Canoeing -Tales From The Paddle: Spruce & Canvas Canoe Construction

Friday, 29 June 2007

Spruce & Canvas Canoe Construction

"She's all my fancy painted her, she's lovely, she is light. She waltzes on the waves by day and rests with me at night."

Nessmuk, Forest and Stream, July 21, 1880 [of the Wood Drake Canoe built for him by Rushton]

“There is nothing that is so aesthetically pleasing and yet so functional and versatile as the canoe. “

Bill Mason

Winter snows never melt fast enough so one spring in the mid 1980’s, I jumped at the opportunity to take a canoe construction course offered by ‘Wilderness Workshop’ through Humber College of Toronto, Ontario. Our personable and informative instructor, Ron Frenette, guided a small group of enthusiasts through the construction processes involved in building a spruce & canvas canoe. Class members were involved every stage of the build including material selection, wood bending, placement & attachment, canvas properties to final filling & painting. The completed canoe was offered for sale ‘at cost’ to any willing student and the canoe moulds were made available to any student wishing to apply their newly acquired skills in making their own craft from scratch. The course was extremely informative and enjoyable experience. Wilderness Workshop also offered courses in canoe paddle carving and carrying yoke carving.

Why I didn’t document the entire process through photographs remains a puzzle to me. Perhaps I was too involved at the task at hand. Hence I offer here a number of photos from the middle sequence of the assembly of a spruce & canvas canoe. Likewise, my hand written notes have been safely filed away, never to be seen again in my lifetime. I have no photo of the completed canoe however I offer below a commercial photo of a Chestnut canoe on which ours was modeled.

Although incomplete, inquiries and repeated hits on the one photo in my ‘Miscellanious Photo’ post had convinced me to offer the few photos I do have in a slide show format below.

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Chestnut Prospector Canoe - Similar to the one built in course

Paddle Carving Course
(Through Wilderness Workshop & Humber College, Ontario)

Canoe Carrying Yoke Carving Class (Instructor Greg)
(Through Wilderness Workshop & Humber College, Ontario)

Ditto

Yokes In Various Stages Of Progress

Roughing Out Carrying Yoke With Axe

Bandsawing Cherry Paddle Blank
(Canoe Moulds In Background)

More Cherry Paddles Being Carved and Shaped

Traditional Birch Bark Canoe Construction Video

No comments:

River Rapid Rating

River rapids are rated as to their 'Class' size representing difficulty. Rapids are generally rated when water flow is moderate therefore the rating of any rapid may be subject to change depending on the season and the flow.

CLASS I: EASY
Fast moving water with riffles and small waves. Few obstructions easily navigated. General safety considerations

CLASS II: NOVICE
Straight forward rapids with wide, clear channels which are evident without scouting. Occasional manoeuvring may be required; but rocks and medium-sized waves are easily missed by trained paddlers.

CLASS III: INTERMEDIATE
Rapids with moderate, irregular waves which may be difficult to avoid and which can swamp an open canoe. Complex manoeuvres in fast current and good boat control are often required; large waves or strainers may be present but are easily avoided. Strong eddies and powerful currents can be found, particularly on large-volume rivers. Scouting is advisable for inexperienced parties.

CLASS IV: ADVANCED
Intense, powerful but predictable rapids requiring precise boat handling in turbulent water. Depending on the character of the river, it may feature large, unavoidable waves and holes or constricted passages demanding fast manoeuvres under pressure. A fast, reliable eddy turn may be needed to initiate manoeuvres, scout rapids, or rest. Rapids may require "must" moves above dangerous hazards. Scouting is necessary the first time down. Risk of injury to swimmers is moderate to high, and water conditions may make self-rescue difficult. Group assistance for rescue is often essential but requires practiced skills.

CLASS V: EXPERT
Extremely long , obstructed, or very violent rapids which expose a paddler to above average endangerment. Drops may contain large, unavoidable waves and holes or steep, congested chutes with complex, demanding routes. Rapids may continue for long distances between pools, demanding a high level of fitness. What eddies exist may be small, turbulent, or difficult to reach. At the high end of the scale, several of these factors may be combined. Scouting is mandatory but often difficult even for experts. A very reliable Only for experienced canoeists in great physical shape that want the ultimate challenge.

CLASS VI: EXTREME
One grade more difficult than Class V. These runs often exemplify the extremes of difficulty, unpredictably, and danger. The consequences of errors are very severe and rescue may be impossible. For teams of experts only, at favourable water levels, after close personal inspection and taking all precautions. This class does not represent drops thought to be unrunable, but may include rapids which are only occasionally run. Ultimate safety measures taken and trained rescuers present.

Gordon Lightfoot - A Quick Overview Of A Canadian Icon

What can be said here about Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. that hasn’t been written already by more knowledgeable and articulate fans? For years I thought Gord was my musical secret, writing songs expressly for me. How else could he capture all my personal loves, interests and emotions within a few lines of lyric then pierce my soul with his timeless melodies?

