Destination Nor'Ouest 2005
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Day by Day

ORIENTATION
May 24 - Took the train to Dorval from Ottawa - check-in at the Travelodge Hotel, Dorval
May 25-28 - Orientation - Lachine, Quebec

EPISODE 1 - May 29 to June 12 - Lachine to Pembroke
Day 1 - depart Lachine, stop at Dixie Island to repair canoe, overnight at Pointe Caron
Day 2 - through locks at Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue - blessing at Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue - camp at Hudson Heights
Day 3 - Ottawa River - through the locks at Carillon - overnight at Parc Carillion, Quebec
Day 4 - Ottawa River - overnight at the frenchman's from France - near Fassett on the Quebec side
Day 5 - Ottawa River - overnight Fox Point
Day 6 - Ottawa River - overnight at Petrie Island
Day 7 - Ottawa River - day off - Petrie Island
Day 8 - Arrive Ottawa – First Nations ceremonies on Victoria Island - overnight at Museum of Civilization
Day 9 - Ottawa River - Victoria Island, portage at Chaudières rapids, overnight Deschênes rapids
Day 10 - Ottawa River - overnight at Buckham's Bay - YooHoo Shirley!
Day 11 - Ottawa River - Voyageur cemetery - transported around ‘barrage des Chats’ - overnight in Arnprior
Day 12 - Ottawa River  - transported at Barrage Du Fort – meeting with the Metis on Grand Calumet - overnight
Day 13 - Ottawa River - overnight at Spotswood
Day 14 - Ottawa River - Karoline quits the expedition - overnight at Sand Point - (turtles nesting)
Day 15 - Pass through Allumettes rapids at Pembroke - overnight at Pine Ridge, MacGregor Bay

EPISODE 2 - June 13 to 23 - Pembroke to North Bay
Day 16 - Ottawa River - pass military base at Petawawa - visit Pointe de l'Oiseau - overnight there on the beach
Day 17 - Ottawa River - transported from Des Joachims rapids to Bissett Bay - overnight at Bissett Bay
Day 18 - Ottawa River - Dominique joins the group – overnight at Bear Point - baptism by Georges-Hébert St. Germain
Day 19 - Ottawa River - arrive Mattawa - overnight at Explorers Point
Day 20 - Mattawa - ceremonies – start up Mattawa river - portage at Hurdman dam, overnight Chant Plain Lake
Day 21 - Mattawa River - Day off - overnight same place
Day 22 - Mattawa River - portages Campion, Des Roches, Les Épingles, Chutes Des Paresseux, De La Prairie,  portage De La Cave, plus a couple of ‘no names’ - visit to Portes de l'Enfer - overnight at Descharges des Perches
Day 23 - Mattawa River - portages Des Perches, Talon, Pin Musique, overnight at Pin Musique
Day 24 - Mattawa River - portage Mauvaise Musique - ‘beaver dam’ incident – enter Trout Lake - stay over at Dugas Bay
Day 25 - portage La Vase - overnight at Champlain Parkette
Day 26 - I go to the Hospital in North Bay for my medical - finish La Vase - repair canoe  - overnight Champlain Park

EPISODE 3 - June 24 to 30 - North Bay to Georgian Bay
Day 27 - cross Lake Nipissing - overnight at Greenings Bay
Day 28 - French River - overnight at Norris Island
Day 29 - French River - portage at Barrage Chaudières - lacrosse game at Dokis reserve - overnight at Upper Chaudieres rapids - Jeff Thuot arrives - get our first mail
Day 30 - French River - Sandrine to the hospital with dehydration - overnight opposite Cross Island - Christian's parents come to visit
Day 31 - Sandrine returns - pick her up at French River trading post - overnight on Island near Tinnerman's Rock
Day 32 - French River - day off - helicopter shots on the French - total destruction of the replacement canoe
Day 33 - Delta of the French River - Voyageur Channel - enter Georgian Bay - overnight Point Grondine

EPISODE 4 - July 1 to 23 – Georgian Bay to Thunder Bay
Day 34 - grounded because of high winds - overnight Point Grondine
Day 35 - Georgian Bay - arrive Kilarney, Canada Day - overnight there
Day 36 - Kilarney Bay - Rat Portage - into Lake Huron - visit 'roche qui cloche' on Manitoulin Island - Christian and Guillame go canoe-boxing on Sheguiandah reserve - pass Little Current - overnight West Rous Island
Day 37 - North channel of Lake Huron - overnight at Ethel Rock Mary Island, Andrews Cove - night of the speech from Guy and Martin
Day 38 - Lake Huron - Whalesback Channel - past Blind River - overnight at De Roberval Point
Day 39 - Lake Huron - overnight McKay Island - farewell ceremony for the 26' birch bark canoe
Day 40 - Lake Huron and St. Mary's River - overnight at Ermatinger house in Sault Ste. Marie
Day 41 - through the locks and start across Lake Superior - overnight opposite Chene Island
Day 42 - Day off - Dominique to the hospital with dehydration - nearly burn Teepee
Day 43 - Lake Superior - Dominique returns - overnight at Pancake Bay - gang goes to Voyageur restaurant at Batchawana Bay
Day 44 - Lake Superior - visit the Indian pictographs on Lake Superior - overnight on Sinclair Island
Day 45 - Lake Superior - visit Devil's Chair and Devil's Warehouse - overnight at Grindstone Point
Day 46 - Lake Superior - cross Michipicoten Bay on Lake Superior (35 klms) - overnight Cairn Point
Day 47 - Lake Superior - along Pukaskwa Park on lake Superior - overnight
Day 48 - Lake Superior - overnight Channel Island - day of the meat
Day 49 - Lake Superior - Channel Island - day off - Otters at play
Day 50 - Lake Superior - arrive Cape Victoria - overnight in the grotto
Day 51 - Lake Superior - grounded by storm on Lake Superior
Day 52 - Lake Superior - change canoes at Terrence Bay due to safety concerns - overnight Minni Island
Day 53 - Lake Superior  - overnight Spar Island
Day 54 - Lake Superior - arrive at Sleeping Giant and overnight between Tee Harbour and Thunder Cape
Day 55 - Lake Superior - arrive at Welcome Island and cross to Thunder Bay at night - overnight Chippewa Park
Day 56 - Day off - Chippewa Park

