Rock Art & Bannock Stories

Rock Art & Bannock – Churchill River Canoe Trip 

 

August 2012

Paddling Northern Saskatchewan – A Dream Come True! by Robbie Gamble, August 2012
Robbie's canoe trip storyAfter a few years of paddling the river in her home town of Moose Jaw, Robbie was anxious to spread her wings. A canoe trip on the enchanting Churchill River in northern Saskatchewan would fulfill her dreams, if she could just take her kayak! Well, her dreams of paddling in paradise were exceeded, but not exactly the way she had anticipated!…>>>

 

July 2007

Short Stories by Tim and Tammi

While urban folk were sweltering in record temperatures in July 2007, the hot, calm days on the river were a canoeist’s dream come true. “Canoeing on glassy waters and enjoying evening swims left us relaxed and more in touch with ourselves and our surroundings,” Tim Weinhandl from Alberta writes in his brief recounting of the 5-day trip that he and his partner made on the Churchill River. Similarly, Torontonian Tammi Hensch reflects on great times on the trip with her Saskatoon friend, taking in “refreshing swims, amazing outdoor food, and awe-inspiring rock art.” Enjoy their reminiscences of a marvellous Churchill River vacation.

Peaceful Canoeing, Relaxing Swims & the Best Outdoor Cooking

by Tim Weinhandl, August 2007

Tim and Bev Weinhandl

Thank you Cliff, for the Canadian Heritage Rivers calendar. It reminded Bev and I what a great time we had canoeing with you this past summer.

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 on our last day 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!

Outdoor Newbies Discover Fresh Bannock & Awesome Rock Art

by Tammi Hensch, August 2007

churchill river swim time

Tammi enjoying a Churchill River swim

Some trepidation accompanied checking the box “no canoeing experience” on the booking form for CanoeSki. Best friends – a big city Eastern girl and a Saskatchewan farm girl – had decided to embark on an adventure new for both of them. During one of several cross-Canada road trips, on some lonely mile, the two of them had decided they should explore Northern Saskatchewan. They wisely decided, though, to go with a guide because of their lack of outdoorsy experience and after asking around and perusing the Internet they decided on Canoe Ski’s Rock Art and Bannock Trip.

The adventure began with Tammi’s arrival in Saskatoon a day before the trip departure to buy last minute forgotten items. One thing led to another, beverages were had, and packing was finished hastily at the last minute. This led to some question when we arrived at Cliff’s place for departure, as we had tied up the waterproof sacs incorrectly. After a quick lesson, we immediately commandeered the back seat of the large van, and settled in for the drive to Stanley Mission.

We began to unwind as soon as we got on the road, and a great Northern adventure was had. We had lovely weather and most days we would paddle all day in the hot sun, then enjoy a refreshing swim while amazing outdoor food was prepared for us. We enjoyed a baking demonstration of Cliff’s outdoor oven and feasted on Bonnie’s freshly made bannock. The scenery was breathtaking, among Canada’s finest, I’m sure. The history of the rock art was awe-inspiring and we also learned a lot from Bonnie’s close connection with nature.

Too soon the trip was over, and we had to leave the solitude of the north for our usual busy lives. But great times and great conversation were the order of our days and at least we now have our memories and some fantastic photos to remind us of a fabulous trip.