So, you've read about the unstoppable voyageurs, the expeditions of
Alexander Mackenzie, Simon Fraser and David Thompson to "crack the
mountain ramparts" and map the Rockies. You've heard about the trials of
the 3 great portages to the Athabasca: La Vase Portages, Grand Portage
and the Methye Portage (aka Portage La Loche) and now you're imagining
embarking on a trans-Canada canoe (or kayak) adventure of your own.

If you've ever dreamed about canoeing across Canada, but thought you
weren't up to it, think again! For some tips, see:

http://www.canadabyland.org/

Any constructive comments on the site will be warmly received. Thanks,

Duncan Thomson

"Abigail and Duncan Thomson" wrote in message
...
So, you've read about the unstoppable voyageurs, the expeditions of
Alexander Mackenzie, Simon Fraser and David Thompson to "crack the
mountain ramparts" and map the Rockies. You've heard about the trials of
the 3 great portages to the Athabasca: La Vase Portages, Grand Portage
and the Methye Portage (aka Portage La Loche) and now you're imagining
embarking on a trans-Canada canoe (or kayak) adventure of your own.

If you've ever dreamed about canoeing across Canada, but thought you
weren't up to it, think again! For some tips, see:

http://www.canadabyland.org/


A fine trip, a fine journal (never saw "Faraday cage" or "rubescent" in a
trip report before), and a fine set of references. Thanks.

The Peace is a fine poling river. Don't give up so easily.

Fred Klingener

Abigail and Duncan Thomson wrote in message ...
So, you've read about the unstoppable voyageurs, the expeditions of
Alexander Mackenzie, Simon Fraser and David Thompson to "crack the
mountain ramparts" and map the Rockies. You've heard about the trials of
the 3 great portages to the Athabasca: La Vase Portages, Grand Portage
and the Methye Portage (aka Portage La Loche) and now you're imagining
embarking on a trans-Canada canoe (or kayak) adventure of your own.

If you've ever dreamed about canoeing across Canada, but thought you
weren't up to it, think again! For some tips, see:

http://www.canadabyland.org/

Any constructive comments on the site will be warmly received. Thanks,

Duncan Thomson

A fine effort and a great website!
A minor quibble: You can't start in Montreal and "cross Canada".
You've missed four of the ten Provinces. As a Maritimer, I see this
claim made quite often.

Cheers from Nova Scotia (One of the Four)

On 31 Dec 2003 12:58:42 -0800, (magoo_ns)
wrote:

A fine effort and a great website!
A minor quibble: You can't start in Montreal and "cross Canada".
You've missed four of the ten Provinces. As a Maritimer, I see this
claim made quite often.

Cheers from Nova Scotia (One of the Four)

Don't you count the three territories?

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

Gary S. Idontwantspam@net wrote in message . ..
On 31 Dec 2003 12:58:42 -0800, (magoo_ns)
wrote:

A fine effort and a great website!
A minor quibble: You can't start in Montreal and "cross Canada".
You've missed four of the ten Provinces. As a Maritimer, I see this
claim made quite often.

Cheers from Nova Scotia (One of the Four)

Don't you count the three territories?

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

I do, but since their destination is Vancouver, they won't.

On 31 Dec 2003 18:02:59 -0800, (magoo_ns)
wrote:

I do, but since their destination is Vancouver, they won't.

I imagine that cross country in Canada is a bit more straightforward,
as there are many possible cross country routes for the US.

A US cross country trip often involves New York City to Los Angeles,
although this is arbitrary.

For Canada, the equivalent would involve Vancouver of course, but what
would be the typical East Coast end be? Halifax?

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

Gary S. wrote in :

On 31 Dec 2003 18:02:59 -0800, (magoo_ns)
wrote:

I do, but since their destination is Vancouver, they won't.

I imagine that cross country in Canada is a bit more
straightforward, as there are many possible cross country routes
for the US.

A US cross country trip often involves New York City to Los
Angeles, although this is arbitrary.

For Canada, the equivalent would involve Vancouver of course, but
what would be the typical East Coast end be? Halifax?

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA

A _real_ cross-Canada route would run from St. Johns, Newfoundland &
Labrador to Victoria, British Columbia.

But I know a number of people who have attempted a cross-Canada trip
have taken a bit of a shortcut and started in Halifax.
--
Darryl

"magoo_ns" wrote in message
om...

A fine effort and a great website!
A minor quibble: You can't start in Montreal and "cross Canada".
You've missed four of the ten Provinces. As a Maritimer, I see this
claim made quite often.

If the goal is to reproduce the work of the old explorers, as was implied in
the original post, and not simply to paddle across Canada, then there would
be no need to start further east than Montreal--since you could get there
(from Halifax, St. John's, or Europe) by any decent sailing ship in those
days. Getting much further was difficult in those days before any locks
(not to mention the railways) were built, so Canoes were pretty important...

-Paul

"Paul Skoczylas" wrote in message news:zLhKb.82839$6b2.59240@edtnps84...
"magoo_ns" wrote in message
om...

A fine effort and a great website!
A minor quibble: You can't start in Montreal and "cross Canada".
You've missed four of the ten Provinces. As a Maritimer, I see this
claim made quite often.

If the goal is to reproduce the work of the old explorers, as was implied in
the original post, and not simply to paddle across Canada, then there would
be no need to start further east than Montreal--since you could get there
(from Halifax, St. John's, or Europe) by any decent sailing ship in those
days. Getting much further was difficult in those days before any locks
(not to mention the railways) were built, so Canoes were pretty important...

-Paul


Well, that's the trouble. The goal, as stated by the paddlers
themselves on their website, is to paddle "across Canada" from
Montreal. It's wonderful that they're also going to retrace the
original canoe route, but it didn't cross Canada either. Quite simply
you cannot cross anything by starting in the middle. If they would
take out the "cross Canada" reference, it would in no way diminish
their great achievment, and would erase the unintended snub to
Atlantic Canadians.
I'm not suggesting that one would have to touch all provinces to cross
the country, but I believe Terry Fox had it right; start at the
Atlantic coast of the Easternmost province and finish on the Pacific
coast of the Westernmost.