This map I saw on a interpretation sign in Athabasca lines out our entire route. It’s been used for ages as a transportation corridor. We’re learning more about the groups of folks who’ve lived along these rivers and look forward to meeting people along the way.

We are restocked, showered (to make sure the bugs live us), life maintenance tasks done, and well fed as we head back out. Anthony gave us a great local tour yesterday and we learned more about oil sands. We may see some in the layers surrounding the river. We watched a demonstration about how to remove bitumen from the oil sands using hot water and baking soda. We learned that bitumen has been used to seal the seams in birch bark canoes so we feel like, if we need to patch our canoe, we may have a new option.

Time to go pack the car to go to the put-in. We’re appreciative that it poured all day yesterday to wet and cool down the forest and so we don’t have to pack our boat in such weather today. We’re headed off to a cloudy and cool but clearing day. I’m sure there will be plenty of pouring rain days in our future.

Thanks for coming along. We likely won’t have much coverage during this phase so I’ll do my best to convey what we are seeing in our audio updates. Pics to come in Fort Chip.