Device Name: TA
Latitude: 61.29338
Longitude: -118.61565
GPS location Date/Time: 06/30/2018 20:18:37 NDT
Message: TA & Marian are paddling to the Arctic Ocean. Check the map to see where they are paddling & exploring today!
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Device Name: TA
Latitude: 61.45535
Longitude: -118.03552
GPS location Date/Time: 06/29/2018 22:34:21 NDT
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We decided to take this as a P day…planning, prep, and post office. We got a ride into town and visited a few spots then sidled up to the Snowshoe Cafe, ordered buffalo burgers and fries, and using the flat horizontal surface (known as a table we think) to have a map marking fest.
My maps become a mess of beta and Marian’s are a feast of neat tech. It’s good to have done as we are know familiar with all the place names, likely campsites, and spots of the river to paddle with care. Despite our employer’s motto of “Launch Forth,” we didn’t ready after the quick transition from Fort Res so we took the day to get ready.
Six weeks ago, we made the best gear decisions we could and we figured we’d have more free time. With long paddling days and fatigue at the end of the day, we found we didn’t need quite as many “entertainment” items as originally thought. With all possible car/truck portages done, we could also send home our canoe blocks and straps. So we boxed them up (in one of the boxes the squirrels didn’t eat, make filthy, or destroyed) and sent it off. May the spirits bless and guide it on its way home (Maaike and Jason-another package is coming your way).
We have several days of rain and grey forecasted so we are also charging as many of our electronics at the campground as we can. So, a busy but productive day and we are feeling much more ready to “make like a hockey player and get the puck out of here” tomorrow. Seeing all these communities makes me miss hockey-I haven’t played in about a year. Looking forward to getting back on the ice.
We visited the Our Lady Of Providence Church this morning and enjoyed a few quiet minutes in thought and prayer.
The burger was good and even better to have a break from cooking. It’s time to go purchase our fishing licenses since the darn squirrel ate so much of our protein supply (just kidding-we we’re getting the licenses anyway). By the way, I’ve named our campsite squirrel “Pete” so when I go running to chase him out, I can decree, “For Pete’s sake!” It’s been lovely to do our maps on a horizontal surface devoid of the distraction of Fort Providence’s legendary black flies-and I must go back out now and face them once again!
These are peeps over the Mackenzie River and we are now Mackenzie paddling peeps. Tom drove us from Fort Resolution to Fort Providence today and dropped us at the Territorial campground. A friend of his will hopefully help get us from here to the launch in Fort Providence tomorrow.
We enjoyed the many conversations we had in Fort Resolution over the past 24 hours and today with Tom while driving. It is a very friendly place and so interesting to hear about lives lived and issues folks are working to solve. We know we’ll need to go back because the Eastern Arm of Great Slave Lake kept coming up in our conversations and seems like one of those power places not to be missed.
This squirrel was quite eagerly watching us unpack our food re-ration. We’d stopped in Hay River and picked it up. Turns out the cousin or cousins of this critter totally destroyed one of our food boxes and we lost dried corn, berries, coffee, cocoa, oatmeal, cous cous, quinoa, our fancy pants freeze dried meat and chicken and our six week supply of M & M’s, while the boxes were in storage in Hay River. To work through my disappointment, I chased off the squirrel above with great vigour. The good news is that we didn’t eat all of our food in the first ration so our barrels are tip top full once again. We won’t go hungry.
Hopefully, all the logistics work tomorrow and we will be back paddling North tomorrow. Originally, we were only planning to paddle the Mackenzie (and not the Athabasca and the Slave) so its great to have paddled so much before putting on to Canada’s largest river. It’s day 42 of our trip, today is our six week mark, and we have six more weeks and 1700 kilometres to go! What a hump day! Thanks for going on this adventure with us.
Device Name: TA
Latitude: 61.32821
Longitude: -117.61736
GPS location Date/Time: 06/27/2018 21:29:42 NDT
Message: TA & Marian are paddling to the Arctic Ocean. Check the map to see where they are paddling & exploring today!
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After an 18 hour blow, the wind has finally calmed. This is looking out from Fort Resolution towards Mission Island from where we came today when the winds began to drop.
We landed near the Treaty Signing Century Celebration Arbor and began to get our bearings in Fort Resolution. We found drinking water, the Northern store, and had many conversations. Folks here are very friendly and eager to hear about our time out on the land and rivers.
We got stocked up and spent the afternoon chatting with folks and getting ready for our next portage/mid trip food supply. We hear we have a squirrel to thank for being down a box of food. It liked M & M’s.
