Pre-Trip
 The trippers assembled at the Songadeewin campus of Keewaydin on a warm sunny day, and
spent their first hours getting to learn names and one another.  The next days were filled with packing items
in wangans, pitching and checking tents, and mostly getting in some practice in the canoes.  Some of the
more experienced trippers were able to take positions in stern, while the newer trippers hopped in the bow to
learn that position.  The highlight was probably heading down to the Otter Creek and a day of practice
poling and running some whitewater.  As a safety drill, as the trippers were required to “swim” the rapids
and show effective use of and rescue by a throw bag.  Nobody seemed to mind a nice dip in the river.  Back
at camp in the evenings we were able to watch a movie about the Cree and hang out as we saw fit.

Day 1   7/1/98
 Quite the beginning really.  Awoke about an hour late, in the pouring rain, at six a.m. instead of
leaving camp six a.m.....OOPS!!  A rushed job of packing had us in the vans heading over to the Keewaydin
campus at 6:20, just as Seth was driving in to check on us.  An embarrassing situation, but we pressed on.
A quick bowl of cereal and it was into the vans for the first few stages of the journey to Chibougamau,
forgetting to grab our special truck lunches that Joyce Horner packed for us.
 Route 7 was in deluge stage, again.  Going through Burlington we had the road filled with deep
washes spraying out to the side of the van.  The skies stayed cloudy as Seth and Ken  headed into Canada
where we made one pit stop to pick up the radio/ radiophone from an old tripper friend that kept it for us.  A
bit later we had a roadside lunch with some bought food stuffs since our rushed departure had us forgetting
the special truck lunch Joyce Horner had specially packed for us.  The excitement of the trip had people
overlooking this small oversight.  Each van reported that all was well .  The blue van seemed to be tuned in
and tuned-out while the silver van had either sleepyheads or happy heads.
  The weather broke at Lac St. Jean, and the northern skyline was sunny and blue.  The vans drove
to McD’s for dinner, followed by a creeme served by an attractive young lass who held our esteemed
trippers in awe with her good looks alone.  She certainly got thumbs up.
 The day ended with the remaining drive to Chibougamau and camping at the town campground for
the night.  So far so good.

Day 2   7/2/98
 The crew awoke and was able to get the tents struck before Seth and Ken showed up.  A drive into
town found us in a diner for some breakfast.  Seth was able to order in perfectly fluent... well...French and
everybody got a round of eggs, toast, ham, hashbrowns, and OJ.  Onward to Propair to set up the food drop
and test out the radio.  The Propair folks were able to give us a big hand by taking the food up to their base
at Temiskamie for free.  From there they would drop it to us for a much better price.  As some of the trippers
skipped stones on the dock, the radio antennae was set up and tested and worked perfectly, then again it
was only 50’ from the receiver at Propair.
 After the food drop was all set it was back to Chibougamau to get the fresh food and any last
minute supplies.  Upon returning to the vans to regroup we were met by Charlo who had made two pairs of
beautiful snowshoes that Seth wanted to buy.  After some bargaining (?) Seth bought both pairs and got a
baby pair thrown in as well.  Lunch was wolfed down at KFC and then we headed up to the put in at
Mistissani.  Here we were finally able to meet last years guide, William Peter Matoush, and try and arrange
who would be the guide this year.  Our search led us to Matthew Petawabano in the band council office and
he introduced us to Alan Rabittskin.  As William was unable to make the trip because of an unforeseen
family accident, Alan agreed to take us down the river.
 We were then finally able to head down to the docks and put the boats in the water.  Seth snapped
a few pictures of us as we paddled off so that he could send them to the parents to show them that we were
OK when we left at least.  The first paddle was all the way around the corner!  It was an old campsite/ village
that was used by the Indians several years ago and was slowly being reclaimed by high grass.  We got the
campsite set up and had a fabulous dinner of quick and easy freeze dried beef stroganoff, corn, peaches,
and, the big hit of the summer, peach glick!  Afterwards some folks tumped up their wannigans others fished
off the dock.  Chris was able to show his prowess by catching three walleye and a pike before losing a lure
to the lake.  Other folks wrote a bit in their journals by the fireside.

Day 3 7/3/98
 “A great first day to get in the groove of things.  The first two days were nothing
compared to this day.  After a long cold winter, we had our first day of long paddling.
Everyone got a few sores  and blisters, but that’s the best part.”       Jonah Phillips
 Today we were to finally set out on the beginning of the real paddling.  It had been arranged to
meet Alan Rabittskin back at the docks in the morning, and head on out from there.  After meeting  up and a
few errands, one of which was buying Ben a new set of Rain pants, we were finally paddling out at about
11:00.  Perhaps it was an omen or just the weather, it started to rain as we headed out from Baie du- Poste
and headed north into Baie Abatagoche to the narrows at its northern end.
 The trip started out wet and Alan showed his skills by getting a fire going in the rain for our lunch
soup.  Mark and Jake had the pleasure of preparing lunch today.  After lunch a long paddle down the lake as
the clouds parted and the sun came out and puffy clouds were passing by overhead.
 Finally on the west side of the lake at the narrows a campsite was found that was big and perfect
for our needs.  The crew got things set up quickly with Marc baking the bread, Jonah on the brownies, and
Chris baking the morning cake.  Chicken with rice stew, peas, and stuffing were enjoyed by all.  Talk of
school and journal entries took up the evening while Alex, Jake and Colby took a shot at fishing out in a
boat on the lake and Chris finished up the morning cakes.

Day 4  7/4/98
 Much to Rylan’s dismay, it was the Fourth of July, and all the Americans were happy to remind him
he wasn’t.  Rylan assured us it was not a big deal worthy of note to him.  A meal of bacon, oatmeal and
Tang and cocoa got us on to the lake where we lotioned up under a blazing blue sky!  A welcome sight.
Upon paddling through the narrows we entered what seemed to be one of the longest lakes ever
encountered.  As we paddled along the wind started to kick up and morning cake was eaten on a small rocky
island with a cove that lay out of the wind.  Alex tried some more fishing while Rylan and Jonah slept for a
spell.  Alan noted a duck blind to some that were listening.  Further up the lake lunch was prepared by Paul
and Tony, wallopers for the day.  The potato cream soup proved to be a big hit and continued to be for the
rest of the trip.
 After lunch the trippers kept paddling up the lake with no horizon in view.  A water horizon was an
interesting  and new situation to be in for sure.  A bit further down the lake a mid-lake rest stop helped
aching muscles that were still a bit new to the long paddling, but were toughening up with every stroke.  At
last a fishing shack provided a campsite for the night.  Burritos were prepared and all the trippers and even
Alan thought they were great.  It was almost the end of the fresh food, and we enjoyed it all the more.  A
rainbow gave the trippers something to gawk at as they sipped tea and shared some good stories around
the fire.

