This morning we got up at 0600 to get to HMCS Star for departure at approximately 0815 hrs. We traveled by car to Huntsville and then on to Dokis Indian Reservation on the Little French River. There we put the canoes on the water at 1730 hrs and paddled 7 km to arrive at our first campsite at 2000 hrs with Sean as the navigator. We went to bed at 2230 hrs.

Distance traveled 400 km (by car)

7 km (by canoe)

The campsite was located at 668072 on the north shore of the Little French River. It was very rocky and high above the river. There was very little level soft ground, just rock with some mossy areas. It was difficult to climb up to it. There was no fire pit so we built our own on the rocks. Wood was not hard to find. There was no bathroom.

We had to cook on the top of the highest rock and the mosquitoes were very bad.

Most of the trees were coniferous with short scrubby deciduous bushes. We did not see any animals but there were loons on the water.

This site was very high, and was difficult to get to because of the steep climb with the heavy packs.

I rode with Mrs. Garbett, Capt Butson, Matt and Sarah Greenland and Bert Stewart from Hamilton to Huntsville where we met up with Mr. Garbett, Scott Garbett (my canoe partner), Sean Murray and 2Lt Cowan at the Canadian Tire Store. We picked up some last minute supplies there and at the grocery store before going to lunch at a restaurant called Jesters. This used to be an old gas station.

Around 1330 hrs we left to drive west to Hwy 69 and then north to the French River turnoff. This was a paved and then a gravel road to the Dokis Indian Reservation. Even though we were supposed to go to Restoule to put the canoes in the water we stopped as soon as we got to the reservation because it was getting so late (1630 hrs) Grid Reference 711079.

We carried the canoes down a steep hillside to get them in the water by 1700 hrs and Capt Butson gave us a talk about safety before we left to canoe down the river into the sun for about 2 hours until we found our campsite. We had a late supper of hamburgers (still raw) cooked by Matt Greenland. I went to bed early around 2130 hrs.

The weather was beautiful, warm and sunny but a stiff wind from the west made it difficult to paddle. Heavy dew fell at night.

This was an exciting day but I was afraid that the trip would be a failure and would be boring.

We woke up at 0730 and were on the water by 0900. Sarah was to be our navigator for today. We had lunch at a portage at 1130 and got back on the water at 1245. While on the water we hit some rapids. At about 1715 we got off the water for the night at an earlier site than scheduled because the weather was turning very windy.

Distance traveled – 12 km

Portages - 1 300 meters

Rapids - 1 in canoe

1 lined canoe down

Our campsite was a relatively nice campsite near Point Edward (605005). It was very rocky yet the moss offered good cushioning. Walking down the rocks, however, was very dangerous because the moss could tear off of the rocks and make you fall. We cooked our supper on the low rocks near the water. Once again there was no washroom. There was a good fire pit on the rocks but wood was hard to find.

Another group was camped a few hundred meters up the river from us.

There were no animals, and plants were mostly coniferous bushes.

Our bear line was a little too far away and up a steep hill.

Once we were on the water that morning it was just straightforward paddling until our first portage around the Five Finger Rapids where we had lunch of pitas with bear beaters and cheese. Almost right after lunch we hit our first real set of rapids. Nobody flipped or anything (although Capt. Butson and 2LT Cowan hit some rocks) and so, while it wasn’t as humorous, no one was hurt, and that’s not bad either.

A short way down the river we came to a second set of rapids. Capt Butson was going to let us try it, probably a class 2, but we didn’t have any helmets. We did get to watch while some people got instruction from some professional canoe instructors but even one of them tipped. Garbett and I lined out canoe down. We continued to canoe into a heavy wind until 1715 when we found a nice campsite just past Point Edward. We had macaroni and cheese with bacon bits for supper. I went to bed almost right after supper since I was tired and didn’t want to get moody and wreck the trip for everyone.

The highlight for the day was being able to run our first set of rapids.

In the morning it was sunny and windy, and remained that way for the rest of the day. The morning started off cool but by the afternoon it became very warm.

I felt good today since I now had some experience with rapids and would be able to take more difficult ones.

Today we got up at 0600 hrs and we were on the water before 0730 hrs. I was to be today’s navigator. We had a long paddle of 25 km since we had to finish 7 km from yesterday. We stopped for lunch on a point near Cross Island at 1300 hrs, but were back on the water at 1400 hrs. We stopped for supper and the night at 1630 hrs. Went to bed at 2100 hrs.

Distance traveled 26 km

Rapids 2 ran canoes

Swifts 2

Our campsite was located at point 370971 on Four-Mile Island. The site was on a high ledge of rock overlooking the river, but had several flat areas for pitching the tents and cooking. This site had an excellent jumping rock and a reasonable, but overused area for a washroom a short distance away. (This site was the first site I’d seen so far that had real soil.) At the back of the site was a rock cliff approximately 40 ft high. There was a good fire pit on the rocks but wood was scarce.

