Seeking relief from the heat and for a change of scenery I kayaked the Shadow River, its mouth marked by coloured stakes instead of buoys. When I left the bridge and cottages behind I felt as if I was entering a magical place of the past, alone among the wildlife and wetlands, before a passing jet contrail brought me back to reality.
While paddling quietly up the river did you feel like you were having a David Thompson moment?
ReplyDeleteHi Deb.
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly who and what I thought about! When he surveyed Muskako [sic] in 1837, at age 67, there wasn't anyone on either of the three lakes, other than a First Nations camp down your way. If he could only see it now!
Thanks for the comment.
I spent many summers with my sister paddling up Shadow River in the early 1970s...following the river path my great-grandfather traversed a hundred years before me. As a kid, the best part was coming across beaver dams and having to portage across them. Back in those days, I was OK with stepping into unknown goopy muck at the bottom of a river, knowing there was a good chance I'd get leaches on my feet.
ReplyDeleteSomehow that doesn't sound so appealing anymore!
Hi and welcome Graham.
ReplyDeleteThat's hilarious that you say that as it was a beaver dam that stopped me just short of my goal of where the Highway 141 bridge passes over it, which judging by the sound of the traffic was only a couple more bends distant. I wasn't prepared to get messy so decided against portaging then. I will have to return to finish my goal and see how much further I can go, and will let you know how many dams I find!
Thanks for visiting and sharing your memories.