I recall becoming enchanted with the outdoors in the mid 60’s when my parents exposed me to the joys of camping. Also around that era I began to take note of wondrous melodies drifting from my transistor radio. It was some years later that I learned that these musical gems came by way of Gord’s pen and soon camping and Lightfoot became irrevocably intertwined.

To me Lightfoot’s magic captures the essence of Canadiana. On his musical canvas he paints rugged wilderness landscapes, captures the emotions of lost loves and lonesome travels. Gord’s prolific works offer an escape when daily life challenges. His music makes me smile, helps me grieve, then makes my spirit soar once more.

Gordon Lightfoot was born in Orillia Ontario on November 17th, 1938. His love of music came at an early age, singing in his church choir as well as being involved in various festivals and radio programs. In 1957 Gordon journeyed to California where he enrolled at the now defunct Westlake College of Music. On returning to Canada he found work performing on various television show productions as well as honing his skills at various coffee houses of the Toronto folk scene. Gordon teamed up with friend Terry Wheelan and release an album entitled “Two Tones - At The Village Corner”. He continued to mature as a singer-songwriter and soon other artists such as Ian & Sylvia and Peter, Paul & Mary, Marty Robins, Judy Collins, The Kingston Trio and even Elvis Presley began to take notice by performing his compositions. In 1966 he released his first album simply entitled ‘Lightfoot’.

Lightfoot’s talent was undeniable and he was one of the first Canadian artists that found success in the United States while continuing to reside in Canada.
In the four decades since, Gord has released close to 50 albums and in spite of a near brush with death in 2002 of an abdominal aneurysm, he continues to tour yearly with his loyal band comprised of Terry Clemments on lead guitar, Rick Haynes on Bass, Mike Heffernan on keyboards and Barry Keane on percussion.

Gordon Lightfoot has received 15 Juno Awards and been nominated for 5 Grammy Awards. He was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame in 1998. In May of 2003 he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, our country’s highest civilian honour. Lightfoot is also a member of the Order of Ontario, the highest honour in the Province of Ontario.

Gord's magic has captivated me such that I have attended at least one of his concerts per year over the last quarter century. I have also had the pleasure of meeting him on two occasions over those years - something I will always treasure!

Gord continues to perform to sell out houses around the world. I guess he never was my secret after all…

Below are just a very few select song lyrics of Gord’s which touch upon the wilderness, rivers and canoeing.

Whispers of the north, soon I will go forth
To that wild and barren land
Where nature takes it’s course
Whispers of the wind, soon I will be there again
Bound with a wild and restless drive
That pulls me from within

And we can ride away, we can glide all day
And we can fly away

Whispers of the north, soon I will return again
To those endless afternoons, in sunshine and in rain
Whispers of my love, days and weeks on end
I will share my thoughts of her
In prayers that I will send

And we can ride away, we can glide all day
And we can fly away

Whispers of the north, the river and the shore
In a land that tested Eskimos, ten thousand years before
Whispers of my heart, in the tracks of animals
I will leave my footprints there to lie beneath the snow

And we can ride away, we can glide all day
And we can fly away

Whispers of the wind, I will feel it sting
I will see it rise and fall, I will hear it sing
The sound is like a song to me, it takes away the pain
The river is the melody and sky is the refrain

And we can ride away, we can glide all day
And we can fly away
And we can ride away, we can glide all day
And we can fly away

Whispers of the north, soon I will go forth
Whispers of the north, soon I will go forth

Where the long river flows
It flows by my window
Where the tall timber grows
It grows 'round my door
Where the mountains meet the sky
And the white clouds fly
Where the long river flows, by my window

There's a tiny bird that calls
And he calls by my window
There's a lonely tear that falls
And it falls 'round my door
But when the sun is high
There's no time to cry
Where the long river flows, by my window

Now if only you could see
The closing of the day
If only you could be
Where the dawn breaks away
By the white cascade
Oh down in the glade
Where the long river flows, by my window
Well when this land was made
It was made full of wonder
But one woman's love
I can't understand
And I'd give it all to you
If her love were true

Where the long river flows, by my window
Where the long river flows, by my window

The dead leaves of autumn
That cling so desperately
Must fly before the cold October winds
Their simple life is ended
Must they be born to die again
Oh may the light of freedom shine
For all the world to see
And peace and joy to all man kind
Through all the years to be
For soon the leaves will die
And the long hard wind will blow
May this world find a resting place
Where peaceful waters flow
Within my heart there lies a spring
Where love and peace abide
And from that spring there flows a river fine
Through all the countryside
But few have drunk therein and why I do not know
May this world find a resting place
Where peaceful waters flow

