Susan Brook
6/26/2003 - 7/4/2003
Our journey up Susan Brook's torturous course brought us from sea
level to over 2,000 feet in elevation over the course of approximately
twenty miles. Along the way we passed through several zones of
vegetation on our way to the uninhabited interior of Labrador. The
effort required to bring our outfit up this brook is difficult to recount
through words or pictures. Suffice it to say, it remains one of the most
mentally difficult tasks I have ever undertaken. Progress was so slow
that for several days on end we advanced little more than a kilometer
or two. It takes a certain kind of person to want to undertake a trip like
this. For us the prospect of seeing a land little changed since
Hubbard had passed through in 1903 was the incentive. The
Hubbard saga was so moving and powerful that we felt compelled, in
fact irreversibly drawn, to this place. There were many moments when
we half expected to turn around and catch a glimpse of Hubbard,
Elson, or Wallace lining their canoe up the stream.
6/26/2003 - 7/4/2003
Our journey up Susan Brook's torturous course brought us from sea
level to over 2,000 feet in elevation over the course of approximately
twenty miles. Along the way we passed through several zones of
vegetation on our way to the uninhabited interior of Labrador. The
effort required to bring our outfit up this brook is difficult to recount
through words or pictures. Suffice it to say, it remains one of the most
mentally difficult tasks I have ever undertaken. Progress was so slow
that for several days on end we advanced little more than a kilometer
or two. It takes a certain kind of person to want to undertake a trip like
this. For us the prospect of seeing a land little changed since
Hubbard had passed through in 1903 was the incentive. The
Hubbard saga was so moving and powerful that we felt compelled, in
fact irreversibly drawn, to this place. There were many moments when
we half expected to turn around and catch a glimpse of Hubbard,
Elson, or Wallace lining their canoe up the stream.
Expedition Journal
6/26
While the task ascending Susan Brook was foreboding for sure, we
were greeted with a pleasant enough looking creek and fair weather.
After paddling for a few kilometers the stream steepened a little and the
bottom changed to gravel and stones. The boats were being lined and
dragged up the shallow stream now. This required us to walk in water
from ankle to almost waist deep. Still, the going was pretty easy and
enjoyable enough. The low water had opened up stone and sand bars
along the way and camping looked like it would be good. We pushed
on until 8:20pm and camped well short of where the Susan became
significantly steeper.
We ate a big pasta dinner and made bread to save for the morning. By
the time our tents were set up on a gravel bar and all camp chores
completed it was after 11:30 pm. A rain system appears to be moving
in and I just heard some sort of animal squeak in the woods. Hopefully
it isn’t a bear cub about to get curious and wander into camp. It’s 11:42
now and totally dark. My wrist hurts pretty badly from paddling the lake,
but it should be fine. Great varied day. Hope we can keep this pace
on the beautiful Susan Brook as it becomes steeper.
While the task ascending Susan Brook was foreboding for sure, we
were greeted with a pleasant enough looking creek and fair weather.
After paddling for a few kilometers the stream steepened a little and the
bottom changed to gravel and stones. The boats were being lined and
dragged up the shallow stream now. This required us to walk in water
from ankle to almost waist deep. Still, the going was pretty easy and
enjoyable enough. The low water had opened up stone and sand bars
along the way and camping looked like it would be good. We pushed
on until 8:20pm and camped well short of where the Susan became
significantly steeper.
We ate a big pasta dinner and made bread to save for the morning. By
the time our tents were set up on a gravel bar and all camp chores
completed it was after 11:30 pm. A rain system appears to be moving
in and I just heard some sort of animal squeak in the woods. Hopefully
it isn’t a bear cub about to get curious and wander into camp. It’s 11:42
now and totally dark. My wrist hurts pretty badly from paddling the lake,
but it should be fine. Great varied day. Hope we can keep this pace
on the beautiful Susan Brook as it becomes steeper.
6/27
Distant rumbles of thunder woke me up at 5:15am and by 5:30 the storm
was over us. Lightning hit very close, the thunder coming instantly with
the flash. My heart raced as the warm feeling of an adrenaline surge
swept through me. I hear Troy yell “Wooohooo!” from the next tent
over. I cross myself and hope the next bolt doesn’t slam into our tents,
but the storm seems to move on as quickly as it came.
We ate a fast breakfast and were on the move by 9:30am. More lining
awaited us. The going remained good enough for a while until the brook
steepened into continuous shallow rapids. Progress became tough as
the gradient increased. One hand was placed on the bow of the boat
for pulling and for balance while stumbling up the round and slippery
rocks composing the river bottom. It was necessary to always feel with
our feet for good footing before taking a big pull on the heavily loaded
canoe. It is slow going and hard to pinpoint where we are on the map.
Seems like we are probably overestimating how far we have come. Hard
to worry about distances yet.
Surprisingly there are few bugs bothering us while we are in the river.
The weather has remained hot and humid with clouds building all day.
The heat makes wading in the water all day very bearable. The river
continues to steepen into actual rapids. It is very hard work to make any
progress at all. Each step comes with a pull. My solo boat when loaded
must weigh over 250 pounds and the tandem boat checks in at over 300
pounds. Up to our knees or more in water all day. The tandem boat
becomes to heavy to drag upstream fully loaded even with two people
working on it. To advance, we each take one load from the boats and
portage it ahead before returning to the canoes and dragging them
along. The lighter boats are much easier to move but by making double
trips we effectively triple the distance we must walk to move the outfit a
set distance. The process is repeated a second time up to a ledge
outcrop with a deep pool.
Distant rumbles of thunder woke me up at 5:15am and by 5:30 the storm
was over us. Lightning hit very close, the thunder coming instantly with
the flash. My heart raced as the warm feeling of an adrenaline surge
swept through me. I hear Troy yell “Wooohooo!” from the next tent
over. I cross myself and hope the next bolt doesn’t slam into our tents,
but the storm seems to move on as quickly as it came.
We ate a fast breakfast and were on the move by 9:30am. More lining
awaited us. The going remained good enough for a while until the brook
steepened into continuous shallow rapids. Progress became tough as
the gradient increased. One hand was placed on the bow of the boat
for pulling and for balance while stumbling up the round and slippery
rocks composing the river bottom. It was necessary to always feel with
our feet for good footing before taking a big pull on the heavily loaded
canoe. It is slow going and hard to pinpoint where we are on the map.
Seems like we are probably overestimating how far we have come. Hard
to worry about distances yet.
Surprisingly there are few bugs bothering us while we are in the river.
The weather has remained hot and humid with clouds building all day.
The heat makes wading in the water all day very bearable. The river
continues to steepen into actual rapids. It is very hard work to make any
progress at all. Each step comes with a pull. My solo boat when loaded
must weigh over 250 pounds and the tandem boat checks in at over 300
pounds. Up to our knees or more in water all day. The tandem boat
becomes to heavy to drag upstream fully loaded even with two people
working on it. To advance, we each take one load from the boats and
portage it ahead before returning to the canoes and dragging them
along. The lighter boats are much easier to move but by making double
trips we effectively triple the distance we must walk to move the outfit a
set distance. The process is repeated a second time up to a ledge
outcrop with a deep pool.
As we drop our gear the humidity reaches a climax and rain pours down
on us harder than I thought possible. This deluge has caught us away
from our rain gear, which is back at the canoes, so we simply walk back
down the riverbed getting soaked by the cold water. It’s a good thing it is
still quite hot out or we would have been dangerously cold pretty quickly.
