Paul and Bill drove from New Mexico, Chris drove from Minneapolis and we met at Ft. Vermilion, Alberta. From there we shuttled two cars to Ft. Smith, NWT for use after our trip and returned to Ft. Vermilion to start canoeing. This journal was compiled for daily audio journals, GPS readings, photos and video tapes from the trip.
| Date | Itenery | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| July 8 - 13 | About 3,270 miles driving. | Drove from New Mexico to Fort Vermilion. Shuttled cars to Ft. Smith, NWT and returned to Ft. Vermilion to start canoeing. |
| Day 1 July 14 |
8:00 breakfast at motel 11:00 am started paddling 4:30 - 5:00 pm found campsite. Today’s distance: 14.3 mi. Trip total: 14.3 mi. |
Started paddling at Ft. Vermilion and stopped at Boyer River. Paddled in rain that afternoon. First experience camping on mud flats. |
| Day 2 July 15 |
9:00 am: started paddling 5:30 pm: arrived at Vermilion Landing campsite. Today’s distance: 32.9 mi. Trip Total: 47.2 mi. |
Paddled to Vermilion Landing. Walked to end of rapids to plan for the next day. |
| Day 3 July 16 |
10:00 am: Started paddling Today’s distance: 3.7 mi. Trip total: 50.9 mi. |
Paddled and lined canoes to top of falls. |
| Day 4 July 17 |
9:45 am: Started paddling 6:00 pm: Found campsite Today’s distance: 24.5 mi. Trip Total: 75.4 mi. |
Lowered canoes into eddy at base of falls for loading and departure. Paddled past Little Red River and Fox Indian Reservation. | Day 5 July 18 |
11:30 am: Started paddling 6:30 pm: Reached campsite Today’s distance: 25.0 mi. Trip Total: 100.4 mi. |
Rained previous night and campsite was standing in water. Stopped at Garden Creek to replenish drinking water. |
| Day 6 July 19 |
10:30 am: Started paddling 4:30 pm: Reached campsite Today’s distance: 9.7 mi. Trip Total: 110.1 mi. |
Head wind was blowing when we got up. Made Yukon sail and travelled entire day without paddling. |
| Day 7 July 20 |
9:15 am: Started paddling 8:00 pm: Found campsite Today’s distance: 34.7 mi. Trip Total: 144.8 mi. |
Long day. Had trouble finding a campsite but finally found one on a terrace above the mud flats. |
| Day 8 July 21 |
9:30 am: Started paddling 5:00 pm: Found campsite Today’s distance: 22.8 mi. Trip Total: 167.6 mi. |
Water was very 'sticky' today; seemed like canoe did not what to move. Beautiful campsite on a sand island. |
| Day 9 July 22 |
9:30 am: Started paddling 2:30 pm: Arrived at Peace Point Today’s distance: 19.5 mi. Trip Total: 186.1 mi. |
The water made up for yesterday -- it was slick and fast paddling. Visited with Charlie Weymer at Peace Point. |
| Day 10 July 23 |
9:15 am: Started paddling 6:15 pm: Found campsite Today’s distance: 34.1 mi. Trip Total: 220.2 mi. |
Day to cover miles. Saw our third boat/canoe of the trip. Nice campsite. |
| Day 11 July 24 |
9:30 am: Started paddling 8:00 pm: Found campsite Today’s distance: 31.1 mi. Trip Total: 251.3 mi. |
Said good-bye to the Peace River and started our forty miles of paddling against the current on the Quatre Fourches. Camped on the winter road bed. |
| Day 12 July 25 |
11:30 am: Started paddling 5:00 pm: Found campsite Today’s distance: 13.1 mi. Trip Total: 264.5 mi. |
Continued up the Quatre Fourches. Camped at trappers cabin. |
| Day 13 July 26 |
8:30 am: Started paddling 7:15 pm: Arrived at Ft.Chipewyan marina Today’s distance: 21.2 mi. Trip Total: 285.7 mi. |
Paddled into Ft. Chipewyan. After reading so much about Ft. Chip and the fur trade, there was a certain magic arriving here by canoe. |
| Days 14-15 July 27 - 28 |
Rest and sight seeing. | Visted places in Ft. Chip and went by boat to Jackfish Community on the Athabasca River. |
| Day 16 July 29 |
10:00 am: Started paddling 5:30 pm: Found campsite Today’s distance: 25.4 mi. Trip Total: 311.1 mi. |
Left Ft. Chip paddling up the Roches River. |
| Day 17 July 30 |
?? am: Started paddling 3:00 pm: Found campsite Today’s distance: 18.6 mi. Trip Total: 329.7 mi. |
Started up the Slave River. Giardia struck. |
| Day 18 July 31 |
9:30 am: Started paddling 5:30 pm: Found campsite Today’s distance: 22.0 mi. Trip Total: 351.7 mi. |
We continued on our trip towing the solo canoe. Spend our final night camping on what else but a high mud flat. |
| Day 19 August 1 |
9:00 am: Started paddling 11:30 pm: Hay Camp Today’s distance: 10.5 mi. Trip Total: 362.7 mi. |
Finished with an easy paddle to Hay Camp. Washed out our gear and were picked up for the drive to Ft. Smith. |
| August 2 - 3 | Getting ready to leave Ft. Smith | Paul left in the morning (August 2) for New Mexico. Bill and Chris finished packing the gear, spend some time in Ft. Smith and then headed back to Ft. Vermillion via Wood Buffalo National Park, Ft. Resolution and Ft. Providence. |
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Last updated: Nov. 20, 2013