7/18/2017 3 Comments Mark of the Metis Canoe Trip Last week Ralph and I journeyed north on the Athabasca River with the McMurray Metis on their annual canoe trip from Fort McKay to Fort Chipewyan. The trip is to teach Metis youth about the incredible history of the region and understand (even just a little) the physical tole of the fur trade.
To be clear, there was no portaging of any kind, we had delicious food, comfortable tents and even a boombox for our canoe, so our eco-tourism experience was far more comfortable than that of our ancestors. My grandfather was born at Pelican Portage, a major stop for fur traders, which is just south of the Grand Rapids. These miniature homesteads and caches of supplies and shelter were the difference between life and death for some fur traders. On this trip we were fortunate to be welcomed to stay at Embarrass Portage (aka Kathy's) and Peace Point and visit the Peace River Portage that is equipped with a winch and dolly system on train tracks for portaging boats and barges. Portaging sounds hard, really hard, you carry all the gear in the canoe, and the canoe. As I say this, Ralph decidedly rolls his eyes at me, having been on many forays overland. In the old days the scows would be pulled by men with ropes who walked the shoreline or they would pole where the water was too deep. One thing we discovered was how much harder to paddle against the strong current of the Athabasca River. This is a task that requires stamina and attitude. The voyageurs and scow men must have had great strength and even greater substance to navigate the great rivers and lakes to the north. The journey took us five days with only 6-8 hours of paddling each day. We were accompanied by three boats, Len Hansen from McKay to Kearl & Roy Vermillion and Archie Antoine for the remainder of the trip. As Athabasca just lost a young man who's canoe capsized and Fort Chipewyan tragically lost four hunters while duck hunting, it was decided to have professional guides and if needed emergency transportation. Imagine how boring it must have been for the boaters, idling at the pace of a canoe. They practically drifted faster than we paddled, 6 km hour max for days. At least in the canoe we had an activity, paddling. The rhythmic motion of paddling is surprisingly soothing, I would put my head down and paddle making a figure eight motion and finding ways to limit the drag of the wind upon my paddle when out of the water. The music helped in the last few days where the novelty of paddling wears out and you are ready to use a real toilet and sleep in a real bed. The music did not help with the horse flies or the mosquitos. Our last camp out on the river we stopped at this beautiful sandy bank of a creek just off of Embarass River. Cree Creek is Mosquito Mordor... full of blood sucking, ankle biting, hordes of flying monsters (if you don't know what Mordor is - read Lord of the Rings). In the heat, the mosquitos were limited and the black flies were as they always are (there and after your open wounds). It was in the morning the next day that trillions of mosquitos who must have been hiding in the woods covered the sandy bank. We could hardly breath without inhaling at least three mosquitos each breath. Breakfast was made hastily and everyone made record time taking their tents down. Archie, our 83 year old elder and trapper, even wore a mosquito jacket (which means something outworldly is at hand). That is when the ladies on the trip experienced ankle swelling. My ankle grew to twice the size due to the poison that the bugs inject to prevent clotting too quickly. How the boys escaped this particular experience I have no idea but starting to understand why you don't hear of many women voyageurs (due to the kankle situation... and likely the child rearing business). I won't be going into the traditional learnings of the trip - you should go on it and learn for yourself - but it was amazing. The lives of families made along the river was incredible and so attractive. Ralph and I would love one day to live in a remote area in a cabin overlooking the water completely off-grid. He would catch us delicious fish and we'd make a wonderful life for ourselves. I do have to end this post with a bit of bragging, my man caught a dozen Goldeyes and two big Northern Pikes to feed the group (with Lenny's hooks mind you). Seeing a professional commercial fisherman, Roy, fillet a pike is an experience upon itself. It must have taken him only seconds to have two clean fillets. Then Archie showed us the best ways to cook and eat the Goldeye, whole and from the spine. There wasn't a single piece of fish left at camp that night and we all went to bed, blissfully unaware of the mosquito attack to come.
3 Comments
Ralph
7/21/2017 09:11:23 am
Nice
Reply
Lenny Hansen
7/24/2017 11:13:01 pm
It was an awesome trip! Kudos to my fishing partner Ralph! We had to utilize strategy and teamwork to catch dinner
Reply
Elena
7/25/2017 04:26:15 pm
We wouldn't have had dinner without your super sharp hooks and determination to keep fishing :) We learned so much from you Lenny, definitely need to go on more adventures with you!
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
About me
I grew up in Athabasca, AB and have spent the majority of my life in Northern Alberta or Montreal, PQ. My husband has been in Fort McMurray since the 70s and continues to love this town and all that it has to offer. We are avid outdoor enthusiasts, spending our summer weekends quadding and camping. As Opimian members we thoroughly enjoy wine pairings and tastings and are working on our wine collection. Ralph is a carpenter by trade and has framed more houses in Fort McMurray than I could count and knows the city inside and out. I work all throughout the region from the NWT to Janvier for the tribal council. My passion is doodling and photography which is featured throughout the website (various mediums), writing, Indigenous studies, and learning in general. Categories |