I have been so used to driving to Mich to pick up buddies for canoe trips I failed to realize how fast I can get to the Sudbury area. Six hours from Rochester and I was there. This can provide some additional opportunities.
Those who have suffered my blathering's know I am on a personal mission with the Ministry of whomever about those construction barrels with the black and orange stripes on them. My position is that white and orange are easier to see both at nite, and on wet asphalt roads. Now, however, in what can be regarded as high water mark of road marking, they are now using orange paint stripes IN the construction zone. You always know where you are. However, on the river signs are bright orange for the campsites, and yellow for the portage trails. I could see possibly reversing these last two.
Jack Daniels has been a staple on canoe trips for decades and not following politics that closely waltzed into a store to stock up. Whoops. Dude informed me they don't sell AMERICAN spirits and walked away. I said I still need booze, lets talk Canadian. Nope, he was done. Another guy jumped in and I was prepared.
Via Rail station in Sudbury Junction is a small little gravel place in the back of town. I was a bit concerned about leaving my truck for 3 weeks but all was well.
A practice I use is to keep my gas tank about 3/4's while gone on longer trips to avoid issues with condensation. Also use the hide a key trick in case I lose mine. This was a parking lot in town. In the woods I always throw a few spent 12 ga shells and a couple of empty beer cans in the back.
Via Rail is a dream. They are very customer focused and as most Canadians are, very nice people. Something too cool about riding along, you get your 10 minute warning, and suddenly people are handing you stuff from the box car. All eyes watching you from the train. The train lights slowly fade and darkness grabs you from all sides. Here you go.
It was cold the first couple of days. I only use a 30 degree bag up there this time of year, normally fine. This trip I took my 10 x 14 CCS tarp (which is all alone in the woods!) and a 4 x 8 netting. Setting and breaking camp is now lightning fast. The bugs were out but not too aggressive. I spent half my nites under the tarp and the other have sleeping in the open with a head net on. No issues.
As everyone knows it's not a difficult river - assuming normal water levels - and I moved along with ease. But since my brother couldn't make it I was feeling pretty bad for him. I am committed to getting him on a northern (subjective in this case) river. I could make my distance solo but it wasn't leaving much time for fishing or evening fires. The second half of the river doesn't require near as much labor (ports) and I was thinking doing the easy part with him might be a plan. So I decided to just paddle to Mattice, and then enjoy my trip a bit more, which I did. Everything was just fine.
Had some very warm weather (Gore-tex PFD?) and was again, just living the dream. Then Mr. inReach got involved. Rain coming. GOOD! I had been doing way too much lining and was looking forward to a bit more flow. And I got it. Just under my tarp but dry, the wind, rain, and lightening raged. Second scariest nite in the woods ever. (first was in Boundary Waters in '89). As things cleared up the water had taken a step higher. And another. And another. For the next 3 days it just kept climbing. Not very fast, but steady. Biggest issue for me was the ground I had claimed was all at an angle. Lower back was killing me.
So what to do? I could wait - plenty of food, but there was so much junk in the water I was concerned about clogging my filter, so I kept water intake low for awhile. I went to some rocks by the river that always accumulate water in the crags so I topped off and waited.
Back in NY Chick is contacting all of the outfitters, S&R, etc. to figure this one out. I wasn't hurt so I fully expected to pay. At about 8 pm I get an inReach message saying they will be arriving directly. WT.... I am having an impossible time believing anyone is going to launch an extraction with a helicopter for an uninjured person with provisions and shelter at 8 pm. I was right, but it was a bit of a let down.
Nite 4 passes and I am bored beyond belief. My back hurts like crazy and I've got no good news to report. But I get an inReach message saying the constable would sign off on the extraction, but it would be several hours. I was then informed I would be extracted between 6-8 pm. About 5:30 I hear a chopper and head to rivers edge. I had a red bandana and was waving it but they kept circling. I waded out and got their attention. They circled several times and then left. Heart sinking - another nite on this site. It wasn't a site though - I was on the trail.
I listen carefully but no sounds. I sit down to send Chick an inReach message. This is a drag. I send the message, stand up and begin turning around and there was a full sized alien standing there. As they left the pilot saw a rock he could put a skid on, stopped , dropped off his co-pilot and went back to refuel. He walked up to the site and didn't make a sound, just stood the there, and scared the ever-living (enter your favorite expletive here 1000x's) out of me. He pulled off his helmet and I asked if he was there for me, which he was. He walked over to me and said I needed a hug - I said give me a second - and then the hug and we did some pics and even a selfie. I'm going to write some additional info on this and include some pics -these guys are the best.
