He returned to bed until he heard water being boiled for coffee. The noise of Pat and Dan’s burners, though not as loud are reminiscent of the British Army No1 Burner which is ten times louder. Our BBF dressed now in the dry canoeing clothes worn on the way in. Breakfast was also reminiscent of Army Oatmeal Blocks. It was make up you own porridge. He mixed his packets of oatmeal with chocolate powder, milk powder and Maple Sugar, added hot water and had a delicious oatmeal breakfast.
Then it was break camp, pack up, load all the canoes and head on out. Gwen wanted to paddle which suited our BBF as he wanted to take photos, so he sat in the middle.
We Bears had the best seat in the canoe and sat on the yolk. The day was cloudy and cool, but it stayed dry and got better as the day wore on.
We were first in the water and paddled off to the first portage which was not far at all.
This is the spot where Pat dived into the water. Gwen helped our BBF out of the canoe and then it was a question of unloading kit and hauling it over to the other side of the portage.
Glenn is a master at humping the canoe, as is Dan. They just flip it up over their heads and away they go. Note Glenn is also carrying his pack which weighs a ton!
There are many definitions of Hump, but it is a verb in the Oxford English Dictionary as you can see here. In Canada and the USA it also means to have sexual intercourse which is why the Canadians refer to carrying the canoe as to portage!
Pat and Dan came through and the humans in our canoe helped bring the kit over as well.
Then we were off on Stratton Lake for the really long paddle to the next portage. We all enjoyed it now as it was dry. Only the wind was against us which made it harder to paddle, but Gwen and Glenn easily moved the canoe through the water.
As we left the portage our BBF spotted a Heron and managed to get some pictures of it and as it took off.
Pat and Dan eventually passed us. We enjoyed the ride looking at the sights along the lake. Our BBF, however, soon found that his knees and ankles froze up and he wondered how the hell he was going to unfold himself when he got to the portage?
We passed two Beaver Lodges, but saw no Beavers.
On the other side of the Lake we entered a river where pretty flowers grew along the bank.
\Over Gwen’s right shoulder you can just see where the way is blocked for canoes and we have to get out and carry everything over the portage to Grand Lake.
Alan would never have managed to unfold himself and get up out of the canoe were it not for Dan and Gwenn helping him. His legs were a bit wobbly, but after a few short steps he felt ready to carry stuff.
Dan and Glenn had decided that he should “hump” Dan’s canoe as it was a modicum lighter than Glenn’s. They both helped lift it on to his shoulders as he has not learnt the technique for flipping it on his own yet. After all the talk he was surprised at how easy it was to carry and walk with it. Glenn, however, knowing how unsteady he can be on his feet followed behind to help if he got into difficulty and to help him put the canoe down at the end.
On the other side the canoes were loaded up and this time our BBF sat in the front to paddle as he then would have more leg room.
The wind came up up on Grand Lake which made it also a wet passage as the wind created waves which sometimes broke over the bow of the canoe, but it was an enjoyable paddle and our BBF told us later that he had a great sense of achievement.
Upon beaching the canoes at Achray no time was wasted, kit was unloaded and reloaded into cars and the canoes were tied back on to the top of them. Alan was tasked with tying Glenn’s canoe to the roof bars, a sure sign of trust. He had in any case earlier in the week complained about the knot tying, so this may well have been the revenge, but Glenn did say that he did a good job, but we Bears suspect that he cursed when he got back to Toronto and had to untie unfamiliar knots.
He traveled back with Pat and Dan, but first we were all going to the Barron Gorge Loop to look into the Gorge. Dan changed into clean clothes in the toilets at Achray and Alan only changed his trousers there as they were wet from the windy paddle over Grand Lake and other people were queueing to use the Loo.
It was a short drive to the park place for the walk through the woods to the Gorge.
The views were stunning when we got there. Photos were taken and then we walked back.
On the return walk we Bears found a Fairy Ring and so sat in it for good luck.
We now went to the Gate House where the females changed into clean clothes, Alan his shirt. Glenn had not walked to the Gorge and changed in the car park.
Our BBF now had time to look in the shop at the Gate House and bought himself a Baseball Hat with the Park Logo. We drove then to Pembroke to the Ermine Pit Stop where the humans had Burgers for lunch and our human wore his new baseball hat throughout as he said his hair looked a mess, not having been combed for five days!
Back at the car park our BBF while talking to Gwen and Glenn in their parked car, tried to get in the car parked next to them which was not Dan’s! Now we also learnt why we were with Pat and Dan and not Gwen and Glenn, they were returning directly to Brockville after our lunch stop, but we were all going for ice cream to Merrickville-Wolford.
The humans bought their ice cream then went and sat by the Rideau Canal to eat them. They were so yummy the humans agreed.
That night after dinner back in Brockville in the House on the Hill, Dan “Scotched Alan in”! He made a speech and presented Alan with a whisky in a tin cup on a paddle. In toasting his BFs and thanking them for the fabulous adventure they had just had he was a wee bit tearful. The humans retired to bed tired but happy that they did not have to got to the Box!!
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