1980 YUKON RIVER TRIP REPORT
While the club is on hold until May 20, it seems like a good idea to reprint a trip report from 1980 courtesy of Mark S. who has finished scanning 30 years of club newsletters.
After much delay I am finally putting down a 'few words on the Yukon River trip. Actually, I did write a report some weeks ago; it ran to almost nine pages, and being a compassionate man, I had not the heart to inflict it upon anyone. Instead I will make a few more general comments about the river, the Chilkoot Pass, and maybe a few words of advice to those who might wish to do the trip in future.
Irish Creek Trip 2021
On Tuesday, April 6, 2021, three club members set out in ideal conditions to explore Irish Creek; the air temperature was a pleasant 15 degrees, ice gone, water deep enough to paddle the marsh area and a generally undemanding current. Keeping in mind the cold water, we all wore a combination of wet and dry suits in case of inadvertent immersion.
From the put in at Roses Bridge Boat Launch situated between Kilmarnock and Merrickville, we meandered through shallow, open water marsh festooned with masses of waterlily rhizomes. We continued about 4 km south to the town of Jasper where the creek narrows, and we ducked under two road bridges and a train bridge. In the creek, water flowed over several submerged beaver dams, only one of which required getting out of our canoes for a lift over. We stopped for lunch just short of Wolford Chapel (10.5 km from put in) and then headed back down stream.
Pakenham to Blakeney Rapids Trip Report - March 23 2021
Let the paddling begin!
On Tuesday, March 23rd four of us met at Pakenham Beach to initiate the RACCC 2021 flatwater paddling season. It was a gorgeous, sunny day with a high of 20°C in the air. Given that there was still ice floating in the river, I'll assume the water temperature was still close to 0°C; however, since we were all dressed to keep safe in frigid water (two of us wore drysuits, the other two wore wetsuits), we had nothing to fear from the river. Starting at Pakenham Beach, we paddled a little over 8 km upstream to Blakeney Rapids, passing through a riparian zone just starting to green up, and seeing loads of ducks and geese back for the summer. We stopped at Blakeney Rapids to eat lunch and work on our sunburns, while Mark filled a garbage bag with litter to take away. The paddle back to town took only half the time, with the current helping us along.
As I write, we're back to seasonal chilly temperatures and Vancouver-style rain, which makes us all the more grateful for that short gift of warm sun. Thanks Karen for organizing a fun trip.
Submitted by Maria L.
WILDERNESS CANOEING
by Louis P. Bonnenfant
ASSOCIATION FORUM of the A.O.S. November- December 1952
This article was written by Dot Bonnenfant's father. He founded the Canoe Club in 1952.
This is a magazine prepared by a committee of the Canadian Chapter of the Association of Secretaries
Mr Louis P. Bonnenfant is Physical Director of the Y.M.C.A. at Ottawa, Ontario and a graduate of George
Williams College, Chicago.
It is still not long since much of the travel through Canada was done on foot, on horseback, in horsedrawn vehicles, or by boat.The coming of the railroad, the automobile, and the aeroplane has almost eliminated these means of travel and much of the adventure and pioneering spirit that went with them.
Now it is simple to board a plane in Montreal in the morning and to eat supper in Vancouver that day, or
to get into a car and travel 200 to 500 miles in one day. It is all so easy, but not nearly so challenging nor
so rewarding as the 20 to 30 miles that a canoeist travels in a day through wilderness lakes and rivers,
where self-reliance is needed to reach the journey's end.
Holmes & Watson-Newsletter Nov 1998
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. As they lay down for the night, Holmes said "Watson, look up into the sky and tell me what you see".
Watson said "I see millions and millions of stars."
Holmes: "And what does that tell you?"
Watson: "Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Theologically, it tells me that God is great and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it tells me that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What does it tell you?"
Holmes: "Somebody stole our tent"
Cows and Canoeing
Mark S. has been digitizing the club archives including newsletters starting in 1978. Thank you Mark!
Below is an amusing example of an article from 1986.