Day 5   7/5/98
 Upon awakening it was discovered that a dastardly squirrel had been so brazen to eat a good
chunk out of the morning cake as Paul was getting the breakfast out of the wannigans and had his back
turned aside.  Rocks, curses, wood chips and even a knife tried to discourage it, but never came close.  The
crew got to try out SPAM for the first time for some who were new to it.  Rylan found his “tasty” while Ben
noted it was “as good as ever!”  The crew was quite excited for the big crossing of Lake Misstassini proper.
We had been paddling behind the protection of a barrier island chain, but needed to get across the lake to
paddle over a height of land.  The calmness of the lake made the idea very pleasant as it was could be
quickly seen that even a slight wind could wreack havoc on the boats, and a tip could prove very costly.
As the boats headed out into the middle the shoreline dropped from behind and the coastline across the
lake never seemed to get any bigger.  After a bit of the crossing there was the very noticeable  water horizon
on both sides of the convoy.  This is one BIG lake.
 After a substantial paddle the first major obstacle was behind us.  Everyone breathed a silent sigh
of relief, knowing the possibility of what could have happened.  Lunch was held on a very rocky beach
where a rest hour was taken right after lunch, while we kept the fire going.  A paddle further up the lake took
us to a bay with a great looking beach, but no real campsite spaces anywhere.  A good call, as right around
the corner on a small island was a fine north facing crescent moon shaped site, that was to be our home for
the next day and a half.
 In the evening the radio was set up but no communications were made.  We did listen in to Radio
Alma for a spell.  Jake was able to land a whopper of a fish, Tony cleaned it, and Colby cooked it up.  A
tasty team effort to be sure.   There was even a cocoa-fest later on.  Paul and Colby were out sick though,
doubled over from a short lived (luckily) bug for a night.

Day 6   7/6/98
 REST DAY!!!  The troops slept in until 8:15, and some gave it a bit more after that as well.  It was to
be a pancake feast that would be long remembered!  The troops soon rallied and “mad-cakes” were had and
enjoyed by all.  Pots of cocoa and tea were slugged down in a relaxing start to the day.  Jake was even able
to land a fish which was promptly cleaned by Alex.  By about 8:45 all the trippers were up and feeding.
During the day two calls to Propair were tried but to no avail.  At 11:00 a call was placed to camp via Radio
Alma to relate our status.  Office manager Toni McArdle answered the phone and was very pleased to hear
things were going well.
 The rest of the day was spent sleeping, fishing, reading or wrapped up in a viscous game of Mafia.
The action in the Mafia court was unparalleled in the annals of Mafia history!  A leisurely lunch marked off
the noon hour, with the afternoon being marked by a small fishing expedition to the mainland which
procured MEGA FISH for the evening.  After dinner an exciting series of storm clouds blew through and
gave some great rainbows and other atmospheric effects.  One more cocoa fest ended a truly restful day.

Day 7   7/7/98
 “Arose at 6:am to a hearty breakfast of c.o.w., bacon and our first prunes of the
trip.  Left camp a bit after 8 and after numerous stops, reached our midmorning break stop
on Pointe Wiyachimskow.  Resumed our northward journey at 10:30, and reached our
lunch stop at 11:30.  We ate the standard lunch of PB &J,.  Found an osprey and its very
large nest, then continued on at 12:15.  Finally reached camp at 4:30 and set things up at
the base of the Wabissinane  River.  Jonah dropped the J and broke the lid while the
others tumped the boats that still needed it.  Then dinner was prepared and happily
inhaled.  Chile mexicana, rice & corn rounded out the menu.”          unknown author

 “After the filling meal, Alex and the guide took a couple of people out fishing at
the mouth of the Wabissinane River.  Alex caught an average size walleye and then a 29
inch northern pike got reeled in.  both fish were let go.  It was exciting though!”
unknown author

Day 8   7/8/98
 Got off to a late start at 6:45 with even more blue sky than the previous days!!!  It was noted that
the wind had changed direction, an ominous message of things to come.  At breakfast it was discovered that
roast beef hash was not the popular dish that had been hoped for, oh well.  After a belabored cleanup (Mark
and Jake couldn’t get the water to boil!) we headed across the bay to the first portage of the trip.  It was
short, only about 200m, but did have a steep loading zone that gave it some challenge.  From there it was up
to a small waterfall that was passed with a lining/ lugging operation on the river left side.  Rich volunteered
to test the water depth, while Tony was pretty casual with the water level as well.  From there it was an easy
paddle up the lakes and rivers with an easy tailwind.  A tasty mid-morning cake also revealed some rain
clouds looming on the southern horizon.  Shortly down the lake it was decided to climb a small hill that Alex
said gave a commanding view of the surrounding area.
 A few pictures were taken and then it was down the hill to last years campsite where lunch was
ready.  With the scheduled resupply and the extra days built into the schedule for windy crossings, it was
decided that we would camp there for the night as well.  We were nonetheless still a day ahead of the
schedule!!  What trippers!  After the tents were up a small expedition of Jake, Colby, Jonah, and Paul set out
for an even bigger hill that was seen from the first one.  It soon came to everybody’s attention that this was
a buggy site.  The buggiest site yet easily. It should be noted that Rich sat out and read his book even
though he had no bug net.  He said he was punishing himself for not bringing one!!  Then it started to rain
and drizzle a bit.  Dinner was eaten under the fly in the drizzle and with the bugs.  It was certainly an evening
for bed and journal entries.

Day 9   7/9/98
 Morning greeted us with rain and a fire that didn’t want to start.  Finally the Spam, Tang and Mayo
were ready and camp was broke in the rain...ACK!  Of course as soon as we set off up the river the rain
stopped .  We turned off the river we had been on and went up a much narrower stream which had a more
meandering nature to it.  Our first portage of the day had us going up a very steep embankment and around
a very scenic cascade.  The put-it was lousy though and probably should have been portaged around as
well.  A mean rock garden was waiting for us on the other side and we left the rocks painted green.
 As we paddled on Alex saw somethign he though to be a woodland caribou.  He paddled past it
but as Jonah looked he saw that it turned out to be a bona fide wolf!  The crew was very excited by that one.
One of the more rare sightings you could get.  Lunch was eaten at the top of a short section that was lined,
with more and more sun breaking out now and then.  As the river got shallower and shallower the sun came
out more and more.  The upper reaches gave us quite the obstacles with rocks in the middle of the narrow
channels and overland canoe sliding races led by Alan.  At the upper most paddleable section the river
tinkled off and we had to portage into the campsite.  A short but unmarked carry.  A nice wind was keeping
many of the bugs away, for now at least.  Dinner was a tasty treat of Alex’s soup, beef stew, coleslaw, and
cocoa.  Mark, Rylan, and Jonah journalized by the fire with Paul and Alex as the chill of the evening grew
heavier.

