Introduction

Introduction

The Canoe Trip Region

Saskatoon is 654 km. (409 miles) from Minot, ND, and 1049 km. (656 miles) from Billings Montana. La Ronge is a further 379 km. (237 miles) north of Saskatoon.

The northern part of Saskatchewan is in the Canadian Shield formation, rolling expanses of granite rock, scraped clean by the 5,000 feet of glaciers which overlay the area for 100,000 years until 10,000 years ago. The thin layer of soil now supports black spruce and aspen trees, with lakes filling the depressions in the granite. As the water level rises in the lakes, it spills over, often in rapids, to the next lake lower down the chain. The route follows the Paull Lake and River, and the Churchill River, usually in a typical lake-rapids system.

Canoe Saskatchewan has many Documented Canoe Route guides. I have quoted parts of this guide in italics. This trip is Route 36,which the guide describes as via Paull Lake, Paull River, and Churchill River to Otter Lake. The Length of Trip is 85 kilometres (53 miles), the Time Required to Complete the Trip is 4 to 5 days (Although Ric Driediger at Churchill River Outfitters advised that the guides were put out several years ago by people who were mainly interested in paddling all day); and the Number of Portages: 16 to 17

The guide says This canoe trip starts at Paull Lake which is in a roadless area approximately 60 air kilometres (37 miles) north northwest of Missinipe on Otter Lake (Churchill River). The best plan is to drive to Missinipe 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of La Ronge on Highway 102 and charter a float equipped plane to transport canoes and party to Paull Lake. Vehicles can be left with one of the outfitters at Missinipe. This is what we did.

The Trip Account

Two of us wrote up this trip account, Peter and Sharon. Our styles are very different; so different that we have kept each separate. Peter wrote the straightforward engineering report type. Sharon gave her impressions of the trip (these are in yellow).

Arrival

Mike, Rick, Brent, Dawnna and Sharon had come from Saskatoon on Friday, and spent the night at the McKay Lake Campsite, north of La Ronge.

Arriving late it’s raining while we are setting up our tents with flashlights at McKay Lake. Along with the rain, thunder is approaching our way. With visions of our tents under the trees, I make myself sleep away the worries of the storm.

Saturday morning, Warren and Sandy picked Peter up at Waskesiu, in Prince Albert National Park, where Peter's wife, Joyce, and their German Shepherd, Max, would spend the week in their trailer at the campsite. From there they continued to the rendezvous at Missinipe - in the rain.

The Party

There were 8 people in 4 canoes:

Warren & Sandy