Pussywillows, Cat-tails
Pussywillows, cat-tails, soft winds and roses
Rainpools in the woodland, water to my knees
Shivering, quivering, the warm breath of spring
Pussywillows, cat-tails, soft winds and roses
Catbirds and cornfields, daydreams together
Riding on the roadside, the dust gets in your eyes
Reveling, disheveling, the summer nights can bring
Pussywillows, cat-tails, soft winds and roses
Slanted rays and colored days, stark blue horizons
Naked limbs and wheat bins, hazy afternoons
Voicing, rejoicing, the wine cups do bring
Pussywillows, cat-tails, soft winds and roses
Harsh nights and candlelights, woodfires a-blazin'
Soft lips and fingertips resting in my soul
Treasuring, remembering, the promise of spring
Pussywillows, cat-tails, soft winds and roses

Early in the morning when the dew is on
Each and every rose bud you will find me gone
So knock me down and pick me up and knock me down again
Break my heart steal my gold and slander my good name
Seven lonely hours on the morning train
Takes me to a place where I won't come back again
Seven lonely Pullmans speeding down the line
Taking me away from an old love of mine

Sixteen miles to seven lakes way up among the pines
In some hidden valley where the twirling river twines
Where the fish swim up and down and the sparkling water falls
Where the thunder rolls and the lonely puma calls
Somewhere on the mountain I'll take another name
Rid my mind of memories and start my life again
Somewhere in the wilderness I'll build a cabin small
Then forget so I won't remember you at all

When I walk the hills so high around the town where I was born
New York seems so far away though I was there just yesterday
I have played on my guitar in coffeehouses, halls and bars
Everyone that I call friend knows they will not be forgot
Trains and planes and rented cars, singers, saints, and other stars
I suspect them everyone, they'll never change it's too much fun
Just for now I'd like to rest in the shade of a maple tree
To the blue Canadian sky
I'll say a prayer for the world out there
When I stand on my own sod it feels so good to be home, by God
The winter wind has turned my head but I always came up warm somehow
Bottles, beads, and cigarettes and lovers that I ain't found yet
Picking with a friend til dawn, singing all those hi'way songs
Just for now I'd like to rest in the shade of a maple tree
To the blue Canadian sky I'll say a prayer for the world out there
When I walk the hills so high around the town where I was born
New York seems so far away though I was there just yesterday
I would travel all my life if loneliness was not the price
Heading north across that line's the only time I'm flying

In my canary yellow canoe, my yellow canoe
I want to go tripping in my canary yellow canoe
The Eastmain, Coppermine, Back River too
In my canary yellow canoe
In my canary yellow canoe, yellow canoe
I want to run rivers in my canary yellow canoe
The Dumoine River, Rupert River, George River too
In my canary yellow canoe
In my canary yellow canoe, mellow yellow canoe
I want to go tripping in my canary yellow canoe
Chibougamau, Peace River, Resolute too
In my canary yellow canoe
In my canary yellow canoe, my elephant too
I want to go tripping in my canary yellow canoe
Churchill, Yellowknife, Ross River too
In my canary yellow canoe

Lightfoot (By The Guess Who)

The Canadian Band 'The Guess Who' showed their admiration for Gordon Lightfoot's talent by penning this composition about him. Many of the lyrics are actual titles of Lightoot tunes. It can be found on their 'Wheatfield Soul' Album.

Sidemen come out first
John Stockfish bass guitar
Looks at the world through the eyes of Nashville,
The Riverboat and Charlie McCoy
He's just a boy

The lead guitarist Red Shea who's really come a long, long way
since rhythm rocker jingle jangle
And go Red!

And Lightfoot
Edwardian, suddenly striped
His hair blondish and poetic
He is less than vinyl perfect
His foot is a precise anchor for the husk and vibrance of his voice

He is the image of Alberta
The side street near Chicago
The grim beauty of Toronto

He is an artist
He is an artist
He is an artist painting Sistine masterpieces of pine and fur and backwoods
Still echoes long ago the winter night of black july and then the outcome
Of an early Cleveland rainfall

I sit softly among the rest waiting there for him to paint his pictures
And as the go-go girl went round and our heads were in a spin I thought about
The Crossroads, In the Early Morning Rain and Rosanna

I'm not saying that I'm sorry
I'm just telling you this story
And when Lightfoot's magic calls
You can write it on your walls
'Cause that's what walls are for

He is an artist.

(BachmanCummingsMatheson)

Eileen McGann's Canoeing Tunes

Eileen McGann is a wonderful Canadian songstress with an absolutely angelic voice. Here are the lyrics from two tunes from her 'Elements' album. Temagami is a region of the Canadian shield beginning north of the city of North Bay and extending northward towards the James Bay Lowlands. This is excellent canoeing country.

