We went with some friends to paddle the Ponton River yesterday! It was a perfect day for it, and the water level was perfect too. This isn’t a river we normally promote paddling on, because the water level is often too low to paddle — it is only consistently high enough in spring for a short window, but may also be possible if we’ve had lots of rain.

It’s an interesting river, fairly narrow and winding, and the section we did had some nice little class 1 rapids! Lots of fun, and although we bonked a few boulders, we didn’t have any really scary moments. A few tippy spots, but we stayed on the right side of the water!

Enjoy the photos below! If you want to paddle this river, call us (1-877-926-2649) and we can discuss the water levels and what your options are! The river itself starts from the north part of Margaret Lake, a lake on the top plateau of the Caribou Mountains. It’s not a very nice paddle at the beginning, from what I’ve heard — swampy, full of beaver dams, and then gets steep as it drops down the Caribou Mountain slope — but the lower parts are quite nice.

With spring feeling more and more like it’s here to stay, now’s the time to start planning your paddling trip! If you like the “Choose Your Own Adventure” way of doing things, then you’ve got a bit of work to do! We’ve boiled it down into 6 steps:

Step 1: Figure out how much time you have available. Whether you have only a day or several weeks, there are places you can paddle and experience the wilderness of Northwestern Alberta. Look at your schedule and discuss it with whoever you’re going paddling with, and determine how many days you have altogether.

Step 2: Decide where you’d like to paddle. Always wanted to canoe the historic Peace River? Seeking the remoteness of the Chinchaga? To help you decide, read the Where We Paddle page and the Trip Details page. Call us or email if you have any questions.

Step 3: Consider your travel time. If you’re coming from central or southern Alberta, out-of-province, or from farther away, you’ll need to consider your travel time to get to the water. In general, it takes 8 hours driving from Edmonton to High Level, Flow North’s base (add your pit-stops/break time onto that), or 1.5 hrs flying time. Approximate distances and travel times to some popular paddling put-ins are below.

*The Forestry Truck Road is not a real road. It isn’t necessarily passable.

Step 4: Call us to reserve your boat. You can ask us any questions you might have, and we’ll let you know what types of canoes and kayaks we have available on your dates. Try to call at least 2 weeks before! If you call sooner, you’ll have your pick of the boats. You can also let us know if you’d like to take advantage of any of our other services, such as the drop-off or pick-up services.

Step 5: Plan your supplies. You’ll be backcountry camping, so you’ll need to bring everything you need with you. Don’t forget you have to keep all your garbage. Below is our packing list for overnight trips — if you book a Full-Service trip with us, we’ll pack all this for you (except your clothes and personal items)! [download pdf version]

Comprehensive Trip Packing List

Water Supplies:
– jug filled with good water (at least enough for one day)
– water tablets

Stove:
– burner
– base
– fuel canister(s)
– grate or reflector oven or portable fireplace

Kitchen Supplies:
– pot(s)
– bowls
– cups
– cutlery
– paring knife (or 2)
– small cutting board
– dish rag
– dish towels
– paper towels
– biodegradable soap
– FOOD (make a separate list/menu)

For each kayak/canoe:
– bailer or water pump
– rope
– sponge
– spray skirt (for kayaks)
– spare paddle (for canoes)
– spare paddle in 2 halves (for kayaks)

For each person:
– PFD
– paddle
– paddle leash
– whistle (on PFD)
– water bottle
– pocket knife (in PFD pocket)
– map(s)

Safety and Survival Kit:
– first aid kit
– extra band-aids
– first aid book
– signaling mirror
– matches in waterproof container
– fire starter sticks
– survival rations or protein bars
– extra water purification tablets
– reflective emergency blanket
– packet of salt
– cutting wire (instead of axe)
– multi-tool
– small bug spray bottle

Camping Supplies:
– tent(s) (don’t forget the poles)
– sleeping mats
– sleeping bags
– small folding chairs
– axe
– small saw
– matches
– toilet paper (in waterproof bag)
– bag for garbage
– flashlights (with good batteries)
– bug spray and/or bug hat/jacket
– tarps and/or groundsheet
– spare straps/rope

