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Short trip to the Steel

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Geraldton, Ontario
Just did a short trip down to the headwaters of the Steel river. It’s about an 80 k drive to the departure point from my house.

My buddy who used to run the High School Canoe program before me was looking after a couple of kids from Poland. They had never done a canoe trip before, so we thought the Steel would be a good place. It’s only about a 10 k paddle with one port to get down to the site. I chose to bring my Poly Old Town, because I didn’t want to do the port. The rapids around the port can be bumped and grinded by anyone who doesn’t care much for their canoe.


Here’s the Old Town ready to go. Some of you might recognize something familiar in the canoe.

My buddy and the Polish kids did the port while I bumped my way down the rapid and then started fishing. The walleye were hungry. I was just using a jig with a rubber tail. The Polish kids had never seen anyone fishing before, so they must have wondered why a grown man would be sitting in a canoe screaming and whooping.


Yours’ truly with the catch of the day.


The bugs were bad, something the Poles didn’t have a lot of experience with.


I bought this tent at a discount earlier this year. It’s a Eureka Bella Coola, quite a big tent. However, I don’t recommend it…it is frail and wouldn’t last two seconds in a wind storm.

Later that night the Polish girl made me take her fishing. On her first cast she got a respectable walleye. It was getting dark, so I got the frying pan out again and showed her how to cook fish. Up until this point, both kids claimed to have never eaten fish. They sure ate it that night! I have to admit, it was most excellent, washed down with a couple of glasses of wine.



All in all, it was a great overnighter, lots of “firsts” for the Polish kids, and lots of fresh fish to eat.

In case anyone is contemplating the Steel Loop this year, water levels are already getting low. Bug levels are very high, but mostly just moquitos.
 
The Steel is a non-maintained Provincial waterway park in Northern Ontario. It's a beautiful loop trip with a mixture of fast water, rapids and big lakes. It also has a notorious portage on it, known as Diablo. It's one of my favourite haunts, I usually get down into the area four or five times a year.
 
Well Memaquay, that warms the cockles of my old arteriosclerotic heart! Thanks!

I'll bet that trip will be a memory those kids will come to treasure (once the bumps from the mosquitoes go down)! Wait a minute! in that photo of that sweet little girl, is that a china plate she's holding? Wow, you guys really go first cabin! Burton and Livingstone dressed for dinner in the wilds of Africa, I presume you're carrying on this noble tradition? Of course with a mosquitoe head net.

Very Best Wishes, Rob
 
Darn it - sounds like my kinda place!!! It's 14.5 hours from me. Will have to stick wtih ADK, which is 4-5 hours from me.
 
Yes, I'm fortunate to live right in the middle of a huge canoe network. There are hundreds of miles of routes that are seldom used, mostly because we are so far away from everything. Rob, that probably is a china plate, my buddy is steeped in tradition, carries special silver forks and knives. He was really upset last year when the one mug he had been using for canoe trips for the last 45 years fell into a lake and disappeared. He claims to be a Dutchman, but his very particular routines and habits makes me think he's more akin to a German. (No offence intended to any Germans, I've just noticed that they tend to be very organized)
 
I enjoyed that, had it all, kids around the campfire, nice gear pics (ax), really nice fish and dinner pics. I guess you policed those beer cans up around the campsite aye, probably boat fisherman;)
Who else would drink Bud Lite but boat fisherman? (I mean in the land of Blue's)

Reminds me of the time I was visiting a boyhood friend in the Ottawa Valley, I wasn't sure of his preference so I brought a 6 pack of Labatt's Blue and a 6 of Molsom's right there in town at bust out retail in the Beer Store, come to find out he only drinks Silver Bullets (Coor's Lite, from Golden, Colorado)....but they didn't go to waste I must report.

Anyway, I always enjoy seeing your reports, I agree that the kids will always remember the trip and the bugs will get more fierce every time they tell the story!
 
Ha ha, the Buds are mine, but we pulled out about a dozen Coor's Light from the fire pit. I just don't get it how someone can go through all the trouble of hauling in full beers, and not take the empties out. My buddy is very frugal, so any slight reflection in the sun sends him scurrying for the 10 cent deposit fee.
 
Horace Kephart had a china teacup he carried all over with him. Guess everybody has their "thing".

Looks like a great time. thanks for sharing.
 
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