North of Churchill River, Saskatchewan

chowing down again

Got a bit of laundry to dry

Girls are girls everywhere ;)

Having a bit of fun

Coming back from their dug latrines...

We had a blast Ü

One last trip at 7:00 am this morning...

At 8:00 they left camp and started their 10 hour drive (11 with stopping in Prince Albert) home....and the teach even has a smile on his face! He said they were they bestest group ever! ;)

To answer Shannon's question a bit better they must test the water up there because DS's teachers said some areas do have to boil water but not the ones they were at.

The school doesn't pay for the costs of the trip......we paid 50% and DS paid the other (his job as a fish monger at Superstore came in handy for many things on this trip ;).

Shannon I'll tell him your saying......he can test it out next trip! :)

Great photos Pam, I think he had a great time, and made great memories too.

Wonderful scenery. Nothing like that cold northern lakes for fishing. Even those ole Jackfish (Northern Pike) taste good up there.

What a great opportunity and experience for those young people. As Linda said, trips like that will never be forgotten.

Speaking of drinking water. I remember years and years ago, maybe 35, we went housboating on Shuswap Lake and our drinking water came straight out of the lake. The faucet in the kitchen drew right out of the lake. Back then, the houseboats weren't equipped with water tanks; but of course they are now. But the experience certainly didn't effect us healthwise either. Ahhh, the good ole days, eh?

Yeah, we're certainly (as a society) doing a number on our fresh water resources. Sigh....

I just remembered, Pam, apparently part of the point is to say it as quickly as possible. Some friends and I once compared all our various superstitious tricks to get the campfire smoke to blow somewhere else, but that one and the variation of "I hate white rabbits", either once or three times, are the only ones I can remember. Hope one of them works for your DS! :-)

LOL, seems to me we've done this before, haven't we Shannon? I remember as a kid allways yelling out "I hate rabit stew!", whenever the campfire smoke would come in our direction. In any case...don't think it works any better than using a machine gun on mosquitos. LOL

DS had a fantastic trip......he was very excited to share the stories of his adventure with us! He spoke in double time however as he was very, very eager to have a tub! ;) Which allowed Mom to get ahold of his camera. Ü

He said the fish was delish.....he's never had any so good (he's also never had any that fresh).

The camera that took the above pics is brand new.....DS purchased it after cracking the lens on his other one in Kananaskis. First time he took pictures with it.....I really like it, it's a Fuji S3700. More options then the one I have......I wonder if he'll let me take some plant pics with it??? ;)

Oh yeah...go for it Mom!

I spoke to my father Shannon (he's fished many times up north) and he said the Beavers are the main carriers of Giardia (Beaver Fever I think I remember it being called). They don't like spending time where there is Pine trees.... they don't like the taste of them.

BEAVER FEVER! Oh, you already said that. ..., nevermind.

LOLOLOL.........hey John!!! Ü Sure was a surprise to see this thread bumped up again.

Did you do much fishing when you were up in Alaska?

Some. Not as much as I should have. Salmon and grayling. Tried but, failed to catch a pike.

Fresh wild Salmon would have been really good too......my family really enjoyed the one I picked up at the coast RU early this past spring. Must admit I picture you fishing with a Kodiak bear, across the creek, jealously eyeing your catch. DS said they didn't see any of the larger wildlife up there (unlike some of the trips I made where they would come knocking on your tent door).

Haven't encountered the Kodiak bear but, have run accross the interior grizzly and ubiquitous black bear. I respect them and, fear the biting flies and mosquitos!

I too give them a very wide berth......it amazes me that people still tend to walk up to the black bear like it's a teddy bear in some of the National Parks. Never mind the time I saw someone climbing up a hill where a grizzly was busy grazing berries right above them. :S

re: black flies and skeeters......the girls who forgot to lift their hair and apply Deep Woods Off underneath also share similar feelings towards them. ;)

It's sure feels good to see you are doing well and posting again! Ü

;-)

Loved your photos! I'm always looking for a view of the N Saskatchwan River. I hope to do a 3 stage decent from Rocky Mt house to Lk Winnipeg. I have always been a fan of David Thompson and wanted to do the voyager thing. I start in June at RMH.

Hey and Welcome to Dave's and the Canadian forum Soferdig!

Given your plans you've prolly seen this site but, in case you haven't: http://canoesaskatchewan.rkc.ca/

History: http://canoesaskatchewan.rkc.ca/history.htm

This site is one of my favs: http://www.virtualsk.com/current_issue/la_ronge.html

Looking forward to seeing your pics. Ü DS loved every second of it and truly believed it was an experience of a lifetime.

