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Little Pic River

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Location
Geraldton, Ontario
This was one of our traditional Outers routes, last done by the club in 1994. Got a young guy up here doing a pretty good job making videos of many routes in our area. The Little Pic was always said to be very beautiful. Jonathon has made an excellent video of a fall trip. The Chief of Biigtigong First Nation says they are going to open it up next summer. Think I'll be doing it one way or the other. Here's the link to the first part. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ9...prRYu_xrmL1DaP3BlsMlKcxeDuf2IZ3lckMs_bxtAwk1U
 
I've been following Jonathan on his Youtubed backcountry trips. Always entertaining and informative, I like his humility and humour. The Little Pic is one of the few rivers I've ever thought "I'd love to explore that someday" as we drove across Hwy 17 and looked down into that wild wonderful valley. But after watching Part One I doubt I would've been up to the task, and I sure as heck am not now, so exploring it from the comfort of my cozy kitchen chair suits me cappuccino coffee in hand. Thanks for the share Big Mem. (New moniker to suit your boat builds.)
 
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Just watched it this morning, tough trip. He needed to bring a chain saw and leave the deodorant and bag of Nachos home. Some beautiful falls. I always enjoy his videos.
 
Epic trip but he does a lot of low percentage stuff when he gets frustrated. I dont understand the deodorant thing either Robin. I would not even attempt a trip like that without my chainsaw.
 
I will second all the above comments!!
I can not do trips like that anymore, age related balance issues with those slippery rocks would result in something I do not want to contemplate. I paddled along from the relative safety & warmth of my recliner, big hairy Norwegian Forest Cat on my lap under fake down quilt.
Loved seeing my old friends Salvelinus Fontinalis again. I would have thought that they would be getting all dressed up for the annual big fall spawning party. I think I would have just camped at that first place he was catching them.
If he was so worried about time with Search and Rescue being deployed why did he keep stopping to fish? Or was that just to add some drama like reality shows do to gin up the interest?
Liked it so much I am making a pot of tea for a re-watch. I will then watch some of his other productions.
 
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I've also been following his youtube work. He's a very good photographer, capturing interesting details, not just the scenery and the fish (and yes, there is always time to fish). I think fishing for him is therapy, at least as much as those small dogs you see in the airport.

It's amazing just how slow river travel can be when you have insufficient water, logjams or other obstacles and no trails. I recently did a trip up Allagash Stream (almost front country!) in low water, too dry to pole, and it took all morning to get up to the lake, less than 5 miles.

It's great that folks like him and memaquay and the Outers are keeping these routes open.
 
I really enjoyed those Part 1 and Part 2 videos.

I am always amazed and appreciative when folks manage the time and effort to create a well done video while in the midst of a challenging trip. It is all I can do to pull out a pocket camera set on auto and take a few snapshots while lazing around camp.

Kinda glad to see someone drag portaging a canoe when necessary.
 
Saving part 2 for an exciting big screen experience this evening. And yeah, I don't get the backcountry deodorant, for me my deodorant's called smoke and pine and sweat. A periodic swim really helps (on purpose or otherwise). I do know that the close confines of a small tent can get quite ripe some nights, so I do understand. But the Doritos is genius. I'd pierce the bag to expel the extra air (for "product settling purposes" we're told) to better crunch fit into the food bin. Light and tasty! Right down to the crumbs.
 
And yeah, I don't get the backcountry deodorant, for me my deodorant's called smoke and pine and sweat. A periodic swim really helps (on purpose or otherwise).


One of the oddities that lives in the Tripping Truck is a tube of stick deodorant. And of course a change of clothes. Coming off a long unbathed trip I don’t want to olfactory offend the waitress in a diner or the convenience store cashier when I wave a Thermos at them and ask “How much to fill this up?” (Usually “A buck”, or at most “Same as a large coffee”). Speed Stick, it has lasted years stored in driver’s door pocket and not turned into an oozing pile of goo, even through blazing summer closed-truck heat.

On long off-season trips where bathing would be a frigid experience I stick a half dozen unscented wet wipes in a (double) baggie. That teeny bit of trash to carry out is well worth clean nether regions. Wet wipes stay wet for a loooong time if double bagged; I found a forgotten pack rolled up and double bagged from a trip 4 years ago and they were still moist.
 
Good idea those wet wipes. Funny enough I read only recently on a backpacking blog about how welcome wet wipes can be. But my wife and I are curmudgeonly holdovers from the cloth diaper days, we stubbornly refuse most disposable conveniences. Might be a frugal hippy thing, I don't know. On some cold water trips we've resorted to heating water up over the fire with which to scrub away the grime. I say "cold water" like it's a standard amongst all outdoor types. Our own perception has changed. A brisk swim in October is no longer welcome. heck, September swimming is becoming too tingly for us. On a trip two years ago my wife trudged up to camp with enough water for her standing-up bath. I was busy contemplating sunny skies through closed eyelids. Afterwards she said "Brad, that was really nice! I feel great!" Getting no reply from me she repeated her enthusiasm, adding some emphasis on words like fresh and clean and good, and you should try it!. Eventually I got the hint.
 
I'm a bit of a weeny when it comes to swimming/bathing in cold water. Jumping in to wade a canoe up/down rapids isn't a problem because I've got other things to distract me from the cold shock of stepping into a hole and suddenly being in belly deep water. But just going in to clean up is hard for me to do when it's chilly.

But what I can do is wade in up to my thighs and give myself a sponge bath. Or, more likely, wait until I've gotten completely soaked wading rapids and use that opportunity to scrub up a bit while I'm still used to the chill.

I've taken wet wipes on a trip or two. Don't think I've ever used them. That's probably as much forgetfulness as anything else though since, when unpacking after the trip, it's a bit of a surprise finding them again.

Alan
 
Another great trip by Jonathon, I too watched it on the big screen and he had me on the edge of my seat going thru those rapids. I thought it was funny after he yelled at the bear, he said "sorry".
 
We're Canadians, eh. Apologies are our specialty. When Biigtigong clears the ports next year, I'm going for a trip, maybe the upper half too. Be one of the first trips where we leave the chainsaws home in a long time. Looking forward to eating specs every night.
 
It would be interesting to see firsthand how those ports turn out. I am saying this outloud without a lot of conviction.
Sorry.
 
Finished after work today. I've run a lot of stuff but always with a partner. There's a lot of what he didn't run I wouldn't solo as well but dang, cutting ports is not on my agenda! I hate sawing logs, just the wimp side of me showing!
 
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