Portaging - 2009

So once again we have undertaken the portaging experience and this time although filled with different mini adventures it was as satisfying as ever. This time we arrived up north around 9:00 pm, and unfortunately any chance at getting a canoe was shot so we were left relying on some very helpful and accommodating friends who with only two guys managed to tow and portage three canoes to pick us up at the distant shore in the late evening. With our luck, the rain started the moment we got onto the canoes, arriving at our campground at around midnight there was nothing more satisfying than a beer and a fresh campfire-fried sausage.

If I can write anything else about this trip, it is to describe my mere appreciation for this land that we live in, and the beauty it offers. How often do you get to stay up the whole night by a grand camp fire, made with your own hands and saw (the guys efforts anyway)? See the sun rise, take the canoe on the still water of the morning, and watch the sun climb from the horizon as abstract clouds float past in the distance. When do you get the chance to sit on top of a cliff hanging above the water surveying the numerous lakes that spread like canals between the islands providing a wide roadway for the miniature canoes in the distance. The best part of it all I think, was the satisfying reward of having the ability to sit and enjoy the power of the rapids who's primary placement was the reason for the strenuous portion of the portage.

In the words of Emily Carr (Canadian Artist) ; It is wonderful to feel the grandness of Canada in the raw.

Post Scriptum
Some lessons learned: Lesson 1: Don't Canoe at night, its unsafe and people have been killed doing it
Lesson 2: Don't forget allergy medication
Lesson 3: "Dumping a log" on a log, will usually not be funny when you actually do it. It just may upset the rest of the village when placed on exhibition in the public common-area.

Pictures
TopRight: Our canoes spread out on the shore down hill from our campsite
MiddleLeft: Sitting on the cliff admiring the view
Bottom: The Polish Flag waving in the wind, as sun rises and clouds float in the far distance