PADDLER 56
PADDLER 56
THE TRICKY PART
The part that would be tricky would be finding a campsite in the dark that was vacant , but doing that in a way that wouldn ’ t disturb occupants if it wasn ’ t vacant . Shining a flashlight across a campsite only to have it light up a tent with people sleeping inside would have been rude . Thankfully , the first spot I stopped at was vacant , and I set up my tent on a flat spot between two tall rock faces .
After I got things organised , Kyle and I settled into the tent to get some sleep . It was a very pleasant September weekend . It was warm and sunny during the day and didn ’ t cool off too much at night . Kyle fell promptly asleep , and as I lay in my sleeping bag on the verge of dozing off , there was a loud shuffling noise coming from the woods behind me , and whatever was making the noise seemed headed for my tent . I listened quietly in the tent with some trepidation as the sound got closer . Not sure what was causing the noise , I waited , holding my breath , as something large passed by on both sides of my tent in the small space between the tent and the rock face on either side . At least that let me rule out a marauding bear intent on investigating the tent ’ s contents .
As the noise passed , I unzipped the door facing the lake just a short distance away . The noise I ’ d heard was a cow moose with her calf , and they were walking down to the water . A fairytale mist hung over the water , looking for all the world like dancing fairies moving in a slight breeze and lit by the full moon . It was very serene watching from my tent as the moose and her calf waded into the shallows for a time , framed by the dancing fairies of mist made so distinct by the bright moon behind them . I nudged Kyle awake so he could see the cow and her calf . Not finding anything of interest there , they went out of sight , leaving ripples in the water that glimmered at their passing .
Many times in my life , I ’ ve asked myself , “ Am I sure ?”. A few times , the risks seemed to outweigh the benefits , and I ’ d pass , but there have been many times when a magical , serendipitous surprise had me wondering why I ’ d ever doubted . I ’ ve been blessed , leading an ordinary life filled with extraordinary adventures .
MOON RIVER
The first canoe I could buy in the 70s was a 14-foot Cadorette . It was heavy fibreglass , had three keels , and there was nothing to recommend it , but it was all I could afford . One of my first solo trips in that canoe was down the Moon River into Georgian Bay . There are some strong and lasting memories from that trip .
I started in the parking area beside the river on the west side of what was then Highway 69 . It was a pleasantly hot summer weekend , and the travelling was easy . I didn ’ t know as much about handling rapids then , so I carried around everything but the swifts . There was a narrow gorge near where the river empties into the bay , and I decided to camp at the top of the gorge on the left side of the river . After setting up the tent , my next task was to gather firewood . Back then , the river wasn ’ t travelled as much as it is now ; I didn ’ t see anyone the entire time I was out . Because it was so rarely used , lots of dry sticks were lying around , so I didn ’ t need an axe or saw to get enough wood for a decent fire . Walking a short distance from my tent , it didn ’ t take long before I had a good-sized armload of suitable pieces of wood and started heading back to the tent .
RATTLESNAKE
My bundle of sticks made it hard to see the ground ahead of me , but it was easy walking , so I focused on returning to the tent . I ’ ll mention again that it was a hot day ; I was wearing shorts and a T-shirt and only had light shoes on . As I was almost back to the tent , I heard the distinct sound of a rattlesnake somewhere on the path before me .
Instinctively , I jumped backwards while trying to twist a bit so I could see past my bundle of sticks . As I did that , I saw a long , slim object come from the ground and strike my leg . Oh crap , I thought , this is BAD . Taking time to calm my racing heart , I took stock of my situation . To my great relief , it turned out that one of the sticks I was carrying fell out , hit the ground and bounced onto my leg . The snake was still there before me , probably thinking what a stupid creature it had encountered .
PHOTO :
As novice paddlers improve their skills , they naturally want to expand their horizons and find more challenging canoe trips . To do that , it helps significantly to take some lessons from qualified instructors . This photo was taken on a canoe-tripping instructor course in the heart of Temagami , a wild and remote area in northern Ontario . The route involved many challenging portages like this one , something you want to be well prepared for as the consequence of a mishap means you are a long way from help .