My 2019 canoeing season runs June 2 to September 21 for a total of 16 weeks, travelling a distance of 208 km plus an extra 77 km mainly involving pre-portaging and post-portaging. Total distance portaged is 25,780 metres, three trails having to cut from scratch (camps 11, 12, 13). This year is the first time I carry four months worth of supplies, the longest previous time before resupplying being three months. Because there is much portaging (about double that of other trips in the three previous years, although about half the distance canoed) I do what I call "pre-portaging" and "post-portaging". The former is when I set up camp and then portage three or four loads ahead of time to the end of the next portage. The latter is setting up camp but leaving some loads behind at the last portage to be fetched later. This year there are some long trails (the longest a record for me at 3150 metres, camps 4 and 5), some strenuous trails and some with poor footings (eg, camp 19), all making pre- and post-portaging welcome, even a necessity.
The trip starts in northern Saskatchewan and the plan is to make my way south across the height of land and then canoe down to the Churchill River. However when I try to ascend a river to make my way to the height of land the water levels are so high that I have to return to my start point. The river is too deep to wade, too fast to paddle up and too wide into the bush to line.
The shortest stay in camp is one day only once, with many two day camps, some three and four, one five. However, because I have extra time after making my way back out the same way going in, I stay five weeks in one spot. Interestingly, camping in the one place is accompanied by rain 67% of that time, and the stove is on 90% of that period. Thank goodness for the warmth of the stove in the canvas Tent in such wet and cool weather.
To supplement meals I catch 31 pike, three providing two meals each with the longest fish being 32" (81 cm), three walleye and four lake trout with an unexpected one 32" (81 cm) long. As usual I have fresh salad or berries each day, the most common being fireweed greens and lingonberries.
Some of my most interesting encounters:
- very long single line of migrating Canada geese (photo, camp 1)
- quite low flock of migrating Canada geese (video, camp 1)
- gorgeous reflected trees in lake (photos, camp 2)
- thick snow covered trail in mid-June (photos, camp 4)
- pretty crocuses, the most northern I have encountered (photo, camp 4)
- four bears:
- photos of bear beside portage trail (camp 5)
- awakened during night by bear (camp 6)
- photos of bear-chewed cooler (camp 20)
- bear looking in Tent door (camp 25)
- ominous cloud formation (photos, camp 7)
- "scary" tree stump (photos, camp 7)
- two moose:
- a moose welcomes me when searching for a campsite (camp 9)
- photos of a moose crossing a lake close to camp (camp 12)
- mother otter with two young (photos, camp 11)
- beautiful mackerel sky (photos, camp 14)
- pretty chipmunk (photos, camp 15)
- snowshoe hares at many camps (photos, camp 16)
- BAD, BAD, BAD biting horseflies (video, camp 16)
- a unique beautiful campsite (video, camp 19)
- catching three lake trout in a unique lake appearing to have only trout (photo camp 19)
- losing, but regaining, all the line on my fishing reel while fishing from canoe (camp 19)
- catching 32" (81 cm) lake trout (photos, camp 21)
- thunderstorm with subsequent forest fire smoke (photos, videos camp 21)
- awesome waterfalls (photos, video camp 24)
- beautiful autumn scenery (photos, camp 25)
- the worst blackflies ever? (video, camp 25)
- very large patch of lingonberries (photos, camp 25)
- randy spruce grouse (video, camp 25)
- hailstorm for ten minutes with grape-size hailstones (video, camp 28)
- getting a ride in a transport truck for me and gear (photo, camp 28)
The trip starts in northern Saskatchewan and the plan is to make my way south across the height of land and then canoe down to the Churchill River. However when I try to ascend a river to make my way to the height of land the water levels are so high that I have to return to my start point. The river is too deep to wade, too fast to paddle up and too wide into the bush to line.
The shortest stay in camp is one day only once, with many two day camps, some three and four, one five. However, because I have extra time after making my way back out the same way going in, I stay five weeks in one spot. Interestingly, camping in the one place is accompanied by rain 67% of that time, and the stove is on 90% of that period. Thank goodness for the warmth of the stove in the canvas Tent in such wet and cool weather.
To supplement meals I catch 31 pike, three providing two meals each with the longest fish being 32" (81 cm), three walleye and four lake trout with an unexpected one 32" (81 cm) long. As usual I have fresh salad or berries each day, the most common being fireweed greens and lingonberries.
Some of my most interesting encounters:
- very long single line of migrating Canada geese (photo, camp 1)
- quite low flock of migrating Canada geese (video, camp 1)
- gorgeous reflected trees in lake (photos, camp 2)
- thick snow covered trail in mid-June (photos, camp 4)
- pretty crocuses, the most northern I have encountered (photo, camp 4)
- four bears:
- photos of bear beside portage trail (camp 5)
- awakened during night by bear (camp 6)
- photos of bear-chewed cooler (camp 20)
- bear looking in Tent door (camp 25)
- ominous cloud formation (photos, camp 7)
- "scary" tree stump (photos, camp 7)
- two moose:
- a moose welcomes me when searching for a campsite (camp 9)
- photos of a moose crossing a lake close to camp (camp 12)
- mother otter with two young (photos, camp 11)
- beautiful mackerel sky (photos, camp 14)
- pretty chipmunk (photos, camp 15)
- snowshoe hares at many camps (photos, camp 16)
- BAD, BAD, BAD biting horseflies (video, camp 16)
- a unique beautiful campsite (video, camp 19)
- catching three lake trout in a unique lake appearing to have only trout (photo camp 19)
- losing, but regaining, all the line on my fishing reel while fishing from canoe (camp 19)
- catching 32" (81 cm) lake trout (photos, camp 21)
- thunderstorm with subsequent forest fire smoke (photos, videos camp 21)
- awesome waterfalls (photos, video camp 24)
- beautiful autumn scenery (photos, camp 25)
- the worst blackflies ever? (video, camp 25)
- very large patch of lingonberries (photos, camp 25)
- randy spruce grouse (video, camp 25)
- hailstorm for ten minutes with grape-size hailstones (video, camp 28)
- getting a ride in a transport truck for me and gear (photo, camp 28)