EPISODE 5 - July 25 to Aug 5 - Thunder Bay to Dog River
Day 57 - 64 - arrive at Fort William - create teams - prepare the canoes for the next leg
Day 65 - depart Fort William – start up the Kaministiquia River - overnight farmers field
Day 66 - Kaministiquia River - overnight Kakabeka Falls
Day 67 - Kaministiquia River - portage at Kakabeka Falls - overnight Oliver Teepee Mun.
Day 68 - Kaministiquia River - portage at Paddy's Rapids and Crooked Rapids - overnight at Crooked Rapids
Day 69 - Kaministiquia River - Diane to hospital with severe cut - cross Little Dog Lake – cross Dog Portage - overnight at Big Dog Lake
Day 70 - Diane returns – cross Big Dog Lake – up the Dog River - overnight on the Dog River

EPISODE 6 - Aug 7 to 20 - Dog River to Fort Frances
Day 71 - arrive at the pipeline and cross the "Pipeline" Portage - overnight Lac du Milieu
Day 72 - Day off - Renaud and Bob go back for the canoe - overnight at Lac du Milieu
Day 73 - start on La Savanne Portage - overnight in the bush
Day 74 - portage on the Trans-Canada to La Savanne Marina - overnight at the Marina
Day 75 - cross Lac Des Milles Lacs, Baril and Brûlé lakes - overnight in the bush
Day 76 - cross Lake Windigoostigwan - overnight in the bush
Day 77 - portage on Hwy 11 – French portage – start across Quetico Park – cross French and Pickerel lakes - cross Portage Des Morts - overnight in the bush
Day 78 - cross Doré Lake - portage at Deux-Rivières - cross Twin and Sturgeon lakes - overnight on Sturgeon Lake
Day 79 - portage at Gros Rocher, Petite Islette, and Petit Rocher – cross the Maligne River – portage Roche Grenovilleus and Portage de l'Île - another Voyageur baptism - overnight at Lac La Croix
Day 80 - cross Lac La Croix, up the Namakan River - Portage des chutes Ivy - Passage des rapides Quetico - Bill Lake -Portage  High Falls - overnight near Wawa Island
Day 81 - Day of the crashed canoes - Portage Hay - exchange 2 bark canoes because of damage - overnight is where the crew helped out - worst night of the trip - overnight Lady Rapids
Day 82 - cross Lake Namakan  - cross Lac La Pluie - overnight at Sandpoint Island Provincial Park  (62)
Day 83 - arrive and portage through Fort Frances – overnight there - police search for Sandrine & Mikael (62)

EPISODE 7 - Aug 21 to 27 - Fort Frances to Pine Falls (Manitoba)
Day 84 - Rainy River - visit Kah-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung aboriginal burial site - overnight there (64)
Day 85 - Yann Perreault joins us - town of Rainy River - selection of canoes for the race - overnight there (65)
Day 86 - start race - Bob & Renaud in the lead
Day 87 - Mikael-Sandrine and Bob-Renaud cross Portage du Rat at Kenora
Day 88 - Dominique quits the race - Guillaume continues alone
Day 89 - Bob & Renaud arrive at Pointe du Bois and win the race
Day 90 - race ends - Sandrine & Mikael arrive in 2^nd place - trio picked up in Kenora - Guillaume picked up by airplane - forced portage around the 7 dams to Pine Fall Recreation Park

EPISODE 8 - Aug 28 to Sep 1 - Pine Falls to Winnipeg
Day 91 - forced portage to past Pine Falls - this is the day the trio flipped and were rescued - because of that ended spending the night there
Day 92 - up the Winnipeg River and arrive at Lake Winnipeg, camp at Grand Beach
Day 93 - on Lake Winnipeg and then start on the Red River - stay over at Fort Garry, ancient HBC post
Day 94 - high winds today - Bob and Dominique start walking towards Winnipeg - others canoe through the dark - pass through locks at St-Andrews - camp at small park
Day 95 - greeted by the Red River Brigade in Winnipeg - arrive at Fort Gibraltar in Winnipeg - the 'secret box' is opened and letters distributed - transfer by limousine to Fort Garry Hotel
Day 96 - return to our homes and the modern world.

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