Day 10  7/10/98
 “Around 7:00am our group awoke to clear blue skies after a night of steady rain.
After consuming breakfast and packing our boats, we departed into a strong north wind in
our face.  However, after a ten minute paddle we arrived at a mile long portage which took
the group upwards of one and a half hours.  During the portage, bot Rich and I (Chris) lost
our ways, requiring the assistance of the staff to find our ways out.  After the portage, we
paddled into an even fiercer headwind, eventually reaching the Wabissinon river, which
had a small Indian camp at its mouth.  We completed the day winding down the narrow
and twisting river, while being forced to either line or portage over the more sketchy
rapids.  We made camp at last years camp, at which point our famished group quickly
prepared and devoured dinner, bringing an end to a pretty tough day of paddling.”
  Chris White
 “So far this trip has not quite been what I had expected.  As well as many hard
days, there have also been some quite easy and short days, including an unscheduled
rest day.  You wouldn’t’ expect this on a supposedly rough and tough wilderness trip.
We have also been plagued by looming bad weather all throughout the trip, which has
been rather annoying.  Other than that, this trip has gone rather smoothly; we are not
ready to kill each other yet, which is a good thing.  However, the maddening clouds of
horrid black flies might be pushing people over the edge, as well as soggy Bean boots.
Other than these annoyances, this trip is looking good.”  Marc Whedbee
 

Day 11  7/11/98

 “We started the day by lining a waterfall that was close to camp.  Paul and Tony
took on some water - they dropped a tent in the river!  For the rest of the morning we
wove through rock gardens, a warm up for future white water!  We stopped at a waterfall
for lunch and with one quick cast, Allen caught a northern pike.  We had a relaxing two
hour lunch break, and then we began our four hour paddle up Lac Badeau.  The lake had a
resemblance to Abatagoche Bay from our first day.  We ended our day at an aging fish
camp at the top of the lake.  We finished the paddle after 7 PM.  It was a long day, but we
all looked forward to our proceeding rest day.”    unknown author

Day 12   7/12/98

 Rest Day!!!!!!  After the previous days long and tiring paddle it was nice to rest the muscles.
Another huge breakfast and Alex and Rylan were again in line to do the walloping.  The day was spent
pretty much with each tripper doing their own thing.  This was mostly alot of reading and writing.  Ben had
the biggest chore of trying to push through the opening of Moby Dick for his summer reading list.  The
weather pretty much held off, with brief clouds coming in now and then.  Wood was no problem as the
campsite had a lot of downed timber that was quickly cut up for the fire.  The campsite also yielded some
interesting artifacts as well.  An old tub led Tony to do some washing, while some bear skulls on a nearby
tree gave us a good indication of how the Cree revere the bear.  They never throw away the skull.  A leg trap
was found in some bushes and Alan showed the trippers how it worked.

Day 13   7/13/98

 “Today was very exciting!  We have paddled down the Tichegami river, not quite
all the way.  We saw some nice rapids and shot them all but one.  The one we didn’t do
was a waterfall!
 Earlier on in the day we hunted down a goose and killed it for dinner.  When we
arrived at camp Alan showed us how to pluck and dress it.  While he did the final touches
on that, Jonah and I cut Tony’s hair off.  He put all his dread’s in a zip-lock.
 Today’s portage was terrible.  The path was mostly grownover.  The bugs ate us
all alive.  Poor Rich had to carry the (dead!) goose on top of his backpack.  Its head kept
getting stuck in the branches and the goose would fall off.  He had to stop 5 times to pick
it up.  After we set off down the river, Ben and Chris had to go back to pick up their tent,
which they forgot.
 When we arrived at our camp site it was pouring rain and thunder and lightning
was going like crazy.  The bugs here are maddening, so I’m off to the tent!”
 Jake Sargent

Day 14   7/14/98

“Woke up this morning at the sunrise.
 We were so tired we couldn’t open our eyes.
Paul and Alex screamed “Oatmeal!!”
 You’ll want it later in the boat a great deal.
We got out of bed and went for the food.
 It put us all in a really good mood.
We packed up the boats and loaded our gear,
 ready for the rapids we had no fear.
Down the rapids Mark and Jake took a spill.
 Our muffins and Bread got soggy it was mad ill.
We headed more down the river called the Tichegami.
 We stopped for lunch but today threre was no salami.
We headed down the river and then came the thunder and lightning!
 All the big green trees it was striking.
As the thunder and lightning got very near,
 Chris got nervous and said “oh my dear!”
Do you want to hear a total no fair
 on Chris’s head standing was his hair.
Alex decided to pull to shore
 and didn’t care if we wanted to be hard core.
However he definitely was a good spotter,
 on the river he saw an otter.
This rhyme sounds like Dr. Seuss,
 guess what was for dinner, a big fat goose!”            “DJ” Jonah Phillips

Day 15   7/15/98

 “Woke up at 7 and had SPAM and oatmeal for breakfast.  Paddled till we reached
a long stretch of whitewater.  Staff wanted to portage, but Jonah and Ben lobbied to run it.
Ended up running the top 1/2 , then 3 boats lined the rest, two portaged part of it, and
Alex and Rylan portaged all of it.  Continued paddling now on the E. Main.  Saw weather
front coming.  When it hit torrential down pours and huge winds ensued.  At the first
gust, 3 boats flipped in sync.  Waited for a while, then continued on just a little damp.
Made it to camp at about 5.  Ate spaghetti for dinner, with yellow cake for dessert.”
  Ben Levy

post dinner staff entry     After dinner was eaten, another front came through and gave us one of the reddest
sunsets of the trip.  Alex bet Paul that we would have good weather for an entire day, to which Paul
promptly and foolishly agreed to the wager his dessert the next night.  Later on there was a rumble in the
jungle as Rylan demolished Jonah in a wrestling match on the muddy beach. Rylan was brave indeed, but
got mashed!!!  Later on the staff tried to call in on the radiophone as Alan was making noises about having
to go home at resupply.  Upon returning to the campsite, the trippers were ordered from their tents to clean
up the kitchen site as it was a pigsty!!

