Canoeing the Arctic Waterway

Bear Chow · 07-28-2011, 10:39 AM

Back from a wonderful adventure, with lakes, rivers and rapids and we never saw another person, boat, house or even a plane. Four adults and 8 scouts ventured north, all the way up to the arctic waterway of Quebec. We began our journey by taking a train ride. We traveled for an hour and came to a stop in the middle of the tracks. The lady on the train pointed towards some heavily wooded area and said, "the lake is that way." So we unloaded our gear and hauled it down to the lake.

With map and compass in hand, we loaded the gear donned our life vests and sprinted across the first of many lakes. Several of the lakes where just immense and seemed to go on and on. While, others where 35 strokes of a paddle and we where there. Portaging between lakes may seem like an easy thing, but canoes and gear get heavy especially after the 3rd, 4th or 7th time that day. But we bucked up and drove on. Each portage established its own challenges, some where just finding the correct trail, others had distances as much as a kilometer at times, and still others where so much over growth had just consumed any pathways it was hard to navigate.

We covered 81 kilometers in 6 days of canoeing. Not a great number but we had to consider our group abilities and honestly it was right at our limit. We embraced the bountiful beauty of being isolated and free. We packed out everything we packed in and saw a part of nature most people never will. I am very proud of the boys as they championed each situation and with those efforts have new fond memories of a childhood filled with adventure.

Fat man in the blue shirt is me at the camp site. My son is in the yellow shirt in the group picture.

http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y18...yj/Missinaibi/

tjjeepjeep · 07-28-2011, 10:58 AM

Sounds memorable. Beautiful pics wow. Thanks for sharing.

Bear Chow · 07-28-2011, 02:14 PM

More pictures have been added to my photobucket account. Enjoy.

tjjeepjeep · 07-28-2011, 04:57 PM

Wow this is beautiful

yellowjacket · 07-28-2011, 05:53 PM

Really cool. What was the temp day and nght. Are there bears up there?

Bear Chow · 07-29-2011, 08:27 AM

Yes there are bears. We controlled all food and hung it between trees every night. Temps where great mid-hi 70's during the day and 50's at night. The only thing that was unenjoyable where the mosquitos. In the evening you before it got dark you had to get into you tent for some relief. They would bite right through your pants. Head nets where a requirement just to survive without going crazy.

07-28-2011, 10:39 AM	#1
Bear Chow Jeepless Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Oxford, Oh Posts: 302	Canoeing the Arctic Waterway Back from a wonderful adventure, with lakes, rivers and rapids and we never saw another person, boat, house or even a plane. Four adults and 8 scouts ventured north, all the way up to the arctic waterway of Quebec. We began our journey by taking a train ride. We traveled for an hour and came to a stop in the middle of the tracks. The lady on the train pointed towards some heavily wooded area and said, "the lake is that way." So we unloaded our gear and hauled it down to the lake. With map and compass in hand, we loaded the gear donned our life vests and sprinted across the first of many lakes. Several of the lakes where just immense and seemed to go on and on. While, others where 35 strokes of a paddle and we where there. Portaging between lakes may seem like an easy thing, but canoes and gear get heavy especially after the 3rd, 4th or 7th time that day. But we bucked up and drove on. Each portage established its own challenges, some where just finding the correct trail, others had distances as much as a kilometer at times, and still others where so much over growth had just consumed any pathways it was hard to navigate. We covered 81 kilometers in 6 days of canoeing. Not a great number but we had to consider our group abilities and honestly it was right at our limit. We embraced the bountiful beauty of being isolated and free. We packed out everything we packed in and saw a part of nature most people never will. I am very proud of the boys as they championed each situation and with those efforts have new fond memories of a childhood filled with adventure. Fat man in the blue shirt is me at the camp site. My son is in the yellow shirt in the group picture. http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y18...yj/Missinaibi/

07-28-2011, 10:58 AM	#2
tjjeepjeep Just tired Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hamilton, OH Posts: 2,213 Images: 2212	Sounds memorable. Beautiful pics wow. Thanks for sharing. __________________ I want to be the reason you look down at your phone and smile........then walk into a pole.

07-28-2011, 04:57 PM	#4
tjjeepjeep Just tired Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hamilton, OH Posts: 2,213 Images: 2212	Wow this is beautiful Attached Thumbnails __________________ I want to be the reason you look down at your phone and smile........then walk into a pole.

07-28-2011, 05:53 PM	#5
yellowjacket barely breathing Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: alexandria, ky Posts: 889	Really cool. What was the temp day and nght. Are there bears up there? __________________ my next rig will be on the trail before zuk 2.0 will

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07-28-2011, 02:14 PM	#3
Bear Chow Jeepless Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Oxford, Oh Posts: 302	More pictures have been added to my photobucket account. Enjoy.

07-29-2011, 08:27 AM	#6
Bear Chow Jeepless Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Oxford, Oh Posts: 302	Yes there are bears. We controlled all food and hung it between trees every night. Temps where great mid-hi 70's during the day and 50's at night. The only thing that was unenjoyable where the mosquitos. In the evening you before it got dark you had to get into you tent for some relief. They would bite right through your pants. Head nets where a requirement just to survive without going crazy.