Temagami

When the dawn shows its first streaks of light we awake
Roll out of the tent and we build up the fire
Feel the mist as it softly rolls up from the lake
Then it’s heat up some food, and pack the canoes
‘Cause the sun’s rising up higher

And we’re singing and travelling across the blue waters
Rapids and Whitecaps, hey, bring them on
There’s nobody here but the bears and the otters
So we’re paddling swift and we’re paddling strong

We’ve got twenty long miles to travel this day
And we’re soaked to the skin ‘cause the rain’s started pouring
But it’s not all that bad if you see it our way
Cause it’s washed off the mud, the sweat and the blood
You can’t say it’s even been boring

To be singing and traveling…

See the heron fly, graceful on slow motion wings
As we watch with a gladness the rain can’t destroy
Then of in the forest a lone blackbird sings
And after the storm the sun’s shining warm
And the fish are jumping for joy

And then in the night when the shadows grow deep
We sit by the waterside counting each star
Till the water’s soft lapping will lull us to sleep
Then we go to our dreams and they carry us far
Yes our dreams take us far

And we’re singing and travelling across the blue waters
Rapids and Whitecaps, hey, bring them on
There’s nobody here but the bears and the otters
So we’re paddling swift and we’re paddling strong

Then we find a small island for making our camp
Pitch the tent, take a swim and go searching for wood
Build a bonfire for cooking and drying what’s wet
As we eat a burnt meal, we can’t help but feel
Oh God, life is so good

When we’re singing and traveling…

Lyrics to the following song originated from a book of poems called ‘Mary Magdalene and Other Poems’ by Laura E McCully, published in 1914.

Canoe Song At Twilight

Down in the west the shadows rest
Little grey wave, sing low, sing low
With a rhythmic sweep o’er the gloomy deep
Into the dusk of the night we go
And the paddles dip and lift and slip
And the drops fall back with a pattering drip
The wigwams deep of the spirits of sleep
Are pitched in the gloom on the headland steep
Wake not their silence as you go
Little grey wave, sing low, sing low, sing low

From your porch on high where waves go by
Little white moon look down, look down
‘Neath night’s shut lid all the stars are hid
And the last late bird to his nest has flown
The slow waves glide and sink and slide
And rise in ripples along the side
The loons call low in the marsh below
Night weaves about us her magic show
Ere the last faint gleam in our wake be gone
Little white moon look down, look down, look down

And the paddles dip and lift and slip
And the drops fall back with a pattering drip
The wigwams deep of the spirits of sleep
Are pitched in the gloom on the headland steep
Wake not their silence as you go
Little grey wave, sing low, sing low, sing low

You Can find Eileen McGann's Music at her website

Ted Wesley - Born in Zambia of Polish parents, emigrated to Canada at an early age. Ted quickly embraced the country and particularly fell in love with the north. During the 1970’s, Ted released three albums of songs composed by Bob Ruzika and Wilf Bean amongst others. The folk songs dealt with the beauty of the far north as well as the joys and challenges of living in land often threatened by exploitation and change. Humorous, joyful or serious, the melodies are truly infectious so be prepared to be humming them for days after. Ted is alive & well, currently living in Alberta, Canada and is considering re-releasing his earlier works as well as possibly recording some new material. Truly a Canadian treasure!

*Note: Gordon Lightfoot fans will appreciate the late Red Shea’s masterful picking on many of the tunes. Red was Gord’s lead guitarist early in his career.

Update: Aug. 09 - Ted has re-released his previous albums on a wonderful double CD which is now available at his website below. I do not usually recommend or endorse but I can wholeheartedly recommend this CD to anyone who loves the north country and just plain fine music. If you're looking for something to play while canoeing some remote river, this album is for you!
http://www.tedwesley.com/

By the time we reached the canyons
Day turned into night,
Dried our boots beside the campfire glow,
And we talked about the river
Long into the night,
Of men who died here searching for the gold

Nahanni, you’re the soul of God that flows down through the land
Me, I’m just a blue jean boy trying to understand
What is this thing called life,
What does it mean to be a man,
Nahanni

Cold water, morning wash, to wake you from the night
Misty morning, river flowing free
Canyons of a thousand years,
A thousand campfire lights
Cathedrals full of silent memories

Nahanni, you’re the soul of God that flows down through the land
Me, I’m just a blue jean boy trying to understand
What is this thing called life,
What does it mean to be a man,
Nahanni

Klondike trails of ninety-eight,
Gold mines that are lost,
Headless men that died here in the cold
Making tea and talking,
Or just fishing in the stream
Nahanni, you’ve got so much more than gold

Nahanni, you’re the soul of God that flows down through the land
Me, I’m just a blue jean boy trying to understand
What is this thing called life,
What does it mean to be a man,
Nahanni

I've been out here half the winter
Workin' on this God-forsaken survey line
A foreman's job on Melville Island
Seems like it's been a whole lifetime

And today's the day I'm leavin'
But I'm findin' very little cause to smile
'Cause there's blowin' snow and crosswinds;
Visibility's a quarter of a mile.

The men who fly those little planes
Are heroes of our country's last frontier.
They jog, walk and laugh and talk
And confidence says you've got nothing to fear.

They risk their lives to bring supplies,
Mail and catalogues from Simpson's Sears.
But the skies socked in on Melville Island
Ain't been this lonely friends for years.

