Again, there is sunshine from the early morning. Today we will paddle towards 'Whitemud Falls'. Our first obstacle on our way. Whitemud Falls is a rapid of the highest class, not possible to navigate with neither canoes, kayaks or rafts because of strong underwater streams. We shall have to carry our canoe along this place. The indicator to recognize the place is a small, orange marker attached on a tree where the 'Portage' starts. No need to tell we are a little bit nervous thinking about these rapids...
Canoeing with an empty stomach is always dangerous Bart tells me, so we stop to take our lunch. We paddled about 3 hours and our technique has already improved since the beginning of our canoe trip. A pasta lunch is always good for your condition (those are things you have to know when you travel with a food specialist). On the river bank of our lunch, a lot of fresh imprints of a moose are visible. Maybe he/she just left the spot when we arrived?
Only fifteen minutes after we left our lunch place, we already see the marker, but most of all we hear the noise of falling water. The portage route, a track for carrying canoes along the rapids, consists of 2 sections. We explore the first part and see a glimp of Whitemud Falls. After half an hour of discussing about the possibility to canoe this first part, we decide and manage very well in navigating the canoe to the second sections with the rapids in front of us. Now we only have to carry the canoe across the second portage. Where the camping spot of tonight lays.
After we put our canoe in safety, we go to the riverbank next to Whitemud Falls and overlook the rapids we would encounter if we missed the portage. Click on the left picture and you will know why we were so happy...