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North Saskatchewan River/Athabasca River

6/9/2020

There are two rivers that are of interest to me for this year's extended trip - the North Saskatchewan River and the Athabasca River. Both have historical importance for Canadian history, both for the opening of the west by David Thompson and the latter for the amazing explorations of Canada by Alexander MacKenzie. Both rivers offer wilderness travel for long distances and for extended periods of time. From Edmonton to Cumberland House on the North Saskatchewan is a journey of 600 miles and from its source in Jasper National Park to Lake Athabasca along the Athabasca River is a journey of 765 miles.
I have pictures of the North Saskatchewan River from my many paddles on the river from Saskatchewan River Crossing to Edmonton but I don't have any of the Athabasca River.

I would love to paddle both of these routes and follow in the footsteps of the early fur trade explorers especially the North Saskatchewan because I hold a great admiration for David Thompson. Unfortunately travelling solo down the Athabasca River would be impossible for me because of the difficulties created by rapids and the logistical nightmare of resupplying food and fuel along the way. The North Saskatchewan is still a possibility but it is too late to consider it for this year. There are enough communities along the river that it would be possible to stop and buy supplies along the way. However there is a problem at the end of the trip. What do I do with the canoe and all of my equipment? Cumberland House is a small, isolated community difficult to access by road and 1229 kilometres from Jasper. For that matter, how do I get back to Jasper even if I abandon all of my equipment by leaving it as a gift for the local Cumberland House residents? If I am going to attempt this journey I will need a paddling partner and a person who is willing to meet us at the end of the trip to load up the canoe and equipment and return to Jasper. Maybe next year. We'll see.
Obviously paddling is not an option for this year.

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Hazel's Poppa

I'm a grandfather who lost an infant granddaughter and who wants to help Gillian, her mother, provide support for other grieving parents through Hazel's Heroes.
It's important to remember what Hazel's Heroes and Hazel's Helper are all about. Many of you who have followed this blog from the beginning will know why I embark on these extended adventures but I will explain again for those who have recently started to follow my posts.
After my infant granddaughter, Hazel, died suddenly in her sleep her parents, Gill and Gareth, had to struggle through the trauma and grief caused by her death with no one who really understood. After suffering through a dark period and experiencing the lack of easily accessible and meaningful support that she needed, Gill decided to do something about it. She created Hazel's Heroes, an organisation to provide support to mothers who have lost an infant child and to raise awareness about SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Sydrome) and SUID (Sudden Unexpected Infant Death). She became active in SIDS Calgary (https://sidscalgary.ca) an organisation that is "committed to providing support to families, through representing the interests of parents, educating healthcare professionals as well as the public, and raising funds for SIDS research." Gill also wanted to provide the support that she found lacking after Hazel died so she made it her goal to establish a retreat for mothers so that they could spend some time with others who shared a similar loss. With her focus and energy she has been able to fund and organize three successful retreats at a beautiful Kananaskis mountain resort.

Tuscany 2020?

North Saskatchewan River/Athabasca River

Hazel's Poppa

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