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New member in Saskatchewan

Joined
Feb 26, 2021
Messages
20
Reaction score
2
Location
Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan
Hey all,

I'm excited to join your ranks as a new enthusiast.

My wife and I are in the flatlands of Saskatchewan. We recently purchased a old
Church in Gravelbourg Saskatchewan and we are hoping to launch our canoeing
adventures from here this summer. The rivers in North Central
Saskatchewan look absolutely enticing and intimidating at the same
time.

It would be great to find some routes in our region start out with and
to learn and play and shake ourselves out before we head up to do
something around La Ronge/Missinipe.? I'm pretty sure that was more of a
question than a statement.

I have experience as a whitewater rafting guide and as a thru-hiker on
the Appalachian Trail, so I can camp and guide a inflatable vessel
through whitewater but I have relatively little experience
canoe-tripping, besides some flatwater trips in TX that I took 30
years ago.

My most recent day trips have been canoe rentals in the Laurentians in
Quebec.

I've been reading/youtubing voraciously to get up to speed and am very
open to advice from the community on how to get started, what sources
to look at etc.

We just purchased a 16' Esquif Prospecteur. Boats are already hard to
find this season and we had to buy it from the Montreal River Outpost
in La Ronge which is 7-8 hours away.

More about me: I like to build things (hence the purchase of this
church). I once built and lived in a Dome in my friends backyard:

https://rigsomelight.com/2013/09/09/frameless-geodesic-dome.html


Thanks for reading this and I hope everyones paddling season is exceptional.



BTW I've been reading PaddlingPitt's books and really enjoying them!
 
Welcome from the other side of the wall.

I think you'll find flatwater canoe tripping is easier than either backpacking or whitewater.

Ive looked for used churches but have not found one I could afford and undertake the work. Good luck!
 
Paddling Pitt yes you are not that far away relative in terms of Saskatchewan distances. We have friends who live in Wishart.
I thoroughly enjoyed Franklin, Oops, Mud and Cupcake, and Three Seasons in the Wind, thanks for taking the time to share your adventures. Your stories were like a needed salve this winter.
 
Thanks billconnor,

I'm actually originally from Connecticut, and my wife and I just moved out here from Montreal a year ago, as this is where her parents live. She also has an uncle in Rensselaer Falls who sells hand made dulcimers.

And you could have afforded this Church that's for sure. I payed about as much for this church as I did for my used SUV.

The church
 
Thanks recped,

I'm dreaming of getting up to the Churchill, Missinipe and CRCO. Thanks for the links to the old canoe routes. My wife gave me the book Canoeing the Churchill by Greg Marchildon for Xmas. It's a really exceptional book about the area.
 
Looks like great paddling. I was in that area 50+ years ago - 3 or 4 week road trip - and one leg was Saskatoon to Yellowknife. Amazing country.
 
PaddlingPitt, yes I have that book as well, thanks for pointing it out. I also have Ric Driediger's book Paddling routes of Northern Saskatchewan on order.
 
Hey BirchBeer
Fellow flatlander and builder here in the Queens city, I spend considerable time in your neck of the woods in the autumn chasing feathered things, absolutely love the Gravelbourg area. One thing about living where we do is when you go to do a trip, you gotta go big, the drive is just too far. The green part of our flag is paddling paradise and besides the Churchill corridor, most trips you are unlikely to ever run into anyone.
Cheers!
Ruby
 
Hey Rubbaboo/Ruby,

It's great to see that another local is on this forum. Although I feel somewhat of an imposter as we've only relocated here last year. My wife had to tell me what "Queens city" is. I really should have figured that one out.

Also, I can't even imagine how you coped with the 16km Methye portage when it was a flooded bog.

Hope to chat more about the rivers here in SK sometime.

BTW hope your enjoying this weather!
 
Since we're talking books I'd recommend Sleeping Island. It's set in NE SK rather than NC but is a wonderful book nonetheless and should be in every tripper's library. If you like it then search out his (Downes) journals, Distant Summers volumes I and II.

Alan
 
Welcome. I'm "next door" in Alberta and I love to paddle in the shield country up by La Ronge and Missinipe and neighbourhood. Maybe we'll meet on the water sometime.
 
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