Milk River: Southern Alberta June 15th - 20th 2017/22

It is a long drive to the Milk River from Banff. It takes about 6 hours, with stops for last-minute supplies. It is a change of scenery. Where I live, the scenery gets in the way of the mountains. The open prairie and the big sky make the world look larger. There is an endless argument over playlists. I know I will look back on this as a great time, but while it is happening, it is a pain. Getting to Milk River, the town and stretching out is so good. Good time to find out what we forgot

Depending on the water level, the river can be tricky. We have done this river each year for four years in a row. It is the first shake-down trip of the year. We are here in the middle of May, just as the runoff is beginning. We usually take about four or five days to complete. A family in Milk River makes a seasonal living, shuttling your vehicle to Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park, where we take out our boat. The camping is pretty cool all along the river. However, one of the places we used was shut down. It is road-accessible. The Park Rangers showed up. They gave us a one-time permit to camp that night. In later years, bypassing that site and heading down to Pilgrim Rock was much better. This is a fantastic spot that is only water accessible.

I have included some of my photos from 2022. My sister and I run our boat these days. It is a lot more fun when we get to decide where to go. Aven has been doing well as a captain. I hate to say it, but she runs her boat as well as Mom or Dad. At least, it seems that way. I invented the z-tracking system on Slokane Lake last summer. I have to work on that Canadian J stroke a bit more.

What we do a lot of is camping. These trips are great for that. We always have a pretty comfortable camp. That is the advantage of canoeing. You can take a lot of stuff to make your camp life great. The food is always great. Hot Chocolate and campfires at night. Coyotes start as the moon comes up. I am lucky to be able to experience all this. Luckily, my parents are into this sort of stuff. Next summer is the summer of climbing. Maybe I will head to Skaha with him next summer. More camping!

Pilgram Rock Campsite

I spend most of my time at the front of the boat. We used to only have one boat and everybody just piled on, but we used to rent one from the University of Calgary Outdoor program. Last summer we bought another canoe. 17' Nova Craft Prospector which I am told is the best design for wilderness travel. Tracks well in the lakes but rules swift water. Good to know if the end of the world ever happens. Sometimes it seems like that is what my parents are training us for. Climbing, skiing, and paddling has been our summer vacations for as long as I can remember.

My sister, Aven, is running Class II.