Quote of the day   “Should I be scared?”  Rich --upon seeing the tube shaped cloud under the base of the
thunderheads just before the “breeze” blew on through!

Day 16   7/16/98

 Awoke to a chilly morning.  The air around us was solid gray as we munched quickly on warm
Maypo w/ milk & butter Tang and Spam.  Got out to a good and early start at about 7:15.  Good as we had a
long paddle ahead of us.  As we flowed down the river, a set of very recent burns came into view on river
right.  We thought these might have been giving us the smoke of a few days earlier.  At mid-morning we got
to sample a soggy cake, but the warm sun beating down on us led to a lazy feel.  A while later we docked up
at the site of an old Indian village that had grown up considerably and was now a very beautiful meadow.
Further on down the way we entered something of a maze of rocks and channels that were hidden one inch
below the murky water.  The only way to get through was to push on and go around the boat in front of you
that had gotten stuck, only to get stuck yourselves and let the boat pass you again.  A somewhat
maddening game of leapfrog actually.  In the midst we felt the need to unload one boat of TWO afternoon of
break snacks, as a count had been made and we were extra somehow!  Nobody seemed to mind.  Later
stretches were walked through until the lake proper was reached.
 Our campsite was around one of the northern spits of land, and was soon reached.  As soon as the
gear was unloaded it seemed that everybody had the same idea and a wealth of gear was taken out and
given a sunwashing!  Perhaps everyone wanted to look spiffy for the bush pilot tomorrow at RESUPPLY!!
A swim certainly refreshed many spirits and the radio was set up to call to Seth concerning the guide
situation.  Alan had stated unequivocally that he was going out on the plane.  Seth was eventually
contacted and vowed he would find us a suitable guide.  As we signed off it was still unclear how things
would work out the following day, and it was quite the question who, if anybody, would get out of the plan
the next day.  All the trippers nonetheless got busy and wrote letters home to be taken out with the plane.
A late night was spent by many looking at the stars as well.

Day 17   7/17/98

Well, it was resupply day, and a good chance for us to rest up.  The better part of the day was certainly
spent waiting for the plane that was supposed to come early in the morning, yet didn’t materialize until
roughly 3:30.  A call or two to Propair was helpful as they said that they would themselves look for a guide
for us if necessary.  So the day was spent relaxing, catching fish, and reading.
 When the plane was finally heard a small smoke flare was lit, and was of no use at all.  There was a
dull haze and a thin smell of smoke over the area and it was worried that the pilot wouldn’t find the trippers
camp.  Yet as all good pilots, he found it and sailed right in!  Once he had paddled up to the beach, out
popped our new guide, who’s name was Sam Nianscum.  It appeared Alan knew him from his reaction and
the two where soon chatting on the shore, about what we don’t know as it was in Cree.  An assembly line
was set up to unload the food.  Last but not least was the mail and several amazingly large boxes addressed
to Rylan himself.  Alan jumped onboard and the pilot made some reference about a forest fire to the south
that he didn’t think posed any danger towards us. (We found differently!)  We handed our trash bag to the
pilot who was not happy with the idea of bringing trash out of the woods, but threw it in anyway.  We can
only assume he got it to the proper facilities back in Chibougamau
 The evening was spent distributing the food and supplies, showing Sam around the site and the
wangans,  and reading the mail sent in.  Dinner was quite the feast though.  Sam was also quick to show his
skills with an ax by quickly making several skewers for the chicken that were brought in.  The fresh salad
was also a big hit!!  Faces were drooling round the campfire as the chicken sat cooking away.  It was
decidedly a delicious meal.  Post dinner a small pyrotechnics show was had as the cardboard from the
pastries was burned, resulting in huge scorching flames leaping up into the sky.  The large boxes had
proved to be full of chocolate eclairs and other pastries for his birthday.  The unknown addressee was
guessed to be his grandmother, but Rylan was nonetheless teased about girlfriends, the “twins” and the
like.  Later on an arm wrestling competition was undertaken with Sam destroying any hope of all comers
trying to test their metal against him.

Day 18   7/18/98

 Up and out with a tasty pastry treat courtesy of Rylan and a quick paddle up to the end of the lake
but were a bit suprised to find that the lake had indeed dried up!!  The water got shallower and shallower
until the boats were pretty much mired!!  The mud was sticky enough to nearly pull off quite a few boots
along the way as well!  Things seemed potentially bleak until a small channel, and the only channel was
spotted which led to a somewhat larger channel.  Rich and our new guide Sam had unfortunatley decided to
go cross country and headed through a grassy area that was more grass and dirt than water.
 With all boats finally in the channel and it was a curvy course up the creek which got progressively
smaller and smaller.  The problem with the mornings adventure was that the low water level threw the map
off a bit, and a good deal of time was lost trying to find a portage trail that didn’t exist!  A brief shower
during lunch, further up the creek, did little to dampen our spirits, as even the creek was becoming more and
more hostile to our advances with sharp corners, shallow sections and other hazards.  After lunch it was
fairly close to the end of the line and the bushwack portage trail.  This short one (~60m) went right up an
down a brief little hill and put us into a small lifeless pond.  The canoes were loaded right as a large
cloudburst poured down on us getting things good and wet for the next portage (~200m).  Upon reaching
the far side the rain stopped for us though, allowing Rylan some time to recoup as he was feeling very much
under the weather, so to speak.
 A mid lake float for mid afternoon break led us later on to a series of narrow lakes that ended up at a
short (~40m) portage around, what was the year before we’re told, a small pond.  The campsite was on the
far side of the carry.  The site was very open and cleared out from a burn a few years old, which also made
most of the wood barely usable for a fire as it was rotten.  With the smell of smoke heavy in the air, Alex,
Paul, and Sam decided to go for a hike to the top of a hill nearby to look for any signs of the pending fire.
The trippers were left to their own devices to come up with some sort of a tasty dinner, about which the staff
were all quite pleased.  The rest of the evening was spent lazily around camp, taking the canoes over the
portage that ran through the campsite, with just enough breeze to keep the bugs down.  The staff had a bit
of fun at the trippers expense as they bluffed a midnight pullout because of the fire!  It appeared as though
the trippers bought the story.

