Day 0; Friday 23rd July
The Clearwater is a long way north of Saskatoon, about 720 km by road. We (Alan, Warren and I) left their workplace, SED, at noon on Friday in Alan’s Honda Civic with two canoes on top.
We had a burger lunch in Shellbrook (km 133) and dinner in La Loche (km 597) at about 7 pm. Most of the customers in the ‘licenced diner’ in La Loche were more into the liquid offerings rather than the food! The other half of the group, (Brent, Rick and Mike) had traveled separately in Brent’s rather fatigued K Car. When Brent’s car stopped for gas near Beaval, the attendant asked where they were heading. When they told him the Clearwater, he explained how to find the start of the trip. It was a good thing because the turn off was not marked at all well. It could have taken us a long time to find it with out these directions. At La Loche we had passed from the more southern native Cree to the more northern Chipewan areas. La Loche is as far north in Saskatchewan as many maps go and is shown as the end of the marked road system. It is the end of the blacktop, but the Saskatchewan Highway Map shows Highway 955 continuing north for another 245 km of gravel road access to Cluff Lake Mine. The Clearwater trip starts about half way along Highway 955.
Both cars were supposed to meet in La Loche but we missed each other. When Brent filled up with gas and told the attendant where he was heading, the attendant filled it with as much gas as he could. Brent at first thought this was a bit strange until he realized that this was the last gas station. When we went to eat the others did not find us and drove on. However, we later met at the camp ground at the Warner Bridge.
Highway 955 (gravel) is a coarse, cut rock road. Two spare tires are recommended for travel in this region.
The Civic's tires were OK, but the rocks battered the exhaust. First we had to crawl under the car to remove the tailpipe bracket. The flies were intense and we had to wear bug hats. Then a few kilometers later we crawled under the Honda again to cut, bend and remove the middle section of the tailpipe which was dragging.
About 60 km north of La Loche, the road crosses the Clearwater at Warner Bridge. This is where we would take the canoes out at the end of the trip. Here we rendezvoused with Rick, Mike and Brent, who had made it in Brent’s beaten up K Car, and where we set up camp in the provincial campground. Some of the team fished a little but no bites. Bed at 10:30 pm. (a bit late for my body clock!)