A mist rises up off of the river as we head downstream and the sun
returns and starts to dry us out.
The canoes are brought up through this steepest section yet. By the
time the entire outfit is at the ledge outcrop we are too tired to continue
and the river appears to grow even steeper. There are some good tent
sites back in the bush here and we have the ledge to cook and set the
bug tent up on, so the decision is made to camp. As the skies continue
to slowly clear I caught three small brook trout in the pool below the
ledge. The kitchen bug tent was set up and guyed out to rocks. We
cooked a rice dinner with the snack sized trout and had a cheesecake
and strawberry shake dessert. Everyone is very tired today owing to the
hard work. Before going to sleep I take a Gold Bond bath to dry out.
From the looks of the maps and what we saw of the river today, there will
be lots of hard work tomorrow.
6/28
Everyone was so tired last night that we did not get out of the tents until 8:
00am. Lots of mosquitoes and flies in the morning. The insects have
even managed to invade the bug tent and disrupt our meager oatmeal
breakfast. The day started out with a portage on river right and the route
is manageably open, but still tough. I am feeling strong on most of the
portages which is uplifting. Our group is moving very slowly, but at least
we are steady.
The portage is about three hundred meters in all and brings us back to
the river above the unusually steep section just above last night’s camp.
After the portage it is back to hard river work. We are up to our waists in
the water while dragging for a good part of the day. Wet all day. The
process of shuttling loads ahead seems to be easiest, so we continued
with that process. Walking with the load is not terrible since it breaks the
monotony of dragging the boat, but it is dangerous. The woods are too
thick to easily walk through so we stay to the river bed, which is full of
slippery and loose round rocks and boulders ranging from basketball to
chair size. We put in a full day of hard work and shed a lot of sweat to
gain only two and a half or three kilometers. Double tripping is slowing us
down and I am starting to question its merit. Maybe it is better to work a
little harder and cover the distance only once? It’s hard to tell without
experimenting. What we do know is that our experience is not unlike that
shared by our predecessors one hundred years ago. An account from
Hubbard’s journal shows the similarities.
Friday, July 17th.—Rain and clouds. Rained hard in the night. Awoke
dreading to start out in it. Got breakfast to let George sleep. Water so
shoal and swift that we would take part of outfit and return for the rest.
Most places had to track, I pulling on rope while Wallace and George
waded, and pushed and dragged the canoe.
Ate hungrily at lunch with perfect weather conditions. Temperatures were
between seventy and seventy five degrees with low humidity. Bugs are
still not outrageous while working in the river. Only had to resort to
wearing hood on bug shirt a few times while in the water. The gloves I
brought to protect my hands from insects are falling apart and the duct
tape will have to come out already.
There is so much more distance to cover that I keep trying not to think of
that now. Instead it seems best to only focus on the task at hand and try
to perform it as quickly and efficiently as possible. We are in camp by 6:
00pm and set the bug tent quickly. Jim caught two small brookies in a
pool but released them. Pasta and pudding is for dinner. We have
located our position just above a squiggle on the map. This location also
corresponds with Troy’s altimeter reading of 390 feet above sea level.
The river here looks so shallow that going up it with a boat seems to be
completely impossible and the wide river bed would produce pretty big
rapids in the spring. Spruce are the dominant tree now and any signs of
scattered birches are quickly disappearing. We have proceeded twelve
kilometers up Susan Brook over the last two and a half days. It is 10:15
as a write this and we hope that this earlier night will allow us to be up by
six thirty tomorrow. We agreed to try going without shuttling loads in an
attempt to speed progress. This is sure going to be hard work. The
going is so slow we can’t really think about distances too much but just
keep plugging away. Still worth being here. Few
people have seen this gorgeous creek. Few would have the
determination to stick it out.
on us harder than I thought possible. This deluge has caught us away
from our rain gear, which is back at the canoes, so we simply walk back
down the riverbed getting soaked by the cold water. It’s a good thing it is
still quite hot out or we would have been dangerously cold pretty quickly.
A mist rises up off of the river as we head downstream and the sun
returns and starts to dry us out.
The canoes are brought up through this steepest section yet. By the
time the entire outfit is at the ledge outcrop we are too tired to continue
and the river appears to grow even steeper. There are some good tent
sites back in the bush here and we have the ledge to cook and set the
bug tent up on, so the decision is made to camp. As the skies continue
to slowly clear I caught three small brook trout in the pool below the
ledge. The kitchen bug tent was set up and guyed out to rocks. We
cooked a rice dinner with the snack sized trout and had a cheesecake
and strawberry shake dessert. Everyone is very tired today owing to the
hard work. Before going to sleep I take a Gold Bond bath to dry out.
From the looks of the maps and what we saw of the river today, there will
be lots of hard work tomorrow.
6/28
Everyone was so tired last night that we did not get out of the tents until 8:
00am. Lots of mosquitoes and flies in the morning. The insects have
even managed to invade the bug tent and disrupt our meager oatmeal
breakfast. The day started out with a portage on river right and the route
is manageably open, but still tough. I am feeling strong on most of the
portages which is uplifting. Our group is moving very slowly, but at least
we are steady.
The portage is about three hundred meters in all and brings us back to
the river above the unusually steep section just above last night’s camp.
After the portage it is back to hard river work. We are up to our waists in
the water while dragging for a good part of the day. Wet all day. The
process of shuttling loads ahead seems to be easiest, so we continued
with that process. Walking with the load is not terrible since it breaks the
monotony of dragging the boat, but it is dangerous. The woods are too
thick to easily walk through so we stay to the river bed, which is full of
slippery and loose round rocks and boulders ranging from basketball to
chair size. We put in a full day of hard work and shed a lot of sweat to
gain only two and a half or three kilometers. Double tripping is slowing us
down and I am starting to question its merit. Maybe it is better to work a
little harder and cover the distance only once? It’s hard to tell without
experimenting. What we do know is that our experience is not unlike that
shared by our predecessors one hundred years ago. An account from
Hubbard’s journal shows the similarities.
Friday, July 17th.—Rain and clouds. Rained hard in the night. Awoke
dreading to start out in it. Got breakfast to let George sleep. Water so
shoal and swift that we would take part of outfit and return for the rest.
Most places had to track, I pulling on rope while Wallace and George
waded, and pushed and dragged the canoe.
Ate hungrily at lunch with perfect weather conditions. Temperatures were
between seventy and seventy five degrees with low humidity. Bugs are
still not outrageous while working in the river. Only had to resort to
wearing hood on bug shirt a few times while in the water. The gloves I
brought to protect my hands from insects are falling apart and the duct
tape will have to come out already.
There is so much more distance to cover that I keep trying not to think of
that now. Instead it seems best to only focus on the task at hand and try
to perform it as quickly and efficiently as possible. We are in camp by 6:
00pm and set the bug tent quickly. Jim caught two small brookies in a
pool but released them. Pasta and pudding is for dinner. We have
located our position just above a squiggle on the map. This location also
corresponds with Troy’s altimeter reading of 390 feet above sea level.