Day 19   7/19/98

 “My birthday.  My 18th year began with the remaining portage.  Once our boats were loaded, we
had a great morning of paddling.  The sky was blue and the forest was thick on waters edge.  We had our
normal lunch of PB&J sandwiches for lunch, then in the afternoon we had an ugly portage.  Steep hills and
big rocks, plus tons of bugs!  It was about this time that we noticed some smoke on the horizon.  We
followed the huge red smoke clouds for hours.  We paddled until 6:30 and camped just up wind from the fire.
The smoke was so thick at one point we couldn’t see across the river.  The fire roared on less than a mile
from our campsite!  After dinner we had a double decker cake that Jonah made.  It was LETHAL!!  Definitely
a birthday to remember.”   Rylan

Day 20   7/20/98

 Paul  got up at 1:00 and 3:30am to check on the fire but it was as they had hoped, not there!  It was
very gray and overcast though.  As we paddled off, we had a weather check and all guessed as to what time
we would have first rain.  About 30’ down the lake we came to our first burn section, and it was impressive.
It gave the appearance of a battlefield after the battle had ended.  Smoke pockets rising up from small oven
burning down deep in the moss.  Soon headwinds and other general nastiness came in to visit and we
headed south.  Paddling through the mist we overshot the outlet we were shooting for and had to regroup
to hit it.  At the top of the river was a set of rapids that Sam felt we should line.  Alex lined it but the other
boats went for a bumpy toboggan ride and shot it.  At the bottom of the pool Sam showed us his fishing
skills as he pulled a few fish out of the pool, as we waited wanting to hit more whitewater.  The river gave us
more rock gardens and nice fishing spots, which therefore led us to an incredibly long lunch on a smoking
beach.  The fish was fried in the bacon grease that we had been saving by Sam who showed us he was
serious about his fishing, and cooked a fantastic tasting pike.  The afternoon was spent heading
downstream through the smoke and smoldering ashes of the recent blaze.  It was truly a fascinating
experience.  After a while the river turned to the west and the fire was soon behind us, but not before a final
display of its power.  With strong headwinds trying to push us back into the fires, one last island lay in
front of us that was pouring out think white smoke.  As we rounded it, one last tree burst into flame on the
UPWIND side of the island.  It was impressive.
 A quick pee and poodle break got us to a ~300m portage around some unrunable rapids.   From
there it was a long, long paddle downstream to the next section of rapids that the caused a disagreement
between the staff, who felt they were runnable, and Sam, who went out scouting the portage trail.  In the end
it was decided by Sam that indeed it was runnable, thereby saving face all-round, and providing a fun shot
down a very narrow and boulder lined section.  Another long paddle took us to a sandy beach campsite for
the night.  The sight was very open but thick with brush.  The entire crew had to go quite a ways back into
the woods to find a site mossy enough to set up a tent and tender enough to rest their bones.  The tarp area
was open and the sky was terribly clear, which proved to be ideal for star gazing and seeing some northern
lights.  After a day of dodging the raging forest fires that’s the best place to see flames flicker away, far off
in the heavens.

Day 21   7/21/98

 It was to be a remarkable day in many ways.  Awoke to a cloudy start (what a shocker huh!) and
the temperature that was certainly a bit chillier than normal.  Was our first morning with Goya brand meat
type processed food supplement.  Tasty!  Headed on down the river and came to some shallow rips that
were run with a few bumps and scratches.  Then a short ~20m portage around a 6’ ledge and more rapids
followed.  Alex and Rylan took it straight down the middle and swamped after they hit a hidden rock.  Their
gear was ok though.  Marc and Jake squeaked through with an effortless display, but Jonah and Chris
weren’t so lucky.  Instead of waiting for a “go” signal they ran far before the pool below was cleared and
ready for them and they flipped quite dramatically, loosing all their gear into the pool.  Their boat, nearly
pinned on two rocks, was retrieved with some help, but a fishing rod and the kitchen tarp were nowhere to
be seen!!  Jonah and Paul tried in vain to swim the rapids to look for it but the current was far to strong and
the pool to dark and deep to have a chance.  Luckily the rest of the crew got a fire going as now five people
were quite cold from being in the water and it was not a sunny day either!  A warm fire and a two hour lunch
got the crew going again.
 The rest of the river provided many small rapids to line and run.  All were done in the rain though,
making for a tiring day.  At the bottom of one pool a new campsite was made and a huge drying fire was
made on a downed tree.  Mammoth!!  It gave off quite a good deal of heat and people were soon seen
steaming away as the cold slowly dried up from our tired bones.  The rain slowly eased up so that dinner
could be made with some civility.  However, disaster was still lurking nearby.  Rich had the unfortunate luck
to use a fire wire that was not quite ready and the pot of beans and rice got very much spilled.  The
cheesecake had gotten wet from getting dumped in the river, but there was an overflowing pot of Tandori
Curry (although typing this I’m not sure whether that meant the pot overflowed or there was a lot of it!).
Jake and Alex tried their luck with the fish while Marc and Chris helped Paul try to make some sort of new
tarp for the kitchen.  All was not lost though.  Rich maintained his good humor and was busy learning some
new Cree pickup lines he was anxious to try out once we got back to Chibougamau.

Day 22   7/22/98

 “This morning was cold, real cold.  It was the worst time to get wet in the rapids, and of course Alex
ended up going in.  Other than the cold, the word of the day was headwinds.  They were crazy.  We took
one wrong turn but got to sail back the way we came, which was fun.  Then we stopped for a long lunch,
after which was fun.  Then we stopped for a long lunch, after which we pressed on into the headwinds.  At
one point we saw a porcupine and Paul got some quills on his hat.  We saw a second one is a tree, and
cruelly started throwing things at it.  When we finally hit the Rupert, it was quite a sight.  It looked more like
a lake than a river.  After having allot of fun on some 4-5 foot swells we came to our campsite next to a rather
awesome” and immense, inspiring, huge, monstrous “class 4 set of rapids.  After a spaghetti dinner we were
rained upon and saw some real cool rainbows.  It looks like we’re in for more bad weather soon.”
 unknown author         some text added

Beyond Humanity
By Tony Whitsett
As I sit here in this musky gloom,
Under the bright & omnipotent moon,
The trees stay silent in this unforgiving land,
in these harsh conditions where there is no man.

I look to the stars and cloudy skies,
they stare deep in my soul like immortal spies.

Nature sees us coming; then runs and fleas.
Hiding behind these withered old trees,
Giving a glance only a second; what a tease

The incredible thoughts which wind through my mind,
I get lost in the glory; never again, myself I will find.
Why am I here in the fate of gods hand?
Could it be civilized life is bland?

