of couscous, we had a few sets, and then a very eventful set came up. Katy and Katie went down and WOW English Katy almost flew out of the boat, but she saved herself. Then Emily and Franco thought the water was so nice they would go for another swim! After the rescue we ate snacks of chocolate and nuts. We paddled down to another set and a nut fight was started by Irish Katie and Alex. We paddled down and found a nice bush crash and decided to camp. We ate a sexy big soup cooked by Katy. We ate soup and the rain fell hard!

Day 17 – RL past Horseshoe falls – 128137 ish (RL just before the confluence of the Kiosko River

Km: 20
Hrs on Water: 4.5
Weather: rainy and cold

Shallow swifties and pick and chose R1’s are present all day long.

Camper Report (Ellen)

Woke up to an oatmeal breakfast. Suddenly, somebody discovered a boat was missing! Hooray for Emily and Derek who rescued it. Lucky it wasn’t too far away, thanks to the head winds. We pushed off at a decent time. It was a day of mostly shallow swifts. It was pretty rocky but fun anyways. We stopped for a lunch before paddling a little further. We held a court case on whether to camp early and the jury voted in favour of staying at the rocky beach. Two more Bay Trip Olympic events were developed. First, a rock throwing competition. Sam was the first to hit the black rock. Tall David won for best hit without a doubt: he skipped it 5 times before hitting the rock! Our second Olympic event was wrestling. Laurel and Derek started but in no time people and water were being tossed everywhere. Nobody stayed allied for very long. Stu was tactful and Hallie was laughing non-stop. Everyone was having a good time. Mac and cheese filled our stomachs followed by some yummy chocolate chunks. Everybody packed up and went to bed in order to beat the heavy rain and wind that night.

Day 18 – 128137 – Kagawask Rapids (114511) on North French River

Km: 50
Hrs on Water: 10.5
Weather: cloudy, occasional rain with some sunny breaks

Shallow swifties all day long

Camper Report (Katy R.)

We woke with the sun, today was the dreaded push day! It was ridiculously freezing. We gulped down dream of wheat; to some it was cream of crap. We set off at 9:45 am OMG!! Celebration!! That’s our first time ever (it will never happen again). We headed off into CRAZY winds; they were changing every 5 minutes. It was amazingly creepy when the winds swept across the river; it was like ghosts speeding across. I felt so sorry for the other Baytrippers so I said a little prayer for them (I hope it got to them). We had only paddled for 10 minutes when whoo-hooo we entered the Kiosko. It was still pretty shallow but we cruised along with hopes of lunch when we reached the North French River. About two hours later we reached the North French! Yahoo! Three rivers in one day! We stopped for lunch of crackers and chick pea salad and the rain fell (oh well). We pushed on and the rain drizzled. We stopped for 2 snacks, granola bars and fig newtons. Then we thought we would sail (bad idea). We raised the sail and arrrr the Black Pearl was a-sail again. But the wind died and it failed. We tried again, but it seemed that the wind ghost hated us, the sail died again. We did learn one thing: Stu is the best poker in history! We carried on until it began to grow dark. Half the group checked out a campsite and the other half checked out one on the other side of the river. Stuey, being brave but very stupid, picked up a huge stick and threw it at Derek. Derek’s cheeky grin quickly disappeared into a look of terror as he realized the stick was heading straight for his eye. He just dodged it. We picked a camp site and ate pasta surprise made by Stu and Tall David. Oh! Forgot Stu said a wonderful phrase today that will stay in our minds for ever. He woke up and said, “It smells like wet dog and ugly people”. We went to bed with high hopes of Moosonee tomorrow.

Day 19 – 114511 – Tidewater PP (West side of Charles Island)

Km: 29
Hrs on Water: 9
Weather: sunny, cloudy, rainy, sunny breaks

Shallow swifties at the marked sets on the map but lots of water once on the Moose River. We headed up to Tidewater east of Bushy Island because tidal levels prevented us from doing anything else.

