Pukaskwa Self-Reliant
Pukaskwa Self-Reliant, what does that mean, and what is Pukaskwa? Pukaskwa is a National Park on the North East shore of Lake Superior. Pukaskwa, for us, is our favorite paddling trip in Ontario. The Pukaskwa Coast accounts for half of this paddling trip, which is from Hattie’s Cove to Michipicoten River. If you check out the video above you’ll see that words cannot do justice to the beauty of Pukaskwa! It’s 180 kms of pure wilderness. It’s a shoreline of secluded cobble and sandy beaches, pristine rivers, cascading waterfalls and rugged terrain.
So, what’s the self-reliant part?
We also have so many paddlers who are interested in heading out on an extended trip; who would like the challenge of an extended trip but need a little more expertise in tripping before attempting it alone. This is where the idea for the Pukaskwa Self-Reliant Trip emerged. What if we created a kind of tripping course for those interested in learning the skills of expedition tripping and ran it in the most secluded, most breathtaking section of the Great Lakes we know? Of course it would be Pukaskwa!
Plan
We’ll have two meetings ahead of time, (or if you’re not in our area we’ll have an extended phone session!) At the first meeting we’ll provide valuable planning and packing strategies. We’ll discuss the gear you should bring, what’s necessary and what to leave behind. We’ll discuss how to pack for such an extended trip and how to create a menu, measure portion sizes, transport perishable foods and incorporate non-perishable foods into your menu for the second half of the trip.
Prepare
At this time you can opt for either being completely self-reliant meaning bringing all your own food, gear, cooking, and camping equipment, or you can partner up with someone and share your equipment list and food. This shares the gear amongst more people and makes packing a little easier. We’ll also discuss our route and everyone’s trip expectations, the most important part of any successful trip. At our second meeting we’ll ask you to provide your menu and gear list so that we can identify any potential problems and suggest alternatives.
Pack
Using the tips and tricks you have picked up from our pre-trip meetings you will now feel comfortable packing your food and knowing what gear to bring. We will meet the day before the trip leaves somewhere close to the put-in. Here you will have a chance to maybe pick up a few last minute items and make sure everything is ready to go.
Paddle
We’ll be on trip from Monday 25th July to August 5th or twelve days! The trip is achievable in less than ten days but we’ve made it twelve so we have a couple of spare days for exploring and skill development. We’ll practice level two and level three paddling skills, rescue scenarios, navigation skills and weather interpretation. We’ll also have an extra day at Dennison Falls to hike up to the falls and swim or catch a fish or stand under a waterfall! Our goal is to provide a trip for paddlers where they can enjoy Pukaskwa with paddlers of similar ability so that no one is a hindrance to the group.
