Quintessential Quetico Part 2
Quintessential Quetico: Part 2 Aug 3, 2022 If I hadn’t stopped to wolf down a breakfast sandwich, I wouldn’t have bothered to rebalance Karta, would not have discovered the split paddle, would not have parked the canoe in Souris River Canoes’ backyard, would not...
Quintessential Quetico
Quintessential Quetico Aug 2, 2022My original plan was to paddle up the Atikokan, and make short portages to Plateau, then Fire, and finally Nym Lake. Plans, or at least my plans, seem as ephemeral as morning dew after the sun has cleared the horizon.I found...
Canoeing Capital of Canada
Canoeing Capital of Canada July 31, 2022Stashed under a bridge, Kai Nani has rather ignomiously landed at her home town. Flowing past is the Atikokan River and the bridge is ine of many that lead into, around, and out of the town of...
Scott, Scott, Zane, and Elaine
Scott, Scott, Zane, and Elaine After the trolley ride into Burditt Lake, I spent the remainder of the afternoon looking over my shoulder at building clouds while paddling into a brisk headwind and steepening chop. By 5:30pm I was done. I didn’t...
What’s in a Name?
What’s in a Name? July 27, 2022 The pictures above and below were both taken while I was on Calm Lake.I couldn’t decide which was better. Perhaps an informal poll could resolve the matter…Clearly Calm Lake is living up to it’s name. As...
Sleight of Hand Portage: Part 3 - Caution to the Wind
Sleight of Hand Portage: Part 3 - Caution to the Wind July 26, 2022 I suppose there are two obvious solutions to not finding a portage. Quit the route and retreat, or hack your own portage out...
Sleight of Hand Portage - Part 2: Worry Not
Sleight of Hand Portage - Part 2: Worry Not July 26, 2022 I had been fretting paddling the Sabaskong River since I did the route planning for this trip. Canadian topographic maps show most of its course as marsh...
Sleight of Hand Portage - Worry Lots
Sleight of Hand Portage - Worry Lots July 26, 2022This is how today started. It is one of those ‘anything is possible sunrises’. For me, it was an ‘about to attempt the impossible’ type of sunrise.Regardless, the sunrise was a...
Those Dam Engineers
Those Dam Engineers July 25, 2022 This is the view from the takeout below Sturgeon Falls and the Calm Lake Generating Station. This is the beginning of the portage. Sadly for those unfortunate enough not to have a quad in the canoe, it is much...
The Way it Outta Be
The Way it Outta Be July 25, 2022 This is the way portaging outta be. Believe it or not, this picture was taken just a few hours after I did the 9 times over Sleight of Hand Portage from Kishkutena Lake to Slender.Rick...