I was fortunate enough this summer to travel in one of the most remote places on Earth. For 30 days, I canoed through central and northern Québec, a place few have ever visited. Birds, fish, bears, trees, the wilderness there was thriving and untouched. We began on the Pekans River, paddling upstream and poling and lining through rapids*. While the days were strenuous and long, it was there that I truly felt like I could relax and reflect. That far north, we were almost completely secluded, save the two resupply pilots on day 15 and the three fishermen we ran into on day 6.
You build an insanely strong bond with the people around you when you are secluded and depending on each other to survive. We brought no gas, stoves, only two lighters, and some axes and saws on our trip. We depended on a certain amount of us searching for and chopping firewood, someone setting up a dinner station, and two people baking and cooking. And because of our dependencies on one another, any walls or barriers between us were gone by the third day. When you rely on the people around you as much as they rely on you, the respect everybody has for each other grows exponentially.
After 30 days of travel, I felt healthier and stronger than I had ever felt before. I had grown accustomed to a healthier, more simple lifestyle; similarly to everyone on my trip, I did not want to leave. I remember seeing our van driver arriving on our last day, and even though we were still secluded at the end of a random dirt road, as soon as he stepped out, it felt like we had been transported back into society. immediately we were hit with news of assassination attempts and sports victories, and immediately we wanted to be alone again.
While wilderness travel might not be within everyone's comfort zone, I hope that everybody gets a chance to experience it once in their lives. When all you have to worry about is what you are eating for the night and if it rains or not, life becomes simpler and more enjoyable.
*Poling:
Similar to this photo, we used the poles by jamming them into the riverbed and pushing the canoes upstream. The only difference is that we made our poles out of young spruce trees. There was also another person in the canoe who sat down in the front and kept it straight against the current
Lining:
our lining was the same as this image. When going upstream (against the current) the person in front keeps the boat close to shore and pulls it up while the person in the back either takes or gives slack to keep the boat straight. When going downstream (against the current) the person in the back keeps their end closer to shore while the person in the front pulls.
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