Post 3, of 7.
Day by day report Trip participants: Doug Bell (Dwight, ON), Bob Bignell (Flamborough, ON), Stephen Catlin (Mississauga), Gene Chorostecki (Georgetown, TX), Linda Gordon (Mississauga), Hendrik Herfst (Winnipeg), Allan Jacobs (Toronto), Daniela Kosch (Dwight, ON) and Marilyn Sprissler (Picton, ON); all but Hendrik are WCA members.
Daniela’s trip report for the upper Back (Jim Magrum to Mission Island):
Nastwagan, Volume 33, Number 4, Winter 2006, pp 8-16;
http://news.ourontario.ca/nastawgan/New ... LID=183085 3 July, 2005:
Bob, Gene, Stephen and I arrived in Yellowknife. Bob & Gene stayed at Ptartan Ptarmigan B&B; Stephen & I stayed at Joan Hiron's Island B&B where we met an Aussi couple (surname Lawrence), fellow paddlers.
4 July:
We bought the NU fishing licence, fresh food and supplies; Bob had reserved some of these items at the Canadian Tire store. Thanks to Levi Waldron for getting bangers, bear spray, stoves, etc up to Yellowknife for us. I notified the RCMP of our travel plans. We spent a large part of the afternoon repacking and marking packs for the resupply flight.
Daniela, Doug, Hendrik and Marilyn arrived; they too stayed at Ptartan Ptarmigan. The eight of us had supper at the Wild Cat; we had hoped to meet Rob Perkins there but he had already left for the Back. As arranged, we met John Marshall's group and passed on information for their Burnside trip leaving the next day; I gave them all I had on the Burnside below the Mara confluence and Gene told them about the rapids on the Burnside. The Aussies were also there.
5 July:
Our group got to the Air Tindi base by 7 am, on time. Two other parties also there waiting for their flights, a couple (surname Gunstock?) from Idaho (going to the Back), and John Marshall's Burnside party. John took a group photo of us; he very kindly mailed me a king-size copy of it and also 2 CDs, one of the group photo and one of his Burnside photos. It was John's first trip in the barrens and he saw (and got good photos of) two wolverines; and his grizzlies photos are the best I've seen. Some guys!
The other groups got off, but there were reports of fog in the Sussex Lake area and so our flights were delayed. The delay may have saved our trip, for, at Daniela's suggestion, we checked out the folding boat we had reserved. We found that several tubes were split; it seems the boat had been exposed to winter weather with water in the tubes. It was replaced with an Esquif Canyon, which turned out to be unsuited for the Back.
The Cessna 185 carrying Daniela and Doug (our two lightest paddlers) plus the rental hardshell left first, then the Twin Otter with the rest of us and the gear a few minutes later, at 10:10. For the latter flight, the ceiling was about 200' so we saw almost nothing; toward the end, we dropped down and flew over a lodge (outpost of Aylmer Lake Lodge?), over what was likely Sussex Lake, over Muskox Lake (about half full of ice) and down the ice choked Muskox Rapids (looked bony) to Jim Magrum Lake, passing the Contwoyto River en route. After circling a bit (we saw only a few ice patches), we landed at 11:40 and unloaded. The 185 landed at 12:25; while looking for us, they had passed over Rob Perkins' camp and he had tried to wave them in our direction. Daniela and Doug got out into the hardshell and paddled to the campsite. We set up camp and assembled the three PakCanoes. The weather was cold and damp. D 51 km.
6 July:
After an elaborate breakfast, we put on the spray covers in sunny warm weather and started downstream at 11:30. Almost right off, Bob and Gene paddled past the exit and the rest followed; now I know why there are no famous Polish navigators. Out of earshot with the others, two boats recognized the error, turned back to the exit and waited for the others to turn around; this was just one of several occasions when the group separated, something that should not happen in such country.
Then it was my turn to mess up by taking us past the left channel recommended by George Drought. Lunch, lining, scouting and sweaty portaging over big awkward rocks consumed three hours. We then ran two swifts, paddled a bit more and camped on an island in Gold Lake.
We advanced 18 km, to D 69 km.
7 July:
We started out late into a strong quartering headwind. The Esquif Canyon was almost impossible to control but the three PakCanoes handled very well. We inspected a cairn (with emergency gear) left by a survey crew. We got some shelter after exiting the lake.
Then we passed evidence of the environmental ethics of the Canadian mining industry, namely fuel drums, a dock, tent platforms, etc strewn along both sides of the river. In fact, much of the upper Back is littered with rusting fuel drums. We collected some wood (never used it) from the abandoned camp at 726/980 and passed 4 musk oxen.
