Monday, September 24, 2012

Day 24, September 3, 2012 - Jessica Sauer

Waking up this morning it was unusually dry outside. Being pleasantly surprised I thought it would be a perfect day for shorts but I that was quickly shot down when Jeff let us know that a dry morning means that rain is on its way. Leaving later than usual, our group ate some hash browns, got a quick map and compass lesson from Jeff, did some morning stretches led by Cody, and we were on our way down the river. Sun rapids came much quicker than I had anticipated, and with a quick glance at the CII white water, I wanted to hop back into my canoe and ride those rapids. Sadly, the decision was not that easy and being a Low, Jeremy, Dalton, and I had to try and make a safe decision for the whole group. Of course, Jeff was right about the weather and rain was quickly approaching and the decision had to be made fast. After consulting the group, and going back and forth between our options the group decided that the portage would be the better idea and we quickly unloaded our canoe’s and headed up the steep dirt hill. Just as we were finishing, the showers started and we began paddling again in the rain. After a few bends down the river we realized the rapids were not over and from what I saw, the group was enjoying the bumps and waves that the river had to offer. I said to Sarah that I can’t believe I hadn’t done this before, riding the rapids was a blast (even if I did ride more with my butt than I had anticipated). Barrel Rapids was next on out schedule, and after scouting those out we felt more than comfortable letting the group take on the challenge. The rapids were over quickly and our group continued to paddle hard through the water, taking on some wind and the miles we still had ahead of us. It wasn’t too long before Peterbell arrived and we did some exploring to find a nice place to sleep. It was our longest day on the river so far, but that didn’t seem to effect the excited attitudes of the group. Debrief was early and the rest of the night was free. I made some corn bread and rice for my tent mates, and we were ready to hang bear bags and hop into our tent. After a long, but enjoyable day I am ready to wake up and continue our journey down the Missinaibi River. Jessica Sauer

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