Are we nearly there yet??

A couple of days ago we crossed the provincial line into Ontario and after a quick mileage review realised we’re over halfway! (for distance at least – this next bit will be slower…). 

Here’s a round up of how we wound up in the middle of Canada:

• Distance covered: 2900km (give or take a wiggle…)
• Days since departure: 68
• Paddled/portaged: 60 
• Weather bound: 6
• Days off off: 2 (he’s a task master…)
• Provinces crossed: 3; remaining: 2
• Favourite campsite: Bear camp, Alberta

Worst mosquito bite location: 

• Cas: between toes
• Mike: scrotum

Tick tally: Mike 2; Cas 2

Leech tally: Mike 2; Cas 1

Halftime favourite piece of kit: 

• Mike: water filter;
• Cas: carbon paddle (a few mm shorter than when we bought it…)

Nervous moments we thought we’d broken the boat: many

Repairs to boat: 2 (superficial, luckily)

Stow-aways: 2 (one mouse, one toad)

Hitchhikers: 1 

Useless trivets lost overboard: 1

Useless trivets needed to reset the stove when it broke: 1

Cameras destroyed due to stupidity: 1

Times we almost fell in: 1 (yesterday)

• Fuel used: 3L white gas, 2 small camping gas 
• Wine gums consumed: 3.5kg (slightly alarming)
• Whisky consumed: 3 bottles, all excellent

Best piece of advice: burn birch bark for smoke to get rid of mozzies!

Worst piece of advice: 

• ‘Awful cramped: you should get another canoe and tow it behind you with your kit in it!’

 Closely followed by: 

• ‘You should run a noodle [floatation device used by children and in aquarobics classes] down either side – improve your stability!’

What we have learnt: this life suits us!

What we are yet to learn: we have to confess we’re still not 100 percent clear what poison ivy and poison oak are…

Weddings missed: 2 (and 2 more to go…)
Friends and family missed: many 

We love you guys!! Xxx