Day One: I'm going to preface this by saying that this will not be a daily blog type deal. When I find a computer or a Wi-Fi network, I'll do my best to check in.
THE TRIP HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN!!
I am currently roughing it at my parent's house in Pinawa, MB. Having a nice memory foam mattress to sleep on tonight should be an accurate representation of what my sleeping accommodations will be like for the rest of the trip...
After some last minute packing this morning and a trip to Can Tire for some last minute ratchet straps we took off from Tbay around noon. We discovered that our truck is a beast and despite the massive size of our trailer it towed with no difficulty. The drive was a mixture of singing along to the Dropkick Murphys with a little reading of the "Arrest of Alexander Fraser" (not to be confused with a more famous fur trader/explorer Simon Fraser, partner in the NWC and who has a river which bears his name in BC). This Fraser is simply a deplorable blacksmith throwing a temper tantrum in the trades square.
The most notable event of the day was our Height of Land Ceremony. This is something voyageurs would do to con booze out of the naive gentlemen travelling with them. There were two oaths that a Voyageur would take when crossing a height of land (the first height of land is found just out side Thunder Bay where the watershed changes). First, they must swear to never let another voyageur who has not made the trip cross a height of land without performing the ceremony. Second, they must swear to never kiss another voygeurs wife without her permission. But simply put, the voyageurs came up with this event so they would have an event to celebrate with booze which, most of the time, would be provided by the gentleman travelling with them. We had no booze...just an OPP officer on the hwy who stopped to make sure everything was alright...and after some information about our trip, shot us a quizzical look and drove off...likely more confused than when she stopped...
Today was fun and was smooth sailing. I'm hoping for more of the same tomorrow. Off to Calgary tomorrow to stay at my brothers place...what a wonderfu 15 hour drive that will be.
Till my paddle touches the water and brings me home,
Andy
THE TRIP HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN!!
I am currently roughing it at my parent's house in Pinawa, MB. Having a nice memory foam mattress to sleep on tonight should be an accurate representation of what my sleeping accommodations will be like for the rest of the trip...
After some last minute packing this morning and a trip to Can Tire for some last minute ratchet straps we took off from Tbay around noon. We discovered that our truck is a beast and despite the massive size of our trailer it towed with no difficulty. The drive was a mixture of singing along to the Dropkick Murphys with a little reading of the "Arrest of Alexander Fraser" (not to be confused with a more famous fur trader/explorer Simon Fraser, partner in the NWC and who has a river which bears his name in BC). This Fraser is simply a deplorable blacksmith throwing a temper tantrum in the trades square.
The most notable event of the day was our Height of Land Ceremony. This is something voyageurs would do to con booze out of the naive gentlemen travelling with them. There were two oaths that a Voyageur would take when crossing a height of land (the first height of land is found just out side Thunder Bay where the watershed changes). First, they must swear to never let another voyageur who has not made the trip cross a height of land without performing the ceremony. Second, they must swear to never kiss another voygeurs wife without her permission. But simply put, the voyageurs came up with this event so they would have an event to celebrate with booze which, most of the time, would be provided by the gentleman travelling with them. We had no booze...just an OPP officer on the hwy who stopped to make sure everything was alright...and after some information about our trip, shot us a quizzical look and drove off...likely more confused than when she stopped...
Today was fun and was smooth sailing. I'm hoping for more of the same tomorrow. Off to Calgary tomorrow to stay at my brothers place...what a wonderfu 15 hour drive that will be.
Till my paddle touches the water and brings me home,
Andy
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