After lunch, we saw Loon and Robert Perkins' camp; we stopped and said hello, waking him up. On entering the lakey section, we encountered a very strong headwind and big waves; we gave up, pulled in and camped at an ugly site. The whole day was very windy (headwind or close to it), with mist or a light rain.
We advanced 14 km, to D 83 km.
8 July:
We got up to a strong headwind with mist and decided to stay put, a good idea since a medium heavy rain started around noon. We slept and read in the afternoon, did some walking too. I seem to recall someone spotting Rob sneaking down the other shore; in any case, he passed us.
We advanced 0 km.
9 July:
We were off at 8:30 into a stiff but manageable headwind. We ran several rapids; Rob Perkins had set up a lemonade stand at the bottom of 76G3 884/177 and invited us over. We continued into a stiff headwind for a few km but gave up at 4 pm.
Bob caught a lake trout; Marilyn caught a rock; I dozed.
We had trout supper and resumed paddling at 7:30 when the wind dropped. We camped at 9 above Malley Rapids (so called) and scouted the rapids for the next day. It was a good day, considering that we had a headwind, had stopped and were running rapids.
We advanced 33 km, to D 116 km.
10 July:
We ran “Malley”; the PakCanoes flexed as we went over the ledge, giving us a dry run. Rob met us below "Malley" and paddled with us all day. We did several serious rapids, then many swifts. It was getting on, so we pulled in and camped at an ugly spot in a small bay about 15 km above Beechey Lake. The land was soggy; camping was like sleeping on an incontinent waterbed. Another good day, considering, one that deserved a better end.
We advanced 36 km, to D 152 km.
11 July:
We did more rapids. BG dumped at the first, minor-league. We kept behind the islands for shelter at the head of Beechey Lake and had lunch there. Rob dropped back after to paddle solo again. For a change we had a tail wind; it was not strong enough though to sail with advantage. We kept close to the right shore, looking for a campsite. We finally found one (with tent rings) and pulled in. A bad rain squall passed through around suppertime, the only heavy rain on the trip. Both [Back] and [Anderson] remark that the weather can be dicey in this region due to the proximity of Bathurst Inlet. Another good day.
We advanced 39 km, to D 191 km.
12 July:
I forgot my Hammerhead paddle on the shore. We paddled down Beechey with a stiff tailwind and big waves, sometimes quartering. It was a warm, sunny day so Daniela and Doug pulled into a bay on the R and cleaned up. After lunch at a great site on the left shore (sheltered from the wind), we continued down the left shore, passing good campsites and six muskoxen; Daniela and Doug got some good shots of the latter. We arrived at the campsite at the start of the Beechey portage, carried some stuff over, looked at the cascades, had supper and turned in.
We advanced 27 km, to D 218 km.
13 July:
After breakfast we started carrying again. Rob joined us on the portage; he had gone down the left side of Beechey (he says that the sites are better over there) and gotten windbound. He helped us carry stuff over, then set up camp in the grass at the end of the portage. We didn't see him again on the trip; by email later, he said that, farther down, he had shared a small island for two tense days with a grizzly.
We finished the portage and headed downstream. The river is beautiful here. We had lunch at one of the islands at the head of the easterly stretch. Daniela and Doug saw a grizzly on the left shore not far from Rob's camp. Farther down they tried sailing but clobbered a rock. A headwind came up so we pulled over and rested a bit. We got back in, paddled down the lakey section, passed a water survey site (no cabin) at the left turn, and then pulled in on the right to scout. After running both the rapids, we pulled in at tern island to camp. We didn't like disturbing them, but we had seen no reasonable site for some time.
We advanced 24 km, to D 242 km.
14 July:
A long series of rapids, maybe six, started just below our campsite. Bob and Gene half-swamped at one of them. We had lunch on the left side of the island at 630/265. The river got wider and developed shallow sand flats, and we had to watch for the current; the 1:50k topos were helpful since they show the path through the flats. Here and everywhere else on the river, Doug was by far the best of us in spotting the flow. We pulled over due to a looming storm (thunder, lightning, black clouds) which however missed us.
We advanced 32 km, to D 274 km.
15 July:
The wind was up and we stayed put, with some dissent; the idea was that we had enough trouble getting through the sand flats without getting blown around. In retrospect, we should have paddled. I used the occasion to wash up.
