August 3rd: They Said This Was a Paddling Trip

August 3rd, 2008; Day 57

Rae River
GPS Coordinates: 67 deg. 55 min. North; 116 deg. 13 min. West

Author: Karen

Today we did spend the whole day paddling. Yes, that's right, we had arrived at the Rae River, our final river, our destination river. The Rae has been more than we expected and more than we ever hoped for. We have enjoyed the downstream current and the fun runable whitewater. We have made a conscious effort to slow down to explore the high cliffs and the rolling green tundra in between.

Let me take you back for a moment to the title of the update and reflect on the last week of the trip. A portaging or paddling trip - this is the question. Our routine across the watershed crossing, starting at the Dismal Lakes and ending at the Rae River, has been anything but an ordinary paddling trip. Typically we begin each day with a significant portage out of our camp towards a clear portion of Boulder Creek to paddle. At this point we would create our day's adventure by choosing one of three options, none of which included more than ten minutes of paddling.

1. Pushing and dragging through boulder fields. This option resulted in great belly laughs from creative pushing and dragging techniques. This option did not always fair well for our boats.

2. Portaging across a bend in the river to cut off an extremely bouldery section. This gave us great satisfaction in making forward progress.

3. This was a special treat: placing our paddles in the water, for some appreciated forward motion.

All in all, the watershed was grand and gave us the opportunity to explore and log some tundra that has rarely been seen in the summer months. One special gift during this watershed occurred on Wednesday evening while rounding a corner of Boulder Creek. We stumbled across the most beautiful waterfall. The 20 meter drop was significant to say the least. With the black midnight rock framing the falls, it made for a magnificent location for pictures and a chilly swim. We spent a good deal of time admiring its beauty and recognize it as a reward for the 50-3/4 miles of dragging and portaging. As our first day on the Rae comes to a close, already each mile feels worth 100% of our collective and individual efforts.

As I'm reflecting on gifts, let me acknowledge one more: having the opportunity to join this expedition crew the last leg of the trip. Joining late on lengthy expeditions is not always easy as I'm sure many of you understand. With the support and blessings from my YMCA work and the creative logistics, we have been able to make this connection happen.

The transition between the fast-paced North Carolina summer camp and the Arctic tundra has been seamless, at least on my end. Knowing that I have done all I could to finish off the first summer adventure has allowed me to embrace this new adventure. From the moment I arrived in the float plane, just eleven days ago, I have not once felt like a new member of this expedition. Quick to fill me in on new and improved systems in camp and the many stories from challenges to tears of laughter, I have not felt like I have missed much. I can't imagine joining a more inclusive expedition group. This was the right place for each of us and the right time to be exploring. We could not ask for a greater gift than to be doing something we love.