Additional Equipment/Supplies:
– GPS tracking device
– bear spray or bear bangers
– water-tight bags
– plastic pail (for putting food in tree)
– ammonia spray bottle (to “mark” your territory)
– spare zip lock bags (large)
– repair kit (*see below)

Clothes:
– sun hat
– rain hat (or hood on rain jacket)
– heavy shirt or sweater
– medium-weight long-sleeved shirt
– light long-sleeved shirt
– T-shirt or sleeveless shirt
– underwear
– long underwear
– light pants
– zip-off pants (or shorts)
– fleece pants
– wind/rain pants
– old running shoes, water socks or some other easy-to-dry footwear
– dry shoes/hiking boots
– noeprene socks (if desired)
– 2 pairs warm (woolly) socks
– sport socks (several pairs)
– rain/windproof jacket
– fleece jacket
– bug jacket and/or hat
– sunglasses
– paddling gloves (if possible)

Personal Items:
– sleeping bag
– small pillow (if desired)
– washcloth
– towel (not too big)
– toothbrush and toothpaste
– hair brush
– sunscreen
– shaving supplies (if desired)
– prescription medications
– books, notebook, sketch book, etc. (if desired)
– binoculars/camera (in waterproof container, such as a Pelican case)

You do not need to bring:
– shampoo (you can use the biodegradable soap provided)
– smelly soaps/makeup/perfume/deodorant (they attract bears)
– citronella-based bug spray (there’s some evidence that this attracts bears)
– bottled water (use water purification tablets or filters instead)

*Repair Kit
This list comes from Bill Mason’s book Song of the Paddle. Some items are unnecessary for shorter, less-wilderness trips.
– accessories (various screws, nails, bolts, rivets, and spare flashlight bulb) in a small container
– Five-minute epoxy
– tube of seam sealer
– length of thin copper wire
– seat bolts
– cord or string
– contact cement
– small needle-nosed pliers
– piece of beeswax
– extra matches in waterproof container
– piece of cotton or nylon (for tent repairs)
– piece of soft leather (for repairing shoes, gloves, or packs)
– stitching awl
– whetstone (for sharpening knives or fish hooks)
– axe file (for sharpening an axe)
– needle and thread, safety pins
– duct tape
– swiss army knife (or other multi-tool)
– awl punch

If you are missing something, call us! We have everything and we can rent or lend individual items to you. If you are only going for a day trip, see this packing list. [download pdf version]

Step 6: Pack, pack, pack! Gather all your clothes, personal items, food and supplies and pack it all together. Using watertight bags/dry bags is best for most things, and bear-proof containers for food. If you need to rent some dry bags from us, just pack everything in plastic bags, and we’ll transfer everything into dry bags before you push off. Obviously, fresh food will have to be packed last, and carefully.

That’s all you need to do to prepare for your trip! If this is a little too daunting for you, call to book a trip using our full-service outfitting.

The above info is also available on this page.

So you thought bears were the only wildlife to worry about! Well, there’s more. These are the top 3 animals I suggest you be on the lookout for.

Wolves

Bears don’t bother me, but wolves… wolves come in packs! So unless I am in a “pack” of people, I feel nervous. In Nahanni, by Dick Turner (an excellent read!) there are stories of wolves hunting hunters and trappers (perhaps it was karma?!), and this was quite enough to scare me. Recently, I asked a trapper friend of mine, and he said that they aren’t

really that bad. They generally stay far away from people. A solid bonk on the head, or bridge of the nose, will do them in, if necessary. I don’t carry a gun, and I don’t think having one would be an advantage unless you are really comfortable using it. Aiming and missing just uses up your valuable time and brainpower — one of the few advantages we have over wildlife. (We are noticeably lacking pointy teeth and claws.)
Wolves really don’t like to be around human settlements, which explains why you’ve probably never seen one. Don’t worry — you still probably won’t. You might hear them though… let their cry sink into your soul — it’s pretty amazing. And then try to sleep! 🙂

Wolverine

Completely unrelated to wolves, the wolverine is quite legendary for its fierceness. You do not want to meet one of these in the bush. About the size of a medium dog, and looking a bit like a bear with an inferiority complex, they are fast, fearless, and have pointy teeth and claws. They aren’t stupid either — no animal is — read this short webpage or go here or here for a little bit more info. Always keep your eyes out for animals you might be disturbing as you walk on the shores of the waters you paddle.

