PADDLER 23
DAY 4
During the night, it had rained, and our tarp had collected a couple of pools of water. We took advantage of this fresh, clean water to fill up all our bottles and have a couple of extra cups of tea. We met a nomadic family beside the river. The father spoke no English, but his daughter knew a little. They were curious about our journey, and we were equally interested in their life on the steppe. We had questions about how they lived and what animals they kept. She had returned to the farm after uni in Ullanbataa. The canyon was slowly opening up, and we saw more signs of nomadic life as we paddled yurts, herds of goats, and horses running along the banks. We stopped to investigate an abandoned shack and stable, all made out of rough timber and trees felled from the immediate area.
DAY 5
The canyon had opened into wide steppe country. The river had slowed, and we had some stretches paddling into the wind. Our meals mainly consisted of dehydrated packs, supplemented with fresh spring onions picked along the banks, a block of cheese, and our enormous chunks of bacon, although this was mostly fat. Bacon and cheese lunches became a daily highlight. I clipped my fin a few times today. The river was constantly narrowing and widening with braids weaving around islands. At lunch, I rearranged my bags to put more weight on the front of the board to try to lift the back. I had my deep fin attached and my short river fin in the kit bag.
I started with the river fin, but after day 2, I swapped. The short fin didn’ t give me the tracking I needed with the long, heavy board. A few fin clips and some board dancing were a price I was willing to pay. We spent the night camping on a flat island. Usually, when I camp by a river, I go up to get to high ground in case of floods and rising rivers, but this river was quick, and the land surrounding it was flat. The rain washed down the rivers, staying in its own almost canal-shaped path. There was rarely any sign of flood damage on the banks or trees washed downstream and now stuck on the banks.
DAY 6
Our river, the Chullute, has merged into the Ida; on the maps, the Chullute is marked as a stream and the Ida as a river. At the confluence, the river grew in size and changed colour, becoming significantly browner. The Ida was designed to flow through more mountainous terrain, and we had hoped for cleaner water. Unfortunately, we were unaware of the quarry and mine along the riverbanks, which release sediment and mud into the river. We were hoping for a wash and shave in cleaner water at the confluence, but we had to settle for a small side stream for a quick dip, and Phill had a scratchy shave.
PADDLER 23