Hans Schneller and Hans Baumgartner, world-class kayakers from Germany in solo Prijons, pulled in and joined us; we already knew about them from Rob Perkins, who had seen their tent on Beechey. They had started from Muskox Lake, where the Arctic Sunwest pilot had made them get off into chest-deep, icy (literally) water; they much regretted not having flown in with Air Tindi. They told us of some of their kayak trips to Canada; they used to fly into Yellowknife and ask to be flown to a river that hadn't been previously paddled. Hans S and Tony Prijon had made the first known recreational descent of the Horton, this in 1979. He spoke at the WCA symposium several years before, about his kayak trip from Greenland to Baffin Island. Hans B had paddled the Back in 1976; he told us to expect sand; he was right!
The Hansen decided to stay with us; they were in kayaks (and so travelling light) and appreciated our shelter, both here and later at Mission Island. Four of our group also speak German (Daniela was born there, Marilyn and I learned later, and Hendrik, from the Netherlands, is multilingual) so we chattered away in that language.
Postscript: [Hodgins-Hoyle] lists the first known recreational Horton trip as having made in 1974 (Larry Osgood, Don Scott and Maria Scott).
We advanced 0 km.
16 July:
We took off through the sand flats, turning this way and that. We had lunch on the right shore at a very good campsite (963/153). After another 15 km, we started some nasty rapids. We scouted, lined, portaged and debated for what must have been several hours before getting clear of them. We saw what looked like an OK site on the right, but decided to carry on to the Drought-Burton site just past the Baillie. Alas, there was nothing there but rocks; neither was there anything on either side of the river for several km downstream of it. We spotted the Hans-Hans tent on the left, pulled over and joined them on a grass-covered mud flat. This was the best day of the trip mileage wise, especially since we spent a lot of time scouting; we deserved a better site.
We advanced 49 km, to D 323 km.
17 July:
Hans & Hans headed out before us; we didn't expect to see them again. We continued through the sand flats, having to get out and wade once; the rapids section suggests routes through the flats. It was an uneventful day.
We advanced 37 km, to D 360 km.
18 July:
We spent another uneventful day working through the sand flats, occasionally missing the better route. The topo can be unhelpful on this part of the river. Doug and Daniela got out on the left shore and climbed the hill, finding a cairn and some messages. The wind was coming up so we pulled over and camped. We advanced 39 km, to D 399 km.
19 July:
We got up to a stiff headwind. We started downstream but gave up after 5 km and pulled in at a sand flat. The wind didn't go down so we set up the tundra tunnel. Stephen happened to look out and saw that the Canyon had blown away; it was stuck on the other shore. He and Hendrik paddled over and towed it back, a really tough job. We set up one tent in the dunes and four in the lee of the tundra tunnel, mother and four ducklings; Stephen slept inside the tunnel, not well though.
We advanced 5 km, to D 404 km.
20 July:
We set off into a bad headwind. It was a blessed relief to reach the turn near 805/625 and get shelter; we didn't have much trouble with the wind for the rest of the day. We ran the 3 swifts, having lunch after the 2nd or 3rd. We did Hawk Rapids; what a beautiful place! After Hawk, BG dumped in the eddy near 896/737 and had a long (maybe 15 minutes) cold swim before the rest of us wised up to their predicament. MH rescued Gene, got him to shore and warmed him up (he was hypothermic, shivering badly). DD rescued Bob and gear; Bob was wearing a wet suit and was in much better shape. SA went after the BG boat, almost dumping in the process, and lined it back upstream.
Getting separated like that was a very bad move on the part of the other boats so I figure I have to explain why it happened, in the hope that other parties will learn from our blunder. It will look like I’m making excuses, and maybe that’s a fair assessment, but here goes anyway. Bob and Gene were by far the fastest and had gotten well ahead of the pack several times, partly because they are both strong and partly because the others were in PakCanoes (slower than hardshells in flat water). After Hawk, they decided to stop and fish for a while so the others took off, figuring that the bad stuff was over with and they would catch up pdq. We should have stayed with them.
After maybe an hour, Gene had warmed up enough that we could take off; we camped ASAP, up a hill on the L. Gene kept to the schedule and cooked, figuring this a good way to warm up.
We advanced 29 km, to D 433 km.
21 July:
We paddled through three CI+ rapids, one with a bad whirlpool and another with big waves; otherwise the day was uneventful. After some discussion, we pulled over on the left and camped. I cooked supper, kneeling.
We advanced 35 km, to D 468 km.