With high winds predicted for much of the next week, we’ve decided to be progressed along our route to Fort Providence so we can spent more time paddling North than East, and more time meeting and chatting with Northerners than sitting on the beach. Too much spent winded-off the water on the lake would likely mean not getting as far on the Mackenzie as we’d hoped. So a door is closing to open a window for other experiences because we have a finite ending date for the expedition since I’m presenting a paper in Wales at the end of August.
We’ve paddled 1341 kilometres to get here in 41 days and we have a bunch more to go so stay tuned and we’ll catch ya from the Mackenzie real soon!
Device Name: TA
Latitude: 61.16741
Longitude: -113.68103
GPS location Date/Time: 06/27/2018 01:37:25 NDT
Message: TA & Marian are paddling to the Arctic Ocean. Check the map to see where they are paddling & exploring today!
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Two updates today… the joy of Internet connectivity. That’s Marian above constructing a tripod so we could try the Waterlily Turbine in windier conditions, the same conditions that kept us on the beach. On the beach, perched a three kilometre paddle from Fort Resolution, deciding to explore Mission Island rather than move camp a mere three kilometres and a less ideal camp spot. If the wind abates (as predicted), we will make a short stop for supplies in Fort Resolution and then aim to make the move to the Little Buffalo River. Some fishers promised us a feed of fish when we get there.
Our first wind day, three days ago was awesome. We needed a rest day and the wind invited us to accept one. This one, however, not so much. First, it came too soon after the last one. Second, I was eager to keep moving. Third, I wasn’t yet psyched to subject my will to the whim of the wind. But of course, none of those matter really. The truth is it is very windy and wavy and there is nothing to do but wait it out.
It will be a noisy night with the tent rattling and shaking in the wind but we have it well guyed out. It will be a little being a drumstick in a Shake and Bake bag. Reminds me of many a night on the side of a mountain in similar but much colder conditions. My team and I were once windbound for five days at Camp One on Aconcagua.
“Some days are diamonds, some days are stone,” sang John Denver. He summed up expedition life (and life in general) well. This expedition has been almost all diamond with some butterflies thrown in…good weather, good company, good paddling, good views…I guess it’s time for a bit of stone…a day where the hordes of houseflies crap on your tent, a day where you burn dinner, a day where you wanted birthday treats and they are across the water, a day where patience was frayed across a warp of frustration, a day where the sky turned grey and the wind blew stirring energies of home and comfort. A day of doldrums amid gusts, of inertia amid energy, of quiet amid noise.
Amid the wind blues, there was learning of this place and of the people who lived here. I thoroughly enjoyed walking through a camp built for a gathering last year and reading storyboards of elders’ memories of life here. That will be my take home memory from today…the rest will be carried away by the wind.
After 1338 kilometres and 39 days, we reached Great Slave Lake last night. It greeted us with some interesting wind and water conditions but then eased allowing us to take some pictures and enjoy a following “sea” almost to Fort Resolution.
The Slave River was a great phase and our transition through Fort Smith was quick and smooth thanks to Michel and Collette. We learned to live sandbar camping as an escape from the bugs. Being out on the middle of the river was also great for both morning and evening light.
We are both doing well and getting stronger and more sun kissed by the day. Yesterday was my birthday and we woke to a Newfoundland mauzy day and finished it with a beautiful mercury lake dazzled by a sinking sun.
Now we are looking to restock in Fort Resolution and shift to sea kayak thinking as we are now paddling an inland sea, Great Slave Lake, to Hay River and beyond. The lake is very shallow and winds can whip the surface into a frenzy so we must be prepared to sit out a few wind days.
The bugs are very hungry in the woods but not to bad out in the breeze. We wear our headnets and bug jackets in the morning and evening but the midday sun keeps them at bay midday (unless you go into the woods).
The Slave River gave opportunities for paddling both big river and intimate side channels. We’ve seen three wolves, three bears, two moose, and a gabillion beavers. We are surrounded by birds and they sing to us.
Off to go shopping!
Device Name: TA
Latitude: 61.16678
Longitude: -113.73476
GPS location Date/Time: 06/25/2018 02:19:05 NDT
Message: TA & Marian are paddling to the Arctic Ocean. Check the map to see where they are paddling & exploring today!
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Device Name: TA
Latitude: 61.22805
Longitude: -113.25368
GPS location Date/Time: 06/24/2018 01:41:35 NDT
Message: TA & Marian are paddling to the Arctic Ocean. Check the map to see where they are paddling & exploring today!
