Y2Y 2002 Update #4

August 23 - Yesterday morning Jack and I stood on the shore of the lake watching the big float plane touch down like a giant goose. Leslie's smiling face pressed against one of the windows and my heart surged with joy. Hugs and tears of a joyful greeting followed. Soon we were unloading gear, the canoe she had rented, and fresh cookies from friends at home. I bid a fond farewell to my friend, Jack, and soon he was in the air heading back to civilization. Leslie and I were together again, just ourselves and the wild country.

Today we portage our gear and the canoe a mile up and over a ridge back to the Gataga. The river is much higher and faster than when Jack and I crossed it a few days ago. Rain is falling. We pack the canoe and push off. The river takes us. I feel like we're flying down the muddy ribbon of water. The grin on my face is non-stop. We dance and weave through fun little rapids, float by endless logjams, and flow with the river. A few heavy squalls drench us well, but the sun returns toward the end of the day to dry and comfort us.

August 24 - A gray, misty morning as we start down the river. Lots of little challenges with small rapids and big eddies and boils. Came to a spot where the river, with a churning roar, funnels through two big rocks jammed with logs. There is a portage trail around it so we gladly avoid the water here.

The river becomes a bit more challenging downstream. The high water has created a stretch of huge waves. We pound through them in fine order, but the canoe is so filled with water we must stop to empty it. The sun peeks through here and there and we revel in it, but the river is keeping us on our toes with more short rapids.

We round a corner and the river drops out of sight with a roar ahead of us. Not a good sight to see. There is no place to land so we jam into some trees on the bank and hold on long enough to tie up. Both sides of the river are high cliffs. We climb up our side and get a view of what the river is doing. The water is funneled between the two bluffs hitting a giant logjam and then spilling over a ledge into an ugly hole with ten foot waves. NOT the way we want to go!

After some study we ease the canoe down to the edge of the logjam and end up portaging everything, including the canoe, over the rough jumble of logs. It takes quite some time, lots of effort, and a bit of balance to walk the logs with the bulky gear.

Once we get downstream from the ledge the river becomes a kinder, gentler stream. We find a great campsite where a clear running creek joins the Gataga. Light rain so we rig a tarp and have a little campfire to warm us up. Later I spend a terrible time trying to hang our food. I lose 2 ropes and get so frustrated. It's late by the time we crawl into the tent.

August 25 - By the time we get going today the sun is starting to break out. It is a different river today. Very peaceful. Our pace is kicked back and we stop and take pictures and gawk at the views of Split Mountain and other sheer faced mountains rising above us. We call it a day quite early and enjoy exploring around our little campsite near Brownie Mountain.

August 26 - More rain this morning, but it clears as we float down the gentle river. A couple hours of paddling brings us to the Kechika River. The clear, green waters of the Kechika form a line with the milky, muddy water of the Gataga. We were hoping that the clear waters would prevail, but after several kilometers the entire river is a murky gray.

I feel excited that I'm finally floating down the Kechika after years of planning. Today it is a peaceful river, but miles and miles of logjams along its bank tell of a wilder side. Broken, shattered trees still stand and we speculate that they must be from ice breaking up in the spring.

The river braids and braids again. We poke along. The views are grand with mountains and rainbows and vast gravel bars. Leslie and I love this time together. We are never so much partners as when we share this wilderness together.

August 27 - A good rain last night, but a strong wind this morning has dried out the tarp and much of the tent. High overcast, but warmer. Pleasant paddling on the big, wide river. We take breaks on the gravel bars. It feels good to walk and stretch, looking at the tracks and the rocks. Today we made camp early as another rain squall descended on us. Our tarp has been a blessing as it allows us to stay dry and cook or hang out without being in the tent. We are surprised by the noise of a jet boat and three friendly hunters stop to chat. They are fun and we enjoy not only the conversation, but the beer that they donate to our evening dinner.

August 28 - It's a beautiful morning, cool and crisp. As we eat our breakfast on the beach we watch the morning light play on the river, the aspens, and a cow moose swimming the swift current. Even though we run into some strong wind today, the paddling is great. We see lots of ducks and hawks. The river doubles in size as the Turnigan River joins ours. Also see several more jet boats.

We camp where Davie Creek flows into the Kechika. Here is the old Davie Trail, an old trading trail from before the days of the whites. I go for a walk and get drawn into this path. It takes me along the edge of a deep gorge through stands of golden aspen and up to a vast bog. I forget about time and when I get back to camp Leslie has been worried. Oh, oh. Time for a jump in the river. It sure has been a grand day.

August 29 - We're up very early this morning to a beautiful sunrise. The reds and pinks are spectacular, the perfect way to start a day. The river is faster and moves us right along. The day slips by and gets cooler. We end up going farther than we had intended, and start getting into a series of rapids. Big waves, and most of the bigger water we could avoid, so nothing difficult. We camp on a neat little island and eat dinner as the light is failing

August 30 - More rapids this morning, but mostly just a peaceful float. We keep expecting a big set of rapids around the next corner, but when we round the corner we find the vast, powerful Liard River. Already? The Kechika has gone by too fast. The Liard is amazing in size and full of big waves. We paddle upstream before heading across to a nice little beach and point of rocks. Sitting in the sun we watch the river roll by and marvel at these last days.

Eventually we paddle down to the landing. Lots of cars and boats here, and the folks from Muncho Lake who rented us the canoe. Leslie will ride back with them to pick up the van while I start walking north on the Alaska Highway. I shoulder my daypack and start walking.

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