The river here looks so shallow that going up it with a boat seems to be
completely impossible and the wide river bed would produce pretty big
rapids in the spring. Spruce are the dominant tree now and any signs of
scattered birches are quickly disappearing. We have proceeded twelve
kilometers up Susan Brook over the last two and a half days. It is 10:15
as a write this and we hope that this earlier night will allow us to be up by
six thirty tomorrow. We agreed to try going without shuttling loads in an
attempt to speed progress. This is sure going to be hard work. The
going is so slow we can’t really think about distances too much but just
keep plugging away. Still worth being here. Few
people have seen this gorgeous creek. Few would have the
determination to stick it out.
6/29
So tired it’s hard to stay awake to write this. Very hard work today. Pull boats
up one kilometer to a section of flat water! Paddling and easy tracking for a
kilometer is very uplifting. Still, the slow going is tough for me mentally. I am very
anxious on trips and have been working on relaxing and getting into the slower
rhythm of battling upstream.
Tough pulling after this brief respite. The rocks seem even more slippery and a
thunderstorm later last night seems to have raised the river about an inch. The
narrower channel through this section makes the water deeper and the walking
more difficult, but at least the canoe floats better. Pass by an Osprey nest and
encounter terrible going. I slipped on the rocks in heavy current and hit my
knee hard. It is sore as I write this and my wrist is so painful I fear it is injured
worse than I originally thought. Feels like the type of thing that rest would cure,
but there will be none of that for a while now. Pulled canoe up a steeper ledge
where Troy managed to catch three small trout. I pulled ahead while the others
rested and waited at a bend in the river where there was a little pool of calm
water. I caught two trout and when Troy arrived he caught two or three more.
These fish were good with our dinner of pasta and rice with cheesecake. I made
up an MRE strawberry milkshake and it tasted great. All calories are good at
this point.
I allowed myself to dehydrate badly today which seems silly being on a river and
all. Cooler with patchy clouds and a clear sky tonight. The river became much
steeper just before stopping for the day. We are now camped in the middle of a
portage. The Susan is all ledges and falls here, much too steep to move up at
river level. No sign of letting up, and lord knows how long this portage is going
to be. The portage began on river left and the first third of a mile was very hard
going with thick bush. Three trips were made to an open knoll covered in
reindeer moss that afforded a great view upriver of the falls and ledges. We
unanimously agreed that this would make a great campsite. The portage will
continue indefinitely tomorrow leaving us with a very hard day coming up. The
flies were insane between six and eight this evening. There were literally clouds
of them while we were setting up camp. My bug shirt is amazing and the trip
would be sheer misery without its protection. The work is exhausting and it was
so hard to wake up this morning that I can’t stay away to write more. It is 10:36
pm now and the team will try to get up at 7:00 am tomorrow.
6/30
Up at seven thirty but not out of camp until ten. This is really too late of a start,
but the slow morning routine felt so nice. The triple carry across the tough
portage is very tiring and walking on a side hill and up ridges, over blow down,
and through tangles of alders is frustrating slow work. The portages are so slow
it is possible that if we have to portage for any significant distance our chances
of completing the trip are slim. It is supremely important that we stick to the river
whenever possible.
After a good distance we make our way back to the Susan above a falls. Some
dragging and lining brings us to a ledge which I portage. Troy and Jim refuse to
portage and instead drag up this section. I make four trip here so I can take a
load from their boat and allow them to stay in the river. Putting in the extra effort
is fine with me because it is good for the expedition and the guys have been
working extra hard to move the big tandem canoe which is loaded with
considerably more weight. Above this ledgy section a short piece of flatwater
led through a burnt area to another ledge. We decided to camp at this ledge
next to an island. It was a good open area and there were plentiful tent sites.
Our altimeter placed us at 600 hundred feet this afternoon, leaving us with
1,200 feet to ascend. The reading we had made the other day was wrong and
our current position is pretty accurate.
So tired it’s hard to stay awake to write this. Very hard work today. Pull boats
up one kilometer to a section of flat water! Paddling and easy tracking for a
kilometer is very uplifting. Still, the slow going is tough for me mentally. I am very
anxious on trips and have been working on relaxing and getting into the slower
rhythm of battling upstream.
Tough pulling after this brief respite. The rocks seem even more slippery and a
thunderstorm later last night seems to have raised the river about an inch. The
narrower channel through this section makes the water deeper and the walking
more difficult, but at least the canoe floats better. Pass by an Osprey nest and
encounter terrible going. I slipped on the rocks in heavy current and hit my
knee hard. It is sore as I write this and my wrist is so painful I fear it is injured
worse than I originally thought. Feels like the type of thing that rest would cure,
but there will be none of that for a while now. Pulled canoe up a steeper ledge
where Troy managed to catch three small trout. I pulled ahead while the others
rested and waited at a bend in the river where there was a little pool of calm
water. I caught two trout and when Troy arrived he caught two or three more.
These fish were good with our dinner of pasta and rice with cheesecake. I made
up an MRE strawberry milkshake and it tasted great. All calories are good at
this point.
I allowed myself to dehydrate badly today which seems silly being on a river and
all. Cooler with patchy clouds and a clear sky tonight. The river became much
steeper just before stopping for the day. We are now camped in the middle of a
portage. The Susan is all ledges and falls here, much too steep to move up at
river level. No sign of letting up, and lord knows how long this portage is going
to be. The portage began on river left and the first third of a mile was very hard
going with thick bush. Three trips were made to an open knoll covered in
reindeer moss that afforded a great view upriver of the falls and ledges. We
unanimously agreed that this would make a great campsite. The portage will
continue indefinitely tomorrow leaving us with a very hard day coming up. The
flies were insane between six and eight this evening. There were literally clouds
of them while we were setting up camp. My bug shirt is amazing and the trip
would be sheer misery without its protection. The work is exhausting and it was
so hard to wake up this morning that I can’t stay away to write more. It is 10:36
pm now and the team will try to get up at 7:00 am tomorrow.
6/30
Up at seven thirty but not out of camp until ten. This is really too late of a start,
but the slow morning routine felt so nice. The triple carry across the tough
portage is very tiring and walking on a side hill and up ridges, over blow down,
and through tangles of alders is frustrating slow work. The portages are so slow
it is possible that if we have to portage for any significant distance our chances
of completing the trip are slim. It is supremely important that we stick to the river
whenever possible.
After a good distance we make our way back to the Susan above a falls. Some
dragging and lining brings us to a ledge which I portage. Troy and Jim refuse to
portage and instead drag up this section. I make four trip here so I can take a
load from their boat and allow them to stay in the river. Putting in the extra effort
is fine with me because it is good for the expedition and the guys have been
working extra hard to move the big tandem canoe which is loaded with
considerably more weight. Above this ledgy section a short piece of flatwater
led through a burnt area to another ledge. We decided to camp at this ledge
next to an island. It was a good open area and there were plentiful tent sites.
Our altimeter placed us at 600 hundred feet this afternoon, leaving us with
1,200 feet to ascend. The reading we had made the other day was wrong and
our current position is pretty accurate.
It has become obvious that the lighter solo canoe is easier to drag upstream
and I have taken some gear from the heavier tandem boat to keep our paces
more similar. Today was a gorgeous day even though the horseflies, locally
known as “bulldogs”, were horrendous. Troy and I caught ten small trout to go
with our dinner of stovetop stuffing. Looks like a steep section of river lies
ahead but we still hope to make good time. I predict that we will reach Goose
Creek on July sixth. Jim votes sooner and I hope he is right. Maybe the river
will throw us a break somewhere along the way.
