The 425 Mile Diet

Horse Food and Dog food and an occasional meal in the civilised world, thats what we would like to call it. Basically, our diet consists of prepackaged rice / pasta meals and then we add a bit of essentials to it - cheese, tuna, vegetables or pepperets. Otherwise we survive on nuts, power bars, peanut butter and banana sandwiches for Ross and cheese and brushetta sandwiches pour moi. Lot of water - We've noticed that we tend to drink a lot more water if the drinks aren't juices. I guess juices keep us less thirsty for longer. 10 to 12 hour minimum days in the sun have taken a toll on our skin though.......Lot of weight lost between the both of us and I guess even though it takes a lot of muscle to paddle, in the end the journey is similar to an endurance sport. I think I can comfortably say I've lost 10 to 15 lbs, but I would eventually like to put it back on.

Campsite 301

September 5 - We awoke at 3:56am to a pterodactyl http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pterodactyl making a menacing noise and coming straight for us and the tent - we survived and left that strange campsite early (Campsite 301) ... Please advise others about Campsite 301. As we were leaving we saw a bear 15 metres from us. We also heard very strange sounds throughout the night. The same day we pushed for North Bay and got there at 8:18 p.m. after paddling for a 14 hour stretch....we were totally pooched. Ahh, North Bay with a bed and flush toilets. It's strange living in a civilised world....We got help from my buddies in North Bay to portage 5 miles through city. We plan to leave at 5 p.m. for Camp Island then head for Trout Lake - Mattawa river and the Ottawa River. ETA in Ottawa...the 15th....of September!

Sault This Week

Hey...we're in the news... :-)

http://www.saultthisweek.com/webapp/sitepages/search/results.asp?contentid=671546&catname=Sault%20News&type=search&search1=ship

North Bay

Day 12.....We made it to North Bay after the 600m portage from the Lower French and the calm crossing of Nippising. We woke up early at dawn and after loading the canoe and setting off we saw a cute and cuddly black bear 20m across the river from our campsite. Ben took a few photos while we negotiated the current of craddle rapids ensuring not to get to close to the wildlife....
Soon afterwards Ben saw a river otter swim under the canoe. We saw eagles and were entertained by a group of loons on the upper part of the French River. Once arrived in North Bay, we rented a slip at the marina for our yacht and took up residence in our first bed in a long time at the Voyageur Inn. Yes, Voyageur Inn.

"Rapidly" Approaching North Bay

We paddled hard today and took a break for a late lunch along the river. There's lots of river traffic including aluminum boats with outboard motors and people fishing for walleye. We pulled the canoe up 5 rapids to avoid the portages. Tomorrow there's another small rapid before a 600m portage around the dam that controls the level of Lake Nippissing. A day and a half more and were in North Bay.

September 2/07

We're finally back in Rogers range for e-mailing. The wind is at our backs as we're paddling up the French River nearing hwy 69. Here's a pic of Ben sussing out the rapid we need to climb.

We're doing fine. It's a nice, sunny day. We went swimming to get clean and did some laundry. Our clothes needed maintenace after a few day of raininess and little sunlight hours in which to dry. Ben bought potato wedges and chicken for lunch from the grocery store and it lasted for dinner at the random camping island along the way where this photo was taken.

August 31/07

Successfully crossed Lake Huron and are in Killarney. We'll be heading for the mouth of the French River tomorrow but probably won't make it there until Sunday. Ben has succeeded in finding french fries for dinner.

Day 6 and 7

There's nothing much to report, except that we're covering fair distance whenever we have great weather.

Day 6 - Today we started at 6 a.m. and paddled all the way to an Island 10 kms from Benjamin island. We paddled for about 12 hours in total.

Day 7 - It's a little after 2pm and we're sitting in an internet cafe in Little Current. We hope to head to Killarney or an island close to Killarney today.

Eating to live....

Ross trying to swallow meatballs from my gourmet cooking, except that the meatballs weren't even meat so to speak....more like Macdonalds processed meat...if you know what I mean...

Day 5 and a half

Hi. So we made it off our island after 5pm when the waves subsided a bit and canoed a few hours to finally reach the eastern part of John Island. We'll continue day 6 towards Little Current but will likely not arrive till the next day. The pic is of the waves from yesterday.

Day 4 and 5

Hi,

Day 4. We went about 15 km east of Blind River to an island.

Day 5. Doesn't show much promise. We're still stopped on a small island next to Turnbull Island.