22 July:
Pain in my feet woke me up during the night; in the morning, the left foot was too swollen to fit into my boot. I had a spare bum pad that the others cut up and shaped, and also a spare garbage bag to keep the foot dry. Gene gave me a bottle of Motrin to reduce the swelling, and I had souped-up Tylenol 3 and an antibiotic. From then until Mission Island the others carried me into and out of the boat; glad that we didn't have to do any lining those days. We continued downstream through immense and hard-to-spot-until-too-late sand flats. MH pulled over to pick up a conspicuous muskox skull and got well behind; looking back at it, the others should have stopped too. The wind came up again so we pulled over and camped at 5 pm, to some dissent.
We advanced 22 km, to D 490 km.
23 July:
After leaving camp, we wandered around looking for channels. The topos were a pretty good guide for a path through the sand flats, provided that we could determine where we were; the dotted areas on the topos were almost entirely under water. The island at 320/960 was identifiable, once one realized that there was a channel also on its left. The GPS came in rather handy at times. After entering Pelly Lake, we dropped in for a chat at the campsite of Jan & Bill Gunstock (sp?) from Couer D'Alene, Idaho; they had placed the muskox skull out in the open. Starting I think about 30 miles east of Moraine Lake, they had paddled the Baillie/Back and were to be picked up in five days at the Pelly cairn. Seeing nothing promising as a campsite on the topo for a while thereafter, we pulled in at 728/158 and camped.
We advanced 39 km, to D 529 km.
24 July:
The high water and a stiff north wind made navigation difficult through the sand flats. BG in the Esquif Canyon had a rough time; they had to head almost straight upwind and then down. We lost contact with them for a few moments when they found a passage at 775/190 through the peninsula. We were able to stay fairly close to the north shore, cutting over sand flats that would be impassable in lower water. We went left of the island at 858/178 to get out of the wind, have lunch and look for Inuit sites.
We continued down the left shore for a few km and pulled in by the Pelly cairn (visible from the water, an eyesore to some). Hendrik and I inspected the Inuit site a little upstream. We carried on, hugging the left shore, passed the point and made a short traverse to the island; the wind was way too strong though to attempt the 3 km traverse across the bay to our left and so we pulled in. Fortunately we found good places to pitch our tents; but the approach was very rocky, and the landing difficult. We phoned Air Tindi and gave them our location.
We advanced 20 km, to D 549 km.
25 July:
The wind was still up when we got up. The water near shore was shallow and rocky, and most of us were convinced that a float plane could not land there safely. We discussed vigourously the possibility of heading back 3 km to the campsite just above the Pelly cairn (where we were sure the plane could land). But then the wind let up and we took off. After stopping for lunch at the cabins near 055/093, we ran the rapids (more demanding than expected) at the end of Pelly Lake. [Anderson]:
Saw 2 lodges of Esquimaux at the Rapids between L. Pelly and Garry, but the inhabitants ran away on perceiving us. They evidently have intercourse with the Churchill Esquimaux ... .
We arrived at Mission Island to find Hans and Hans there to welcome us with delicious tea; they had seen us about an hour before as we rounded the point and headed for the island. They had lost several days to wind and lots more time in the sand flats (they were in kayaks and found it hard to see the channel) and had decided to terminate their trip; they figured they could have gotten to Chantrey Inlet but not to Gjoa Haven in the time remaining.
A few days earlier, Bob and Gene, both fit and experienved paddlers, had decided not to continue to Chantrey for two reasons: they were wiped from trying to control their boat in the wind and they were concerned that the 165 PakCanoe was too small for them and their gear.
We phoned Air Tindi again and arranged for the pick-up next day. My foot had recovered enough that I could put on hiking boots again; we decided however to have some fun with Linda.
Postscript: I ran into [Tammarniit (Mistakes)] only after leaving the Back. In 1958, Inuit had starved to death on or near Mission Island, and maybe also at the Pelly Lake site where we had lunch and at the site (mentioned by [Anderson]) at the rapids. I expect that my feelings would have been quite different had I known.
We advanced 32 km, to D 581 km.
26 July:
Linda flew in from Yellowknife bearing food, supplies and a message not to be concerned if the lower group ran into abandoned canoes and packs near Sinclair; these belong to a Widgi group whose evacuation about 10 days earlier cost Canadian taxpayers $80,000 or so. I used paddles as crutches and wrapped my left boot in a plastic bag; I turned down the suggestion to wear an eye patch, figuring that such was overkill, sure to tip her off.
We sorted through the food that Linda had brought in, keeping lots of Gene's Backpacker Pantry stuff for the lower half. She had brought in also Rob Perkins' food resupply, which we placed in Buliard's cabin. I believe we left some books there also, a contribution to Rob's library.
