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French River 1996

Rich in Beauty and History

French River 1996

Postby Dan » Tue May 13, 2008 8:56 pm

O.K. So it’s next year!

After taking 14 camp kids down this river a couple of years ago we felt we had to do it again without the kids. Don't get me wrong, the trip with the kids was one of the best and most memorable we have ever done, but it is a whole different experience with just adults.

DAY 1 - FRIDAY, JULY 19

It was a very tense ride out to Wolseley Bay. I think we picked the windiest day to go up north. The canoes were being blown around so much on the top of the van we had to pull over on a few occasions to fix them.

Finally arrived (minus all of our finger nails) about 5:30 PM, two hours behind schedule. The paddle to site # 1 was very windy, but it was mostly at our backs. We ran “Little Pine Rapids”. loaded - with no problem and got to our site about 6:30 PM. Steak dinner was great, but the mosquitoes not so good.

Turned in about 12:30 AM.

DAY 2 - SAT. JULY 20

After a great sleep and lazy morning we set off at about 12:00.

We ran “Big Pine Rapids” in empty canœs. Dan and I hit rock right at the bottom in the small stuff - how embarrassing.

After a short paddle we ran “Blue Chute” - loaded - Julian and Lois went first - What a Ride!

Dan and I powered down and went for an amazing roller coaster ride!

Set up camp just below “The Ladder” at about 3:00 PM. A huge site with lots of great swimming and baking rocks. Now were just sunning, fishing and relaxing.

We’ll probably start dinner soon then stay up late and star gaze.

DAY 3 - SUNDAY, JULY 21

Spent the day playing in “Blue Chute”. Dan and I showed Lois and Julian eddy turns and ferries. They did great.

Later Dan, Julian and I each went down the chute solo - it was really easy. Then I went body surfing down the chute - what a blast! Finally went back to the camp at about 5:30. Everyone was totally thirsty as we didn’t bring enough juice or the water filter.

Turned in at around 10:00PM. No star gazing tonight. The mosquitœs are too bad!

DAY 4 - MONDAY, JULY 22

Had a leisurely breakfast and left camp about 12:00 PM. Had no problems running “Big Parisien”, “Devils Chute” and “Crooked Rapids”. In fact water levels are so low (About six feet lower that the last time we were here, 2 years ago) that most of these rapids are little more than swifts with the exception of “Big Parisien” now an easy Class II.

We took a wrong turn above “Crooked Rapids” and went down Hammer Head Bay by mistake - an extra 30 min. added in paddle time.

Had lunch below “Crooked Rapids” at 2:00 PM and started back out at 3:00 PM.

It is still hot and sunny, but the wind picked up. We got to Cross Island about 4:30 PM and then to our next camp site on “Parisien Island” at 5:30 PM.

Tomorrow we head to “Lost Child Bend” or beyond - although we did travel 12 km in 5 hours and are glad to call it a day.

DAY 5 - TUESDAY JULY 23

Had a thunderstorm last night, but not big enough for my liking although Lois thought it was big enough. Left camp at 11:00 AM and had a fairly easy paddle to our lunch spot just beneath the hydro lines at 1:00 PM. Dan spotted poison ivy so Julian had to soap down. We left at about 2:00 PM. and ran smack into the wind. We persevered however and kept on past ‘Lost Child Bend’ to a campsite in a bay on ‘Four Mile Island’ just before the town of French River at 4:00 PM.

Today we traveled about 16 km. in five hours; pretty good going with the fight against the wind and all. At least it’s sunny and we can enjoy the swimming although the site is cramped and a bit on the grungy side.

DAY 6 - WEDNESDAY JULY 24

Left camp at about 11:00 AM and paddled into the town of French River where we had ice cream and phone calls. We also bought some mosquito coils to see if it’ll help us to stay out later in the evenings - the bugs are hell.

Left French River at 12:40 PM. and headed to Recolet Falls. Got there at about 1:30 PM. and stayed for lunch as the portage- a slide over- was jammed up with another party’s canoes. Headed back out about 2:15 PM. and shortly after it started to rain lightly.

Set up camp just below a rapid past Flower Pot Bay at 4:30 PM. We enjoyed an early evening of fishing; Julian and I each caught a smallish pickerel which we’ll eat for breakfast.