This is becoming a very hard trip. We are fighting for every foot gained. My
right wrist is very bad. I can hardly open a water bottle without a great deal of
pain. Fixed my bug gloves with duct tape and am hoping they will last. 10:35
pm now. Need rest.
7/1
Another day of amazingly slow travel. Only slightly better than
yesterday. We covered about two and half kilometers through a section
that looked bad on the map. Sixteen kilometers left to Goose Creek.
The reality of the situation is that we have a very long way to go.
Everyone is hoping to reach Goose Creek in four days, but if the river
does not ease up and we continue to move at our present speed it will
take eight days, which would be very bad. Now we are conscious of
needing to make better time. It has been agreed to try to be moving by
eight tomorrow morning.
Today started with clouds and an east wind. By eleven thirty a steady
rain was falling. Dragged and lined in the river again. I am noticing that
I am getting stronger and that the dragging is easier than it was at
first. Wrist is a little better today. The rain is cold and a good deal of
our gear is soaked. Between walking in the river all day and the
constant rain there is lots of wet stuff.
A particularly steep section checked our progress to the point that we
decided to explore the woods for a portage route. On the first trip
everyone carried a bag or barrel from the canoes. The walking was
generally thick, but it seemed like a feasible carry. However, as we
moved upstream a hill dropped down to the river. The side hill was
covered with thick blown down trees that made walking pretty tough. A
falls was passed and the gear was dropped on the river bank. The
spot was marked with a vertical paddle, blade up, so there would be no
chance of loosing the equipment. Back at the canoes Troy and Jim
decided to stick with the river while I elected to make two more trips and
portage. The inside of my raincoat was soaked with sweat and water
shaking from the trees. I felt pretty miserable. Carrying the canoe was
acceptably tough for the first few hundred meters, but the thick
vegetation forced me to return to the river, where I carried the boat up
the slippery and loose rocks of the shoreline. It’s a miracle no one
slipped and broke a leg in this terrain.
Camp was made where Susan Brook split into two channels. The river
was exceedingly steep here and one of the channels was basically
dry. I scouted ahead and decided that the best way to deal with this
section would be to portage up the dry channel tomorrow morning.
This would avoid a falls and cut off a corner of the river, saving a little
distance. It should be an “easy” half kilometer portage.
The campsite was a nice open ridge covered in caribou moss. Good
weather and a big day tomorrow would be so good. Morale is still
high. There was still joking in camp and we even broke out some
whiskey. The rain eased up for our dinner of rice and beans with an
MRE snack and bread made yesterday.
Its 9:12 now and it will be nice to get to sleep early. Nice to have no
worries except about what you are dealing with. Hopefully the river will
ease somewhere ahead. The maps indicate that the gradient lets up a
little. The altimeter ihas not been calibrated in days and it is placing us
at about 865 feet now. Regardless of our exact elevation, there is still
lots of elevation to gain. What an adventure. The knee I fell on and
hurt two days ago is feeling better now. Really hoping for at least five
kilometers tomorrow, but it will be up to the river. Failure is not an
option. It is truly remarkable what the 1903 expedition was able to do.
7/2
Up with the beeping of my alarm at five after six. Having a candy bar
and cold cereal for breakfast allowed us to be moving by eight. We
made the three quarter of a kilometer portage up the overflow channel
in three trips. This is so slow, but at least the rain has stopped.
The rest of the day was spent moving across flatwater sections and
over ledges. It feels so incredibly good to be able to utilize the canoe
on the flat pieces of river. Susan Brook is now running through a
flatter country as it has risen out of its valley. Reindeer moss and
stunted spruce trees dominate the view and the landscape has
become much more ledgy. There is only a thin cover of sandy soil
under the moss carpeted bedrock.
The flatwater allowed for much better progress. The expedition was
able to put four and a half kilometers to its credit today and that is with
the portage that took most of the morning. A few pretty falls were
portaged later in the day as well. I am so happy to be here. We have
thirteen or fourteen dinners left for this first stage of the trip and we
may run short. It has been decided to hunt and fish whenever possible
to supplement the food supply. In ten minutes I had six small trout to
go with dinner.
Some traps were spotted in wooden boxes up in trees today. The
brook is probably a frozen highway for trappers on snow machines in
the winter. It is incredible to be seeing this land that few have seen. In
the summer very few people venture into the interior of Labrador.
We camped fifty meters away from the river on a knoll covered with a
few stunted spruce. The flies are terrible and swarming in choking
clouds. We set up the bug tent and inventoried all of the food before
cooking dehydrated potatoes with fish for dinner. It was a good meal.
While washing dishes the sky turned an awesome pink and purple
color as the sun slowly set. With the sunset came a temperature drop
and the switch from flies to mosquitoes. The tent and other wet gear
had a chance to dry this afternoon, but the high temperature today was
probably only in the upper fifties. Twelve kilometers remain to Goose
Creek and Hubbard’s memorial. It would be incredible to cover that
distance in two days. It looks like the gradient continues to let up, so it
may be possible. Position is at approximately 1,100 feet tonight.
This was a great day, maybe the best yet. 10:20pm now. All chores
are done. Will sleep. Mosquitoes are very bad. The tent is great and
it is so good to be in the warm sleeping bag. So hard to get up in the
morning and put on wet shoes and other damp gear. Still, worth every
minute of the hard work and all of the unenjoyable things that must be
endured.
Another day of amazingly slow travel. Only slightly better than
yesterday. We covered about two and half kilometers through a section
that looked bad on the map. Sixteen kilometers left to Goose Creek.
The reality of the situation is that we have a very long way to go.
Everyone is hoping to reach Goose Creek in four days, but if the river
does not ease up and we continue to move at our present speed it will
take eight days, which would be very bad. Now we are conscious of
needing to make better time. It has been agreed to try to be moving by
eight tomorrow morning.
Today started with clouds and an east wind. By eleven thirty a steady
rain was falling. Dragged and lined in the river again. I am noticing that
I am getting stronger and that the dragging is easier than it was at
first. Wrist is a little better today. The rain is cold and a good deal of
our gear is soaked. Between walking in the river all day and the
constant rain there is lots of wet stuff.
A particularly steep section checked our progress to the point that we
decided to explore the woods for a portage route. On the first trip
everyone carried a bag or barrel from the canoes. The walking was
generally thick, but it seemed like a feasible carry. However, as we
moved upstream a hill dropped down to the river. The side hill was
covered with thick blown down trees that made walking pretty tough. A
falls was passed and the gear was dropped on the river bank. The
spot was marked with a vertical paddle, blade up, so there would be no
chance of loosing the equipment. Back at the canoes Troy and Jim
decided to stick with the river while I elected to make two more trips and
portage. The inside of my raincoat was soaked with sweat and water
shaking from the trees. I felt pretty miserable. Carrying the canoe was
acceptably tough for the first few hundred meters, but the thick
vegetation forced me to return to the river, where I carried the boat up
the slippery and loose rocks of the shoreline. It’s a miracle no one
slipped and broke a leg in this terrain.
Camp was made where Susan Brook split into two channels. The river
was exceedingly steep here and one of the channels was basically
dry. I scouted ahead and decided that the best way to deal with this
section would be to portage up the dry channel tomorrow morning.
This would avoid a falls and cut off a corner of the river, saving a little
distance. It should be an “easy” half kilometer portage.
