Trip Coordinator - Donna McKenzie

We departed Edmonton early August 1st, agreeing to meet in Lloydminster for lunch. With only 2 tandem canoes on the trip, we had 2 cars, Cindy D and Donna M in one, and Alan S and Yuri D in the other. La Ronge is about 8 hours drive from Edmonton, and we were booked in the Churchill East campground which is beside Otter Rapids, which is another couple of hours drive north of La Ronge.

August 2 we drove the 10 km to Missinipe, and sorted our gear and loaded the canoes and got on the water about 11. We paddled on Otter Lake, east of town to the first of our scheduled portages, around Robertson Falls. It’s a short portage of 75 m, and from there a short paddle to the second portage around Twin Falls. There is a lodge at Twin Falls, it is lovely but they put it right on the portage trail, and then installed stairs for their visitors. They also have a funicular to get their gear up the hill! It was tricky portaging 17 foot canoes around the funicular and the stairs! We paddled 24.5 km this day, it was a long day for our first on the water, plus the 2 portages and we didn’t stop until 7:30 pm. We found a lovely campsite on an island, but it came with one large mouse who inspected every square inch of ground all night long…..

August 3 we turned onto Mountain Lake and headed for town. We paddled by the Shoot-em-up-cliffs and decided to skip town in favour of the church. It is Saskatchewan’s oldest permanent structure, and was a busy place as they were hosting a funeral the next day. The graveyard is an amazing place to wander, and is full of McKenzie’s, perhaps my distant relatives?

After wandering for 1.5 hours, we paddled on, towards the next portage at Stanley Rapids. There is Indigenous Rock Art here, that we managed to find.

This portage has a class 3 rapid on the south of the island, and a class 2 on the north side, but the class 2 on the north side has acquired a boat roller! It is only about 20 m long, but it allows you to roll a loaded boat down the rapid and is wonderful! Alan still managed to swim here, they landed at a bad angle and his paddle went over, and as he lunged to save his paddle, over he went. We had great weather, so he dried out fairly easily. We were beat at this point so we paddled a short distance to a campsite on Drope Lake, and watched a thunder/lightning storm swirl around us. We were glad we had the tarp up! An 18 km day.

August 4 we woke to scattered rain and wind, but both died down and it was a decent day. We paddled through Frog Narrows without incident, and on to Nistowiak Falls. There is a fishing lodge here as well, but they are not on the portage path and they keep the trail maintained as they use it to get guests up to Iskwatikan Lake for fishing. It is 1100 m from one end to the other, so this was a challenge! We used the trips back to check out the viewpoints at the falls. It is a 40 foot drop, the largest waterfall in Saskatchewan. By now we had the system down so that we could complete the portages in 3 trips with gear, and 2 in reverse. Us canoeists don’t travel light! We had the portage done in 3 hours, and paddled about 3 km past there to one of the few flat spots on Iskwatikan Lake. Cindy baked a chocolate cake for dessert! 15 km day.

August 5 we paddled 18.2 km, up Iskwatikan Lake through Stewart Bay and mostly through a rapid that separates Stewart Bay from Hale Lake. We made all but the last 5 m with some furious paddling, and then were able to line the boats up through the last drop. Hale Lake is lovely, and we passed a solo kayaker who was really enjoying the scenery. Hale Lake ends at a dam that controls water levels on Lac La Ronge. They installed a “railway portage” here for the locals to get their boats around the dam, it has been rebuilt but the railway car is upside down off the edge and runs no more. Still, it’s a nice way to portage on a stable wooden walkway. We met a family of 5 who were playing in the rapids and had a nice visit over lunch. Then it was up Diefenbaker Bay towards the Rapid River Lodge. Most of this area burnt, and sadly the lodge is no more. There was nothing left but the stone fireplace, and a few nails and bubbly bits of melted glass. There is a campsite at an island just across from the former lodge, so we stayed there. It was FULL of garbage, but came with a sit down outhouse, so we made do.

August 6 was the day we tackled Lac La Ronge, it is huge and known for winds, but we got lucky. We hugged the north shore and the winds were calm. It was very smoky though, surreal paddling through the murky haze and stillness. We rounded the point without incident and headed up Four Portages Bay. Campsites are scarce here and we ended up paddling most of the bay and doing 23 km. We ended up on an island within site of the boat launch that comes in from the Stanley Road. The island wasn’t big, but it has a fish smoking hut that the locals use.

August 7 we started with the portage through to Leckie Lake, that has largely been buried under the new boat launch. A local named Mike gave our gear a ride to the road side snowmobile trail in to Leckie, so we only had to paddle/carry the boats. Donna and Yuri found the old portage trail, but the snowmobile trail was easier to use. It was a long portage, and we are definitely off the beaten path now. Leckie is not a big lake but it took us nearly 2 hours of searching through the bush before we found the portage trail. It hadn’t been used in ages and the fires have created a lot of new growth that obscures the path. After sweating through that one we found ourselves on Stroud Lake and headed for the nearest island to camp. The islands did not burn. It was a long, hard day and we are about 3 km as the crow flies from where we began. Sigh.

