On the River, In the River June 3, 2011

Collectively, we have very few photos from June 3 - the result of weather and a couple of mishaps.

The morning was as windy and cold as the previous evening, so we took the chance to sleep in, and we decided not to try to move until noon. By then, it had warmed marginally and we were well-fueled by a large breakfast and an early lunch. When we set off the snow flakes were intermittent, it seemed to be in a totally different season than when we had pitched the tents late the previous afternoon.

The river threw more boulder fields and barely submerged rocks at us and the wind occasionally added another degree of difficulty. I made the first truly costly mistake taking a boulder head on. Peter and I both went for an unscheduled swim as did my camera equipment (the end of my picture-taking for a few days). We also donated two paddles, a hat, a water bottle and some fishing equipment to the Great Manitou. Our ginger cookie and toilet paper supplies both took a hit, but nothing larger was lost. Mike S. heroically chased after Peter's small pack downstream in thoughts that it might contain truck keys and a wallet. After plucking it from the chest-deep water, he was a little upset to learn that it contained nothing so valuable.

The river was not terribly deep and neither Peter nor I suffered any significant injuries from the rocks or canoe. The one danger was hypothermia because of the biting wind; however, our experienced crew swung into action setting up a tarp as a windbreak and a fire to warm and dry. We were changed into dry clothing and after a two-hour delay, very little the worse for wear (although mourning the loss of the ginger cookies), we were ready to get back on the river.

The river was ready for us: more boulder fields. Within two kilometres a second mishap. This time Tim and Brenda swamped although it was not quite as dramatic as the earlier overturn. They took on gallons of water and both canoeists were soaked - Tim to the waist and Brenda to her shoulders. Three people bailed furiously to rid the canoe of most of the water and the two hardy types jumped back in and paddled hard to try to stave off hypothermia while we searched for a campsite. Once located, the wet pair were stripped down and put into multiple layers of dry clothing and then assigned to stand by the fire to dry their previous togs and shoes.

It certainly wasn't our best day as we made barely five kilometres on the river. The sky was still overcast, and there was a lot to dry out. The mood was a little subdued. However, Ginny, the guru of freeze-dried gourmet, produced another great supper supplemented with a fabulous fruit-laced coleslaw by Peter and Kate and the spirits rebounded.