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Rock Art |
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Trip Overview |
Itinerary |
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Day 1 will involve travelling by passenger van from Saskatoon to Lac La Ronge where paddling and safety instruction and trip orientation will take place. The following morning, we'll drive another 80 km (60 mi) north to launch the canoe trip. The trip will focus around the First Nations community of Amuchewaspimewin or Stanley Mission as it is commonly called. A landmark historic attraction in the town is the Holy Trinity Anglican Church located on the banks of the Churchill River and open to visitors. It is a designated National and Provincial Historic Site representing the oldest church in Canada west of Manitoba's Red River. We will paddle the Churchill River in the vicinity of the community, but our campsites will be wilderness style in the boreal forest bordering the river or on islands. Downstream of Stanley Mission are the most famous rock paintings on the Churchill River near Stanley Rapids. Here distinguishable human and animal figures along with other mysterious symbolic and graphical figures are vividly displayed on a shoreline Precambrian rock outcrop. Next on the itinerary is majestic Nistowiak Falls, a scenic highlight with the reputation of being Saskatchewan's largest waterfall. At this point, we retrace our path back to Stanley Mission and head north up Mountain Lake, stopping to visit two more rock art sites along the way. From our final campsite we have options to explore more waterfalls or visit another pictograph site. Fishing is usually productive at the base of waterfalls. Chances are good of encountering wildlife in the quieter areas, especially birdlife such as bald eagles, pelicans and great blue herons. Our last day is spent paddling back downstream to Stanley Mission, boarding the van and returning to Saskatoon late evening. On the cultural and cuisine front, we'll have a northern Cree educator and artisan on board to help us develop a sense of place and connection to the land. She also makes a dynamite bannock that canoeists die for! On the social side there should be time for campfire camaraderie and tales of frontier travellers along our route to add a touch of local history to the trip. |
Package Includes:
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on the Churchill River
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Rock Art & Bannock Tour 2007 |
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Rock Art & Bannock Tour 2007 Peaceful Canoeing, Relaxing Swims & the Best Outdoor Cooking Thank you Cliff, for sending us the Canadian Heritage Rivers calendar. It reminded Bev and I what a great time we had canoeing with you this past summer.
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To start with, the drive from Saskatoon to La Ronge allowed us to slowly disengage from the Hustle & Bustle of the city. Lunch at Bonnie's log house before heading up to Stanley Mission was a wonderful introduction to northern Saskatchewan. Once on the Churchill River, it was so peaceful canoeing the glassy waters, camping in the moss covered glades and especially the blueberry patch where we had to eat the berries before pitching our tent. The evening swims left us relaxed and more in touch with ourselves and our surroundings. Bev even enjoyed the nightly hum of the mosquitoes - mostly because she was in the tent and they weren't! Every day we enjoyed the best outdoor cooking ever. The thrill of paddling upstream against the current at Frog Narrows on our return from Nistowiak Falls and battling the wind and waves coming back from Cow Island reminded Bev and I of our childhood adventures. Our canoe trip has encouraged us to try other adventurous trips. Thank you for providing us with such a wonderful experience! |
| Registration Form
For more information, please contact: CanoeSki Discovery Company:
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