Bears, Bugs, Rapids & Wolves

We have arrived! 10 days after leaving Athabasca we paddled into Fort McMurray in scorching weather after an extremely trying week moving through big rapids, plagues of insects, and bear encounters.

We have been very fortunate with the weather, having only one day of heavy rain and such strong winds we were forced off the river at Pelican Portage. Thankfully, there was a log cabin there which we could use so were able to dry all our gear and have a warm, dry night sleeping by an iron stove. After this, we had many days of strong headwinds against us (seems rather continual…) but the skies have been clear for the most part, hot and sunny.

The stretch of water from Pelican Portage (two days paddle from Athabasca) to Fort McMurray has a total of 14 rapids, ranging from Class I all the way to Class VI+ (this is the highest rating of any rapid). The first we encountered was Grand Rapids, a Class VI which needs to be portaged. With the water so low, even the entry rapids to get to the portage trail were impassable to us and needed to be walked and lined. It took us a while to find the trail-head which used to be sign-posted but the sign had broken and fallen down. We propped it back up so hopefully others can find it a little easier than us. It is a tough trail! Around 2km from start to finish but little more than  an animal track in which you have almost straight up climbs along canyons, leaps over ravines, and all sorts of obstacles to make the journey a misery with gear and then carrying a canoe. We had to hike it four times (one to scout whilst trying to clear it of the major fallen trees and overgrown bushes, the others to haul the gear), the first of which let us know how hard it was to be, and the others proved it to be harder.

The first time we left our daypacks on the ground in a clearing after the first ravine climb whilst we checked out the rest of the route. Upon our return we found bear poo just before the clearing, and our bags ripped open, with the contents strew around them. Great, just six more times to come through this area before we’ve shifted all the gear! We were loud, and did not actually meet the bear. We had paddled past a grizzly bear by the side of the river just the other day so knew them to be very active here. It took us all day to move the equipment to the other side of the portage and we were so tired (on one of the trips carrying the food I was carrying over 120lbs) that we had a quick dip in the river and straight to sleep. The next day was the beginning of running the rapids.

To my great relief, we survived the rapid section for the most part unscathed, just battered and bruised. We ran the reaches we could, lined the boat and walked it through those we could not, and on one occasion, for two rapids (Crooked and Rock) we ran them because it is sheer limestone walls and as we turned the corner realised – to our horror – we could not get out. These rapids are ledges and the water drops very suddenly. We manouvered through high waves (called haystacks) which I could have stood up in the boat whilst moving through and not be seen from the other side. For Rock Rapids, the danger was even greater. Relieved from having made it through Crooked Rapids (Class III) we could see nothing but hear a roar which we presumed must be the echo of Crooked. How wrong we were! The truth quickly emerged and it was Rock Rapids (Class III), a sheer drop in the water level as the water cascades over a ledge and ended in a sous-hole and returning waves at the bottom. A sous-hole is where the water sucks back in on itself creating a horrible looking (and sounding) frothing, roaring, boiling line of white-water. We moved across to the right, desperate to try and avoid it when we realised it ran the entire width of the river. As the reality of our danger set in, the fear quickly dissipated as we set to work, hurriedly backing up and moving across to our left again to try and get into the most chute-looking area we could get to, hoping it to be our best bet to make it through. The thought of the expedition ending rather abruptly and badly here did cross my mind. We paddled hard into the drop, the horizon disappearing before us to be replaced by a gurgling monster of brown and white surging water. With what felt like a slap on the bottom of the boat we hit the frothing water at the bottom and surged upwards again, so much so this time the water dissappeared and just sky could be seen. The bow returned on top of the cresting wave and we were through, the relief and excitement palpable in the air as we chattered and babbled constantly before moving to the shore when we could and cooling off under a cascading waterfall from a side ledge. Luck, and I am hoping a little good judgement and skill made it through for us. Either that, or the Gods have a sense of humour.

The rest of the rapids we lined and were cautious. We could never have lined Crooked and Rock, the walls are too high. I do not know what we would have done if we had scouted ahead, probably portaged which would have taken days, and we came through unscathed. We had some horrible and equally scary moments whilst lining the boat, the most prevelant being Brule Rapids (Class IV) when we were on the outside corner with very strong current pushing into a large sous-hole. We had to send the boat out and around a large rock jutting out, but how to do it? It looked like the water would push it against, and fold the boat around the rock which also had a large piece of driftwood (a tree) sticking out beyond. This had to go first. I was holding the boat in almost chest-high water in surging current so could not go. Vicki went to move it and just as she got there and was manouvering to push the log it freed from its wedge, launching her backwards through the air and onto awaiting rocks with a loud thud which I thought was from her head hitting rock. From where I was standing I saw her disappear down with a loud thud and shouted her to see if she was ok, not being able to move for the boat would disappear. She quickly emerged, and I am very thankful she was wearing a well padded PFD (Personal Flotation Device) which saved her. Vicki had been launched straight onto a jagged rock flat on her back. A graze and bruise on her upper right arm was all she had to show for it. All she had to say: ‘my hairs not even wet’. What a girl. Not even two minutes later and she was back awaiting the boat on the edge of the sous-hole on the other side of the rock to catch it as it came through.

We have quite a few tales like this from this past week, I cannot even hope to write them here. For Vicki’s parents: I am taking good care – honest! We are battle-weary from the river and happy to be moving onto calm waters and good weather. A few repairs are needed on our gear, but the boat is completely unscathed and is performing even better than I could have hoped.

The wildlife has been spectacular also, with us paddling within 15 feet of a wolf on the shore, and had that very same wolf a few hours later come to investigate our camp. Thankfully not bringing any friends with it. We have also met plagues of insects, with large, 2″ long winged creepy-crawlies emerging in droves from the water at night, crawling up the tipi (I am so pleased we have an inner-tent!) creating a horror movie style noise of thousands of legs scratching as they climbed the fabric and shed their outer skins. It was horrible. What was worse, we had to get them out in the morning. That was bad, and took hours. They have a terrible tendancy to return as soon as you drive them away.

To go a little back in time, whilst we were writing the blog in Athabasca we met some very nice people. Firstly, our thanks to Cynthia for her help at the library. Secondly, to Tim Verhaeghe, to whom we are very grateful. Taking us to his home so we could have a much-needed wash, slap-up meal and providing us with good company for the evening. Please say hi to Jennifer and Chloe for us Tim!

Tallak has been amazing, and is a truly great dog, phased by nothing and always eager for the next challenge, but he is as weary as us at the moment so glad for a rest. Our next update will be soon. We are only here for the day in Fort McMurray, so will look to add more to this update in a few days at a town further North.