The Actual Trip (Part 3)

Charles Dowdell---Aug 8, 2003

Day 5

Today is the day we plan on spending with the Indians and taking their powered freighter canoe out to an island. They will hunt and fish. We will enjoy being someplace remote, isolated and culturally very different than what we are used to.

Jeff and I decided we would wear PFDs. And since we had brought them along it only makes snse. Or course the Indians do not wear them.

Freighter canoe

Sherman brought some kids, three in all some live over 200 days a year in the bush. It interestes the kids and it helps them stay away from drugs and alcohol.

We paid for gas. It getsexpensive up here. The boat gas was about $120.00 CN. To fill my truck with diesel cost over a hundred dollars.

The trip out to the Island was great. I enjoy boating and unfortunately I have not been doing it that much lately. I especially enjoy wood boats. We were enjoying a very nice wood boat.

It was good to be out on the water. The air was cool, clean and the water was smooth and crystal clear. There are an incredible number of islands out in James Bay. I understand that these islands are now politically part of the Northwest Territories now. The cree don't really care where it is politically, it is their stomping ground. They will fire at a goose at any convience, or fish for whatever, whenever.

We traveled quite a ways out in the bay never out of sight of an island. I could not begin to be able to distinguish the islands from each other other. We passed dozens of islands.

Island Driftwood, Home for Polar Bears

The island experience is one I will savor. There were no bugs. It was cool, clear and peaceful. Sherman said if we want we can camp out there and come check on us every few days (weather permitting). That sounded intreging. We were told that the polar bear summer here commonly and that Inuit Indians also like to camp on this island. There was plenty of fresh water on the island and tons of nice dry firewood. If you had a gun and a fish pole you could stay out there quite a while indeed.

Paying attention to the tide is a big deal. The tide was probably 6 to 8 feet in scope, Making sure the boat was low or high required some planning.

Getting Ashore

Island invaders

Beachcombing

We ate ribsa nd pork chops out on the island. We cooked by skewering it ion a stick then placing it over the fire. It was a slow, smokey way of cooking that really worked great.

Lunch on the island

There was an interesting rock on the island. There was nothing else like it around. I think it was some sort of conglomerate. I thought about how it got there.

Interesting rock

There were these fresh water pools on the island. The water tasted great.

Fresh water pools

Notice the lichens. The caribou eat lichen in the North. I was astounded by the quanity we saw. In some places it looks like snow. It is so thick. I guess thousands of caribou need to eat something though.

Closeup of Interesting rock

Our guide in the distance