August 8- We paddled up the bay from Stroud Lake, and down a lovely channel that is maintained by the local beavers. Unfortunately, the channel came to a premature end thanks to the beavers. We stumbled around trying to find the portage to Hunt Lake, and we did find the middle bit, mostly by feel as the ground is trampled down and not so spongy. But, we could not find an access at either the beginning or the end of the portage. This area burnt last year, and the fallen burnt logs, new dense ankle high growth, muskeg holes, and rocks made for a very ugly trail. We had a long talk, and decided to turn back and take life a bit easier. We paddled around Stroud Lake, and returned to where we had camped the previous night.

August 9 we repeated the portages from Stroud Lake to Leckie Lake, and then from Leckie Lake back to the Stanley Road. At 1 pm Cindy and Alan hitchhiked to (hopefully Missinipe), leaving Yuri and I to guard the gear. They only got a lift as far as the La Ronge Road, and after waiting an hour they phoned the guys at Churchill River Outfitters to give them a ride to Missinipe. Churchill River Outfitters are wonderful people! They reappeared at 4:30 pm with their cars, and we drove into Stanley Mission for dinner at the Chicken Delite. We were booked at the Wadin Bay campground, so we headed back down the gravel roads and got there about 7:30 pm. Nice fire!

August 10 we got up, struck camp for the last time, and headed for Edmonton. First we stopped in La Ronge at the brand new A&W for breakfast, and did some shopping at Robertson’s. The store supplies everything for hunters and prospectors and trappers, and is closing in the fall. So sad. It rained nearly all the way home, and we are grateful to be off the water!

Total distance paddled was around 100 km in 8 days on the water.

Trip Coordinator: Cathy Compston

We were glad to find that there was no blue green algae advisory, so we gathered at the Battle Lake boat launch at 10 AM to head out. We were a Delta kayak convention consisting of Paul B, Cathy C, Sid K, Arleen D, Alara L and Dan T. The weather was cool and overcast with only light winds from the south east.

Trip Coordinator: Donna McKenzie

The club has been working our way along the Red Deer River for many years.  This summer we did a car camping trip with runs cover the Fort Normandeau to Joffre reach.

Trip Coordinator: Fiona Munro

A flotilla of 11 paddlers did the run on the North Saskatchewan from Vinca Bridge to Waskatenau.

Trip Coordinator: Mike Eaton

For Sunday, we met at Ghost Lake Reservoir near Cochrane. In 1929, Calgary Power (now TransAlta) built a dam on the Bow River to generate power creating the Ghost Lake Reservoir with an area of 11.6 km2 (~2900 acres). The wildfire smoke had built overnight in Calgary but it was less smoky at Ghost Lake and the water was crystal clear.

Trip Coordinator: Mike Eaton

Much of the clubs paddling has been in northern and central Alberta. Within in and nearby Calgary there are some wonderful paddling opportunities. With Mike living Calgary, he suggested the club try a couple during a weekend car/relative/friend/hotel camping weekend.

Trip Coordinator: Alan Stewart

Photos: Gail K

Dateline Mewassin May 28 2023.

We were 14 people, 12 solo kayaks and 1 tandem canoe. Participants were Alan S, Paul B, Leila R, Katie A, Gale K, Sylvia L, Alara L, Dan T, Frank G, Tom K, Colleen K, Ted S, Roger M, and Sharon H

The dateline Mewassin is taken from the now almost non-existant village of Mewassin to the north of the river in this area. The village name was itself taken from a River Cree word meaning ‘a good place’. It has lived up to its name for me: I have spent many good days exploring the area and the river. It is my favourite stretch of the North Saskatchewan and I enjoy sharing it with others.

Trip Coordinator: Donna McKenzie

This year the club returned to the Milk River in Southeastern Alberta.  The Milk River starts on the eastern slopes of the mountains in Montana, sneaks into Alberta before heading ontot the Missouri River, the Mighty Mississippi River finally ending up in the Gulf of Mexico.

Trip Coordinator: Paul Bird

Photos by Mark, Sylvia and Cathy

This trip was scheduled as a Sturgeon River trip, but due to a water advisory on Big Lake, which feeds the Sturgeon, it was changed to the North Saskatchewan River. We launched from Laurier Park boat launch and paddled to 50^th Street (Capilano Park). We were Donna, Cathy, Denise, Karyn, Alan, Sylvia and Paul B. all in single kayaks, with Mark and Lilly in a tandem inflatable kayak.