Beaver, Otter, Beachcraft, Cessna 182;
Thirty-thousand people countin' on you.
Bush plane a comin'
I hear you whinin' in the wind.

I'm seen them do things with those planes
I'm sure friends no normal man would do.
I've seen them landing with their floats
On tall grasses wet with mornin' dew.

I've seen 'em landing in the willows,
Landing on the frozen sandbars, too.
But the skies socked in on Melville Island
Ain't no way to make it through.

Pick up my gear and walk back to camp
I guess there's nothin' more that I can do.
Then a dog starts barking and I say,
"My God, can it be true?"

I hear him now above the clouds
Lookin' for a hole to fly on through
I see it now, that pretty Beachcraft
Gonna bring this boy on home to you.

Beaver, Otter, Beachcraft, Cessna 182
Thirty-thousand people countin' on you
Bush plane a comin'
I hear you whinin' in the wind

Beaver, Otter, Beachcraft, Cessna 182
Thirty-thousand people countin' on you
Bush plane a comin'
I hear you whinin' in the wind

Composer/Musician Extrordinaire-John Lister

A very good friend of mine has just put out a CD entitled 'A New Day' which is described as "classic rock meets new age". The CD is an instrumental journey of music enlightenment.
Please check out this fine musical experience at:

John Lister - A New Day

John Lister has composed, performed and produced music for several decades, generally working behind the scenes on music projects for other people. On this, his first solo CD, he performs each track in the studio, not relying on MIDI or sampling or any other automation to create the sounds. The wind chimes you hear are actual wind chimes, recorded in the studio. Some sounds such as flutes or strings are played on a synthesizer, but all of the tracks are recorded live, as they were performed in the studio.

Besides the synthesizer, John plays drums, bass, electric and acoustic guitars, synth guitar, and percussion instruments. The effect on this CD is "Rock group meets orchestra" with tasteful solos from every range of instruments.

Canoesongs Volumes 1 & 2

Inspirational Music For Canoeists

Portage Productions is pleased to present two CD compilations of songs - some older, some newer, some just recorded and available for the first time - all about or inspired by canoes or canoeing and performed by a host of superb Canadian folk artists who are being published together for the first time.

A portion of the proceeds from this project will benefit the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough Ontario, which houses the world's largest and most significant canoe collection.

More Canoeing Quotes

"The river is the melody,....The sky is the refrain"...

Gordon Lightfoot

* * *

"It is difficult to find in life any event which so effectually condenses nervous sensation into the shortest possible space of time as does the work of shooting, or running an immense rapid. There is no toil, no heart-breaking labour about it, but as much coolness, dexterity, and skill as a man can throw into the work of hand, eye, and head; knowledge of when to strike and how to do it; knowledge of water and rock, and of the one hundred combinations which rock and water can assume- for these two things, rock and water, taken in the abstract, fail as completely to convey any idea of their fierce embracings in the throes of a rapid as the fire burning quietly in a drawing-room fireplace fails to convey the idea of a house wrapped and sheeted in flames."

Sir William Francis Butler, (key figure with the North West Mounted Police) in The Great Lone Land: A Narrative of Travel and Adventure in the North-West of America (1872)

* * *

"A true Canadian is one who can make love in a canoe without tipping"

Pierre Berton

* * *

"Anyone can make love in a canoe, it's a Canadian who knows enough to take out the centre thwart!"

Philip Chester

* * *

"One night a young amourous Sioux
Had a date with a maiden he knew
The coroner found
The couple had drowned
Making love in a leaky canioux"

Anonymous

* * *

"To canoe is to be moved"

Doug E. Bell

* * *

"If there's a place, Canoe there"

Brent Kelly

* * *

"August is laughing across the sky
Laughing while paddle, canoe and I,
Drift, drift,
Where the hills uplift
On either side of the current swift.

Be strong, O paddle!
Be brave, canoe!
The reckless waves
you must plunge into.
Reel, reel.
On your trembling keel,
But never a fear my craft will feel."

Song: My Paddle Sings, E. Pauline Johnson

* * *

"Love many, trust a few, and always paddle your own canoe"

Old Proverb

* * *

"The romantic life of each colony also has a special flavour - Australian rhyme is a poetry of the horse; Canadian, of the canoe"

William Douw Lighthall

* * *

"I have never seen a river that I could not love. Moving water . . . has a fascinating vitality. It has power and grace and associations. It has a thousand colors and a thousand shapes, yet it follows laws so definite that the tiniest streamlet is an exact replica of a great river"

Roderick Haig-Brown

* * *

"I have no life to bother me wife,
No lover to keep me true,
All day long I laugh at this song,
And paddle my own canoe"

The Brigadoons - Martinstown, Ont.