The glow, the roar, shows mother nature’s power,
Yet we pray for help in this dire hour,
Our compadre, the wilderness makes up cowards,
Bringing annihilation complete, leaving not a single flower
and smoke keeps rising, like an impenetrable tower.

The smoky mist reflects my thoughts
Burning through the night, devouring the thickest spruce stalks
The smoke sets in from ever so high,
The fear starts to flow, a malicious lie.

We run through the land with our Keewaydin antics,
Yet the bugs heed not and stay over so frantic.
The animals around appear like fleeting specters,
The Lord keeps us safe with his ruling scepters.

Day 23   7/23/98

 Slept in till 7:30.  Decided to relax this morning and not hurry to much in getting out of camp.  Spam,
pears and C.O.W. were enjoyed while hanging out and relaxing.  The group was given a few choices for AM
activities but no clear choices emerged.  It was then decided to hang out until 9:40 when approaching clouds
sent the boaters to the boats to hit the river.  Right below the campsite was a fairly nice and BIG set of
rapids.  Ben and Chris had the opportunity to explore it up close and personal as they hit a large ledge in
just the wrong way.  Other boats took in huge amounts as well, and were either swamped or needed to
quickly bail out water.  Boats in the river were towed to shore and loaded up again.  Down the river we then
went with gray clouds all around.  We then came across “The Bridge!!”  The first major sign of  human
engineering beyond the hunting and fishing shacks we’d seen since leaving.  Quite an interesting sight.
The portage (2k) went right across the bridge, foot grabbing holes and all, and then took off into the brush.
Luckily for us a portage trail had been put in which led right to a rocky put in.  Midmorning was eaten on the
far side.  On the return trip most trippers took advantage of Hydro Quebec’s stunning use of extra cash and
checked out the elaborate boardwalk that they had constructed at the falls this year.  It was complete with
picnic tables and informational displays telling all about the reservoir system they had built.
 After lunch we paddled across the bay we had just put in at, with the river roaring on close by, to a
boulder field portage (800m)!  It was truly a delicate thing to try and cross as the rocks were slick in places
and tippy at times.  Many members took a spill or had to do the wangan shuffle to keep things going
straight.  Lunch was enjoyed on the far side until we paddled off down the river, through a few rips and back
into a small bay.  This was discovered to be the wrong bay with the right bay being located just downstream
around the corner.  The moss covered portage trail (700m) was a nice change from the boulder portage.
Jonah and Ben were quickly convinced of the possibility of running this fun looking section, but it was
deemed unsafe and so they had to reluctantly trudge down the trail.  Unfortunately for Jonah, whose tump
broke in the middle, it wasn’t as short a portages he would have liked.  Pushing off into the afternoon
showed the crew that it was to be a wet afternoon, as it indeed rained and showered all afternoon.  One
added attraction was that we paddled under some HUGE electric power lines running south from the
reservoirs up north.  They buzzed with a hideous sound and crackled like a madman’s laboratory.  Several
folks noted they could feel the cancer growing!!  A small island was the campsite for the night.  Most tents
were pitched on the grassy sections of the beach, but one tent found a spot deep in the bush.  The rain
cleared off finally as another drying fire dried us out and burned the clothes of those not paying attention.
A big dinner of Mac and Cheese and Beef, coleslaw, glick and mocha mouse pie.  Most hands had turned in
by 7:45.

Day 24   7/24/98

It was a gray start, again!!  Got out of camp and paddled down to some fun rapids and had to soon look for a
portage trail.  Our efforts were in vain though, as we were looking in the wrong bay!  Alex, Paul and Sam all
went ashore to try and find the hidden trail, and found it right where it was supposed to be!  It was a great
portage (1k) that went along fairly close to the water, starting and ending on some smooth rock ledges.  The
rapids it went around were the biggest yet.  A huge ledge, about 6’ tall ended a long and crazy cascade!
The river at the far end of the trail left a bay and quickly whisked us down a fast section of water, quickly
bringing us around a peninsula that had to be carried last year and was easily the most grueling portage of
the trip for them!!  Glad to have passed by!  From there on, although the current was very strong and
provided us with plenty of speed, the day dragged it rained on and off all day long.  At times is was nothing
less than a drenching downpour.  Lunch was had by a nice big fire in front of the shell of a hunting shack.
The promising bannock bread wasn’t much of a spirit lifter though as it was rather crumbly and getting wet
from the rain.
 After lunch were some more rapids that were to big to be run on the right as we had hoped, so they
were lined on the right. More small rapids in a biting cold rain got the trippers into a chilled state that
became more serious as the day wore on.  With no end in sight the group approached the last rapids of the
day and after some careful scouting, brought the group to show them the path.  It wasn’t really to bad a
rapid, but the tired and cold state of the trippers was indeed cause for caution.  A quick run and they flowed
down into the worst headwinds of the day.  Luckily a campsite was found on an island not to far away
where another drying fire was started.  The lack of any good cooking wood became a small concern, but Sam
got a good fire going with the added help of a bottle of oil he found!!  The warming fire proved to be a
popular spot as the evening was not a particularly pleasant one weather wise.  The groups spirits were in
fine shape though, with no real problems or arguments breaking out amongst what could have been tired
and cranky comrades.  The evening faded away with the wind in the trees and sprinkles on the roof.  Many
were very happy to be in dry sleeping bags and hoped the best for tomorrow!

Day 25   7/25/98

 So much for nice mornings!!  We woke into a very cold and windy morning.  Sam was up early and
had moved the cooking fire to the big pit to cook on the coals from last night.  It was our last morning with
the bacon, a truly sad note as we all had enjoyed it tremendously!  As the trippers set of into the wind the
group was slow to get going as everybody was getting thoroughly chilled.  We actually stopped at one
point and got out to try and warm up with some exercise!!!  It was real COLD!!  As the day wore on though,
the layers were finally shed and by the time lunch was had on the beach by a nice cabin it was nearly
WARM!
 The afternoon was certainly a big turn from the morning as it proved to a LONG paddle down the
river.  The group had an early hope dashed as the sandbar they had thought was very close to camp proved
to be miles upstream actually!!  Oh well, paddle on!  The river was now quite beautiful though.  A far cry
from the dark and stormy nature of it this morning,  A small sandy bluff gave the trippers a nice view around
the area.  Back down the river all afternoon long.  The long paddle was broken up by a series of canoe wars,
with boats being turned left and right, double crossed, double teamed, and even occasionally turned
completely around!!!  Even Sam got into the act!  Alex and Rylan proved to be victorious though and was
never turned despite the best efforts of the rest of the group.
 Near the end of the day, with the campsite just around the corner the trippers quickly lined two sets
of rapids and easily shot the last set and turned the corner to the campsite.  Camp was set up the fastest it
had been set up yet, as the sun was dropping quickly and our stomachs were grumbling for some food!
Dinner was made even more special with the addition of a bottle of tobasco to go along with hot sauce
already in the food.  The blazing sky gave the trippers a wonderful evening to top off a long day.  The light
of the sunset gave the rapids next to the sight a fantastic effect.  The trippers even got to sleep well  with
the accompanying chilly night of great sleeping weather.