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Device Name: TA
Latitude: 60.99003
Longitude: -113.19838
GPS location Date/Time: 06/22/2018 01:03:24 NDT
Message: TA & Marian are paddling to the Arctic Ocean. Check the map to see where they are paddling & exploring today!
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Device Name: TA
Latitude: 60.81854
Longitude: -112.94977
GPS location Date/Time: 06/21/2018 00:59:05 NDT
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Device Name: TA
Latitude: 60.54593
Longitude: -112.60341
GPS location Date/Time: 06/20/2018 00:53:25 NDT
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Device Name: TA
Latitude: 60.37426
Longitude: -112.60858
GPS location Date/Time: 06/19/2018 01:20:57 NDT
Message: TA & Marian are paddling to the Arctic Ocean. Check the map to see where they are paddling & exploring today!
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Device Name: TA
Latitude: 60.37425
Longitude: -112.60858
GPS location Date/Time: 06/19/2018 00:59:37 NDT
Message: TA & Marian are paddling to the Arctic Ocean. Check the map to see where they are paddling & exploring today!
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Device Name: TA
Latitude: 60.13078
Longitude: -112.23656
GPS location Date/Time: 06/18/2018 00:24:29 NDT
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Device Name: TA
Latitude: 60.02218
Longitude: -111.91763
GPS location Date/Time: 06/17/2018 03:15:28 NDT
Message: TA & Marian are paddling to the Arctic Ocean. Check the map to see where they are paddling & exploring today!
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Device Name: TA
Latitude: 59.38901
Longitude: -111.44902
GPS location Date/Time: 06/16/2018 00:17:27 NDT
Message: TA & Marian are paddling to the Arctic Ocean. Check the map to see where they are paddling & exploring today!
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Device Name: TA
Latitude: 59.08296
Longitude: -111.40591
GPS location Date/Time: 06/15/2018 00:03:20 NDT
Message: TA & Marian are paddling to the Arctic Ocean. Check the map to see where they are paddling & exploring today!
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Device Name: TA
Latitude: 58.92554
Longitude: -111.17606
GPS location Date/Time: 06/13/2018 21:15:03 NDT
Message: TA & Marian are paddling to the Arctic Ocean. Check the map to see where they are paddling & exploring today!
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Turns out, we weren’t in a big hurry to head out from Fort Chipewyan. We’ve so enjoyed our stay that it seemed a shame to rush off (and a bit more test never goes astray).
Yesterday we visited the Wood Buffalo National Park Office and visitor’s Centre. We also spent some time talking about expedition with Lisa’s Grade Seven class. They asked some great questions. Last night, we attended the Athabasca Delta School awards ceremony and help celebrate the students’ achievements.
Last night the light over Lake Athabasca was delicious and we spent some time drinking it in. The golden strip is the sun highlighting the grass/reeds on the far side of the lake.
We going to start paddling North again tomorrow on the Rivière Des Rochers which will lead us to the intersection with the Peace River and the two rivers become the Slave River which we will take to the Great Slave Lake. Phase Four of Paddling North will be Fort Chip to Fort Smith…
Catch you from the river…not sure how much, if any Internet coverage there will along the river for sharing photos but we’ll do an audio update and Spot update daily as usual.
We woke, having not had any interactions with the bear whose prints we found on the Winter road, to a grey day. With a weather report of increasing wind, we packed quickly and headed out. The crossing took about an hour and when we looked out of the bay to the larger part of Lake Athabasca, it looked like the ocean and Fort Chipewyan, looked like many Newfoundland and Labrador outports we’ve paddled into.
We were greeted at the Big Dock by Lisa and the barge we met the other day. We let the barge go in first 🙂
We’ve spent the day catching up with Lisa and Ben, both HKR grads, touring town, and doing town tasks. It’s been good to have a rest for our arms after five good hard days of paddling and after closing Phase Three. Phase Four will see us headed for Fort Smith via Fort Fitzgerald.
Lisa met us with a truck and we moved our gear to her house. A different kind of loading and I rode in back to make sure the boat was okay. I felt like I was in a parade. Laundry. Check. Clean the spice kit. Check. Charge electronics. Check. Prep maps. Check. Sleep deep and well tonight. Hope so!
Device Name: TA
Latitude: 58.71256
Longitude: -111.15121
GPS location Date/Time: 06/11/2018 00:30:00 NDT
Message: TA & Marian are paddling to the Arctic Ocean. Check the map to see where they are paddling & exploring today!
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TA Loeffler's Adventures that Move 