2005 - Hayman Lake

A version of the following was previously published on pawistik.blogspot.com.
Hayman Lake, Churchill River Trip - June 2nd-5th, 2005 - #5 in our annual NorthStar Expeditions guys trips.

We have yet to write a proper "report" for this trip. However, here are some things to note if we ever do a write-up:

• The bloody Devil Portages
  
• The portages had been trashed by wet weather and the Sask Centennial Canoe Quest which had gone through that spring.
  
• The collapsing pack-frame
  
• I had used an old external frame backpack, stripped down, to carry a food barrel or maybe the super-heavy duffel bags. Unfortunately, it fell apart part-way across one of the Bloody Devil Portages.
  
• The hot-tub
  
• We brought a hot tub with us on this trip. Across 2km or more of portage. Muddy, long portages. And, we did it without Jay even noticing we had a hot tub along.
  
• OK, so the hot tub turned out to be not so hot. Mk II will be better!
  
• The engineering genius that is Rod
  
• Submersible stoves and other incredible feats of ingenuity.
• Our buddy who visited and creeped us out
  
• Don't worry, we confused him more than a little too.
  
• Our bushwhacking adventure
  
• We bushwhacked in to one of the lakes on Twolake Island. It was a grand adventure, full of thorn bushes, hordes of mosquitoes, a scenic little lake, but no fish.
  
• Butter-flavoured Crisco shortening stays firm in warm temperatures and goes much farther than margarine does.
  
• The wave-train of Sluice Falls that extended so far out across the small lake below the falls and above Farside Rapids that we had to paddle over half way across it in order to safely cross over to the carry spot beside Ric's Falls.

View Larger Map

The photos are all courtesy of Rob.

Another year of high water on the Churchill River, evidence to go with the above graph:

Getting ready to hit the water:

Beer & lunch break along the portage:

Little Devil Rapids:

Rod getting the hot tub ready:

The heat is supplied by an aluminum "submersible" stove made by Rod. It's fed through the rectangular opening on top.

Waiting for the hot tub to warm up:

One of the issues we had was that the aluminum stove floated, just like Rod's aluminum canoe. We tied rocks to the bottom to keep it from tipping over and putting our fire out (again).

Golf balls on the stove legs keep them from poking holes in the tub bottom:

Jay feeds the fire:

Another issue we had with the stove was due, largely, to the small size which required us to feed it with very small sticks. The fire never really seemed to get roaring with it's own momentum. This could have been made worse by it being submersed  in cold water.

Still waiting:

Bryan gets brave and tries out the tub:

Jay's turn in the tub:

Rod tends the other fire:

Clark Falls on the Weaver River where it flows into the Churchill River at Hayman Lake:

Rod and Jay fish at the base of Clark Falls:

Jay with some fish Bryan probably caught:

Bryan with a fish Rob had caught a day earlier and which had escaped:

Better weather at Clark Falls (must have been the second day):

One of the locals:

Part of the neighbourhood:

Jay and Rod relax at our island campsite:

Surf City on the way out:

Rod and Jay coming through Surf City:

Lunch break on Barker Island during the paddle home:

Scouting Mosquito Rapids:

That's the end of the trip!

Follow up note - I found this in our e-mail records while searching for something else. Jay was commenting on our gear list and had this to say:

The only suggestion I would have is that we try to cut back on something, as we were very tight [in the vehicle] last year.  Maybe just one tent and a couple blankets??

Ummm...., yeah sure Jay, we'll cut back all right, and we'll just throw this inflatable pool and stove in too.