I'm sure that we will hear much more from Sarah Hartman about her recent adventure on the East Arm of the Great Slave Lake. She has a standing invitation to do a presentation at the 2012 edition of Canoecopia, for example. Just to tantilize us, Sarah sent the following dispatch, likely composed during her long flight back from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories via Toronto. Consider it a preview of coming attractions.
East Arm Great Slave Lake: Trip Summary
By: Sarah Hartman
If Ontario is the Boundary Waters on steroids, Great Slave Lake is Canada on steroids. I've fished some fabulous Canadian wilderness; this is beyond anything I've seen. It's easy to see why McLeod Bay is under consideration to become a national park.
The decision to go solo was made deliberatively and with consultation with friends, coaches, paddling mentors, and authorities (and locals) in Yellowknife. Tom Bamonte had warned me a couple months prior to the trip that things might not align for him. I had a lot of time to think, work through the 'what-ifs', and come to a decision that was right for me.
I discovered I DO enjoy kayak touring. My longest day was a little over 20 nm (all my measurements were as-the-crow-flies). My best average speed was 3.5 knots/hr. Camp chores, boat maintenance, chart work, personal care, and journaling took 5-6 hours each day. I have NO desire to take off to Australia to break Freya's record any time soon.
Most days McLeod Bay was flat to 6" chop. Two days I had to pull off early due to building sea state. Four days were spent in camp due to conditions, and the trip ended a day early due to those same conditions. If I had been on the familiar waters of Lake Michigan, or had the luxury of marine weather forecasts, or had been with a companion, my decisions may have been different. For the time and the circumstances, they were the right decisions for me.
Fourteen days out was wonderful. I really got disconnected from Chicago life but felt like I was too long away from the responsibilities left behind. I was ready to come home but with mixed feelings. I certainly needed another five days to see all McLeod Bay had to offer.
Learnings:
- It's ok to be by yourself. Just be smart about it.
- It's easier with others though because you can split up the work (and/or have somone to chat with on the weather days).
- I'll for sure go solo again.
Gear I'm expecially glad I had:
- Silk Coccoon sleeping bag liner. Worth the price!
- Storm Cag: great wind breaker for around camp and also to protect the dry suit from rough rocks while doing the morning cooking.
- Dry suit: It was really too warm most days but a wet suit would have been too cold.
- Detailed topo maps to fill in the missing info on the nautical chart of the East Arm and the Snowdrift and Reliance area maps.
- A fleece layer for wearing around camp.
Gear that I wish I had brought:
- Toe nail clippers will be added to the kit
Gear that I forgot that I wish I hadn't:
- Thermos for hot water. (Have no idea how I forgot that one but I felt not quite properly equipped without it.)
New piece of gear that I tried and liked:
- Liqui-Bait Wallet by Plano. Less expensive than a Pelican case and just as water proof.
Paddle hard, learn well, follow your passions wherever they lead.
Sarah