The campsite was a nice open ridge covered in caribou moss. Good
weather and a big day tomorrow would be so good. Morale is still
high. There was still joking in camp and we even broke out some
whiskey. The rain eased up for our dinner of rice and beans with an
MRE snack and bread made yesterday.
Its 9:12 now and it will be nice to get to sleep early. Nice to have no
worries except about what you are dealing with. Hopefully the river will
ease somewhere ahead. The maps indicate that the gradient lets up a
little. The altimeter ihas not been calibrated in days and it is placing us
at about 865 feet now. Regardless of our exact elevation, there is still
lots of elevation to gain. What an adventure. The knee I fell on and
hurt two days ago is feeling better now. Really hoping for at least five
kilometers tomorrow, but it will be up to the river. Failure is not an
option. It is truly remarkable what the 1903 expedition was able to do.
7/2
Up with the beeping of my alarm at five after six. Having a candy bar
and cold cereal for breakfast allowed us to be moving by eight. We
made the three quarter of a kilometer portage up the overflow channel
in three trips. This is so slow, but at least the rain has stopped.
The rest of the day was spent moving across flatwater sections and
over ledges. It feels so incredibly good to be able to utilize the canoe
on the flat pieces of river. Susan Brook is now running through a
flatter country as it has risen out of its valley. Reindeer moss and
stunted spruce trees dominate the view and the landscape has
become much more ledgy. There is only a thin cover of sandy soil
under the moss carpeted bedrock.
The flatwater allowed for much better progress. The expedition was
able to put four and a half kilometers to its credit today and that is with
the portage that took most of the morning. A few pretty falls were
portaged later in the day as well. I am so happy to be here. We have
thirteen or fourteen dinners left for this first stage of the trip and we
may run short. It has been decided to hunt and fish whenever possible
to supplement the food supply. In ten minutes I had six small trout to
go with dinner.
Some traps were spotted in wooden boxes up in trees today. The
brook is probably a frozen highway for trappers on snow machines in
the winter. It is incredible to be seeing this land that few have seen. In
the summer very few people venture into the interior of Labrador.
We camped fifty meters away from the river on a knoll covered with a
few stunted spruce. The flies are terrible and swarming in choking
clouds. We set up the bug tent and inventoried all of the food before
cooking dehydrated potatoes with fish for dinner. It was a good meal.
While washing dishes the sky turned an awesome pink and purple
color as the sun slowly set. With the sunset came a temperature drop
and the switch from flies to mosquitoes. The tent and other wet gear
had a chance to dry this afternoon, but the high temperature today was
probably only in the upper fifties. Twelve kilometers remain to Goose
Creek and Hubbard’s memorial. It would be incredible to cover that
distance in two days. It looks like the gradient continues to let up, so it
may be possible. Position is at approximately 1,100 feet tonight.
This was a great day, maybe the best yet. 10:20pm now. All chores
are done. Will sleep. Mosquitoes are very bad. The tent is great and
it is so good to be in the warm sleeping bag. So hard to get up in the
morning and put on wet shoes and other damp gear. Still, worth every
minute of the hard work and all of the unenjoyable things that must be
endured.
7/3
Very enjoyable day. A clear sky at six this morning was lost to a low misty
fog that burned off by nine when we began to move up the river. Breakfast
was oatmeal and a milkshake plus some Carnation powder. I ate my lunch
bars for breakfast as well since the oatmeal is pretty sparse. My stomach is
giving me huge problems this morning. Hopefully just last night’s dinner
and not some water born trouble.
Today involved flatwater along with dragging over and portaging around
ledges. There were six portages in all, many of which were pretty short.
The carries were easier because the woods were not thick. We could carry
on open ledge or in sparsely vegetated woods. The geology has changed
and Canadian Shield is predominant now. Exposed low angle ledges are
very common now. The soil is only a few inches thick over the bedrock,
which prevents the spruce from growing to any substantial height.
Depressions in the bedrock made by glaciers fill in with water to produce
string bogs. Hubbard’s journal entry for this section of Susan Brook reflects
what we saw.
Thursday, July 30th.—Temp. 6 A.M. 39 degrees. Paddled through a
succession of ponds about a quarter of a mile long each, tracking or
dragging over little falls or rapids between. Made portage of 100 rods in P.
M. Need fish now. Grub not so heavy as it was. Were starting to dry
blankets at fire when rain started. All crawled into tent. Need rain to raise
river. Plenty caribou signs—two old wigwams (winter) on rock. No fish but 6-
7 inch trout. Bully camp to-night.
We made good progress, covering four and a half kilometers today. Little
must have changed since Hubbard was through here a hundred years ago.
As the day progresses clouds develop and bands of rain are seen in the
distance although we are never showered on.
Late in the day I spot two ducks on the water about two hundred yards
ahead and take the gun from the tandem boat. I am hoping for a long shot
with the twenty two hornet. As I slowly approach in the boat the ducks spot
me and take flight. They fly at me so I switch to the .410 barrel and take a
shot, missing but causing the birds to maneuver a little. I feel pretty bad
because they would have been delicious, but it was a hard shot and I am
not used to taking birds on the wing. We camp on river left at the foot of a
portage around a sliding falls. It is only about seven kilometers to Goose
Creek and Hubbard’s memorial. We hope to put in a big day and reach the
spot tomorrow. It is now 9:35 and we will get to sleep soon.
7/4
Wake up to the sound of rain pattering on the fly of the tent. It is cold out
and hard to get up. I manage to drag myself out of the tent by six thirty and
change into wet rain pants, a fuzzy rubber top and my rain jacket. Cereal
with a Snickers Bar is breakfast. The day started with the 100 meter
portage around the falls we were camped at. I began shuttling loads pretty
early because I was chilly and couldn’t relax in the rain.
Very enjoyable day. A clear sky at six this morning was lost to a low misty
fog that burned off by nine when we began to move up the river. Breakfast
was oatmeal and a milkshake plus some Carnation powder. I ate my lunch
bars for breakfast as well since the oatmeal is pretty sparse. My stomach is
giving me huge problems this morning. Hopefully just last night’s dinner
and not some water born trouble.
Today involved flatwater along with dragging over and portaging around
ledges. There were six portages in all, many of which were pretty short.
The carries were easier because the woods were not thick. We could carry
on open ledge or in sparsely vegetated woods. The geology has changed
and Canadian Shield is predominant now. Exposed low angle ledges are
very common now. The soil is only a few inches thick over the bedrock,
which prevents the spruce from growing to any substantial height.
Depressions in the bedrock made by glaciers fill in with water to produce
string bogs. Hubbard’s journal entry for this section of Susan Brook reflects
what we saw.
Thursday, July 30th.—Temp. 6 A.M. 39 degrees. Paddled through a
succession of ponds about a quarter of a mile long each, tracking or
dragging over little falls or rapids between. Made portage of 100 rods in P.
M. Need fish now. Grub not so heavy as it was. Were starting to dry
blankets at fire when rain started. All crawled into tent. Need rain to raise
river. Plenty caribou signs—two old wigwams (winter) on rock. No fish but 6-
7 inch trout. Bully camp to-night.
We made good progress, covering four and a half kilometers today. Little
must have changed since Hubbard was through here a hundred years ago.
As the day progresses clouds develop and bands of rain are seen in the
distance although we are never showered on.