Coureur des Bois

"The life of the Coureur des Bois was one of adventure, freedom, danger and travel. "
Pierre Esprit Radisson (1636-1710).

"These are the Peoples who learned to live without the bold accents of the national ego-trippers of other lands."
Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980)

Coureurs de bois were itinerant, unlicensed fur traders of New France known as "wood-runners" to the English on Hudson Bay and "bush-lopers" to the Anglo-Dutch of Albany (NY). Few French colonists had ventured west of the Ottawa River until the mid-1660s, when a sudden drop in the price of beaver, the arrival of some 3000 indentured servants and soldiers, and peace with the Iroquois made the change both necessary and feasible.
By 1680, despite repeated prohibitions from both the church and colonial authorities, some 500 coureurs de bois were in the Lake Superior country attempting to outdistance the Indian middlemen. As a result, fewer Indians brought furs to trade at Montréal and Trois-Rivières, inducing colonial merchants to hire some coureurs de bois in order to remain in business.
Licensing was eventually introduced by the authorities to control the seasonal exodus into the hinterland. Thus professional, "respectable" Voyageurs, usually associated with particular interior posts, came into being. Renegade traders persisted, becoming the primary bearers of the designation "coureur de bois" after the emergence of New Orleans as an alternative focus of the trade in the 18th century. The independent coureurs de bois played an important role in the European exploration of the continent and in establishing trading contacts with the Indians.

View additional photos and a video....

http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x219/soo2ottawa/?

Updates from the journey

Day 1. Sault Ste. Marie to St. Joes Island
Time taken 5 hrs 50 mins
They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. This is our journey of expedition. The journey our forefathers took to explore, trade, embrace and conquer the vast expanses of this country. As I write this blog, we are now charting our journey north, beyond the boundaries of city life into an expanse of pure wilderness.

Day 2. St. Joes to Thessalon
Time taken - 7 1/2 hours.
Very rough close to Camp McDougall and close to Thessalon. Ingeniously sailed to Thessalon for 60% of the way. Would probably have added on 2 hours more if it wasn't for the wind (sailing). Thought we could do more than Thessalon, but had to call it off as the waves reached 3 to 4 feet and the weather channel (James' marine radio) said the waves were 1 metre high. It was very strange that the weather changed all of a sudden around Camp McDougall. Stayed on the municipal camp grounds in Thessalon. No place to eat. Everything closes at 8pm. Had to make do with gas station burgers (Ben says yummy, yummy).

Day 3. Thessalon to Blind River
Time Taken - 10 hours
Hardest day ever. Blind river just never appeared. Took 4 breaks along the way. Slept on the beach. It's our 3rd day and we've already experienced what many have encountered before -experiences such as what it was like to paddle the Canadian lakes and rivers, trudge over portages, feel the spray of rapids, camp among pines and face the insects.

For those who have wondered why....

"What sets a canoeing expedition apart is that it purifies you more rapidly and inescapably than any other travel. Travel a thousand miles by train and you are a brute; pedal five hundred on a bicycle and you remain basically a bourgeois; paddle a hundred in a canoe and you are already a child of nature."

Pierre Elliott Trudeau

More info on Ben and Ross

Ross has traveled extensively over the past 15 years including another historic journey; the 800 km trek to Santiago de Compostela in Northwestern Spain starting at the French border. Ben has lived in, worked in and visited 12 countries; spaning Asia to the Middle east and including Europe and North America ( .... :( .....only 12).

The Plan

Here's approximately where we hope to be at the end of each day.

• Aug 24th - St Joes Island
• 25th - Thessalon
• 26th - Blind River
• 27th - Aird Island (Next to John Island)
• 28th - Little Current
• 29th - Killarney
• 30th - French river mouth
• 31th - French river near hwy 69
• Sept 1st - French river/Lake Nippising
• 2nd - North Bay
• 3rd - North Bay
• 4th - Mattawa River
• 5th - Mattawa town/Ottawa River
• 6th - Ottawa river-Deux Rivieres
• 7th - Stone Cliffe
• 8th - Deep River
• 9th - Pembrooke
• 10th - Fort Coulonge
• 11th - Arnprior
• 12th - Ottawa!!!!!

About a week to go....

So the time is winding down to zero hour.....which by the way is tentatively set for August 24th at 1pm on the Sault waterfront. If you have any feedback for this web presence ......or would like to manage it.....drop us a line.....