Cian is most definitely an outdoorsy kid. He always loves being outside and being in a canoe and ESPECIALLY fishing. Last year I figured that this summer he would be old enough for his first backcountry trip. We are really trying to pack a lot into our weekends as I am working the remainder of the summer so we had picked this weekend without thinking that I would have a full OR day on the Friday. I was trying to do the math and figure out how we were going to pack up, get the canoe, drive to the Whiteshell and paddle to our first campsite all after my work day. It was stressing me out a bit as I would never typically start a trip that late in the day. When I got home though Cian was at the backdoor before I had even gotten into the garage so there was no changing our plans now. We moved pretty quickly and got to the dock at Caddy Lake at 7:30 pm. The fact that I had no idea where we were camping that night and the sun was already setting had not improved my concerns but at least the water was beautiful so we took off across the lake.
We figured out where the first tunnel was as there was a canoe going out for an evening paddle and they were ahead of us. When we got to the opening of the tunnel they were coming out and we were going in and they warned us it was dark. Cian was very brave and I at least put my brave face on. He immediately put his headlamp on but listened when I said please don't turn it on as I had heard there were bats in the tunnel and I was sure that the Batman origin story of a million circulating bats in a confined space was not going to improve our canoe trip one bit. We got onto the other side of the tunnel (I may have held my breath a bit) and there were tents with fires along the shore. I had looked up where the pre-organized campsites were but they seemed to be occupied and at this point it was getting pretty dark. There was an area a bit down from one of the campsites that was likely used as a shore lunch spot and that was where we stopped for the night. Cian got a chance to use his headlamp as we set up my old little tent in the dark. I was really impressed with my gear. I have had my camping/canoeing gear for longer than I have been married and all of it is in pretty good shape. We went to bed that first night very late but happy in the sound of wind and waves.
We woke up later the next morning around 8-9 am. There was already a bit of a breeze and I realized I would be heading into it a bit on the way up the lake to the second tunnel. We boiled some water thanks to my friend Vanessa's little biofuel stove and had oatmeal for breakfast. Cian's eating can be somewhat unpredictable. He can sometimes eat very little (like on this trip) or a lot (half the eggs and a burger when we got home). He especially doesn't eat when he is excited though so I should have planned for that.
We packed up our camp and headed up the lake to the second tunnel. It's quite a nice paddle and something I could do solo which is good as my 10 year old is more interested in looking around and eating trail mix than paddling. Several power boats passed us and Cian was inspired to start dreaming of the power boat he might buy one day. Clearly they were in it for the fishing and that's where he wanted to be. To be fair to him he might have been more satisfied in the canoe if I let him fish but I could not imagine trying to fish and managing hook entanglements. He was pretty happy though just to hang out and look for loons and beavers. Just before the second tunnel we saw an animal run over the rocks and into the water. Cian thought it was a marten (I didn't even remember Martens existed). The second tunnel is longer than the first and by midday when we were there we needed to make some noise to make sure there wasn't a power boat coming the other way. It was pretty neat to see all the swallows nests. Prior to going through the tunnel a train had gone by overhead. That's the reason the tunnels were made in the first place so that when the railroad was created there was a management system for the water.
On the next lake there were a number of fishing boats as well. I would have never thought a power boat could get through those small tunnels until I saw it with my own eyes. At this point we were looking for a campsite and I think we snagged the last one on North Cross Lake. We saw the small metal pole at the shoreline and made a beeline for it. There were some fisherman in a power boat close by and they told us they had never seen the lake that busy with campers. They also thought we got the last site and it was a favourite. We liked it from a distance and Cian was finally convinced that it had been a good idea to move our camp from our first location. The guys had been fishing and asked if we were and I said that Cian had talked of nothing else all day (which was true) and was excited to get his rod out. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts the line was super tangled and I spent a number of minutes looking at that mess without really a clue how to fix it. Then there was a rain deluge that we spotted about 5 minutes before it happened so Cian and I quickly set up our tent and tarp before that soaked us "to the bone". After that quick shower we turned our attention back to the rod. The guys who had been at our site earlier were closeby and since Cian knew I wasn't figuring out anything quickly he took a big rock and planned to through it in the water on the side of our peninsula that they were on. I suggested we just say hi (which is what we did) and ask for help (we did that too). They were more than happy to oblige as they were already worried that "the little guy" wasn't going to catch anything from shore. Our heroes names are Mike and Ricky. Mike jumped on shore to fix Cian's rod (he cut the mess and started from scratch and fixed it in under 2 minutes) and out with Mike jumped the 3 little dogs in the boat. They only had 10 legs between the 3 of them. Turns out Ricky must have a thing for sad causes :). They asked if we wanted to come in the boat and go fishing as they figured Cian would have more success there. He was more than ready. Fishing in a power boat and 3 dogs - what's not to love? We hopped in the boat and were off. Ricky had a fish finder - Cian didn't know he could love fishing more and then you add a videogame-type element to it? The guys were amazing with him. They gave him their rods and every time there was a bite on any rod he got to reel it in. They taught him how to stick his thumb in their mouths to hold them so you didn't get poked. They taught him how to release a fish (I didn't know how to do that). They were so encouraging and awesome and I can't thank them enough for making a pretty great weekend trip an amazing one.