Late in the day I spot two ducks on the water about two hundred yards
ahead and take the gun from the tandem boat. I am hoping for a long shot
with the twenty two hornet. As I slowly approach in the boat the ducks spot
me and take flight. They fly at me so I switch to the .410 barrel and take a
shot, missing but causing the birds to maneuver a little. I feel pretty bad
because they would have been delicious, but it was a hard shot and I am
not used to taking birds on the wing. We camp on river left at the foot of a
portage around a sliding falls. It is only about seven kilometers to Goose
Creek and Hubbard’s memorial. We hope to put in a big day and reach the
spot tomorrow. It is now 9:35 and we will get to sleep soon.
7/4
Wake up to the sound of rain pattering on the fly of the tent. It is cold out
and hard to get up. I manage to drag myself out of the tent by six thirty and
change into wet rain pants, a fuzzy rubber top and my rain jacket. Cereal
with a Snickers Bar is breakfast. The day started with the 100 meter
portage around the falls we were camped at. I began shuttling loads pretty
early because I was chilly and couldn’t relax in the rain.
Above the ledge the Susan passed through a pond expansion
before narrowing to twenty five or thirty feet and entering a mini
canyon about ten feet deep. The ledges were covered with mint
green and white lichens topped by dwarf black spruce that make this
an amazing scene. We were able to drag and line the canoes all of
the way today with no portages. While this was quicker than
portaging, it was very tough on the boats. My new canoe is already
worn down to the Royalex in one place.
Rain showers pass through all day, but the weather improves as we
go along. By late in the day it is partly cloudy with patches of sun
and no rain. After our lunch break the river flattened. We dragged
the boat over short shallow ledges and boulder washes connecting
extensive areas of flatwater. We were making the best time we have
on the brook to date. By three thirty we are only a few kilometers
away from Goose Creek and it looks like we will make it for sure.
After one last drag over a ledge we round a corner and there it is.
Goose Creek spills into the Susan over a shallow five foot ledge.
Our journey up Susan Brook is complete. Even though we are only
at 1,230 feet and there is a lot of upstream work to tackle, this is a
major accomplishment. It was a huge challenge. So slow and lots of
tough work. Patience won out in the end. When Hubbard’s 1903
expedition reached this junction on their way upstream in 1903 he
described it as such.
Friday, July 3lst.—Temp. 6 A.M. 56 degrees. Rain all day. Two rivers
puzzled us. Came together just above our camp. One comes over a
fall from the south side; other rough, comes from northwest. South
branch comes from west, better, more level. Little ponds between
falls and short rapids. Scouted. Think south branch Low's Northwest
River. Wallace caught bully mess of trout while George and I were
scouting. George found old wigwam about a quarter of a mile up
south branch; also a winter blaze crossing stream north to south,
fresh. Trappers' line, think. Blake or M'Lean. Wigwam old. Rain bad.
River not very good, some ponds, some portage, some dragging. Up
south branch three-quarters of a mile stopped for lunch. Stopped
after a quarter of a mile portage for a scout. Wallace and I made
camp in rain while George scouted. George reports 1 1/2 mile bad
river, then level, deep ponds, very good. Caught trout. Rainy camp.
before narrowing to twenty five or thirty feet and entering a mini
canyon about ten feet deep. The ledges were covered with mint
green and white lichens topped by dwarf black spruce that make this
an amazing scene. We were able to drag and line the canoes all of
the way today with no portages. While this was quicker than
portaging, it was very tough on the boats. My new canoe is already
worn down to the Royalex in one place.
Rain showers pass through all day, but the weather improves as we
go along. By late in the day it is partly cloudy with patches of sun
and no rain. After our lunch break the river flattened. We dragged
the boat over short shallow ledges and boulder washes connecting
extensive areas of flatwater. We were making the best time we have
on the brook to date. By three thirty we are only a few kilometers
away from Goose Creek and it looks like we will make it for sure.
After one last drag over a ledge we round a corner and there it is.
Goose Creek spills into the Susan over a shallow five foot ledge.
Our journey up Susan Brook is complete. Even though we are only
at 1,230 feet and there is a lot of upstream work to tackle, this is a
major accomplishment. It was a huge challenge. So slow and lots of
tough work. Patience won out in the end. When Hubbard’s 1903
expedition reached this junction on their way upstream in 1903 he
described it as such.
Friday, July 3lst.—Temp. 6 A.M. 56 degrees. Rain all day. Two rivers
puzzled us. Came together just above our camp. One comes over a
fall from the south side; other rough, comes from northwest. South
branch comes from west, better, more level. Little ponds between
falls and short rapids. Scouted. Think south branch Low's Northwest
River. Wallace caught bully mess of trout while George and I were
scouting. George found old wigwam about a quarter of a mile up
south branch; also a winter blaze crossing stream north to south,
fresh. Trappers' line, think. Blake or M'Lean. Wigwam old. Rain bad.
River not very good, some ponds, some portage, some dragging. Up
south branch three-quarters of a mile stopped for lunch. Stopped
after a quarter of a mile portage for a scout. Wallace and I made
camp in rain while George scouted. George reports 1 1/2 mile bad
river, then level, deep ponds, very good. Caught trout. Rainy camp.
After taking a few pictures at Goose Creek we changed into dry clothes and
headed across the Susan to look for Hubbard’s last camp. After ten minutes of
searching I found the rock with its bronze tablet that Hubbard’s tent was
pitched against. This is a solemn yet happy moment. I am glad that Hubbard
inspired me to come here. I can imagine his last thoughts and his last few
hours at this place. The spot must be remarkably the same. The same small
rapid gurgling outside of my tent must have rang in Hubbard’s ears when he
was here. It is eight fifty two now and we are exhausted yet feeling content and
satisfied.
It is at this spot that Hubbard perished a hundred years earlier. We can’t help
but feel a chill thinking about the drama and tragedy that once played out in
this exact location. Hubbard’s final journal entry provides the most vivid and
moving description of the situation.
headed across the Susan to look for Hubbard’s last camp. After ten minutes of
searching I found the rock with its bronze tablet that Hubbard’s tent was
pitched against. This is a solemn yet happy moment. I am glad that Hubbard
inspired me to come here. I can imagine his last thoughts and his last few
hours at this place. The spot must be remarkably the same. The same small
rapid gurgling outside of my tent must have rang in Hubbard’s ears when he
was here. It is eight fifty two now and we are exhausted yet feeling content and
satisfied.
It is at this spot that Hubbard perished a hundred years earlier. We can’t help
but feel a chill thinking about the drama and tragedy that once played out in
this exact location. Hubbard’s final journal entry provides the most vivid and
moving description of the situation.
Sunday, October 18th.—Alone in camp—junction of Nascaupee and some
other stream—estimated (overestimated I hope) distance above head of
Grand Lake, 33 miles. For two days past we have travelled down our old trail
with light packs. We left a lot of flour wet— about 11 miles below here, 12
miles (approximately) below that about a pound of milk powder, 4 miles below
that about 4 pounds of lard. We counted on all these to help us out in our
effort to reach the head of Grand Lake where we hoped to find Skipper Tom
Blake's trapping camp and cache. On Thursday as stated, I busted. Friday
and Saturday it was the same. I saw it was probably useless for me to try to
go farther with the boys, so we counselled last night, and decided they should
take merely half a blanket each, socks, etc., some tea, tea pail, cups, and the
pistols, and go on. They will try to reach the flour to-morrow. Then Wallace
will bring a little and come back to me. George will go on to the milk and lard
and to Skipper Blake if he can, and send or lead help to us. I want to say
here that they are two of the very best, bravest, and grandest men I ever
knew, and if I die it will not be because they did not put forth their best efforts.
