If you stayed reasonably comfy during anything over four straight days of rain you know you're doing something right. I think I caught the tail end of that system too. Personally I'll take rain like that over a relentless direct sun any trip.

I could help but enjoy "Nothing is more satisfying to guys who have just portaged, than to see 4-5 guys chest deep in water..." Not that I enjoy other people's pain any more than the next guy, it's just that I sometimes wonder if my normal caution is worth it. I'll assume saying they do it every year means it was the first time they didn't make it.

This spring one of my portages was Sturgeon to Russell. At the usual northern "sometimes portage" here is no real rapids, only fast water that most people can just paddle up - although there is a portage near the top for lessor or cautious paddlers. This year there was more moving water between me and that portage than I'm used to seeing there. Russell was 3-5 ft higher than I'm used to while Sturgeon didn't really seem to be so high.

So instead of challenging the current with no bow paddler, I decided to error on the side of caution and paddle down the Sturgeon Narrows to the southern portage. That turned out to be one of the nastier little portages I've ever seen. It made me wonder if I should have at least tried making it to the first "sometimes portage" to the north.

I'm strictly a flat water paddler and I really don't mind portaging. In fact, since I usually do so much bushwhacking, portages are some of the easiest walks I get on trips. I didn't use that nasty portage on my return trip however. I decided it was safer taking my chances with any possible current. At least it was flowing in my direction. It's cool going that fast in a canoe once in a while.

Thanks for the report.

Posted by db on June 06, 2001 at 13:04