Churchill River Saskatchewan canoe trip: August 21, 2011

Day 1, Sunday, August 21

As in 2007, we started our trip with the 6 hour drive from Saskatoon to Missinipe. We sighted a young black bear in the parking lot at the diner in Prince Albert National Park; then a large flock of snow geese flew over.

Again, we checked in with Ric Driediger, Churchill River Canoe Outfitters. This time we rented a canoe from Ric, a familiar Trailhead Prospector 17’ red Royalex canoe and set out on our trip directly south-east on the Churchill River from Missinipe. Within a few minutes, near the air base, we spotted a colourful Red-necked Grebe and two Canvas-backed ducks. A loon landed and called. A promising start to our outdoor adventure.

As we wanted to settle in at a campsite and have dinner before dark, we scouted several islands for a spot. We found a site on a small island. The sun shone through the tall evergreens, lighting up the moss and wild cranberries. As were setting up our tent, two juvenile Bald Eagles flew closely overhead. A large American White Pelican followed.

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