Day 11

The day broke today and we were inside a cloud. The fog was too thick to see across the lake, and the wind was stiff and cold. We ate and set off, and by noon the sun would be out and the cold forgotten. We picked our way through the rapids of the South Channel, scouting carefully and expecting the worst. The map reported CIII+ and CIV rapids (yikes) – but they turned out to be downlcassed in the low current like previous sets. We had a blast in the hot, clear air, bouncing over huge wavetrains and hitting sharp eddies. Spirits were up as we admired bald eagles and ospreys circling above. We covered 25 km, not bad considering the whitewater. It is the halfway point on our trip, and when it is over it will be sorely missed. Bill brought a watermelon along with we will sacrifice at the confluence of the north and south Channels of this river, the true headwaters of the attawapiskat. The current is already fast here, and we are stoked to see what happens when the rivers join. There is something so satisfying about working your way this deep into the backcountry on your own power. It is even better with 2 other experienced trippers on the same wavelength. It is an exciting prospect that over 500 km is left. The river will carry us.