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George River Solo 2018 (Updated)
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I've finally updated with another week of the story.
From the Three Gorges through the best of the Upper George and ending at the head of Indian House Lake.
http://www.recped.com/george2018/contents.html
http://www.recped.com/george2018/day021.html
From the Three Gorges through the best of the Upper George and ending at the head of Indian House Lake.
http://www.recped.com/george2018/contents.html
http://www.recped.com/george2018/day021.html
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Great to see this new chapter, recped! I like the idea of having your pod and your tent. But it does seem like a lot of work, putting up and taking down two shelters almost every day. It’s enough work for Kathleen and me just to deal with one shelter!
Yet another great read. dang though, from your pictures those rapids look very canoe unfriendly. I'm sure there are ways through but dang! Very much enjoying this and am saving the videos for tomorrow or the next day to preview, trying to make this last as long as I can. Many thanks for sharing!
dougd
dougd
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Just read your TR again recped. An epic trip, joined by an epic report. Tell-it-like-is writing. Great photos. Superb videos. I like the music, as well, on the Gorges video. This is arguably the best TR I have ever seen. That being said, I doubt that there are many paddlers who would want to follow in your adventurous footsteps.
I’m wondering why the George caribou herd has declined so precipitously.
I’m wondering why the George caribou herd has declined so precipitously.
Wow.
The collapse of caribou populations is happening all over northern Canada, the George River herd is one of the more advanced but many others that were considered to be stable are also declining rapidly.
There has been quite a bit of research over the past 20 years and of course plenty of anecdotal commentary. Over hunting is always a popular explanation especially when you can lay that off on native populations and/or Don Jr type sport hunters. I don't give this much credibility, at best (or worst) hunting is the last nail in the coffin, there are regular reports of poaching of the George herd (all hunting is now prohibited in Labrador and eastern Quebec) and certainly that can have a impact when the numbers remaining are so small (perhaps around 5,000).
Climate change is of course trotted out, I'm skeptical on that, the climate in that part of the world is harsh, nothing new there, any slight increase in temperature would seem to me to provide a better environment in terms of food supply and anyway the rate of climate change seem to move too slowly to explain such a rapid change in animal populations.
Disease seems to be the main focus for science researchers, various parasites,Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) etc. may be the explanation, some of this may be related to climate as the range of more southerly species move north bringing diseases new to these areas.
One of the outfitters I spoke with who has been involved in sport hunting (now strictly angling) going back to the 1970's thinks it's related to food supply. During the peak populations the slow growing lichens were decimated, although the George River valley shows lots of growth of alders, grasses and other edibles up on the plateau it is more like actual barrens with minimal vegetation.
One thing clearly apparent to me on this trip was the lack of wildlife of all types (except insects). Over the past few years I have been tripping mostly in Northern Ontario, from James Bay west to Lake Winnipeg, on all of those trips there have been plenty of mammals both big and small plus incredible numbers of birds. The George by comparison was desolate, not even a mouse, plenty of bear tracks along the lower river (only one actual sighting) but that was it. I understand that musk ox are now in the area, originating from a small group imported into the area west of the George about 30 years ago, I really hoped to see one but didn't. Also a few polar bears near the coast, I didn't expect to encounter any and didn't want to, I've had my fill of those on my two Seal River trips.
Thanks for the comments, my approach is to pile on lots of words and pictures to make up for my deficient writing skills, deficient in the sense that my experience for both reading and writing is mostly in the fields of business/technical/legal.
I'm stuck at home right now for a while, so every new chapter is a blessing. Interesting speculation on the caribou. Moose populations are crashing in Northern Ontario too, with much of the same conjecture...there is a lot of hunting pressure, year round in some cases, but the culprit seems to be the deer, who due to climate change, perhaps, are moving north of their traditional territories, and bringing brain worm with them, a parasite they live with, but one that kills moose quickly.
It would be odd to be on a trip with so few critter encounters. I spend most of my day looking at birds and furry things on trips. Did it creep you out to see so little wildlife? Were there any eagles at least?
It would be odd to be on a trip with so few critter encounters. I spend most of my day looking at birds and furry things on trips. Did it creep you out to see so little wildlife? Were there any eagles at least?
I'm enjoying this George River expedition day by day and appreciating every word, photo and video. I "travel" a couple days, then "take a couple days off" to let it sink in. Nice personal narrative ending the gorge rapid section. Boy that was a lot of water to bail, though that didn't take long. I am only just now on day 27, and looking forward to the flatwater after all that rough stuff. Rather unsettling pitching a tent at the water's edge, and boy are the bugs ever bad. Thanks for this recped.
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I’ve taken the time, recped, to watch some of your longer videos of you paddling down rapids. Some very intimidating whitewater! Douglas never seems worried, though. Must have a lot of confidence in your canoeing skills.
I have the following question. You are always paddling on your right side. Do you ever switch sides? When solo, I always try to paddle from both sides, except when entering difficult rapids. Then I’m always on my right side.
I also note that you seem to be generally going more or less straight down the rapid. Not a lot of rock dodging. Is it fair for me to conclude that the George River rapids are primarily big waves and hydraulics caused by constriction or relative shallows?
I have the following question. You are always paddling on your right side. Do you ever switch sides? When solo, I always try to paddle from both sides, except when entering difficult rapids. Then I’m always on my right side.
I also note that you seem to be generally going more or less straight down the rapid. Not a lot of rock dodging. Is it fair for me to conclude that the George River rapids are primarily big waves and hydraulics caused by constriction or relative shallows?