Mosquitos

Ok, I’m half-serious! You won’t need to worry about keeping an eye out for these… they’ll find you! They are attracted to the carbon dioxide we all exhale, so unless you plan on stopping breathing, these critters are a fact of life. The first ones of the year, in April/May are kind of big and slow, but the ones that emerge later are fast and fierce. Apparently, these two types are different species, and there are in fact about 3500 different species in the world. One good thing about the swarms — You don’t need to worry about catching West Nile here. The species that carries it can’t live this far north. They need a little open water year-round, and there’s no question that all of ours freezes!

So there’s no threat to your life, just your sanity! Seriously, the best way to combat them is with bug-screen hats, jackets, etc. Repellent containing DEET also works, but it’s a chemical and not the only solution. They are always worse in the evening and walking through grass or bush will stir them up.They are attracted to dark colours, so dress light. More on mosquitos another time…

I went for a drive yesterday, and as I often do, I stopped to take pictures of interesting things. I decided I’d do an informal “River Ice Report,” so I made sure to take lots of pictures of the local rivers, bridges, and the amount of ice on the water. Click on any pic for a larger version.

Ponton River

First, the Ponton River. It wasn’t flowing particularly fast, and didn’t have much ice near where Hwy 58 crosses it. Aaah, the sound of moving water makes me want to go exploring! [photo location]

Ponton River, facing South, from under the hwy bridge

Ponton River, facing North

For those of you unfamiliar with the Ponton, it flows out of the north end of Margaret Lake, one of many lakes found on the top plateau of the Caribou Mountains. The Ponton winds its way north for a little while, then turning southwest until it bends southeast and joins the Boyer River, which then flows into the Peace River about 8 km downstream of Fort Vermilion. In fact, the Boyer/Peace confluence was the site of a very old fur trading post, established before the one at Fort Vermilion. I haven’t found the site yet, as it seems to be at the end of private roads. I will explore it from the water as soon as I have a chance!

If you dream of paddling the Ponton, you’d better call us soon; it’s a spring-runoff river, with water levels dropping very low later in the summer.

Boyer River

There’s a bridge across the Boyer River on hwy 58, north of the Peace River bridge. The Boyer was flowing very nicely, and I was tempted to get my kayak and go! I would have, if there weren’t icebergs still on the Peace. Running into them at the confluence wouldn’t be a lot of fun… [photo location]

The Boyer River, facing West

The Boyer River, facing E, peeking under the bridge

The Peace River

Since the latest ice report for the Peace River was April 7 (and the last photos of the year from the air April 6), here’s more up-to-date, albeit very local report. At the Hwy 58 bridge crossing, the ice is still essentially shore-to-shore, with a little space (less than 2 feet) of free water along the edges. It looks translucent, and thinning.

Ice on the Peace River, at the hwy 58 bridge. Don't do as I did, shooting out the window of a car moving 100 km/hr!

There was quite a stretch of open water (or mostly open, except for a little ice along the edge) near Atlas Landing. [photo location]

Peace River, Atlas Landing, facing SE

Peace River, Atlas Landing, facing NW, from the top of the hill

Peace River, Atlas Landing, facing SE, from the water level

Many people get nervous when they realize they’ll be paddling and camping in bear country. In fact, about 75% of Alberta is Bear country, but it’s the part of the province with the least population. So many people are unfamiliar with bears and what to do to avoid a bear encounter — and what to do if you have one.

The most important thing to do is KEEP YOUR WITS ABOUT YOU.

You should always keep your wits about you when you’re in the wilderness, but this comes into play especially when you see a bear. Stay calm, and observe the situation. Look at the bear, and see if it looks agitated, surprised, or angry. Look around for any cubs. See if the bear has an escape route; if it doesn’t appear to have one, try to give it one. Talk quietly so it knows you aren’t an animal. See if you can identify if it’s a Grizzly or Black Bear; refer to this BearSmart booklet for lots of great information about bear identification, bear behaviour, and what to do if you encounter a bear. A few highlights from that booklet include:

Everyone wishing to rent a canoe or kayak — or do any other type of outdoor recreation — in Northwestern Alberta should read the booklet before their trip.