After Daniela, Doug, Bob, Gene and Stephen left for Yellowknife, I asked Hans Schneller to look at my right foot; it had a pressure lesion and he gave me a tube of Heparin from his first-aid kit.
Hans and Hans left on the second flight, leaving the four of us in very quiet surroundings. We knew that we had a tough trip ahead and would have to be very careful.
We advanced 0 km.
Note: The bay below the cabin was too shallow for the float-plane pilot; he used instead the bay on the other side of the spit, near 194/096.
Note: The flight from Yellowknife to mission island lasts about 3 hours; better not drink much before (Linda was in distress when she arrived).
27 July:
Linda, Marilyn, Hendrik and I headed downstream in a light wind; we kept L though, figuring that it might come up. It stayed down so we headed pretty well straight across Garry (due east) before reaching the other shore. We pulled in, camped at an Inuit site and thanked the wind god for sparing us.
We advanced 26 km, to D 607 km.
28 July:
We headed north-east through the gap at 66F16 481/128, turned east, then north, then east again to the esker at 535/126 (great site) where we had lunch; the others went for a short hike but I was still grounded. The wind was up, so we stayed close to the north shore as we continued for another 15 km.
We advanced 29 km, to D 636 km.
29 July:
We set out with almost no wind. Lower Garry stayed almost dead calm, so we made the big traverse, straight for the point at 855/146. On the way, we passed rafts of dead bugs, heaven for the many fish feasting on them. We learned later from Levi Waldron that Lower Garry was iced up maybe a week before we got there; the ice was heavily laden with dead bugs when it melted and so rafts were formed. We ran the exit rapid, entered Buliard Lake and pulled in at the esker to camp (great spot). The others went for a hike; I went up the hill a bit.
We advanced 42 km (in Drought locations; the true travel distance was smaller because we went straight for the point), to D 678 km.
30 July:
We stayed R after breaking camp, went R of the island at 66J3 925/240, got out and made a lengthy scout. We ran a serious rapid through a high-water channel; it was followed right away by a bad rapid (fast water through a boulder field). A swift and a CI+ were followed by an unrunnable rapid that we portaged, and then by another CI+ (between the islands, not marked on the topo). All this took a lot of time.
I had thought of going R around the island at 995/325, figuring that this route would be shorter; but the other boat got ahead and went past the turnoff. The current is significant here and so we were committed to going L around the island. This got us into a shallow lakey area with however a good current, fascinating wave patterns in the sand and zillions of big lake trout. And the L side may indeed have been the better route. It's your guess as to which way to go.
We continued, ran a swift and a CI+ on the R side of the island at 66J2 027/290, pulled over and camped.
We advanced 16 km, to D 694 km.
31 July:
We paddled down the channel in a good current and ran a swift at the entrance to Upper MacDougall. Marilyn and Hendrik pulled over and tried to photograph a large herd of muskoxen on the L, to no avail. We had lunch at the island at 113/212, out of the wind. We made the sharp bend, ran down the channel, went R of the island and stayed close to the L shore for shelter. Since the DB site at the head of Rock is not so good, we pulled over at a point. By this time the wind had dropped and we had a lot of bugs; but it cooled off and they disappeared.
We advanced 29 km, to D 723 km.
1 August:
The bad part of the day, working through Rock, is described in the Rapids, etc Section. I recommend stopping on the island and climbing the hill at 174/094; don't forget cameras, for the views are great in all directions.
We saw the abandoned Widgi boats and packs on the left (other) shore partway down the first part of Rock. We heard later that all the gear had been recovered.
Our experience on going through the tail end of the second part of Rock likely influenced my later decisions (third part of Rock and second part of Escape); but Linda, my paddling partner on so many trips, is imperturbable.
After getting through the first two of the three parts of Rock, we saw a herd of 300-400 caribou on the L shore; then we turned L into the bay and camped. The water at the site was badly silted from caribou passing through. The herd of 300-400 came through and was followed by another herd of 3000-4000 that took about half an hour to pass our campsite. We all agreed with Hendrik, who said that that sight was worth the expense of the trip. Then a wolf walked through on the same trail.
We advanced 9 km, to D 732 km.
2 August:
A muskox herd of 25 or so walked past on the trail used by the caribou the previous day. We portaged much of the third part of Rock and lined the rest; the others were game to run the last bit, but I chickened out. It was a real relief to get back into the boats and paddle again.