Douglas has nothing to worry about, he believes he is protected from any and all by his full polyester suit. He will later find that this protection does not cover all threats!
Yeas I am a dedicated right side paddler, on this trip I may have taken a dozen strokes on the left and this has been my normal practice ever since making it a policy to never paddle tandem! On some trips, for a lark I try paddling left, I'm a goon stroker on the right but it's get me where I want to go, on the left it's a disaster, I can't go in a straight line, I lack any power and I find it painful.
The rapids are for the most part volume style, in lower water more rocks would appear but they tend to be isolated, the low water advantage is that they are visible from upstream, at the high levels I had I needed to really concentrate to ensure missing the hydraulics which had a tendency to appear out of nowhere. The boulders that cause the hydraulics are huge, shallow water is somewhat of a rarity for most of the lower river. Just because of the size and volume the George is quite unlike running rapids in the shallow and relatively narrow rivers I paddle further south.
Yeas I am a dedicated right side paddler, on this trip I may have taken a dozen strokes on the left and this has been my normal practice ever since making it a policy to never paddle tandem! On some trips, for a lark I try paddling left, I'm a goon stroker on the right but it's get me where I want to go, on the left it's a disaster, I can't go in a straight line, I lack any power and I find it painful.
The rapids are for the most part volume style, in lower water more rocks would appear but they tend to be isolated, the low water advantage is that they are visible from upstream, at the high levels I had I needed to really concentrate to ensure missing the hydraulics which had a tendency to appear out of nowhere. The boulders that cause the hydraulics are huge, shallow water is somewhat of a rarity for most of the lower river. Just because of the size and volume the George is quite unlike running rapids in the shallow and relatively narrow rivers I paddle further south.
Not being a WW enthusiast I get bored reading WW maneuvers without photos. (Yes I read books without pictures, lots of them.) That's why I really appreciate the accompanying pics with full explanations of the white water runs, such as this George River and Pitt's reports too. You guys now have me standing virtually on the banks of those rivers trying to read the water and my potential next move (besides portaging). I am not a convert to the bumpy water stuff but it is looking a little more wonderful to me.
Having said that I am looking forward to the flatwater stuff. Because some of my virtual time was spent imagining where and how I would swim out of the turbulence. And find my gear.
Having said that I am looking forward to the flatwater stuff. Because some of my virtual time was spent imagining where and how I would swim out of the turbulence. And find my gear.
This is taking longer than I had hoped, too many layover days?
10 more days posted, the weather continues to be mediocre, the bugs are abundant, the moving water returns.....Happy Days Are Here Again!
http://www.recped.com/george2018/contents.html
http://www.recped.com/george2018/day027.html
10 more days posted, the weather continues to be mediocre, the bugs are abundant, the moving water returns.....Happy Days Are Here Again!
http://www.recped.com/george2018/contents.html
http://www.recped.com/george2018/day027.html
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Great read recped, about one of the major challenges of wilderness canoe tripping - the frustration of not being able to move because of wind. Add to that legions of bugs and you have the makings of genuine northern adventure. I was relieved when you reached moving water. Up until then, you seemed to be going a little stir crazy.
Interesting that you met the same guy in the same spot ten years apart. I wonder what probability Beyesian statisticians would put on that?!? (Sorry. I used to teach statistics. Couldn’t help myself. It won’t happen again.)
Am saving the videos for later.
Interesting that you met the same guy in the same spot ten years apart. I wonder what probability Beyesian statisticians would put on that?!? (Sorry. I used to teach statistics. Couldn’t help myself. It won’t happen again.)
Am saving the videos for later.
Latin to me and I can't read Latin!
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It hurts my head too, guys. I was never really conversant with Bayesian statistics. I dealt primarily with statistical analysis to determine if the results of a scientific experiment resulted more likely from the applied treatments or random chance. This assumed that the results followed a normal distribution, more popularly known as the bell curve.
Bayesian statistics, however, deals with events that do not necessarily follow a known distribution. Rather, the final outcome, the probability of meeting the same guy at the same place, ten years later, is associated with assumed or speculated probabilities of events associated with the final outcome, I.e. probability of guy being in the area ten years later at that time of year. At my age,with declining analytical capacity, I could not even begin to formulate the analysis. What we need now are Triipping/Bayesian Authorities. Barring none of those on this forum, I put the likelihood as 8 percent.
Bayesian statistics, however, deals with events that do not necessarily follow a known distribution. Rather, the final outcome, the probability of meeting the same guy at the same place, ten years later, is associated with assumed or speculated probabilities of events associated with the final outcome, I.e. probability of guy being in the area ten years later at that time of year. At my age,with declining analytical capacity, I could not even begin to formulate the analysis. What we need now are Triipping/Bayesian Authorities. Barring none of those on this forum, I put the likelihood as 8 percent.
Some assumptions for you........
His main lodge is 5km downstream
He has been there during July, August & September for the past 35 years
I heard his Otter fly overhead a few days earlier
I'd bet he can sense "intruders" into his "domain"
I planned to stop at the lodge if I didn't run into him on the water.
His main lodge is 5km downstream
He has been there during July, August & September for the past 35 years
I heard his Otter fly overhead a few days earlier
I'd bet he can sense "intruders" into his "domain"
I planned to stop at the lodge if I didn't run into him on the water.
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I increase my likelihood to 58.389 percent.
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