Our past two days have been trying ones. I have not written my diary because
so very weak. Day before yesterday we caught sight of a caribou, but it was
on our lee, and, winding us, got away before a shot could be fired.
Yesterday at an old camp, we found the end we had cut from a flour bag. It
had a bit of flour sticking to it. We boiled it with our old caribou bones and it
thickened the broth a little. We also found a can of mustard we had thrown
away. I sat and held it in my hand a long time, thinking how it came from
Congers and our home, and what a happy home it was. Then I took a bite of
it and it was very good. We mixed some in our bone broth and it seemed to
stimulate us. We had a bit of caribou skin in the same pot. It swelled thick
and was very good. Last night I fell asleep while the boys were reading to me.
This morning I was very, very sleepy. After the boys left—they left me tea, the
caribou bones, and another end of flour sack found here, a rawhide caribou
moccasin, and some yeast cakes—I drank a cup of strong tea and some
bone broth. I also ate some of the really delicious rawhide, boiled with the
bones, and it made me stronger—strong to write this. The boys have only tea
and one half pound pea meal (erbswurst). Our parting was most affecting. I
did not feel so bad. George said, "The Lord help us, Hubbard. With His help
I'll save you if I can get out." Then he cried. So did Wallace. Wallace stooped
and kissed my cheek with his poor, sunken, bearded lips several times— and
I kissed George did the same, and I kissed his cheek. Then they went away.
God bless and help them.
I am not so greatly in doubt as to the outcome. I believe they will reach the
flour and be strengthened, that Wallace will reach me, that George will find
Blake's cache and camp and send help. So I believe we will all get out.
My tent is pitched in open tent style in front of a big rock. The rock reflects
the fire, but now it is going out because of the rain. I think I shall let it go and
close the tent, till the rain is over, thus keeping out wind and saving wood. To-
night or to- morrow perhaps the weather will improve so I can build a fire, eat
the rest of my moccasins and have some bone broth. Then I can boil my belt
and oil-tanned moccasins and a pair of cowhide mittens. They ought to help
some. I am not suffering. The acute pangs of hunger have given way to
indifference. I am sleepy. I think death from starvation is not so bad. But let
no one suppose that I expect it. I am prepared, that is all. I think the boys will
be able with the Lord's help to save me.
Instead of boiling bones and moccasins to make a broth we ate a quick MRE
dinner. The bugs are horrendous and we wanted to spend time
photographing the memorial. An ammo can was stashed between stones
against the larger rock. We opened it and found letters from the fifteen or so
people that had been here before. All but four or five came by helicopter.
The others hiked in from the Red Wine River or Grand Lake. We appear to
be the first to have ever made it all the way by canoe since the original 1903
expedition. Perhaps twenty people have ever seen this spot.
My wrist is still sore but getting better by the day. We must remember that
there is still a long way to go before reaching the resupply point. I predict that
there are eleven or twelve days left. That would put our total time out on
stage one at twenty two or twenty three days. It is still difficult to predict. Very
excited for a good nights sleep. Below is a copy of the letter I left at the
memorial.
July 4, 2003
Our group of three has arrived here from Northwest River by canoe in eleven
days. Plan to continue up Goose Creek to Beaver and Ungava Bay. I want to
thank Hubbard for inspiring us to do this. Hubbard’s spirit and desire to
explore was remarkable. God bless this land. Let our wild places stay wild
forever.
Brad Bassi Adams, Ma 01220
Although we were tired and bruised from falling and dragging our outfit up
Susan Brook for the last ten days, we were in considerably better condition
than Hubbard was when his last camp was made at this very spot. The
previous exert from his journal does a heart breaking job of explaining the
frightening situation that the Hubbard Expedition was in.
other stream—estimated (overestimated I hope) distance above head of
Grand Lake, 33 miles. For two days past we have travelled down our old trail
with light packs. We left a lot of flour wet— about 11 miles below here, 12
miles (approximately) below that about a pound of milk powder, 4 miles below
that about 4 pounds of lard. We counted on all these to help us out in our
effort to reach the head of Grand Lake where we hoped to find Skipper Tom
Blake's trapping camp and cache. On Thursday as stated, I busted. Friday
and Saturday it was the same. I saw it was probably useless for me to try to
go farther with the boys, so we counselled last night, and decided they should
take merely half a blanket each, socks, etc., some tea, tea pail, cups, and the
pistols, and go on. They will try to reach the flour to-morrow. Then Wallace
will bring a little and come back to me. George will go on to the milk and lard
and to Skipper Blake if he can, and send or lead help to us. I want to say
here that they are two of the very best, bravest, and grandest men I ever
knew, and if I die it will not be because they did not put forth their best efforts.
Our past two days have been trying ones. I have not written my diary because
so very weak. Day before yesterday we caught sight of a caribou, but it was
on our lee, and, winding us, got away before a shot could be fired.
Yesterday at an old camp, we found the end we had cut from a flour bag. It
had a bit of flour sticking to it. We boiled it with our old caribou bones and it
thickened the broth a little. We also found a can of mustard we had thrown
away. I sat and held it in my hand a long time, thinking how it came from
Congers and our home, and what a happy home it was. Then I took a bite of
it and it was very good. We mixed some in our bone broth and it seemed to
stimulate us. We had a bit of caribou skin in the same pot. It swelled thick
and was very good. Last night I fell asleep while the boys were reading to me.
This morning I was very, very sleepy. After the boys left—they left me tea, the
caribou bones, and another end of flour sack found here, a rawhide caribou
moccasin, and some yeast cakes—I drank a cup of strong tea and some
bone broth. I also ate some of the really delicious rawhide, boiled with the
bones, and it made me stronger—strong to write this. The boys have only tea
and one half pound pea meal (erbswurst). Our parting was most affecting. I
did not feel so bad. George said, "The Lord help us, Hubbard. With His help
I'll save you if I can get out." Then he cried. So did Wallace. Wallace stooped
and kissed my cheek with his poor, sunken, bearded lips several times— and
I kissed George did the same, and I kissed his cheek. Then they went away.
God bless and help them.
I am not so greatly in doubt as to the outcome. I believe they will reach the
flour and be strengthened, that Wallace will reach me, that George will find
Blake's cache and camp and send help. So I believe we will all get out.
My tent is pitched in open tent style in front of a big rock. The rock reflects
the fire, but now it is going out because of the rain. I think I shall let it go and
close the tent, till the rain is over, thus keeping out wind and saving wood. To-
night or to- morrow perhaps the weather will improve so I can build a fire, eat
the rest of my moccasins and have some bone broth. Then I can boil my belt
and oil-tanned moccasins and a pair of cowhide mittens. They ought to help
some. I am not suffering. The acute pangs of hunger have given way to
indifference. I am sleepy. I think death from starvation is not so bad. But let
no one suppose that I expect it. I am prepared, that is all. I think the boys will
be able with the Lord's help to save me.