They dropped us back at camp and we filleted one of the black crappies that Cian caught (I hate filleting fish but I hate it even more with a dull fishing knife 😣) We cooked it on the open fire and then made hot chocolate and smores. Much better than our planned dinner. We planned to turn in early as I had calculated how early the morning start needed to be in order to get the canoe back to the rental place at noon in Winnipeg. We read the classic Patrick McManus in the tent before turning in.
I had set my alarm for 0430 and it was still dark outside (with the exception of the full moon) so I reset it to 0530. I did get my lazy butt in gear that time. Here's my epic mom fail. I put the other 2 fish that Cian caught that we didn't eat in a bag and tied it to the back of the canoe and kept it in the water so that it would be cool and less smelly. Well I guess that the bag wasn't tied as tightly as I thought and when it filled with water the fish must have slipped out. He took this disappointing news surprisingly well. I know it will be a fish story he will tell on future trips. "Mom, remember when you lost my fish in the lake?" 🙈
It was much chillier this morning than it was the day before so it was not as inviting to get up. I knew the earlier we got up though the easier it would be for me to solo paddle the boat back and the better chances we would have of a calm lake. Cian was cold and had already asked the night before if he could sleep in the canoe. I have slept in a canoe and it was amazing so I figured why not? I packed up everything else and then he got in the boat and I brought him his sleeping bag and he cuddled up into the bow. The water was stunning. It was clear as glass and mist was rising everywhere. With the full moon it was the perfect morning for a paddle. Day had broken but the sun wasn't up yet and so the cool dim morning meant we saw lots of loons, beavers, ducks and eagles on our way back. The mist on the lake was everywhere and it made the whole morning magical. We got through the second tunnel and there was just enough light and mist to make it enchanting. The paddle back seemed much easier than the paddle there. I was hoping for a tailwind and the universe obliged. Cian tried to make his raincoat into a bit of a sail but we will have to work on that skill on a different trip. The tail wind was definitely a wonderfully welcomed thing. We barely saw a power boat (or anyone else really) this morning and it was a quiet perfect morning on the water. Everything timed out like clockwork. On the water by 0600, at the boat dock at 0900 and packed up with the canoe strapped down just after 0930. Cian was a great help with packing up the car and strapping down the boat (a much better help than paddler but I expected that). We got back to the canoe rental place with 5 minutes to spare.
Cian and I had a great time and I hope this is the first of many backcountry trips together. Preparing for it made me nostalgic when I dragged out all my gear. It reminded me of my 20 year old self and her love of being outside and how I haven't lost that even with all the years between her and me. I love teaching Cian stuff outside and seeing him really in his element. He is such a good sport about school but that is not his love. He does love being outside and with animals and doing things in nature and I love sharing that together. His appreciation and sincerity are such amazing gifts and I love those qualities about him so much.
(this morning)
Cian : Mom do you see the sky?
Me: Yup it's pretty...
Cian: YEAH...PRETTY AWESOME!!
Driving home cocooned in my little car with the Wenonah on the roof I was listening to Ani diFranco while Cian played a game. I am glad I haven't lost sight of the things that make me "me". That I can fall into a paddling trip like I did it days ago rather than decades. That sterning a boat is like breathing. That I can still be mesmerized by a misty calm lake. To share all of that with Cian this weekend was amazing.
" I do it for the joy it brings
Because I am a joyful girl
Because the world owes me nothing
And we owe each other the world
I do it because it's the least I can do
I do it because I learned it from you
And I do it just because I want to
Because I want to"
- Ani DiFranco
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| Hanging out at our second campsite |
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| Double fish awesomeness (Thanks Mike!) |
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| Here we see Cian in his natural habitat eating his regular diet of wraps... |
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| waterlilies are beautiful |
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| Misty lake and the second tunnel |
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| Chilly morning at the tunnels |
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| Late night start to our canoe trip |
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| Cian packing up our first campsite (complete with headlamp) |
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| First time through the second tunnel |
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| Second campsite on North Cross Lake |
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| My early morning "paddling" buddy - cosy in his sleeping bag |
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| Entering the second cave in the dark early morning |
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| Our heroes Ricky and Mike - sometimes angels drive power boats. |