* * *

"What, pray tell, would I buy? There is nothing out here that is not free for the asking. Can you buy a sunrise? Is there a price to the exhilaration we feel from the thunderstorm that rages outside? Nature is the truest democracy, and not the richest man in the world is served a grander sunset than the beggar"

Michael Furtman

* * *

"You can never defeat the river.....sometimes the river just lets you win..."

Unknown

* * *

“It gave me a moment of exquisite satisfaction to find myself moving away from civilisation in this rude canvas canoe of a model that has served primitive races since men first went to sea.”

John Millington Synge

* * *
"Take only memories, Leave only footprints"

Indian Proverb

* * *

"Thus the Birch Canoe was builded
In the valley, by the river,
In the bosom of the forest;
And the forest’s life was in it,
All its mystery and its magic,
All the lightness of the birch-tree,
All the toughness of the cedar,
All the larch’s supple sinews;
And it floated on the river
Like a yellow leaf in Autumn, Like a yellow water-lily."

From Longfellow’s Song of Hiawatha, 1855

* * *

BOGART: "How'd you like it?"
HEPBURN: "Like it?!"

BOGART: "Whitewater rapids!"
HEPBURN: "I never dreamed..."

BOGART: "I don't blame you for being scared - not one bit. Nobody with good sense ain't scared of Whitewater..."
HEPBURN: "I never dreamed that any mere physical experience could be so stimulating"

from the movie, THE AFRICAN QUEEN

* * *

"She's all my fancy painted her, she's lovely, she is light.
She waltzes on the waves by day and rests with me at night."

Nessmuk, Forest and Stream, July 21, 1880 [of the Wood Drake Canoe built for him by Rushton]

* * *

"[The canoeist] likes the free swing of the paddle and its challenge to his skill. Above all, he likes to face forward. No explorer cares to back into new country. The posture of a quest is breast forward."

Atwood Manley, Rushton and his Times in American Canoeing

* * *

".. and to any others who have felt the thrill of the back country and still long to explore what might lie just around the next bend. I know of no better way of doing just that, than having a fine canoe under one's seat, a sleek paddle in one's hand, a little bug dope in your pocket, and a harmonica near the top of your pack."

Daniel Quick - Book dedication from Kenai Canoe Trails

* * *

"The voyageurs measure the distance by pipes. At the end of a certain time there is a pause, and they light their pipes and smoke for about five minutes, then the paddles go off merrily again, at the rate of about fifty strokes in a minute, and we absolutely seem to fly over the water. 'Trois pipes' are about twelve miles."

Anna Jamieson, Winter Studies and Summer Rambles in Canada

* * *
"You can't be suspicious of a tree, or accuse a bird or a squirrel of subversion or challenge the ideology of a violet."

Hal Borland

* * *

"Without love of the land, conservation lacks meaning or purpose, for only in a deep and inherent feeling for the land can their be dedication in preserving it."

Sigurd F. Olson

* * *

"Originality is unexplored territory. You get there by carrying a canoe -- you can't take a taxi. "

Alan Alda

* * *

"Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing- absolutely nothing- half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats."

Kenneth Grahame (From Wind in the Willows)

* * *

"You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your element in each moment. "

Henry David Thoreau

* * *

"There is nothing that is so aesthetically pleasing and yet so functional and versatile as the canoe"

Bill Mason

* * *

"A river is more than an amenity, it is a treasure"

Oliver Wendell Holmes

* * *

"I have need of the sky, I have business with the grass; I will up and get me away where the hawk is wheeling lone and high, And the slow clouds go by. I will get me away to the waters that glass the clouds as they pass. I will get me away to the woods."

Richard Hovey

* * *

"Now you must stop with this one, don't try any smaller one. If you get sick of this as a Canoe use it for a soup dish."

Rushton to "Nessmuk,"1882

* * *

"We need quiet places, and we need quiet ways to travel in them. We never quite realize how valuable they are until we've been paddling, camping, and fishing in them for a few days. Once cleansed of the residue of daily living, it's possible to find what my son once called 'a calm spot' in your heart. It's a good thing to find."

Jerry Dennis, From a Wooden Canoe

* * *

"A nature lover is someone who, when treed by a bear, enjoys the view."

Anonymous

* * *

"I like to tell our staff that guiding is ninety-five percent cooking, five-percent terror."

Neil Hartling, Nahanni

* * *

"Men may dam it and say that they have made a lake, but it will still be a river. It will keep its nature and bide its time, like a caged animal alert for the slightest opening. In time, it will have its way; the dam, like the ancient cliffs, will be carried away piecemeal in the currents."

Wendell Berry

* * *

"The marsh, to him who enters it in a receptive mood, holds, besides mosquitoes and stagnation, melody, the mystery of unknown waters, and the sweetness of Nature undisturbed by man."

Charles William Beebe (1906)

* * *
"Like swift water, an active mind never stagnates."