You cannot tell the difference between the bears by colour; both Black bears and Grizzlies range from dark to blond colours.

Grizzly Bear	Black Bear
Notice how the Grizzly has smaller ears, and a “dent” where its nose meets its face. Its head above the nose (where its eyes are) is round-ish, like a basketball. It has a hump on its shoulders, and its rear end appears lower than its shoulders.	The Black Bear has large ears that stick out from its head more, and a continuous slope down its face and nose. It doesn’t have a hump, and its rear end is higher than its shoulders.

The first thing to do is prevent encounters in the first place. You can do this by remembering that bears have a very keen sense of smell. Always think about what smells at your campsite, on your body, or in your tent. Keep your tent a smell-free zone — cook, wash dishes, store smelly clothes and all garbage about 100 m away from your tent. Do not sleep in the clothes you cooked or ate in. Put them in an airtight container or bag, or hang them in a tree (or between trees).

If you are walking on the shore looking for a spot to camp, go to the bathroom, or hang your food in a tree, be sure to make a little noise, so any bears in the bush nearby hear you and have the chance to get out of your way.

If you take these steps, you greatly reduce your chance of an encounter. Bears are not interested in eating you; they prefer other foods, such as plants, roots, insects, small mammals and animal carcasses. If you see wild strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries, devil’s club or wild sarsparilla, be extra-alert as these are some favourite foods.

Improperly managed garbage, compost, dirty barbeques, pet food, fruit trees and berry bushes can attract bears. This leads to “problem bears” — but in reality, human behaviour is the problem. In researching this article, I came across a new strategy for “problem bears.” Rather than killing or relocating the bears, there’s a program that uses Karelian Bear Dogs to scare the bears and “teach” them not to come back. Bears are smart and this program is very successful.

For more about bear behaviour, surf the Bear Smart Society’s pages, in particular, this interesting page.

As mentioned in a previous post, it’s a bundle of fun cruising Google Earth or Google Maps looking at places to paddle. I decided to compile links to the maps for all our main paddling destinations here. When you click on a link, feel free to zoom in or out, or pan around to see more of the river or lake. I tried to position each starting point to be interesting in some way! Make sure you are viewing the maps in “satellite” mode.

Peace River
Hay River
Chinchaga River
Wabasca River
Hay-Zama Lake
Hutch Lake
Footner Lake

A few other interesting spots (somewhat harder to get to for paddling):
Margaret Lake
Bistcho Lake
Steen River

I love how on most of these maps, if you select “map” instead of “satellite” view, there’s nothing to see! No roads!

Also, did you notice you can see the Peace River from the home page for Google Maps? The default zoom level is 4, and you can easily see it’s stretched out “S” in Northern Alberta.

We had the most amazing northern lights a couple of nights ago! All I could say was “wow!” They almost filled the sky, dancing and wriggling… and now I have a new list: 30 words for Northern Lights!

They were the kind of northern lights that if you’re driving, you have to pull over or you’ll hit the ditch trying to look at them. They were life changing!

I really wish I had a picture to show you, but none of mine turned out. I was completely transfixed when they were at their peak, and by the time I got my camera, they were fading. And I was in a hurry, which never makes for good photos… and I kept wishing for a fisheye lens! So, I leave you with this one, found on this webpage, which is similar to what we saw (except the lights we had covered more of the sky).

Blogging about paddling in winter isn’t easy! Luckily, spring is in the air, with temps above zero every day and lots of sunshine! Snow is melting like mad, and melt-water is flowing wherever it can. The snow is wet, sticky, and heavy. I would know; I went snowshoeing the other day, and each foot weighed 10 lbs when even a little snow collected on top! Very heavy snow!

Isn’t it funny how many words for snow we have. I have so many, I wonder if I’m part Inuit or Eskimo! Have you heard the urban myth that Eskimos have hundreds of words for snow? I have, and I decided to investigate this.

Well, I’m not the first one; it seems like many people have commented on the origin of this myth, including linguists and historians. So, let me summarize:

Here is my list of favourite words (adjectives) for snow:

*Snow is hypnotizing when driving while it’s snowing and the snow-tunnel effect partially lulls you to sleep.