Now we are bush-wacking to get to the pick-up spot. We get there and wait about 45 mins or so until the chopper comes back. Now, we have all seen this move in movies but getting up on that rock - you are now soaked from the spray - and you climb on one skid and then jump in. Pretty cool, but you can't help but look down and see the water rushing around the rocks below. Fun stuff.
I am now being dropped off at the airport where another officer brings me around town to find a room and we even get a cup of coffee. So what people see is a police cruiser pulling up in front of hotels, the officer comes around and lets me out. I walk into hotel, ask for a room and walk back to the cruiser and he lets me in. We even did it at Tim Horton's.
Finally I find a room at the Comfort Inn, and a wonderful woman named Wanda jumped in the help. I lost my glasses so she was ordering pizza for me, getting me settled. I was literally dropped into a town that I still cannot pronounce the name of.
Smoothwater Outfitters was bring me back to Sudbury from Mattice, , but now I was in a whole different area. No issue - they adjusted on the fly and had me scooped up and brought back to Sudbury. Great people there - and more on them later as well.
As this wound down then i could see all of the people Chick was calling to make this work. There were a few. And do you know what? While this was going on she received 3-4 calls from the police, and others just checking to see how she has holding up. Even called her afterward to check. EVERYBODY on the planet could learn from Canadians.
I'm going to elaborate a bit more on the behind the scenes things that were occurring, and I want to emphasize just how cool, and professional these guys are. And you know what? - only 2 choppers working all of Ontario!!! They apologized for the wait - more choppers have been ordered.
So trip report wise, not a ton to report. It's an easy river to paddle. However you will find the omni-present head winds somewhat baffling. Get "Journey To The Northern Sky" and plan your trip. It is incredibly easy to put together. It seems complex at first but it was very simple. Just go.
If anyone knows of folks who can retrieve gear I am interested. It might make sense for me to drive back up but we'll see. I have to now wrap my head around this. Having planned this trip for over 50 years I wanted to finish it, and hopefully with my brother I will. In the rules of my tripping head had I made a nav error or rolled it and couldn't finish I would re-run the river. This one was just good old mother nature doing her thing. So, this one is complete for me. Hopefully my brother will be able to do the second part of this next year, but if not, that's ok. We will just jump onto the Fon du Lac and keep going from there. But in the back of my mind I'm already planning on getting it done regardless.
Apologize for the rambling.
Those who have suffered my blathering's know I am on a personal mission with the Ministry of whomever about those construction barrels with the black and orange stripes on them. My position is that white and orange are easier to see both at nite, and on wet asphalt roads. Now, however, in what can be regarded as high water mark of road marking, they are now using orange paint stripes IN the construction zone. You always know where you are. However, on the river signs are bright orange for the campsites, and yellow for the portage trails. I could see possibly reversing these last two.
Jack Daniels has been a staple on canoe trips for decades and not following politics that closely waltzed into a store to stock up. Whoops. Dude informed me they don't sell AMERICAN spirits and walked away. I said I still need booze, lets talk Canadian. Nope, he was done. Another guy jumped in and I was prepared.
Via Rail station in Sudbury Junction is a small little gravel place in the back of town. I was a bit concerned about leaving my truck for 3 weeks but all was well.
A practice I use is to keep my gas tank about 3/4's while gone on longer trips to avoid issues with condensation. Also use the hide a key trick in case I lose mine. This was a parking lot in town. In the woods I always throw a few spent 12 ga shells and a couple of empty beer cans in the back.
Via Rail is a dream. They are very customer focused and as most Canadians are, very nice people. Something too cool about riding along, you get your 10 minute warning, and suddenly people are handing you stuff from the box car. All eyes watching you from the train. The train lights slowly fade and darkness grabs you from all sides. Here you go.
It was cold the first couple of days. I only use a 30 degree bag up there this time of year, normally fine. This trip I took my 10 x 14 CCS tarp (which is all alone in the woods!) and a 4 x 8 netting. Setting and breaking camp is now lightning fast. The bugs were out but not too aggressive. I spent half my nites under the tarp and the other have sleeping in the open with a head net on. No issues.
As everyone knows it's not a difficult river - assuming normal water levels - and I moved along with ease. But since my brother couldn't make it I was feeling pretty bad for him. I am committed to getting him on a northern (subjective in this case) river. I could make my distance solo but it wasn't leaving much time for fishing or evening fires. The second half of the river doesn't require near as much labor (ports) and I was thinking doing the easy part with him might be a plan. So I decided to just paddle to Mattice, and then enjoy my trip a bit more, which I did. Everything was just fine.
