Uncertainty abound in our lives due to pending lay-off and lack of employment, a canoe trip should have been the last thing on my mind, however, I announced, to Jennifer that I was not coming home for my days off. After asking why, she was shocked, blurted out "I going away with a man I had met over the Internet". Her concern turned to laughter when I explained I was going canoeing with some people on the Milk River I had contact with through a Canoe Routes website.

Driving home from my nightshifts I was too excited to feel tired despite I had only slept 4 hours in the last 48. I started packing and loading the truck. At 1:30pm the Ft. Mac crew arrived. We headed out. Mr. B with me in the Nissan, Mr. A and Ms. K in the new Ford Explorer.

Arrived at Milk River around 3 pm. Dropped gear off and Mr. A and I took truck to Writing-on-Stone. Overflow parking was tricky to find so we asked the Park Interpreter. Just as you enter park there is a gravel road to the left just after you cross the cattle guard. Take that to the end and there is a gravel pad. Apparently you can camp there but it isn’t a nice spot for that. Don’t park in the park overnight or they will tow you. We launched at 4:45pm. Wind was calm, and the weather was warm and sunny. We just floated along, viewing lots of hawks and birds. Sections were rocky sections but a piece of cake. This is a great flow, nothing hard, barely any waves as well.

Arrived at Goldspring at 7pm. Mozis were really bad. Camped down by the water at the picnic tables. Water is safe to drink he says from the hose by the house. Shelter has lights and fire pit. Wood panels can be slid in windows to keep wind out. There was a couple of Swiss who had a rubber canoe and dog they hope to make it to Poverty Rock tonight if wind isn’t too bad.

Sat around after supper drinking wine and beer, talking and sharing scar stories. Cracked us up with his rendition of "reading a book drinking a beer". Went to bed around 11 or 11:30pm. Slept well. Wind came up and rain too. We stayed in our tents till 9am and things were pretty dry by the time I packed up. Still eating breakfast at noon. Need to make heat shield for Peak 1. I forgot my coffee and couldn’t find cutlery. Rain has stopped but wind is still strong. No mozis today.

Surprised how few difficult sections there were in this lower flow. Cool when we left at 12:30. Rained a little along the way once we got past lefty the weather cleared and it got sunny. At poverty rock were the Swiss and a couple from Lake Louise in an 18+ Kevlar Clipper lake boat, and a park interpreter paddling a Swift Dumoine.

We cleaned out the boats. Piled all the gear on in the field then sat around having a beer in the sun. Hiked up to the ridge to watch the sun go down. Saw deer, beaver. Peaceful and tranquil watching the wildlife and the river go by. We started a fire in the big fire pit by the rock. We all sat around swapping canoeing stories and talking about jobs and being outdoors and outdoor gear. Sure meet interesting people on the river. The moon was so crisp a little crescent with Venus down and to the left. The stars were brilliant and the Milky Way was a bright ribbon. I just wanted to lay in the field staring up so I decided to grab my thermarest and sleeping bag and crawled to the top of the hoodoo and slept there looking up at the stars. The birds at 5 am were so great it was so loud and since I was up higher the effect was surround sound.

Woke to a warm morning. Packed up gear and had breakfast. Launched at 10:45am. There are some sharp corners and some shallow sections and some sweepers but the section to Weir Bridge is more about the wind. Mind you Mr. B and I did get sucked backwards into an eddy, which was my fault as I took the corner too wide. Mr. A asked if it was on purpose, we could have lied and said yes but it was pretty obvious. After Weir Bridge the flow slowed down and the sun came out. We just drifted side-by side sharing a beer photographing the hoodoos. This sure is a scenic section. We silently slipped upon the milky waters. No sounds of paddles, hawks circled about and swallows dive-bombed us from their mud nests along the cliffs. At 1:30 pm we arrived at the boat launch is pretty steep with no place to eddy and the fresh gravel is deep. I took a short cut through the hoodoos to the overflow. This is a dumb set up. It isn’t very canoeist friendly. There should be a path and signs otherwise you have to hike along the road and that is a long way. We loaded the two canoes on Nissi and piled the gear high in the box and jammed everyone in the little King Cab.

Back to Lethbridge to unpack and distribute gear. Jennifer called me to come to Brewster’s where her and the girls were having a drink. She bought me a big steak and a dark ale. What a wonderful wife. Mmmmm… that sure hit the spot.