After more rapids, we portaged Sinclair on the left. The only ice we saw on the entire trip, apart from that on the flight in, was on the bank (river left) below the falls. We didn't see the Widgi boat found by Levi Waldron's group; we learned later that it was on the R passage around Sinclair. We did another rapid and pulled out on the right, before the turn to the left.
We advanced 8 km, to D 740 km.
3 August:
The north wind was up and it was raining lightly; we decided to stay put and rest from the effort of the previous two days.
We advanced 0 km.
4 August:
The north wind was still up, just as strong as on the day before. We took off anyway, going R around the two islands for shelter before turning right. We had lunch at one of the islands on the L, inadvertently explored the bay to the north a bit and then sailed down the channel; the trouble with sailing is that you don't get as long to rest before heading back into the wind. We soldiered on to the north, passing two wolves that appeared to be chasing supper, and pulled over to camp.
We advanced 22 km, to D 762 km.
5 August:
We took off again into a headwind, did the traverse to the R shore, rounded the corner, had lunch and scouted the upper part of Escape. The rest of a hard day is described in the Rapids Section.
It was not good that Linda and I got separated from the others. It was my decision not to try the ferry and if is anyone to blame for the separation then I’m the one. I was not sure that we could make it; Marilyn and Hendrik, a stronger crew, had had to push hard to get across. If we hadn’t made it, we would have been in serious trouble; check out Post 6 of this report, which contains a photo of lower Escape. Looking back on things, I’ve realized that it was only gradually that my doubts of our chances developed to the point where I made the decision; it's clear to me now that I should have spoken up and expressed my concern before Marilyn and Hendrik started across.
We advanced about 12 km, to about D 774 km.
6 August:
Linda and I got up at 6, had a quick breakfast and started taking stuff down the hill. Hendrik came over and helped with the boat; he had found a paddle in the bay below us, likely from the Widgies. Linda and I finished loading at 10:30 and headed downstream to rejoin Marilyn and Hendrik, stopping to scout another rapid.
After joining up, we rounded the corner and headed north into a very stiff wind, making almost no progress. After advancing 4 km, we had lunch at the island, at 464/240. We found the exit bay (not so obvious in high water and a big wind), turned the corner and headed east, out of the wind. There's a really nice spot where the esker crosses; we saw no rapid there (though one is marked on the 1:50k topo). We did more rapids, scouting a lot, then turned south and camped in a bay (silty water) on the L.
We advanced about 25 km, to D 799 km.
7 August:
We paddled to the head of Sandhill and pulled in on river left; the others got out to scout while I stayed in the boat out of concern for my feet. I was rewarded by a head of about 50 caribou that came down the hill and crossed to the south shore. The others returned and we ran Sandhill on the far L, through big waves, dodging boulders to the bay below. We did more rapids, scouting everything but especially Wolf. After it, we pulled over to the gravel bed on the L shore and had lunch. I wish we had had more time so that we could have climbed the hill at Wolf; it is impressive.
After lunch, we headed east and paddled through maybe a dozen swifts, the north wind blowing us off course the entire way. For some reason our boat was much slower that day and the others got well ahead, out of sight. We tried to catch up but couldn't. When we reached the lakey area by the mouth of the Meadowbank, we were exposed to full force of the wind and pulled over on the right, expected the others to come back when we didn't show. They joined us after about 20 minutes, but from upstream. It seems they had pulled over to wait for us, but on a channel different from the one we took.
The wind was almost impossible to paddle in; after some discussion, we pulled in at a small island and camped; shelter was poor but the tent sites OK.
We advanced 25 km, to D 824 km.
8 August:
The north wind had dropped markedly, but paddling into it was still difficult. We did more rapids, turned north, did another rapid and entered the lakey area above Mount Meadowbank. We stopped in at the cabins on the L, had lunch and did some sightseeing; there are tent rings on the hill above the cabins. Again it would have been nice to have had more time, here to climb Mount Meadowbank.
We sailed a bit down the lakey section; the wind wasn't much though and Marilyn's GPS (where would she be without it?) showed that sailing was about as fast as paddling. Of course sailing is easier than paddling, BUT, blinded by the sail, Linda and I ran aground on a gravel bar just below the surface.
After some discussion (I wanted to continue to the end of the lakey section and camp at the sandy area there), we pulled over to the L shore and camped at a bad site (slant city!).
We advanced 31 km, to D 855 km.
9 August:
We paddled to the end of the lakey section in a moderate tail wind, then pulled in on the R to scout. After running the rapids, we continued east and pulled in to look around the water survey cabin, which was locked. The north wind had blown all day and it kept up as we headed north-east. Seeing that we were near a DB campsite, we pulled off and camped there.