DAY 7 ­ THURSDAY JULY 25

Left camp at 12:00 PM and made great time and distance to our lunch spot at 2:00 PM. Lois is hurting. It rained lightly on and off for a short while then the hot sun came out for the afternoon. As we made our way towards “Dalles Rapids” the wind also started to blow, but we still made great time and distance.

We planned on staying at “Dalles Rapids”, but others were there so we ran the rapids and camped on a small island sight below them. Julian hit a rock and took off a piece of his canoe’s keel. All in all we paddled a LONG way today.

DAY 8 - FRIDAY, JULY 26

A rainy stop over day. Did nothing much except eat, read in the tent and snooze. Dan and Julian went out fishing to no avail.

There are lots of fish jumping and rolling on the surface of the water, but they are just teasing us. We nick named the island Teaser Island.

DAY 9 - FRIDAY, JULY 27

The sun shines again! Left camp about 11:30 AM and went over to check out the historical site of Copananing.

Not sure if we found it, but we did see what looked like an old chimney and the few remaining walls/foundations of some other structures. We also saw the very large fly wheel of a crank shaft thingy.

Poked around there and took some photos for about 1 hour and then headed out again.

Stopped at about 2:00 PM for lunch for 45 min. at a beautiful site on Georgian Bay. Decided to go along the coastline rather than the inland route to our next site near “Devils Rapids” in the “Bad River” channel. It got extremely windy and difficult to navigate amongst all the small islands. Ended up doing some short portages as we would get ourselves into long blind bays, but could see over the smooth rock to the water we wanted to be in no more than 100 feet away.

Finally we got into the “Bad River” channel and found a parking lot for cruisers - huge yachts and launches. What a surprise to find a community of boat people here. We asked one boat where we were and found we had traveled further than anticipated.

Dan and I tried to paddle up “The Devil’s Gate” rapid, but there was NO WAY. It may look small and unassuming, but it packs a wallop. We careened off into a rock when the currant grabbed us, but we didn’t dump and no damage to the canœ - just our pride.

Too tired to paddle the long way to our original destination so we decided on another one just into the inland route- boat parking lot city and no place to camp. It’s now about 5:30 PM, but we decide we must get away from the population and head down the inland route.

Pond, portage, beaver damn, pond, beaver damn, portage; is this the right way or what? Nothing looks right and it’s getting later. Finally when we all thought we were lost we found where we were and headed to a campsite just inland from Georgian Bay off the inland route at 7:00 PM

It was a long, hot and arduous day, but we saw a lot of interesting things. Oh yeah! Lois caught her first ever fish; a huge pike! She kept on trying to give the rod to Julian, but he wouldn’t take it. She got the fish onto shore, but it bent the hook and managed to flip off into the water- oh well. Shortly after, Julian caught a nice sized pike and we’ll eat it as well as a couple of perch Dan and I caught for breakfast.

DAY 10 - MONDAY JULY 28

Had a great blueberry pancake breakfast this morning. Expected a storm last night, but it didn’t happen - it’s a dull gray day today. Set off at 11:45 AM and had an uneventful paddle until 2:00 PM around Beacon Rock. There are so many little islands and coves it’s hard to keep track of where we are. After a quick lunch on a huge area of quartz on a small island we decided we knew where we were and made our way only a short distance to our next campsite on the southern end of Vixen Is.

Everyone is low energy so after we set up camp Lois and I went to our tents to read while Julian and Dan went fishing. Five minutes later Julian says he’s spotted, of all things, a Bear. Sure enough there it was on a smaller island 400 feet away and coming our way. After a quick dump it swam over to another small island/rock between it and us and then over to our island - YIKES! Dan and Julian hung the food pack in record time while Lois and I kept an eye on where it was heading. It disappeared around the back of our island as we were readying our getaway canoes. Fortunately it kept a wide berth of us (Whew!) and continued on down the island. Dan decided he would follow it to get some pictures and he too disappeared into the woods. Then Julian went out in his canoe to try to find Dan, which he did a short while later. After picking Dan up they continued on down and around the north end of the island. They did see the bear a couple more times, took photo’s and video, then headed back.

