Fort Smith & Ration Collection (2nd Upload attempt, from Fort Providence)

Upon leaving Fort Chipewyan we headed up the Rivieres Des Rochers, which, when it joins up with the Peace River becomes the Slave River as it continues on to Great Slave Lake.  It was a hard paddle. We had put in at a creek called Mission Creek which leads out of the town and skirts Lake Athabasca as the lake that day was so rough and windy it would be dangerous for us to be on it. It worked out to be around the same distance had we used the lake so we felt it no issue. As we paddled the weather deteriorated as the wind picked up and waves began on the river (as ever, traveling the opposite way to us) making the travel tough going. As we had read about the river flowing back into Lake Athabasca when the Peace River is high, and being that there was a flood warning on the Peace, we presumed perhaps this was the explanation and that it was only going to get harder for us. After around 30km paddling we encountered our first obstacle which is a weir. The top has eroded so now is quite dangerous if you are not paying attention. There are, however, signs on the side of the river with quite entertaining pictures depicting a canoe going over a ledge to tell you to follow a side channel to a portage. The portage is a solar powered (not working) cart (too heavy to move by hand) on large rails over a very steep, rocky (no trail other than over the rails) embankment.

The next day we battled a very slow moving river before coming to the meeting of the two rivers and the beginning of the Slave River. The Peace is in flood at the moment as we had suspected, but was not pushing the other river back. We think that perhaps the apparent backwards flow is because of the weir which causes the river to become something of an extension to the lake, reducing it’s outward flow. The Slave has provided it’s own challenges and has surprised us greatly. I have never been on a river in flood before and just to join the river it was like moving onto a busy highway; there is so much driftwood and other debris in the current that there is even what appears to be lanes of traffic as there are faster and slower flowing channels in the river. It was fun negotiating the obstacles, but this soon wears off, especially when there is so much distance left to cover!

The first day on the Slave and we stopped for lunch on an island inhabited by Ring-Billed Gulls, which dive-bombed poop at us as we came into land.  Not the reception we expected! That evening, just after we had set up camp we had another close encounter with a bird; this time a White Pelican flew so low over our heads as to make us duck, dropping even lower afterwards, skimming the river with its belly – a magnificent sight! We were even more entertained this evening by Tallak falling from a rock into deep water and watching the ensuing struggle. Of course, I went to his aid but he climbed out on his own before I got there. It was very funny and the last thing he expected whilst reach for that elusive stick in the water.

On the days since this encounter we have seen pelicans every day which we really enjoy. We have also had poor weather, and we have had good weather. We have even taken some water over the bow of the canoe whilst maneuvering through rough water, a first for us since before Fort McMurray.   The mosquito’s and horse-flies (called bulldogs here, I am sure they are the same critters taking chunks of our flesh) are very much out in force and can drive us crazy before we can get enough bug-spray and/or smokey fire around us.

It is along the Slave River that the largest section of whitewater in all of North America rages through a series of corners between a small hamlet called Fitzgerald (just on the Albertan side of the border) and a larger town (what used to be the capital of – and just inside – the Northwest Territories before Yellowknife) called Fort Smith, which seems a great town, we like it very much. We had arranged in Fort Chipewyan for a gentleman by the name of Kevin Antoniak to collect us and take us around the rapid section, saving us a back-breaking and grueling 25km portage. It was either this, or try and run through a series or channels and small portages between each rapid. Having since seen the rapids in the high water, we would have died. Of that, I am quite sure! No canoe would make it through there in one piece. Kevin has been very generous in telling stories with unfortunate endings about people (usually experienced in traversing these rapids) dying trying to use these channels. It is not for nothing the last is called Rapids of the Drowned. Entertainingly, there is a sign located just before the rapids on a rocky outcrop which reads: ‘ DANGER, not navigable by boat’. The area is a kayakers playground and people travel from all over the world to kayak these rapids. There is a very active kayaking club in Fort Smith which we would love to return and get involved with, to kayak these rapids. We watched 2 kayakers paddle past the sign and disappear around the corner towards the rapids. I rather thought to myself that where bullet-kayaks go, equipped with drysuits, helmets and double bladed paddles, no canoeist should venture…

Kevin has been very helpful to us whilst we have been here and was kind enough to be a guide to us, taking us to see the rapids, showing us the famous, most northerly and the only on an island, nesting ground for White Pelicans in the world in the midst of the raging Mountain Rapids. Very cool to see, and certainly very safe from predation! He also took us to see an area called Salt Plains in Wood Buffalo National Park (this park is about the size of Switzerland) which was a great sight and impressive view. No buffalo unfortunately, perhaps because it was raining, but it was good to see.

We also visited the museum in Fort Smith which was neat, it had a large amount of stuffed birds from kingfishers to eagles, as well as those unique items that have really defined the history of this area. Birch-bark basketry, an authentic birch-bark canoe (the highlight for me, though I am sure it would not have survived our trip thus far) and trappers wares such as traps, rifles, pelts and cabin. A rich variety of clothing, weaving and beadwork from the native groups of the area topped of the whole exhibit very well. If we come back here I am sure I will return to the museum again. Unfortunately, with a busy day and pressing schedule to be back on the water Monday we did not have time to visit the Parks Canada office which I am told is well worth the visit.

We had a shipment of our prepared food and sundries sent to Fort Smith, and with this collected are ready to continue. We picked up some fresh supplies in town to help alleviate our cravings for food we miss. It will be a bit longer between blogs now as we head into the North proper. We will of course continue to update when and where we can, but finding internet connection in the Barren-lands can be hard to do! Our next leg is to traverse the South-West shoreline of Great Slave Lake. Our next update may be in either the town of Hay River almost 2 weeks away, a little up the actual Hay River which drains into Great Slave Lake. Or in Fort Providence, where our second, and final, food supplies await us and should take us around 3 weeks. The distances are huge between!