Instead of boiling bones and moccasins to make a broth we ate a quick MRE
dinner. The bugs are horrendous and we wanted to spend time
photographing the memorial. An ammo can was stashed between stones
against the larger rock. We opened it and found letters from the fifteen or so
people that had been here before. All but four or five came by helicopter.
The others hiked in from the Red Wine River or Grand Lake. We appear to
be the first to have ever made it all the way by canoe since the original 1903
expedition. Perhaps twenty people have ever seen this spot.
My wrist is still sore but getting better by the day. We must remember that
there is still a long way to go before reaching the resupply point. I predict that
there are eleven or twelve days left. That would put our total time out on
stage one at twenty two or twenty three days. It is still difficult to predict. Very
excited for a good nights sleep. Below is a copy of the letter I left at the
memorial.
July 4, 2003
Our group of three has arrived here from Northwest River by canoe in eleven
days. Plan to continue up Goose Creek to Beaver and Ungava Bay. I want to
thank Hubbard for inspiring us to do this. Hubbard’s spirit and desire to
explore was remarkable. God bless this land. Let our wild places stay wild
forever.
Brad Bassi Adams, Ma 01220
Although we were tired and bruised from falling and dragging our outfit up
Susan Brook for the last ten days, we were in considerably better condition
than Hubbard was when his last camp was made at this very spot. The
previous exert from his journal does a heart breaking job of explaining the
frightening situation that the Hubbard Expedition was in.
We were able to paddle our canoes up Susan Brook for about half a mile, before the talk
of hauling and portaging up 2,000 vertical feet began.
of hauling and portaging up 2,000 vertical feet began.
Troy and Jim with the big tandem canoe. This is the last time we would paddle the boats
for more than ten minutes for the next two weeks.
for more than ten minutes for the next two weeks.
Troy and Jim with the big tandem canoe. This is the last time we would paddle the boats
for more than ten minutes for the next two weeks.
for more than ten minutes for the next two weeks.
Under the protection of my bug shirt I lead the way as we start lining the canoes up
Susan Brook. At this point the novelty of upstream travel made it interesting and fun.
Susan Brook. At this point the novelty of upstream travel made it interesting and fun.
For several kilometers above its mouth Susan Brook flowed swiftly over and around
shallow gavel and sand bars which made for easy going.
shallow gavel and sand bars which made for easy going.
Our first half day of traveling up Susan Brook was easy and we were
lulled into a false sense of thinking this might be easy.
lulled into a false sense of thinking this might be easy.
Early on the second day of our upstream work the river steepened into a continuous
boulder garden and the work became quite difficult and tiring.
boulder garden and the work became quite difficult and tiring.
Susan Brook held just enough water to allow the canoes to be dragged upstream,
but the jumbled nature of the river meant the water alternated between knee and
chest deep. This was no fun.
but the jumbled nature of the river meant the water alternated between knee and
chest deep. This was no fun.
Troy stands next to our bug tent and looks upstream at a steep stretch of river that will
require a portage in the morning.
require a portage in the morning.
Nearly tropical heat and humidity in the afternoon gave way to cooler temperatures in
the evening of our second full day of upstream travel.
the evening of our second full day of upstream travel.
Troy and Jim drag the empty tandem canoe up a steep stretch of ledges after having
shuttled a load of gear ahead to lighten the boat.
shuttled a load of gear ahead to lighten the boat.
Taking to the woods on a portage was the worst case scenario as it required two or
three trips and subjected us to the worst of the biting insects.
three trips and subjected us to the worst of the biting insects.
Troy fishes a small pool in the midst of a steep rapid on Susan Brook
somewhere early in our ascent.
somewhere early in our ascent.
The thick Labrador bush is full of blowdowns and tiwsted ground cover which
makes for miserable portages.
makes for miserable portages.
With the river too steep for lining and dragging as far as the eye could see we
were forced to camp in the middle of a portage which would continue in the
morning.
were forced to camp in the middle of a portage which would continue in the
morning.
The good thing about the rain was that it transformed the deep mats of caribou moss into
a super soft ground cover which made for an amazing night of sleep.
a super soft ground cover which made for an amazing night of sleep.
Fishing on Susan Brook produced good catches of small Brook Trout. Here
Troy fries up a batch as a tasty appetizer.
Troy fries up a batch as a tasty appetizer.
Normally cooking such small fish wouldn't make much sense, but we were burning so
much energy while going up the Susan that every extra calorie helped.
much energy while going up the Susan that every extra calorie helped.
Troy finishes a lengthy portage that came up a dry channel of Susan Brook. This carry
lasted all morning, but gained us a good bit of elevation.
lasted all morning, but gained us a good bit of elevation.
Bedrock ledges became more common the farther up Susan Brook we went. This made
for interesting scenery, but the work remained quite difficult.
for interesting scenery, but the work remained quite difficult.
A spectacular campsite and gorgeous sunset make the day's effort worthwhile. Each
night's sleep felt several hours too short while we worked our way up Susan Brook.
night's sleep felt several hours too short while we worked our way up Susan Brook.
As ledges became more common on the river sections of flatwater alternated with
steep falls that required portages. Luckily our higher elevation meant there were
less trees in the way.
steep falls that required portages. Luckily our higher elevation meant there were
less trees in the way.
The stunted spruce trees lining the upper parts of Susan Brook were quite different
than the thick forests found down at sea level. We appreciated the difference even
more having moved out whole outfit into the different ecosystem.
than the thick forests found down at sea level. We appreciated the difference even
more having moved out whole outfit into the different ecosystem.
Here Jim relaxes in the bug free confines of our bug tent which provided a nice
place to wind down after a day of hard work n the water.
place to wind down after a day of hard work n the water.
The pool and drop nature of upper Susan Brook can be seen in this picture. The switch
from endless hours of dragging to short bouts of paddling mixed with portages provided
some mental stimulus, but loading and unloading the boats became a hassle.
from endless hours of dragging to short bouts of paddling mixed with portages provided
some mental stimulus, but loading and unloading the boats became a hassle.
Here we are at a great campsite situated at the base of a long and steep ledge that we
would have to portage around in the morning.
would have to portage around in the morning.
Despite the long days of hard work while climbing the Susan we kept in good
spirits. Knowing we were seeing a land unchanged since Hubbard's expedition
passed through 100 years earlier helped keep us going.
spirits. Knowing we were seeing a land unchanged since Hubbard's expedition
passed through 100 years earlier helped keep us going.
The team takes a much deserved rest at the start of the longest piece of canoeable water
on Susan Brook.
on Susan Brook.
Reaching Hubbard's last camp was a special moment for each of us and we
dealt with our emotions separately. One thing was certain, we all felt a deep
sense of accomplishment.
dealt with our emotions separately. One thing was certain, we all felt a deep
sense of accomplishment.
We knew that a bronze plaque had been installed by relatives of Dillon
Wallace who reached the spot via helicopter, but it was still strange to see
this sign of humanity in such a remote wilderness. For more about the
Hubbard Plaque click here. The story is actually quite remarkable.
Wallace who reached the spot via helicopter, but it was still strange to see
this sign of humanity in such a remote wilderness. For more about the
Hubbard Plaque click here. The story is actually quite remarkable.
After adding our own entries we read through the notes left by others who had visited the memorial. A handful of others had reached the
spot by paddling and hiking, but we were the only team to retrace Hubbard's fateful route up Susan Brook.
spot by paddling and hiking, but we were the only team to retrace Hubbard's fateful route up Susan Brook.