DAY 12 - TUESDAY JULY 30

Not much of a tripping day today. Got up to a gray morning after a night of intermittent rain. Left camp late at 12:40 PM. Not too concerned as we’re only going a short distance. After a 4 km / 2 hr. paddle we set up again at a beautiful site just north of Dead Island Channel. We’ll stay over here tomorrow and then head out to Key River.

DAY 13 - WEDNESDAY JULY 31

Woke up unexcitedly to a gray morning. However, after a long and leisurely breakfast the sun finally showed itself about 12:00.

Julian and Lois went out fishing and Dan and I put up the sauna. Then Dan went out fishing at about 2:30 PM.

Everyone came back at 5:00 PM - fishless, but with some good fish stories - and then we had our sauna. Dan and I took a quick dip into the chilly water. Julian and Lois were too chicken to do the same.

DAY 14 - THURSDAY AUG. 1

Left camp early today - 10:20 AM The sky showed rain, but it was muggy and the sun did come out now and again.

Because there wasn’t a wind problem we paddled the short route crossing the large , islandless sections of The Bay west of Dokis Island. If it was windy there would have been no way we could have done this. The large speed boats and yachts were scary though - they don’t even slow down when they go past.

We made it up to Key Harbour in 1 hr. and loaded up on chips and pop. I wanted to stay in the “lodge’s” dinner for coffee but the proprietoress said it was only for the lodge’s guests that were on the American Plan. Well; la-de-dah!

Left Key Harbour at noon and headed down the river to our last campsite. We traveled farther than we anticipated as the rivers edge is mostly rock, cliffs and marsh! The south side looked much better than the north, but it’s an Indian reserve and we don’t want to get the natives mad at us.

After we set up camp and swam and bathed it finally started to rain. Lois and Julian have gone off exploring and Dan and I are about to have tea. It’s now 4:30 PM.

Once Lois and Julian got back at about 5:00 PM Dan and I went off exploring for a short while and picked lots of blueberries. We saw a ‘bear gnawed’, plastic coated hydro pole support wire and a lot of our good friend ‘poison ivy’.

Did some uneventful fishing, ate dinner, Dan finally hung the food bag after dropping it repeatedly in a patch of poison ivy and turned in at about 9:30 PM.


DAY 15 - FRIDAY AUG. 2 : ( LAST DAY)

Lois and I got up first, about 8:00 AM, and had a swim and wash. As I was doing my morning constitutionals, in what I assumed was a ‘safe ’ place, I soon discovered that what I thought was a friendly strand of grass gently caressing my left bum cheek was in fact poison ivy!! I washed again.

After breakfast we slowly packed up camp for the last time and started paddling towards are final destination and pick up point. We arrived at the town of Key River at 12:00 noon just as our pick up person was miraculously pulling into the parking lot! We loaded most of our gear into the van and then paddled out for one last lunch on the rivers edge. We did a little fishing and swimming, ate lunch and relaxed until it started sprinkling rain and then headed back to the van at about 2:00 PM.

After tying down the canoes we left Key River at about 3:30 PM and headed back to Toronto; Boo Hoo.

Got back into the city at about 6:00 PM, dropped Teresa off at work downtown, Lois next at her place, and finally got to Julian’s about 7:00 PM. We unloaded his canoe and gear and had our first cold beer in two weeks. Then Dan and I took our canoe over to it’s storage place at Vince’s. By the time we unloaded all our gear at home, cleaned out the van and returned it to the rental agency it was 11:30 PM.
Needless to say we were both very tired and after a most refreshing shower we hit the hay.

No more mosquitoes ceaselessly buzzing in your ear, worries about whether the fire has been extinguished, the canoes properly tied up or if you’ll get drenched should a big thunder storm blow in. Only the still vivid images of another amazing trip into the great outdoors to keep us company through the shortening days of summer in the city and the onrush of fall and then winter when the snow flies.

As I finally force myself to finish entering this tale of our journey into the computer this snowy December day after Christmas I can still vividly picture and relive this account of our sunny and warm summer trip. It should keep me going until next spring when the snow melts and the promise of warmer days to come blows in with the scent of blossoms and the song of robins fill the air. OOPS getting sentimental.

Until next year...
Dan
 
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