Anonymous

* * *

"All the water that ever has been or ever will be is here now. It sits, it runs, it rises as mist. It evaporates and falls again as rain or snow. You cannot pollute a drop of water anywhere without eventually poisoning some distant place. "

Michael Furtman

* * *

"Wilderness can be appreciated only by contrast, and solitude understood only when we have been without it. We cannot separate ourselves from society, comradeship, sharing and love. Unless we can contribute something from wilderness experience, derive some solace or peace to share with others, then the real purpose is defeated. "

Sigurd F. Olson

* * *

"Paddle solo, sleep tandem. "

Anonymous

* * *

"For 24 years I was a light canoeman. I required but little sleep, but sometimes got less than I required. No portage was too long for me; all portages were alike. My end of the canoe never touched the ground 'til I saw the end of it. Fifty songs a day were nothing to me. I could carry, paddle, walk and sing with any man I ever saw... I pushed on - over rapeds, over cascades, over chutes; all were the same to me. No water, no weather ever stopped the paddle or the song... There is no life so happy as a voyageur's life; none so independent; no place where a man enjoys so much variety and freedom as in the Indian country. Huzza, huzza pour le pays sauvage!"

Anonymous coureur-de-bois as quoted by a Hudson's Bay Co. historian

* * *

"What the camel is to desert tribes, what the horse is to the Arab, what the ship is to the colonizing Briton, what all modern means of locomotion are to the civilized world today, that, and more than that, the canoe was to the Indian who lived beside the innumerable waterways of Canada."

William Wood

* * *

"A canoe is a canoe is a canoe"

Anonymous

* * *

"Anyone who says they like portaging is either a liar or crazy."

Bill Mason

* * *

"The hardest thing to build was the canoe. The man who could make a canoe was very happy because the people depended on it so much."

John Kawapit

* * *

"Had I done it alone by canoe I might have boasted a little."

Sergeant Farrar - RCMP, 3rd mate aboard the St. Roch, first vessel to circumnavigate N. America

* * *

"Take everything as it comes; the wave passes, deal with the next one."

Tom Thompson

* * *

"Go stick your head in a lake, eh!"

Anonymous (Canadian, no doubt!)

* * *

"I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order."

John Burroughs

* * *
"Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise."

George Washington Carver

* * *
"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."

Lao Tzu

* * *

"To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug. "

Helen Keller

* * *
"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."

Albert Einstein

* * *
"I've always regarded nature as the clothing of God."

Alan Hovhaness

* * *
"Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names the streets after them."

Bill Vaughan

* * *
"All my possessions for a moment of time"

Elizabeth I - (1533-1603)

* * *
"In wilderness I sense the miracle of life, and behind it our scientific accomplishments fade to trivia."

Charles A. Lindbergh, Life, 22 December 1967

* * *

"The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man."

Author Unknown

* * *
"Everywhere I go I find a poet has been there before me."

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)

* * *
"Travel only with thy equals or thy betters, if there are none, travel alone."

The Dhammapada

* * *

Northwind

Whispering, I part morning’s pewter mist
Weaving silently through pine and fir
Notes of spruce upon my hurried breath
As desperate gasps announce autumn’s northern race

Restlessly I carry muted maple hues
As clouds sail my gun-metal sky
Passing colours to river’s grasp
In it’s hurried search for the bay

A collar is turned to my icy caress
As the paddle draws time closer
Parting reeds and rushes, I gather speed
Where granite narrows channel my final descent

Forest unfettered, I am set free
To add my dying breath to winter’s newborn chorus
Scattered and spent I embrace the lowlands
Drifting over the wilderness as would a Lightfoot melody…

(Yuri - September 2007)

© Copyright - All rights reserved.

Solitude

Morning mists billow wildly
As canvas snaps in the breeze
Anvil clouds race beneath the steel-blue sky
Announcing the storm’s advance

Standing on a swirling quilt of colour
My outstretched arms reach for the heavens
Before the granite altar of my pine cathedral
I am baptized by October’s rains

Caressed by torrential downpours
While kissed by frost ladened winds
I revel in the mud the rains have brought
And have danced the mosquito’s tune

Natures elements are my companions
Company I truly enjoy
For they have driven away the tourists
Once again to be embraced by my solitude

(Yuri -October 2007)

© Copyright - All rights reserved.

Omer Stringer (1912-1988)

Over his lifetime Omer gained fame as a canoeist, wilderness guide, teacher and canoe builder. Born in Ontario’s Algonquin Park, he spent much of his early years there learning wilderness survival skills and developing is own unique canoeing style. Omer served in the RCAF during WWII but returned to the park after the war. He became associated with the ‘Carrying Place Canoe Works’ in a joint venture named ‘Beaver Canoe Company’ which was so successful it expanded into clothing apparel bearing his logo.
Once at a sports show Omer observed a salesman bashing a plastic canoe with a sledgehammer to demonstrate it’s resiliency. Passing by the same display hours later the fellow was still smashing the canoe to which Omer remarked “You know, in all of my over 60 years of canoeing, I have never had to take a sledge hammer to my canoe”.
Omer was a firm supporter of the wood and canvas canoe.

