La Verendyre Circuit 30 - 2010

We all decided that we would like to do another route in La Verendrye next year. The “we” being Eric Valk, Joyce Anderson, Diane Lepage, Wita Schliewen, Lynn Ovenden and John Galbraith. We had good weather and when it did rain, it obliged us by doing so in the evening or at night.

We spent the first night tenting at La Domaine, arriving near dark and much to our surprise, there were a couple of other large groups of young people there from France and Belgium. We met John at La Domaine and he had claimed some territory for us. We were being serenaded by a campfire group about eleven when there was sudden quietude as a downpour started.

After breakfast at the restaurant, we drove to our put in at Lac Canimna. We started from this point to avoid the Lac Myon portage, which Eric remembered as being long and slimy The plan was to finish at Lac Nichotea, walk 20 min or less down the road and pick up the vehicles. It was almost lunchtime when we embarked on the water. We had lunch at campsite 39-62 on an island.

We did a number of portages Friday, our first day on the water, P135, 160,265. We stayed at the campsite at the end of the last portage. It was in the woods, so it was a little buggy. Once Wita was able to figure out the assembly of the saw and we got a fire going, it helped disperse the bugs.

Saturday, we did one 200-meter portage around a culvert from Lac au Barrage into Grand Lac. The last time Eric had done this route, there was enough water in the culvert that the group had been able to take their canoes through. We camped opposite the turn to Lac Grand, There was a good beach but a long way out before it was deep enough to swim. The bottom had some debris. All of the women went swimming and by the time Eric took his turn; it was dark. He spent some time in the water and came back with wet clothes having fallen in the water.. His tent was near Joyce’s and she heard enough distressing noises that she asked if there was anything wrong? Eric replied that he had a large circle of blood on the seat of his pants and was doing an inventory of various body parts trying to determine where it was coming from; he ultimately discovered a very fat, large leech on the floor of his tent. Like it or not, Eric had a medieval blood cleansing cure. He suffered no ill effects other than a bloody seat to his pants and with the help of Joyce’s saltshaker in the next few days; he was able to wash that out.

We were in the park from Thursday evening to Monday and although this was the beginning of the construction holiday in Quebec, the route we were on was not busy; we saw few people and had no difficulty with camping sites. As we approached one portage we viewed two individuals sitting on lawn chairs on the sandy beach. They halloed and inquired if we were looking for the portage which they pointed out as being to our left as we landed on the beach. Of the two women sitting there, one was a fairly new OYCCC member. She and her friend from Toronto were doing part of the loop.

MEMORIABLE MOMENTS

-John striding up and down campsites with his cell phone held on high seeking reception. Checking in for office messages and providing not always accurate weather info

Whatever happened to getting in touch with nature????

-Diane with her thorough knowledge of insects, pointing out where they were on plants and trees and then providing names and background.

-Lynn and Diane identifying plants, mushrooms and fungi. It was most interesting.

The following stats are courtesy of John, always delivered with a sense of humor.

- It was 103 km from Maniwaki to La Domaine. It takes 11/2 hrs to drive there. It takes two hrs to drive from Ottawa to Maniwaki. (Joyce)

- It was 40 km of hwy driving and 26 kms of gravel to the put in at Lac Canimina, 56 min. of driving time.

- -We spent 9.9 hrs on the water. Our average speed was 4.7 km/hr., our top speed was 7.3 km/hr.

- We covered 43.5 km on the water.

Our thanks go to Eric’s for his very able leadership; John’s assistance and sense of humor and the general willingness of everyone in the group. It all made for a very pleasant trip and an eagerness to try another route next year.

Joyce Anderson

July, 2010