We saw a rattlesnake eating a frog after lunch and we all huddled around cheering for the frog, even though we knew he was fighting a losing battle. Many birds today, especially herons.

The water is very, very cold. I hadn’t realized how cold water could be until I jumped into this cold, cold water.

By the time we were on the water the wind was just as bad as it was the previous night. The first thing we encountered was a small, rocky rapid that we all ran even though most of us got hung up on the rocks. Just a hundred meters downstream from that was another longer rapid. Capt Butson and 2Lt Cowan lined their canoe down but the rest of us ran it in the canoes. We canoed further and went through a long swift while a lady watched from the cliff top. It was quite exciting. After that we paddled for what seemed like forever before we at last stopped for lunch. We could feel the wind lightening up as we did so, and once we saw the snake there was almost no wind. We covered a lot of distance in the next few hours so we finished fairly early within 1 km of where we had planned. There was a great jumping rock so we all went for a swim. The highlight of the day would have to have been the snake eating the frog.

We woke up to rain early in the morning, and then it was cool and cloudy until mid afternoon. While it was very early in the day, it was quite windy.

Late in the afternoon the sun came out and the wind dropped. It was a pleasant, mild evening.

I was finding the trip very worthwhile when I went to sleep the third night. I knew that, no matter what troubles we came to, we could overcome them.

Today we woke up at 0700 hrs, broke camp and got on the water by 0845 hrs. At around 1000 we got to a trading post where we did a not-so-brief resupply. We ate lunch at around 1300 hrs and sailed for about 5 km. We got off the water at 1530 hrs and went to bed at 2200 hrs. Sean navigated today.

Distance traveled 25 km

Rapids 1 portage (ramp)

1 ran canoes

Swifts 1

Our campsite was at Bad River Bend 127951. It was a very hospitable campsite with a good place to leave the canoes near the water. There was an overflowing tinderbox … but it’s the thought that counts. Previous campers had built tables and a good fire pit with a small amount of wood available nearby. Despite these good things, it wasn’t actually a good campsite. We had two rock slopes on either side of us, so we had good wind protection, but if it had begun to rain it would have made the campsite very wet. Also, with the wind protection, we were on wet ground, so the mosquitoes were worse than they already had been. It did, however have a very good stargazing rock, and was the best spot to catch crayfish on the trip.

Trees were mostly deciduous. Several chipmunks made visits.

If we had a method of determining the weather for the next day, and guaranteeing it would be good, I was ready to stay there for another day.

We were running behind right from the start of the day. We woke up on time, but it took us almost two hours to actually get on the water, another hour to reach the trading post. The resupply should have only taken half an hour at max; it took us almost two hours. After that, we hit a few rapids and a portage where we had a track to just slide your canoe along. Eventually Capt Butson made a sail from a tarp and after a while Garbett and I joined his canoe. It worked fairly well and we didn’t have to paddle much, but it took us a good deal longer than if we’d just paddled the whole way. In all we sailed about 3 km with the two canoes attached. We had our supper of macaroni and cheese after we got off the water at 1530 hrs about 7 kms short of where we should have been. Afterwards we went crayfish hunting along the shore and finished the evening watching the stars from the rock cliff.

The morning started out bright, sunny and warm. There was little wind until the afternoon when it came from behind. The afternoon got very hot and the evening was mild.

This trip was halfway over at the end of day four. This was sort of mixed feelings. I wanted to get home, but I decided that I really liked the outdoors.

Today we woke up at 0730, and got on the water by 0930 we were going to travel 23 kms. After that little incident we had lunch. We got off the water fairly late, at around 1930. Sarah navigated today.

Distance traveled 23 kms

Rapids 1 swam (by mistake)

Portages 1 240 metres

Our campsite was absolutely horrible, located at 107908. Our tents were divided into two categories:

Too spaced out so you’d think you were far enough out to go to the bathroom, then you’d see another tent, or

So close it was impossible to get around them.

The mosquitoes were also terrible. The ground was very soft and bumpy, but since it was getting dark, we had to take the campsite.

Trees were divided evenly between deciduous and coniferous. No animals came by. I suppose they had the good sense to stay away from that campsite. In the morning a family of otter was swimming offshore.

If I take that trip again any time soon, I will remember to avoid that campsite at all costs.

After we woke up and got on the water, we went about 13 km before hitting our first rapid. While lining our canoes down, I ended up going white water swimming because the canoe pulled me into the water. Luckily, there were no rocks, so I wasn’t injured, not even shaken up. I thought it was the most fun I’d ever had. We had lunch afterwards, on a little rock I’d drifted out near. We canoed for longer, stopping to see all the sites on the Hartley Bay loop, such as an old town site, a lighthouse, and something that we all assumed was meant to power the lighthouse, but at first we thought was just a mill. We then came through a section of the loop scattered with little rocky islands. The campsite we had planned to get there was taken, so we had to continue. We then found some cabins, which we had the option of staying at or continuing onward. We decided to keep going, and that was how we stayed on the water until sunset and got stuck with that horrible site. After supper Sean went fishing and caught a pike but it wasn’t edible. One advantage was that we’d finished a supposed two-day travel in a single day.

