Where the Rubber Meets the Muck

Our attempt to get to Cameron Falls was thwarted Saturday by the rain that turned the already challenged Ingraham Trail into muck. The hard ruts had been churned up, making it as difficult as driving in slushy snow. Even the smooth areas were treacherous because the wet created a slickness that had the same result as driving on black ice.







Above you can see the new section of road being built, but we were on the mud in the foreground. This photo taken from the window in no way shows the worst stretches--Stay tuned for the video.


The rented Chevie Malibu (the same one Carsten and I had when we were on the trail) was no match for the mud. A pickup ahead of us at one point fish-tailed all over the place. We were probably close to the destination point when I gave up and stopped the car in the middle of the road, fearful of back-sliding into the lake on one side.

Brian took over the wheel, got us out of the muck and we headed back. More rain was about to come and the road would have become entirely impassable in this vehicle. Here's a little video of what it was like...listen to the tires churning up the mud...








Instead we went to Prelude Lake to eat lunch in the drizzle.
The weather--and this sign--deterred us from wandering around. I think I'm done with the Ingraham Trail.

Adrift on Great Slave Lake

See that rope at the back of the Coast Guard Boat? Well, it's attached to the Mary Ellen, who lost power on the way back from Horseshoe Bay in Great Slave Lake. Julie and Jan decided to take a chance on the weather to give Bronwyn and me a ride on their cabin cruiser, a 35-year-old Swedish vessel that runs on diesel. She's a sweet little cruiser that sleeps four and runs at about 14 km/hr.

We went in and out of cloud and rain showers, but the wind wasn't too strong and we made it easily to Horseshoe, where we anchored and enjoyed lunch. That's Tiffany, Jan and Julie's, daughter, who read her Harry Potter book for most of the trip.

Jan and Julie have owned the boat for five years, and put in a new engine just four years ago. But as Julie was at the helm on the way back, Mary Ellen lost power. It was just at the point when I was asking about the name. That's the original name for the cruiser, which they decided not to change. Jan is convinced the spirit of Mary Ellen has something to do with the breakdown. It definitely wasn't a case of running out of gas because the Coast Guard brought along some diesel, and that didn't get us going. So they tied up at the front-- after a speech about not being responsible for damage to the boat or injury to us, or having to leave us if someone in more distress called-- and towed us into the government wharf in Yellowknife.The distress call was made to Inuvik and the Coast Guard there contacted the auxiliary in Yellowknife, which operates with volunteers. It took them about 50 minutes to come and get us.

As we got closer to Yellowknife, they tied a rope to the side and pulled us in that way. As Julie remarked, it was rather pleasant: We had the speed of a power boat and the quiet of a kayak.

Folk on the Rocks

A warm gorgeous day unfolded for the annual Folk on the Rocks festival, which takes place on the sandy shores of Long Lake. Carsten and I spent the afternoon there, rotating back and forth between the beer garden and main stage. The sun and hard lemonade were both cumulatively strong, and he has an early morning flight, so we didn't stay late into the night. But we took in a lot in those few hours. Sarah Harmer was there, performing with the Bebop Cowboys from Ontario. It was another trip down memory lane for me when The Sadies got on stage: two of the members are the sons of The Good Brothers, a band from my high school days, who performed regularly at a coffee club in Richmond Hill. We also heard and saw the Great Slave Swimmers play with the Greasy Twigs. And below are emcees Mr. Lahey and Randy of theTrailer Park Boys, entertaining the crowd before the Tulita drummers performed on the main stage. One of the drummers is a reporter on Northbeat, the supper hour TV show. The money shot is this volunteer with his Jack Russell terrier.

Yk from a Chopper

Carsten got his ride on a Bell Jet Ranger helicopter this morning for a view of the city from 1200 feet above. It's a four-seater (including the pilot), but there were only three people, and Carsten was up front with the pilot. That's Ben Meinders with him, brother to the radio news producer at the CBC. Ben drove up from Winnipeg for a surprise visit.

It's great to get this perspective because, otherwise, you don't have a sense of how isolated Yellowknife is, or of how many lakes surround the city. And the view is amazing from a chopper because it's like being in a bubble--this one even had a glass panel on the floor.

The company, Great Slave Helicopters, owns about 80 choppers, which they use to fly crews out to camps, not for tourism.

Magic in the Canoe

Three fit quite nicely into this 16-foot canoe, even when one of the non-paddlers is a husky. Magic is the pet of Aggie and Terry, who also have a team of huskies they use to pull a sled in the winter. Magic, however, is the canoe husky. She tends to shift around a lot, and, as you can see, we had a bonding moment when I turned around for Aggie to take my photo.

We set out from Back Bay, which is sheltered and calm, then headed over to an island in Great Slave Lake. Terry went solo in a chestnut canoe they'd bought for $2 and refurbished.

This island is a popular spot for campers and partiers because it's so close to Yellowknife. You can see the city in the distance here. We had it to ourselves, but Terry was upset to find someone had recently chopped down some birch trees for no apparent reason.

We enjoyed a lunch of brie, french bread, veggies and cherries, after sunning on the rock. It was a perfect day with just enough breeze to keep the bugs away, and the bugs that did come hovered around Magic, the black bug magnet. Dark clouds in the distance motivated us to pack up and head back. Afternoon winds can make the lake quite choppy, not to mention waves created by power boats and float planes.

Those white dots in the distance are sailboats--there was a fund-raising race for the Council of Persons with Disabilities. Sailing has become a popular activity here, growing from one sailboat to two sailing clubs over the last 30 years. That island you can see is Hideaway, the location for a wedding I'm going to next Saturday.