Bring LOTS of SKEETER SPRAY!!!!!

p.s. don't forget your fishing rod! An interprovincial? fishing license would be a good idea too. ;)

DH just looked Kalispell and says you are up in the Mountains near Glacier National Park.......DS's other trip wasn't too far away from you: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/514132/

He'd have a hard time picking which area he liked better.

Lots of canoeing here in the Flathead Valley. But I have always wanted to do the trip back to Michigan. Thats where I came from and I think I'll have a new perspective on life after the long time on the water and all the people to meet. My wife thinks I'm nuts.

http://www.fcvb.org/ You've definitely got your own piece of heaven there!

Round and about way to head to Michigan but I don't think your nuts. It's virtually unchanged from when the explorers/fur traders originally traversed it. I treasure my memories of canoeing in its' solitude and wilderness.

not those of the blood suckers (leaches) tho....don't forget to pack salt as well.

You guys are just teasing me with all the fresh meat I'll have on the way. By the way do Black Flies digest in your lungs. I suspect I'll have plenty to eat there. I was reading today about the Voyageurs and that they would eat 10Kg of meat a day or 2kg of pemmican. I wonder if they had power bars how much more they could accomplish. Just think they paddled 18 hours a day for 3 - 4 months and slept with their heads under the canoe and a tarp over them to keep the rain off. You Canadians have tough ancestors! This is a shot over my garden looking towards Canada. PS I had fun on a short stretch of the Columbia last summer.

LOL........them tiny little northern devils will take rather large nibbles from you! ;) Truthfully they can be very nasty.........many a man has been brought to his knees by them.

Here's the story of a fellow who made his living up there: http://www.jkcc.com/evje/trapping.html

Sorry but I just have to emphasize how important a good supply of OFF is:

The photograph on the right, shows Halvor Ausland with his dog team on the Mudjatik River trapline in the winter of 1923. Notice the frost on his whiskers, the winters are very cold in that part of the country. It is not uncommon for the temperatures to dip to -50 or -60 degrees Fahrenheit or more. Many a night was spent sleeping around campfires with only his sleeping bag to keep him warm while he slept. He remarked in later years about waking up in the morning, very uncomfortable, with snow down the back of his neck.
In later years, Halvor Ausland was to recall a journey he made from his trapline in the north, out to civilization. His toboggan was filled with furs, and the weather was extremely cold. During that trip, his dogs froze to death one after the other. He started the trip with twelve dogs and ended up with three. This was during the worst years of the depression and the fur provided him with good money at a time when people in the cities had no work and went hungry. Dog Team on Trap-line. The poor northern trapper, was frozen in the winter and eaten to death by mosquitoes and black-flies in the summer.


This message was edited Jan 26, 2006 10:40 PM

We used to live in the Battlefords and one year the Saskatoon crop was unbelievable........berries the size of grapes. Unfortunately the population of mosquitoes was too.......we prolly used a can of Off each that morning. They still went after our eyelids, inner ear, etc. My father, who never gives up, was beaten back by them that day. He filled about 1/2 the pails he had planned to.

Thank you Lilypon for that story. I so enjoy the tenacity of men such as these. Can you imagine the sites and experiences he had. Also all the near life experiences and near death moments in such a harsh place. We can only travel in their footsteps and touch on a piece of their moments.

Oh I can honestly say that the flies and skeeters are not something I know I can survive. I fortunately have traveled extensively in Northern Ontario and suffered their attacks most of my childhood. One advantage that my diabetes gives me is a decreased sensitivity to bug bites. But they do bother me when they "eye fly and ear fly".

Sorry about that. ;) Now that I know you've had previous experience with them ........Northern Ontario would certainly provide that as well. Every so often we read about a hunter, fisherman, tourist, etc., that was found dead due to being woefully unprepared.

My Great-Grandfather came out west in the 1880's and he left a diary detailing similar hardships to the man above.........you are right about their tenacity!

Are you doing the trip with others?

Actually no. I'm a diabetic so I should. But I have been kayak touring for over 20 years on Puget Sound and West coast of Vancouver Isl. as a solo. My Dog always goes with me but I enjoy the solitude. I have a job (Veterinarian) that keeps me talking and interacting all day and night so it's nice to go 2+ weeks not having to interact. I will be checking in when resources allow me and have check points of communication so they know where to look for my body. HAHA. I really feed of the adventure of diabetes in the wild. Part of accepting it being OK.

I should mention my "sorry about that" was in regards to my emphasizing, to an already seasoned outdoorsmen, how bad the skeeters/black flies are (from your posts above they certainly aren't strangers to you). Given your profession I'm sure you will do very well up there. ;)

How do you keep your insulin cold?

BTW I meant to mention earlier your back yard view is spectacular!