Camper Report (Emily)

In general, I think that most of us had a great sleep. We woke up to a breakfast of granola …… yummy! Due to the slow, sloth-like movements of the campers, we did not expect to make it to Moosonee. Aside from the occasional swifty, we had an easy morning paddling. However, during our lunch break, Katy fell ill. Derek instinctively came to the rescue and heroically paddled Katy the rest of the way. Much to our surprise we were soon padding Moose Factory and nearing our camp site. What came as an even bigger shock was when we rounded the bend, only to see that Derek-the-solo-machine was already there. We quickly unloaded our boats and all became lethargic slobs. We later greeted the arrival of Bay Trip B and had a lovely evening following (Katy still sick).

Day 20 – Tidewater PP – Long Point on James Bay or Moosonee and back to Tidewater

Km: 30 to the Bay and Back; 1 to Moosonee and back
Weather: cold and rainy

Camper Report (Hallie and Laurel)

Woke up to a cloudy sky at an ungodly hour. The skies were grey and it rained a little as we packed for the bay. Graciously, Derek offered to wake up BEFORE us, and he cooked us up an awesome breakfast of deep fried pancakes. After breakfast, Franco, Ellen, Tall David, James, Laurel and I set off in two canoes, assisted by tailwinds and the tide (what? Tides on a river? We think Laurel is lying), and the current. We spotted an eagle that left us open-mouthed as it flew out of a tree right above us. After that, we kept our eyes peeled for wildlife. We stopped halfway to the bay to rest our arms and look at the maps. We set off again, paddling hard. The rain persisted, and Tall David was POSITIVE we saw the other Bay Trip on the other side of the river, and Laurel told us we were 1.5 km away from Long Point when we say something seemingly HUGE walking about on the point. It was a person! Our eyes had been fooled by the vastness of the bay, and we realized that we had found Bay Trip B! We snuck up on Bay Trip B and surprised them. They were waiting for the tides, and we hung out with them under their tarp, and shared stories. A few hours later, we headed back because it seemed like the headwinds were picking up. It took us a little longer to get back, and boy, were we hungry when we did. It was well worth the paddle to the ocean, though, even though it was tough work. Bay Trip B arrived a little while later, and it was pandemonium at the campsite. The rest of the group that stayed behind went into Moosonee to gorge on candy, enjoy a hearty breakfast, and have a fun yet relaxing day in town.

Day 21 – Tidewater PP – Moose Factory – Tidewater PP

Km: 1
Weather: cool, cloudy with sunny breaks

Woke up, played some Ultimate Mobelle to warm up, and we paddle over to Moose Factory. We parked our canoes, and walked to the museum. A friendly tourism guide opened up a few more exhibits for us, including the staff house. Apparently Moose Factory is the oldest settlement in Canada (but St. John’s claims that as well…so we’re confused). Got to see some cool artifacts and learn about the history. Unfortunately, the cultural centre was closed because of vandalism, so instead we set out on a scenic walk to the Northern. Once again, the group gorged on candy and chocolate, ate at a restaurant, then walked back to the boats. One of our best weather days yet! We made chili, and prepared for our early start tomorrow.

Day 22 – Train day

Woke up excessively early, got the campers up, and motored it to the train station, just in time to load our gear and hop on board. No time for breakfast! Once on the train, the napping and eating began while the counselors from both Bay Trips gorged and played cards. Five hours later, we were in Cochrane, and loaded our bags onto the school bus. Our awesome bus driver drove us to Pizza Pizza in New Liskeard where we gorged once again in a park by Lake Temiskaming. Got to camp when dusk was falling, and portaged to the beach in the darkness. On his second load, Sam fell and twisted his ankle, so the rest of the night was spent getting him to the beach. James was also feeling under the weather. Last day and we’re falling apart! Got to bed happy to be on sand by an open lake.

Day 23 – Under the Bridge day

Woke up and played some water Mobelletimate before we paddled under the bridge to officially end our journey.

Thanks for the great trip guys. Please keep in touch and if your in the area you should head out to the reunion.

Love,
Derek (derek@thegreenpages.ca) and Laurel (springreen@canoemail.com)

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