We advanced 28 km, to D 883 km.
10 August:
Some of us were worried about our recent progress and the prospect of more battling against the wind. With some dissent, we got up at 5 am; we got up at the same time for the next five days too.
The north wind came up again; we ran another rapid, turned the corner to the north-east and struggled to a sandy area above the Hermann. We went R of the island at the mouth and continued to the north-east, then north. Marilyn and Hendrik stayed L to get shelter. Linda and I stayed R to take the shorter path; we continued to the shore near 340/597 where we had lunch. The four of us met up after lunch and struggled some more. Knowing that a difficult rapid was just ahead, we pulled in and camped above it.
We advanced 38 km, to D 921 km.
11 August:
The north wind was up again; we stayed L for shelter before crossing to the R before the point. After a lengthy and careful scout, we ran 56L5 739/715; a herd of muskoxen watched, stupidly, from above as we made the left turn midway down. We stopped for lunch at the island 3 km above the Montresor. BTW, the Montresor watershed includes Bromley and Ian Calder Lakes; the place where Bromley and Calder died is identified in another part of the report. The wind came up hard again so we gave up and camped.
We advanced 28 km, to D 949 km.
12 August:
We started downstream in a headwind, staying L to get shelter. After stopping to rest at the island at 790/960, we went around the L side of it and stayed L again before Whirlpool Rapids. After another scout, we ran it, a non-event (even the whirlpools below weren't much). The wind continued to strengthen; we tried both getting shelter on the R and also riding the big waves in the C where there was a good current, both to no avail. Then my seat broke; the aluminum tubing that Stephen and I had used was strong enough for him and Linda but not for me. We pulled over and make a quick fix. But I couldn't paddle much and we were making little headway so we pulled over again; Marilyn did a good job in fixing it. By then though the wind was really bad, so we pulled over to a bad site and camped, expecting the wind to be up again in the morrow and dreading having to paddle against it on the wide part of Franklin Lake and so much concerned that we would miss the pickup.
We advanced 15 km, to D 964 km.
13 August:
We got up to no wind and made over 20 km before stopping for lunch at the peninsula where the river turns R toward the falls. With no wind and warm weather, black flies swarmed us so we ate on top, finding that the Inuit had camped there many times. We paddled through the first rapid and headed toward the falls.
We had heard conflicting stories about the difficulty of the falls; Hans Baumgartner sledded it, but others reported that it involved a lot of lining and portaging. Marilyn spotted an alternate route, involving a portage; it started at 703/300 and went along what appears to be a spring channel. We decided to go this way, expecting hours of hard work but maybe saving yet more. At least one other party had had the same idea and had marked the first portage route with cairns. My feet were still numb; I had no balance and fell into the water on the second portage.
Marilyn and Hendrik walked up to view the falls; it was getting late so Linda and I went ahead to find a campsite. We had a small supper in the dark.
We advanced 33 km, to D 997 km.
14 August:
We ran the first rapid in two stages, passed between the two small islands and then ran the second rapid (and last of the trip) also in two stages. We stopped halfway through the second to look at the impressive line of stones on the hill to the R; I had to stay behind, but I expect that they formed a fence for guiding the caribou. We didn't go over to the L side to look at the cabins.
The wind was not up, but we went around the L side of the big island anyway, running into shallow water at its end; we continued close to the L side as the wind rose; we thought that the high water might have made a passage through the peninsula (955/280) but decided to go around it, a good idea it turned out. We made the traverse to the point at 983/296 and turned north into the wind.
After threading our way between rocks, we came out into the open, gave up and pulled in. I called Boris's number (got his son I think), gave our present coordinates and requested landing coordinates for the pickup by the tundra-tire plane. After another call or two, I was told that plans had changed and that we would be picked up by float plane; I was told to pick a site where the float plane could land and then phone in coordinates. This was great news, for George Drought had marked a pickup point on the R shore about 7 km downstream.
We advanced 31 km, to D 1028 km.
15 August:
After paddling north about 2 km into a stiff headwind, we crossed to the R side and worked our way through small islands and rocks. We inspected one of the islands, figuring that we might have to camp there, but decided to bite the bullet and continue against the wind to the Drought site. We pulled in at the beach but found it to be wet clay, unsuitable for camping. Unable to round the point and paddle against the wind, we dragged the boats about 100 m downstream to a sandy area and set up camp. I put my tent behind a big rock to get some shelter. As arranged, I phoned Boris's place and gave our coordinates. We took the PakCanoes apart and settled in. The tide was about 1 ft. I phoned again in the evening.
