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must get the canoes to Union Station

so mr. canoe head scoots over there

accompanied by the Tovenator

mr. canoe head enters Union Station, to return as Frank

we start to get to know each other

and watch the scenery go by at VIA speed

we meet Richard our french canadian white water cowboy

the ride is long

very long, 22 hours to be exact

in the morning we're still watching the scenery change

pulling in to sudbury junction

where were the canoes? in the baggage car

with the other baggage

this deisel snake was hungry

and he's a long one

conductor breaks for a cig

morning wears on, head to the bubble car

where we could really enjoy the scenery

remembering that there was some wine left

i didn't sleep well, so just don't bug me

finally we get to Nakina, about as north as the train goes

the outfitter has been called to shuttle us but we have to wait

outfitter shuttles us to...

the drop-in point, out some road

so we get all our stuff and see another mr. canoe head

and they untie Richard's "experienced" one-man canoe

already a very pretty sunset as we camped on a non-traveled road

funny authorities they have in Canada

the next morning at drop-in point

and finally on the water, forgetting the train ride

lunch, and we can observe Richard's fashion sense from close by

too nice a day to hurry

first campsite on the river, Lynn sets up while chatting with Gary

how the hell do these tents work again?

everybody takes a dip in our private lagoon

Frank tries for some fish

while Gary reads his book

and Tove catches some rays

not exactly a feast, but everybody got a taste

brother Frank in Heaven

Lynn's navigation homework

fishing in a bug jacket

Gretel and Hansel chatting

while Richard drinks directly from the river (sane people filter/boil)

Kramer and Kramer chat

night falls

good morning everyone

this is a swift, easy going

oops Gary and Lynn dump

looky that

pretty flat water

this is easy as hell, man

Richard catches some fish for lunch

teaches us how to fillet them

then we wash the fillets

with tortillas, paprika, cucumbers, all from the magic yellow food bag

first campsite's peaceful squiggles

time for some reading

beer by the fire while cooking

Tove taking it in

the fire's warmth on her back

fire gets some pyro attention from Richard

the real beauty, at exactly the right moment of twilight. waited an hour or so.

our action figure Gary

a short break, Lynn and Mitch at the front, holding on

i had accumulated a few bug bites

stop to take a look around

Gary (aka Greg)

Tove ties up the vehicle

Frank swims against the current

say "chubby bunny" a few times

nice spot for lunch after lining the canoes over a rough patch

perched for fishing

less than ideal campsite, Lynn creates a kitchen from a bug-infested swamp and creates something Tai

the food got compromised during canoe dumping and canoe folding events which were too action-packed to take a break and photograph them

dinner will be served in the bug tent

Mitch and I chose a spot on two rotten logs

sans shoes, Mitch ponders if this trip was a good idea

Frank has me roll him one, due to canoe stress

the kitchen after dinner

just a few of the thousands of vampires visiting our tent were able to get in and get their fill

next campsite covered in fluffy lichen, beside a rapids

it's like carpet!

Lynn brushes her teeth near the rapids

this moss/lichen is amazing

Gary reads in the bug tent

Richard has a little alone time, bug free

rapids make him grin

parked for tomorrow morning

different visitors this time

had to line again, no running

this would have been too much

tarp above the fire for the rain. i reign supreme as rainy-day Feuermeister.

sort of cramped, but soft, even after the hard rain

get some grub cooking

we camped beside these rapids

soy nuts or something, were wet so got fried. tasty after all

the rest of the team is chilling by the fire after dinner

bonding 2, hoodlum

so many bugs we put up the tent on a portage for lunch

beside the rapids we couldn't go through

Louella Falls, where we rested on the seventh day

bonding 3, falls

campsite atop a slope from the falls

view looking down

real estate out back the site

slapping a bug on his head

Tove decided not to leave her tent down on the driftwood

the falls were about a 15m drop in total

all day and all night the torrent, nobody watching it but us

view down Little Current where we would go next

enjoying dinner

first a sit down with coffee

then out to fish. hey! dinner.

the falls must really oxygenate the water

i crept off into the alien world of driftwood

saw the strangest objects telling stories

a beast began to speak to me

more fishing while i'm in the driftwood

seeing the strangest sights frozen in time

teeny tiny forest

Tove's alien body is more flexible than that of humans

dang right there's dinner

belly full of fish

up river from the falls there was a rapids

everybody smile

slowly twilight comes

a nice flat spot on Little Current

smooth warm rock under our feet

a floor more than anything

it looked like a stop-motion movie of a tree falling

try a little fishing

serenity you don't get these days

the grass wasn't bad, underneath wasn't swampy

awe inspiring sky

getting a little threatening

cooking 1 minute before the cloudburst

after the rain has fallen

hey, found some hunters' housing

i guess they put tarp on them

but we have our tents

and the sun is shining

confluence with the Albany our gravel bar

nice for the tent, our thermarests smooth it out

dad still has tobacco, how far are we from Fort Albany?

the kitchen after dinner

now let's get these maps straight, compare with gps

nice driftwood fire and the moon

Mitchell with the moon behind him

bug out.. hit the Albany

small fishies caught and eaten

camping a little less than ideal on the shoreline after battle with rain and wind

kind of soppy, drizzly, but we gotta go

all day canoeing under grim cloudy skies until this, the first blue appeared. just one spot of blue but we cheered.

the sun shines on yellow raincoat man

we search for a site as it slowly clears up

found a nice gravel bar

lots of room to spread out

a walk over to the bush brings some firewood

pretty nice as the sun comes down

need to dry some stuff, no trees, so i got creative

the sun starts to set on design number one

we sit fairly bug free by the fire

i set up the tripod to catch the nightfall

the rocks near shore were perfect for silhouetting

we used them for stepping out to get water

i'm looking at the big sky

bonding 4, we found a beach

design number two is more tensegrity like

with no bending happening on the paddles

the sun sets on our sandy beach

so we inventory food supplies. hmm.. there is a bit of an issue.

having started early, there was no wind so we had time to chill

the flat river only had gravel bars to watch out for

enjoying the sunshine finally after quite a bit of rain

new site has some interesting geology

a wintertime river is just a pool now

the beavers done it

just calm pools with a few tadpoles

thinking of album covers i once knew

a teeny tiny sparse forest

rocks big and small

dried mud pools

something busted this slowly

the sky was beautiful but threatening, then high winds and hard rain, and then it was over. maybe 20 minutes later.

and it was warm again.

posing by the Inukshuk on the final dramatic day of canoeing 9 hours, going wrong a couple of times, all in the cold, and on zero rations.

taken in by Jesse in Fort Albany, who let us take over her house.

these people are Cree aboriginal peoples

with some nice themed art

time to photograph Franks 200,000,000 year old shell fossils

and clams with tongues

then Wabush takes us from Fort Albany to Moosonee on the freighter canoe

six of us on his boat

three canoes on Norman's boat

Mitch enjoys it at the front

finally in Cochrane after the train ride

Mitchell to be shipped back home

Gerald de Jong
photos

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