James Raffan (1955-)

Geographer, canoeist and writer James Raffan was ‘born on the Speed River’ in Guelph Ontario. With degrees in Biology, Education and Geography James currently spends his time writing about his adventures and Canadian history as well as being found on the speaking circuit. James is also a musician and contributor to the Canoesongs CDs (see sidebar)
I had the pleasure of speaking with James a number of years ago. As it turned out we both had a fascination about adventurer John Hornby who met his demise canoeing Canada’s Thelon River.

R.M. Patterson (1898-1984)

R.M. Patterson, born in Durham England on May 13th, 1898, emigrated to Canada at the age of 26 after service in WW1, an Oxford education and a dreary probationary stint with the Bank of England. Seeking adventure, Raymond settled in British Columbia and over the years tried his hand at a number of ventures. Farmer, rancher, adventurer, historian, and author, Raymond’s life’s adventures are recounted in his 5 autobiographical books. Of particular interest to canoeists is his 1927solo trip up the South Nahanni River where he was the first to return with photographs of Virginia Falls. Published in 1953, ‘The Dangerous River’ remains the benchmark account of travels in the rugged unspoiled South Nahanni river valley. All of R.M.’s books are a delight to read as he describes his adventures and undertakings with a gentle eloquence. A true Canadian treasure, Raymond died on October 20th, 1984.

Tools Of The Trade

From the dawn of navigation to the 1980's, not all that much had changed in regards to navigational aids and instruments. Depending on the scale of exploration one might use timepieces, barometers, sextants, the compass and maps of varying degrees of accuracy to chart ones destination.

Accurate timepieces (clocks) could be used to calculate distance travelled. Sextants for global positioning by longitude and latitude. Barometers for height. Compass for directionality. Maps were the accumulated knowledge of those who went before recorded for the benefit of those who dared to plan future adventures. Not much else existed.

In the 1980's, we navigated our rivers by use of a quality compass and 1950 era 1:250.000 scale topographical maps.

So much has changed in the two-plus decades from when we dipped our paddles into northern waters. Three of the most useful items yet to become available were;
Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) units were not yet available to anyone except perhaps the military. Frighteningly useful in confirming ones position to within meters (yards) anywhere on earth
Cellular Phones were rare, were the size of bricks, and did not have a useful range of reception. When you encounter the ultimate wilderness screw-up, it's reassuring to know that someone might be listening to your distress signal.
The Internet itself had yet to be invented which has proven to be useful in correspondence, research, reservations, sharing knowledge and experience of previous travellers not to mention 'Google Earth' and the ability to obtain satellite views of even the most remote rivers prior to embarking on a voyage.

In retrospect, I probably wouldn't dare to challenge the same routes today without these new additions to the wilderness toolbox. Yet I have to wonder - how will these and future inventions reduce the exhilaration and challenge of river travel when what lies around the next is already known?
Exciting, yet sad at the same time......

Highgear Co's Alti-Tech2 Multi Wrist Watch

Those who like to hit the trail will find Highgear's AltiTech2 ($175) invaluable. This digital device acts as your compass, altimeter, barometer, thermometer, chronometer, and clock.
The screen can be customized to display almost any combination of information, but the time/temperature/barometer graph setting is perfect for quick glances while you're focused on other things, such as staying on the trail.
Especially cool is the graphical weather predictor. The main screen displays a weather icon -- sun, clouds, rain or mixed relating to the current barometric activity and what can be expected in the next few hours.
Available through;
Coast Mountain Sports
Valhalla Pure Outfitters
Highgear Co.

Photographic Equipment Used

Most of the photographs appearing in this blog were taken by myself using one of two cameras. (Other photos should be self evident.) As an impoverished student my first camera was a Yashica Electro 35 GSN fixed lens 35mm camera which served me well until I drowned it in Blackfeather Rapids on the Missinaibi River. (Read story Chapter 2) The majority of the photographs taken were with my workhorse Fujica ST-801 35mm. My only criticism of this camera was the Pentax Screw mount as a bayonet mount facilitates faster lens changes when that distant moose makes a cameo appearance. I often brought along a number of lenses from 28mm wide angle to an 80-200mm zoom/telephoto. I also had a full complement of filters including Cokin filters however the natural beauty of the far north rarely required special effects or enhancement. A 1-A UV Skylight filter remained on the lenses at all times and a polarizing filter was used as necessary to reduce glare from the water’s surface. I preferred to use Fuji brand films & transparencies as I felt the colour balance enhanced the greenery of my forest surroundings. Kodak products also produced fine results.

As I was the designated photographer, I have do not have many photos that include myself to share except where a tripod, timer and mad dash didn’t catch my backside in mid-flight trying to get into the frame.

One must also remember that these photos were taken prior to the availability digital cameras and that video cameras were so bulky that they had to be hoisted onto ones shoulder. Regardless, these photos help me relive the fond memories I have of my beautiful northern river trips.