I found an online Inuktitut dictionary, and searching “snow” gave me 284 search results, including things like “snow for leaky snow house,” “snow house made from trodden snow,” — I don’t think any of them live in snow houses anymore! — and a more modern one, “aircraft blown snow.” I guess it’s like any language; there are many words in dictionaries we don’t really use, like galeanthropy (the delusion that one has become a cat). A quick look through the dictionary found some great adjectives, like sugar snow, feathery snow, soft snow, first snow, fresh snow, and refrozen snow. I’d love to use some of these, but I doubt I could to pronounce them!

In my research I came across this satirical list by Phil James. Perhaps you’ve seen it too — good for a laugh! I don’t think any of the words are real…

The Eskimos’ Hundred Words for Snow

by Phil James

Even with several inches of snow on the ground, I dream of spring and the paddling I will do! There are many reasons I like to paddle, especially on an extended trip, and I thought I’d share them with you!

“There is a serene and settled majesty to woodland scenery that enters into the soul and delights and elevates it, and fills it with noble inclinations.” – Washington Irving

Get away from it all. I’d say the number one reason for going paddling is to get away from all the pressures and stresses of everyday life. On the water, and at your wilderness campsite, there are no cell phones, emails, demands or traffic! A change of scenery is often what we need to change our perspective, remember what we love about our life, and return to our youth in child-like fun!

“Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast — you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.” – Eddie Cantor

Silence. Serenity. It is so incredibly quiet… More than just getting away, you can also come to a place of deep rest. Then and only then does the built-up stress really leave! This is also a prime opportunity to evaluate where you’re going in life, and if you want to continue down that road. A long trip like 2 weeks on the Peace River gives you lots of time to decompress and think, which enables you to return to your life with a renewed sense of purpose and the impetus to make a change you’ve been long avoiding.

“. . . It’s worth recognizing that there is no such thing as an overnight success. You will do well to cultivate the resources in yourself that bring you happiness outside of success or failure. The truth is, most of us discover where we are headed when we arrive. At that time, we turn around and say, yes, this is obviously where I was going all along. It’s a good idea to try to enjoy the scenery on the detours, because you’ll probably take a few.” – Bill Waterson

Leave your job behind. Doing something outside of your normal routine gives you a chance to “cultivate the resources in yourself that bring you happiness outside of success or failure.” There’s no success or failure on the river; there’s no pressure to perform or succeed. You can practice just being happy where you are and realizing that it’s possible to be completely content, regardless of your accomplishments. Not everything in life is a competition, and if you’re in a very competitive career, why not get away from that for a while and reconnect with co-operation and a spirit of gratitude?

“That kind of thing makes me feel better… You’re out with people in beautiful scenery, and you’ve earned all the carbs you eat.” – Cindy Chupack

Have an active vacation. The other great thing about paddling is the exercise you’ll get! You might even “feel the burn” a little! You decide how hard you want to work, unless your friends/family are all intent to conquer the river in a day! Then you’ll have to keep up! So choose your paddle partners wisely!

Fresh air, peaceful waters, moving your body, and enjoying the scenery… what could be better? 🙂

In doing research for the Trip Ideas page, I found a webpage from the Alberta government for ice monitoring in major rivers. I didn’t even know the government did that! It’s not like the old days, when people used the river for transportation and really needed to know when it was breaking up or how far the ice had retreated. This webpage will be great for us though, to see how open the Peace River is and when we can get out there in spring!

It doesn’t look like they monitor the freeze up, though — I only see reports for break-up. The scientist in me wants more data, but the paddler in me is satisfied with spring conditions only; the water stays open in autumn far longer than one would actually want to paddle it — November is just a bit too cold for most of us! Unless you’re training for an Arctic expedition, in which case, bring it on! 🙂

There’s an interactive ice conditions map, which shows the ice front (the image below is not interactive, though):

This is what you see when you mouseover the green star near the ice front (the most southern star):

Both these were taken from screen shots from the April 21, 2009 report. Photos courtesy of Alberta Environment.

So, besides water levels, weather info, rainfall, we now have access to ice reports as well. If only there were strategic webcams… I wonder how hard that would be? If AMA can do it for road conditions, why can’t we make one for river conditions? 🙂