Had some very warm weather (Gore-tex PFD?) and was again, just living the dream. Then Mr. inReach got involved. Rain coming. GOOD! I had been doing way too much lining and was looking forward to a bit more flow. And I got it. Just under my tarp but dry, the wind, rain, and lightening raged. Second scariest nite in the woods ever. (first was in Boundary Waters in '89). As things cleared up the water had taken a step higher. And another. And another. For the next 3 days it just kept climbing. Not very fast, but steady. Biggest issue for me was the ground I had claimed was all at an angle. Lower back was killing me.
So what to do? I could wait - plenty of food, but there was so much junk in the water I was concerned about clogging my filter, so I kept water intake low for awhile. I went to some rocks by the river that always accumulate water in the crags so I topped off and waited.
Back in NY Chick is contacting all of the outfitters, S&R, etc. to figure this one out. I wasn't hurt so I fully expected to pay. At about 8 pm I get an inReach message saying they will be arriving directly. WT.... I am having an impossible time believing anyone is going to launch an extraction with a helicopter for an uninjured person with provisions and shelter at 8 pm. I was right, but it was a bit of a let down.
Nite 4 passes and I am bored beyond belief. My back hurts like crazy and I've got no good news to report. But I get an inReach message saying the constable would sign off on the extraction, but it would be several hours. I was then informed I would be extracted between 6-8 pm. About 5:30 I hear a chopper and head to rivers edge. I had a red bandana and was waving it but they kept circling. I waded out and got their attention. They circled several times and then left. Heart sinking - another nite on this site. It wasn't a site though - I was on the trail.
I listen carefully but no sounds. I sit down to send Chick an inReach message. This is a drag. I send the message, stand up and begin turning around and there was a full sized alien standing there. As they left the pilot saw a rock he could put a skid on, stopped , dropped off his co-pilot and went back to refuel. He walked up to the site and didn't make a sound, just stood the there, and scared the ever-living (enter your favorite expletive here 1000x's) out of me. He pulled off his helmet and I asked if he was there for me, which he was. He walked over to me and said I needed a hug - I said give me a second - and then the hug and we did some pics and even a selfie. I'm going to write some additional info on this and include some pics -these guys are the best.
Now we are bush-wacking to get to the pick-up spot. We get there and wait about 45 mins or so until the chopper comes back. Now, we have all seen this move in movies but getting up on that rock - you are now soaked from the spray - and you climb on one skid and then jump in. Pretty cool, but you can't help but look down and see the water rushing around the rocks below. Fun stuff.
I am now being dropped off at the airport where another officer brings me around town to find a room and we even get a cup of coffee. So what people see is a police cruiser pulling up in front of hotels, the officer comes around and lets me out. I walk into hotel, ask for a room and walk back to the cruiser and he lets me in. We even did it at Tim Horton's.
Finally I find a room at the Comfort Inn, and a wonderful woman named Wanda jumped in the help. I lost my glasses so she was ordering pizza for me, getting me settled. I was literally dropped into a town that I still cannot pronounce the name of.
Smoothwater Outfitters was bring me back to Sudbury from Mattice, , but now I was in a whole different area. No issue - they adjusted on the fly and had me scooped up and brought back to Sudbury. Great people there - and more on them later as well.
As this wound down then i could see all of the people Chick was calling to make this work. There were a few. And do you know what? While this was going on she received 3-4 calls from the police, and others just checking to see how she has holding up. Even called her afterward to check. EVERYBODY on the planet could learn from Canadians.
I'm going to elaborate a bit more on the behind the scenes things that were occurring, and I want to emphasize just how cool, and professional these guys are. And you know what? - only 2 choppers working all of Ontario!!! They apologized for the wait - more choppers have been ordered.
So trip report wise, not a ton to report. It's an easy river to paddle. However you will find the omni-present head winds somewhat baffling. Get "Journey To The Northern Sky" and plan your trip. It is incredibly easy to put together. It seems complex at first but it was very simple. Just go.
If anyone knows of folks who can retrieve gear I am interested. It might make sense for me to drive back up but we'll see. I have to now wrap my head around this. Having planned this trip for over 50 years I wanted to finish it, and hopefully with my brother I will. In the rules of my tripping head had I made a nav error or rolled it and couldn't finish I would re-run the river. This one was just good old mother nature doing her thing. So, this one is complete for me. Hopefully my brother will be able to do the second part of this next year, but if not, that's ok. We will just jump onto the Fon du Lac and keep going from there. But in the back of my mind I'm already planning on getting it done regardless.
Apologize for the rambling.
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