My buddy Mike and I have been dreaming of making the trek out to Ishpatina Ridge. It is Ontario's highest point. To the north, water flows to the Arctic and to the south it flows to The Sturgeon River, Lake Nippissing, French River, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, St Lawrence River and finally to the Atlantic ocean.
Nearby Maple Mountain is a sacred Indian location and these are the headwaters of my favourite river...the Sturgeon River. Pretty much the entire upper reaches of this river are protected lands and been turned into a wilderness park.
Not only have we been dreaming about a trek out to Ishpatina, but also a canoe trip on the Upper Sturgeon river all the way to a place called River Valley. Its funny because we will be floating within a few miles of my camp, yet the only good car access to the river is a day downstream.
Mike had the great idea of having a float plane drop us off with our canoes and all our gear at a place called scarecrow lake. We would hike and spend the night on the ridge, and then paddle our way home down the Sturgeon. We figure it would take approximately 4-5 days.
We were thinking it would be best if we took two canoes. We would each paddle our own just in case we had trouble with one, we would still have another. PLus, the upper reaches are shallow and we would displace less water going solo.
There is a certain beauty of floating downstream in a canoe. We will not be idiots like the last time when we destroyed my buddies canoe in the rapids. By the way, that little episode cost $1200.00 damages! I know we will be far more cautious as it is a LONG walk out!
Any way, our dreams slowly make themselves into plans, which make themselves into reality which turn themselves into our memory and there they lie, to bless us again and again.
dw
No comments:
Post a Comment
Go ahead....Make my day!