Day 26   7/26/98

 “Beautiful morning.  The sun was shining and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
The air was crisp and cool, and it warmed up allot though out the day.  Chris got
sunburned badly on his legs.
 We had an early morning portage around a magnificent waterfall/ rapids.  The
trail was easy too.  We worked our way to Lac Nemiscaw.  On the way we saw a huge bald
eagle.  It was beautiful.  Mark and (Jake) saw a huge fish jump.
 This trip has gone by so fast.  We only have about 30 miles left.  Only 2 days of
paddling.  Tomorrow is a rest day, thank God.  We’re all so tired.  It’ll be neat to hang out
in the village.  It’s a cool place.  The people are so nice.  Then in a few days we’re taking a
solo day.  It sounds interesting, and I’m definitely curious. Everybody is pretty excited!
 Some trippers saw some folks smoking a bear in a tee-pee.  Jonah, Rylan and
(Jake) went to see it, but they had taken it down.  We walked around and saw large
amounts of fish.  We have so much extra food, we’ve been eating like kings.  When we
paddled into the village we we’re so excited to see people, our grins were huge!”
  Jake Sargent

Mother Natures Lullaby
By Jake Sargent
I’m feeling an inner bliss
in this enchanted forest
and my problems are solved by a voice through the mist
it comes to me
through the wise spruce tree
echoed by the bird who soars
through the broad blue floors of heaven
raspy but gentle, deep and tender
seeming frail and weak, but yet so slender
making me free and clear
and erasing all fear
proving that a superior being is near

Day 27   7/27/98

 REST DAY!!!  Jake said it all in his previous entry,  we are all quite tired and need a break.
Unfortunately it was not the nicest day to hang around in, but tough trippers that we now are we gave
hanging out our best shot.  Woke up to the sound of wind and rain about 8:00 and laid there for quite a spell
before Paul greeted the trippers with a breakfast in bed of morning cake, prunes and apricots.  Paul did
notice on his rounds that Colby, Jake and Rich’s tent was indeed the most foul of them all, and he wondered
just what in their diet could produce such odors beyond just being filthy dirty.
 The weather finally broke about lunch time.  A light meal of tuna fish and crackers, corned beef,
and a PB & J cracker.  Paul and Ben played backgammon while Jake Colby and Rich played a vicious game
of Rummy.  The big event of the day was when Timagami pulled in at about 2:pm!  The legendary name has
always circulated around camp, so it was quite a thrill to see them in the flesh.  The trippers that were new to
Keewaydin were also happy to see them as it was a chance to meet some new folks our own age.  Alex was
the most excited as he knew the leaders and had worked at Timagami for a few years before coming to
Keewaydin.  The staff on the Timagami trip noted to us how they had been held up for roughly a week
trying to find a route past he huge fires that were burning all around Quebec at that moment, and that we
were luckily running the only good route for miles around!!  We were rather glad to hear that, and happy to
hear our short foray with fires was really just a minor ordeal compared to what it could have been.  A photo
op was taken of the two groups together for the record books.
 Dinner was Mulligan Stew, coleslaw and cake with icing.  Later on a cocoa potlatch was had over at
the Timagami kitchen area, and most trippers made a new friend or two.

Day 28   7/28/98

 The next day again dawned gray and wet.  The staff had an impossible time trying to get the fire
started as the wood was wet, the wind was howling, the matches wouldn’t stay lit, the wood was bad, the
moon was not aligned with the planets..... all in an effort to keep us from getting a fire started.  Finally a late
breakfast of cereal and Spam.  While we gathered our things, it was noticed that Sam was not around.  He
had in fact been sheltered for the night by a friend of his in the village, and didn’t get back to the site until
an hour and a half after it was time to go!!!  During this delay Paul and Alex went into the village to try and
regroup our guide, who was found having a few cups of coffee, and stumbled onto a woman smoking a
tasty looking sturgeon. When Sam finally got back to the group, the group actually got a Quay, Quay, Quay
cheer from the Timagami trippers!  It was a nice feeling.
 When we finally started paddling away we were finally treated to a tailwind!  One of the first of the
trip, and was appreciated about as much as the eagle that was spotted nearby.  Due to the late start,
midmorning came sooner than expected and Alex unveiled his catch of the day, a sturgeon freshly smoked
and still somewhat warm!!  A very tasty treat indeed.  The weather was still gray and quite cold.  This was
not helped by the fact that we were led into two wrong bays, one of which we literally paddled until we
nearly hit the shore before we turned around.  The guide was not to trained in the art of map reading it
appears.  After Alex took us up the right bay, we found a set of petroglyphs that were noted to us by
George, the chief of the tribe.  They were on a large rock on the left as we neared the outlet of the lake.  They
were amazing to see and even more amazing to view knowing how ancient they were.
 The outflow of the lake was very rocky and before long the boats had lost the bowman in favor of
walking down the shore, which lightened the load on the boats and they were able to scrape by much easier
without the weight.  A short stop at the bottom for a midmorning granola bar break while the wet weather
kept us all damp.    A short paddle down the river brought us a portage that was marked by a small cairn on
the beach.  The portage (.8k) went by an old teepee frame and through a small lake masquerading as a
puddle.  A few trippers were not very lucky and stepped off the submerged logs and went in hip deep!!  The
trail ended at a creek where lunch was held, and held, and held as a pot of soup refused to boil for us.
Seems that Sam temporarily forgot his fire skills from hanging out in the big town for the day!  It seemed the
wood here was even worse than the wood from the morning!  After the prolonged lunch break we headed
down the muddy but wonderful creek, until we shot a final rip into a big pool where we found our last carry
of the trip.
 The portage (.8k) was just the right proving ground for most of the bowman to try their own hand
at carrying the canoe over.  Loads were swapped and the boats were thrown, rolled, hoisted, and otherwise
grunted up by their new owners.  As the tump lines had been set up for their sternmen, most boats didn’t
ride very well.  The trail ended up back at the Rupert and what a sight that was.  The river had grown again
and was moving along VERY fast!  With the strong current the long paddle to the campsite didn’t take as
long as it could have, but was still a very long way.  The site was a two-stager, with a kitchen area and tent
site a good distance away.  Tony baked up a great set of blueberry muffins to go along with the rice pilaf,
green beans, soup with Spam and GLICK!!  It was a late wallop but the very full bellies comforted
everybody.  The talk of the evening was about the upcoming solo day though and what they planned to do.
A final day to get out souls and minds together seemed like a great time to reflect on our journey and what it
had meant to us.