Today started out very nicely. I was very warm, and looking back on my going down the rapids, I might have enjoyed it more if I’d planned that experience. At lunch a slight breeze came along and made me cold since I was still wet. It remained warm the rest of the day.

At the end of this day I thought I could take on the world.

We woke up at around 0730, got on the water by 0845. It was my day to navigate. We only had 7 km before we reached our site at 1300. We would remain in that position for 2 days.

Distance traveled 7 km

Our campsite was at 139979, an excellent site with room, comfort, and most of all, plenty of dead trees to use as firewood. It was located high above the river with a good view of a jumping rock on an island about 200 m away. There was a large surface of rock going down to the water. The mosquitoes were rather calm despite the floor of pine needles and soft ground.

There were coniferous trees, and chipmunks. Lots of chipmunks.

I look forward to sleeping in and staying here.

We had a very short paddle for the day. It was raining and to keep up our spirits we sand. We found a good campsite early. We had lunch, went to find good jumping rocks, and took note of them for tomorrow. After that, most of us went for a nap as it was raining. At around 1800 we were awakened for supper. We ate almost all of our leftover food for supper, and went back to sleep for the night.

Today it rained in the morning, and a bit in the afternoon. The rest of the weather I did not know as I was asleep, but I believe it stayed that way the whole day.

I am beginning to notice myself becoming stronger, physically, emotionally and mentally. My general disposition at the beginning of the days is getting better.

CANOE TRIP LOG – DAY 7 (Aug. 30)

I woke up at 0400, but everyone else woke up at around 1000. We did nothing major today. We went to a jumping rock we saw the day before, and had our group meals. We went to sleep fairly early, at around 2200.

Our campsite was the same as day 6.

The trees did not change overnight, and we saw even more chipmunks.

I woke up at 0400, partly to go to the bathroom, but also because there was a weird slurping sound beside me. I looked over, and Scott was making this disgusting juicy noise. I decided that I would not get to sleep again, so I went out onto the rocks and looked at the sky. That morning, I watched the sunrise. When everyone else got up, and we had our blueberry pancakes made by Capt. Butson and 2Lt. Cowan. we piled four of us (Scott, Matt, Sean, and myself) into a single canoe to pump drinking water and paddled over to an island with a good jumping rock. We swam until lunch, when we had stew made by Bert and Sarah. Then we all went back and swam until supper, a stir-fry prepared by Sean, Scott, Matt, and myself. When we left the island for the last time, we saw the no trespassing sign. We were glad it was near the end of the day, not right away, or we would have stayed on our campsite and not have been able to swim.

Apparently I slept through all the excitement that last evening. Scott and Sean found a rattlesnake on the rocks on the campsite. It was a good thing it was the last night or we all would have been jumpy from then on.

It was hot and dry all day, perfect for swimming.

I was almost sad to see the last full day draw to a close. The next day we’d only have a 4.5 km paddle into Hartley Bay and then we would be finished, and have to return home.

Today, we got up at 0700 and were on the move by 0900hrs. We only had a 4.5km paddle to Hartley Bay Marina where Mr and Mrs Garbett met us. After loading the canoes on the trailers we drove for about 2 hours and stopped for lunch at a Tim Horton’s. We then continued until we reached the base. We put our stuff away, and departed for our homes at 1730 hrs.

Distance traveled 4.5 km to take out point at Hartley Bay Marina

Other than the occasional road kill, there were no animals. Plants were of the typical roadside variety.

My room.

We got moving slowly and enjoyed our last paddle on the trip.

Summary of day

1. Very little paddling

2. A lot of driving for the Garbetts

3. A lot of sleep for the rest of us.

It was sunny and overall a very cheerful day, a nice way to end the trip.

This was a great trip. It will be nice to go home but I will miss the comradeship that we had developed over the trip.

CANOE TRIP OVERALL

What equipment:

Didn’t you use? None

Was rarely used? None

Could you have used? Nothing extra

What would you not take or alter for next time?

I would not take more than two pairs of shorts since I only wore two on the trip.

What would you take for next time?

Separate bear lines, instead of the painters from the canoes.

What meals were the best?

Kraft Dinner and Bear beater pitas

What meals were the worst?

The burgers

Were there any meal surpluses or shortages?

We had too much rice.

Describe:

The best day:

Day 5 was the best because I got to swim down rapids, even if it was an accident.

The worst day:

Day 2 was because I was not used to the physical requirements and was frustrated.

The best part:

The rapids.

 

The worst part:

The portages

GENERAL COMMENTS:

This trip was too close after summer camp; there was not enough rest.

Besides that this trip was an excellent chance to get out and see the great outdoors and have some fun. I think I got a lot of people on the trip to look upon me as more than "Joe’s little brother," which is always a good thing. We all learned to depend on each other during the eight days.

I would love to go on a trip like this again sometime.