More Food For Thought
A couple of years ago I published a warning in this journal on the subject of the herd of plastic-eating cows which hang around on the Petite Nation at the put-in at the bottomof the first canyon. On that particular occasion they had removed and eaten the foam padding from a yoke. Those were the pre-Liberal days in Ontario and unfortunately it did not occur tome to print my warning in both official languages. Consequently one of our francophone members has now run afoul of this same herd. Dominique tells me that on one occasion in the spring this year she had her front flotation nibbled. She can show you the teeth marks if you ask her. So in an attempt to extend my previous warning to include all club members I would like to say "PRENEZ GARDE LES VACHES: ELLES MANGENT PLASTIQUE".
Missinaibi Adjunct regarding Fred Neegan
Read more: Reflections on the Missinaibi River Trip around 2002-3
The Missinaibi River Connection with the RACCC
The club’s presentation on the Missinaibi River trips held on February 10th made me reflect on my 1975 trip and reminded me that the Missinaibi has quite a history with the club: the Missinaibi played a role in the introduction of whitewater canoeing to the club.
Whitewater canoeing was started in the club, the OYCCC at the time, in 1975 by Christa Renken. She had taken whitewater training and a trip (most likely down the Missinaibi) with an outfitter called Headwaters1. There she met a guide named Fred Neegan who she convinced to come to Ottawa from Mattice on the Missinaibi to teach whitewater canoeing to the club, which he did at Palmer’s Rapids in the spring of 1975 and for a year or two after. He was a superb canoeist. There was a fair bit of concern in the club at the time as the club’s aluminum Grumman canoes were used for whitewater and some of them sustained considerable damage. (ABS canoes were only just starting to become available.) However there was great interest in the whitewater training program and the running of rivers with rapids such as the Madawaska, the Petawawa, the Dumoine and the Rouge and whitewater canoeing became firmly established in the club. The introduction of whitewater skills was due to the efforts of Fred Neegan, a guide from Mattice who learned and practiced his lifework on the Missinaibi.
Club Policy on Intoxicants
As the paddling season is under way and the club is getting ready to open up, it is a good idea to review the club policy on intoxicants (drugs and alcohol).
In short, people are not allowed to consume intoxicants within 8 hours of driving a car or engaging in paddling activities.
The full policy as well as the club’s governance documents are available on our website at https://www.raccc.ca/resources/club-administration/constitutionregulations
Radiant Lake Trip Report 2019
September 7-12
The Route
We had a 3 hour drive from Ottawa to the Brent put in at Cedar Lake. Our first night was on an easterly, island beach campsite on Cedar Lake. Then, a 12 km paddle on Cedar Lake, the Petawawa River and Radiant Lake, including 3 portages: 960m., 690m. and 860m. The trick, we discovered on the last portage, was to use the decommissioned rail bed, found to the left of the marked portage. Our gorgeous campsite was the most northerly, on the west shore of Radiant. We remained there for 4 nights before our return.
The Team
Heather S., Trip Leader; Gerard R., mentoring Heather; Joanna D., Anatoly C.
The Physical World & It’s Splendors
Howard Gardner suggests that there are 8 dimensions of intellegence. They are: 1) word smart, 2) number/ reasoning smart,3) picture smart, 4) body smart, 5) music smart, 6) people smart, 7) self smart and 8) nature smart. The photo captions will refer to most of those 8 variables. I suggest that we explored them all during our Radiant Experience, though this report does not contain a music clip.
While base camped, we explored historical sites, found a tribute to deceased lumbermen, enjoyed the beaches and shallows, fished & caught Brook Trout, Bass and Fall fish,( large minnows). Poems were made and a water colour completed.
Winter Paddling in Florida
Can't wait for spring? Then head to Florida for some very nice paddling! One centre of paddling is Ocala Florida. It takes about 21 hours to drive there nonstop from Ottawa. Or you can take a direct flight from Ottawa to Orlando, about an hour south of Ocala. In Ocala, you can paddle the Silver River in Silver Springs State Park and perhaps see a manatee. Or you can drive east to paddle the somewhat challenging Juniper Creek. Alternatively, you can go further west into the panhandle to paddle Holmes Creek or the Blackwater River. At all four destinations, you can rent a canoe.