Day 29   7/29/98

SOLO DAY!!  After a relaxed start, the kids were given a small bag of food: Kudos, midmorning cake, and
g.o.r.p.  The “rules” were issued and some of  the trippers were paddled across the river while others walked
down the shore a bit.  Back at the campsite Sam went on a logging spree and cut down a few acres to feed
the fire all day, Paul did the walloping while Alex repacked the wangans.  A brief check was made around
lunch time to check on the kids, and all were generally fine except Chris who was....... busy!
 After a very long rest hour paul and Alex got dinner going.  A “mad” dinner it was as well.  Bread
was baked, morning cake prepared, a monster pot of Curry Tandori was stewed, rice simmered and peas were
boiled while a huge to of glick was mixed to wash it all down.  Just before all was ready, the trippers were
gathered and returned to camp.  Jonah however, had become slightly missing, and had to have his own
search party sent out for him (Paul) but came back in to camp just as his search party headed off to try and
find him.  Dessert was a plate of brownies and icing, a great end to a huge meal.  As tales of the day
unfolded, to our suprise, Timagami again showed up and needed a place to camp.  A pleasant suprise as the
tent area was huge!  They set up their site and another cocoa potlatch was held at our site and more good
times were had by all as the stars came out and jokes around both fires were heard till the wee hours.

Day 30   7/30/98

 In the morning, Timagami beat us out, but since we had a very short day to paddle it didn’t matter
too much.  We gave them a Quay, Quay , Quay cheer of our own to offer them a farewell.  After taking a
relaxing 2.5 hours (!!??!) to break camp we started to head down to the bridge.  The paddling was easy and
relaxed as well.  Ben had other plans however and finally got to get his rematch with Alex in the race of the
century!!  Paul and Tony went ahead to act as the finish line and judging booth.  With a “go’ both boats
lurched forward and the water started flying!  In the end though the champion was crowned, and Mr. Levy
was a happy man.  The challenge then went out to Paul and Tony from Rylan and Alex.  Alex was able to
win this one by a feathers length.  Lunch down the river was had on the shore and marked by the attempt to
devour 20 pounds of peanut butter and a large amount of jelly to match!!!!  The disgusting part is that the
crew was successful!  Cream of potato soup and chicken soup rounded off the groggy and washed the goo
down our throats.
 After lunch it was a relatively short paddle to the bridge.  Along the way Rylan and Jake took the
stern from Marc and Alex, and demonstrated their own skills.  Rylan seemed to enjoy the scenic route, and
was determined to get his money’s worth out of the river by visiting all the various parts of it.  Soon though,
the boats turned a corner and there were the uprights of the bridge.  Our journey was complete and cheers
went up from the crew.  The group paddled to shore and unloaded for the last time.  Gear was separated and
piled up for the arrival of  Ken and Seth the next morning.  The tents were set up just up the road in a small
clearing that would be a great sight for star gazing.  The afternoon was spent playing stickball, kill the
squirrel,  canoe lifting, kill the squirrel, relax a bit more, and try and kill the squirrel some more.  The squirrel
won it seems.  A final wallop was given to the pots, pans and reflectors to save the work when we got home.
Yells and curses were heard from behind the bushes whenever the crew found a stubborn burn/ soot spot.
A massive dinner of ATM, rice pilaf, stickybuns, and glick was a fitting end to a massively fun trip.  All
agreed that the trip zoomed right by and it had been great, wet weather and all!
 That evening, as if to pay us back or perhaps say good bye, the trippers were treated to one of the
most electrifying northern lights displays that any had ever seen.  Jaws were agape at the light show that
just would not stop.  Incredible patterns moving softly, then darting around the stary sky.  At times the
entire northern sky was illuminated.  Greens, reds and blues waved their own good-byes to us as they
danced the night away in the heavens above.

Day 31  7/31/98

(Not to be brief but I didn’t take notes on the following days, but they seem mute after reaching the bridge.)

 We were picked up very promptly by Seth and Ken and began the incredibly long two day drive
back to Dunmore.  I know it hit me hard just how far north we were as we had to go so far south to get back
home.  The first night we stopped in la Verendrye, the tripping grounds of the Moosalamoo wigwam and
were finally able to have a hot shower!!

Day 32  8/1/98

 Woke up and got to have breakfast in a restaurant!!  Then it was into the vans for the rest of the
long drive.  Kept driving south, stopping only for gas, lunch and to return the radio before getting back to
the USA.  Paddling into camp was a welcome sight.  For some of the trippers it was a moment they had
thought about quite a bit.  The mighty wilderness trippers returning from their journey!  It was wonderful to
eat without having to collect and split wood, get a fire going, eat as much as you needed to, and not have to
worry about walloping!! .................. Then again, how long would it be until we begged to have smoke in our
eyes????
....................................................................................................................................................................................

 I read this journal in mid-winter as it nears completion and think back and remember those sights
and sounds that I’m always left with.  The sounds of the wind in the trees, the splash of a paddle in the
water, or the comforting feeling of a fire crackling away as hot cocoa warms my stomach.  Of course running
the rapids was fantastic, starry skies unforgettable, good times memorable, and the waterfalls incredible, but
I know that we each carried away different parts from the Canadian bush that will always be special to us.

 As much as you went on the same trip together, each of you had gone on our own journey when
you returned.  Perceptions and memory have an odd way of making us all very unique and different people
from the very same events.   Each of your favorite moments is quite different, although you laughed about
them all when they happened. Your memories of events are different, although you shared in each day
together.   Each of your routes were different, although you passed through the same country.  And as
different as each of your trips perhaps was, I know that you have one thing in common.  You all share a
place in your soul made special by an incredible journey you started on a fine summer day.  Although you
are now past that chapter of your lives, never forget the lessons you learned, the experiences you lived, and
reflections you gained the from writing it.

 I wish you all good will,  success in your endeavors, and long healthy lives!