We advanced 7 km, to D 1035 km.
16 August:
The wind was very strong in the morning. The big waves stirred up the water and made it very silty; the coffee filters that I had brought along precisely for this purpose failed miserably in removing the silt and we had to use the pump filters.
I phoned Boris around 9 am. He asked if we were at the cabins 11 km downstream and said that there might be difficulty in getting the float plane in that day. This was not great news. He asked if we could paddle downstream to near the Hayes; I replied that the wind was way too strong to paddle against, that the boats had been taken apart, that the satellite phone batteries were running low and that Marilyn had a bad arm. We arranged to speak again later.
While the others went for a hike downstream, I scouted the flat area on the tundra above our campsite, to assess its suitability for tundra-tire plane landing; it looked OK, except that there was some cotton grass. As I was waiting for the others to come back, a large wolf popped out of the brush and trotted past, giving me a quick glance but otherwise ignoring me, not so much as breaking stride.
I called Boris again around noon; he said that the tundra-tire plane could not land there (due to the cotton grass) and that the float plane could not get us out that day. We phoned Marilyn's mother and asked her to cancel our flights out of Baker the next day. This may have been a blunder, for I don't know what the local airline policy is when passengers don't show up.
We figured that we would be there another night and started to make supper; of course the wind had gone down by then. When supper was almost ready, Aklak Air's Twin Otter arrived. This is when we learned that George and Barbara had been burned in the explosion and evacuated; we learned also that a party had been attacked by a bear on the Thelon and also evacuated. We scurried around, threw things together, got on and arrived in Baker Lake at 10:30 pm. Elizabeth had supper waiting for us at Baker Lake Lodge (nice place, highly recommended) where we stayed the night.
17 August:
The four of us had breakfast at Baker Lake Lodge. Marilyn spent a lot of time on the phone trying to get her flights rescheduled. I paid for the Twin Otter flight and notified the RCMP of our return (on our own). I then hoofed it to the nursing station at the other end of town to get my foot (the spot had since turned blue) looked at; I was told that it was not necrotic and was given some strong Ibuprofen and an antibiotic. The others walked around and shopped. I gave our leftover fuel, the slugs and the bangers to Boris. And I got rid of a lot of no-longer-any-good gear.
In the afternoon, the Baker Lake Lodge people drove us to the airport; the runway is on quite a slant. We flew to Rankin Inlet on a Saab 340 with I think 6 seats of about 30 occupied; but our baggage had to go on flight(s) the next day or two. John Hickes and Page Burt picked us up and drove us to their Nanuq Lodge (great place) where we had a good supper with them and Martha (John's sister ?); she had flown out with Barbara Burton (arm burned rather badly in the explosion) earlier in the month.
18 August:
Marilyn left for Iqaluit and Ottawa. While the others went for a walk, I took advantage of my immobility to look at some of Page's books. It was then that I encountered Tammarniit (Mistakes). I had known already about the Ennadai Lake famine but not about the one on Pelly and Garry; had I done so, I expect that I would have felt differently when we passed by those places. Martha's mother (and also her aunt ?) were the last to be evacuated from Garry Lake in 1958; I think they had been given up for dead. In the afternoon, Page drove Linda, Hendrik and me to the Thule site outside town.
I spoke at length with Martha, trying to interest her into coming down to speak at the Wilderness and Canoeing Symposium; she eventually gave up on me and explained that it would be out of place for her to do so, that such talks may be given only by the elders.
19 August:
In the morning, Page took us sightseeing around Rankin Inlet. Linda and I left for Winnipeg; Hendrik stayed another night, then left for Churchill and his polar bear project.
Linda and I arrived in Winnipeg to learn that our flight to Toronto had been cancelled; the aircraft didn't get out of Toronto due to the bad storm there. She spoke to Air Canada about getting to Toronto the next day and was offered an afternoon flight to Vancouver followed by a flight to Toronto arriving in the late evening. She asked for another look and got the flights we took the next day, via Calgary. The Air Canada baggage agent very kindly sent our 8 big packs to Toronto on the early morning flight the next day. He was not at all concerned with the shotgun, except to make sure it was in a locked case; he didn't ask about cartridges and didn't react when I said there were none. Hmmm. The hotel at the airport was full so we took a taxi to Greenwood Inn.
20 August:
We caught the 6:30 am flight to Calgary, and then a non-stop flight to Toronto, arriving at about 3 pm. Back home, my first priority was to get a haircut.