once upon a river

White River, (Northern Ontario)
Allow me to introduce you to the past week of my life. In march I received an invitation to be the fourth person for a canoe trip that was to happen this summer. I didn't think much of it, until a few months later when the email conversations were more frequent and more serious. As the date of this trip grew closer my level of anxiety rose with every mention and use of the words "rapids" and "portage". Although I am not a stranger to a canoe, I would hardly call myself an avid canoeist (if that is even a word), so I hesitantly prepared for this trip.
Having just returned I have no regrets from the trip at all! It was an amazing week.
Here my paddle takes a break as I take a photo of the White Lake on an hour into our epic journey. It was beautiful and sunny all week, with the exception of one day (which our sun kissed skin was appreciative of).
Meet the Team: "The Urban Chicks" as we called ourselves, as a clever joke.
Back Row(L-R): Meghan Pierce and Mandy Jaques (both from Winnipeg), Front Row (L-R): Jodie Fluit and Me (both from K-W... and yes we've been told before that we look alike). The white river was about half way from Winnipeg and South Western Ontario so we chose to meet there.
Here I am in front of the magnificent Umbata Falls (note: we did not canoe down this one, no worries). Take note of the sweet bug shirt, not just for looks, I assure you! If nothing else this week I learned to respect the river.
Hydro Rapids: I learned a thing or two about rivers, currents, and rapids this week. Rapids are rated on a scale of 1(smallest) to 6 (largest) depending on the size, and other features (such as big deathly rocks). This one was considered a "class six - unrunable rapid", so we portaged around it, then snuck back to get some photos.

Here I am overcoming my fear of bridges as I walk across this suspension bridge. Chalk that up on my list of "do one thing everyday that scares you"

Group Shot on the suspension bridge

I call this one "The White River in all its glory"... fairly self-explanatory.
Here I pose with some wild blueberries. We picked enough to make fresh blueberry pancakes the next morning... hardly "roughing it".

Our second last day we paddled from the White River onto Lake Superior (which I should add is the largest freshwater lake in the world). We had been warned to take caution on this lake as it can be unpredictable due to waves and currents caused by the wind. As we grew nearer a huge blanket of fog met us, creating an eerie feeling and we felt like we were part of a scene from the Lord of the Rings.
Paradise Cove: We landed on this beach with great excitement. The weather on Lake Superior was gorgeous, calm, sunny and no wind so we decided to stay on our private beach (which we named Paradise) for an extra day. It was amazing! We even met a man on a boat trip who brought over some fresh fish for us for dinner.

Here we paddled the last few Kms on Superior on a sunny bright day. The waves actually pushed us in the right direction. What an exciting time to be almost finished, yet sad at the same time.

... and at last we return to Hattie's Cove, where we had our orientation only 6 days earlier, which felt more like months.
The four of us adventure seekers, had a blast, lots of laughs, shed a few tears and had our fair share of meaningful conversations. There were moments I wanted to cry and give up (namely the moments when I found myself carrying a canoe on a rugged path all in the name of "portaging") and moments I felt alive (namely looking at a massive waterfall while picking fresh blueberries). It was well worth it and I'd love to do it again, but maybe I'll give my back and arms a chance to heal first!