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Post by qp on Apr 19, 2009 23:26:46 GMT -5
Thats way cool Nancy. We are all set to spend the weekend on the Blue River in southern IN first weekend in May. We will be picking up as we paddle along and camp over night two nights on the river. I'm not sure howmany will be picking up and the last time the river was fairly clean. But nonetheless well look and have a great time. It there are people interested just drop me an email or im I'll 'Send' you the details.
qp
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Post by nancy on May 4, 2009 15:13:27 GMT -5
I'm busy getting ready for our cleanup weekend in the Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park here in Ontari-ari-ario. Kevin Callan and I will be leading a group this coming weekend (May 9-10) around Gold, Cold and Poplar Lakes. TonyBrazil (Tony Osse), our Brazil leader, led his cleanup this past weekend. If it's anything like last year, it will be a great success. People at www.songofthepaddle.co.uk are getting ready for their cleanups, too. They all did a phenomenal job last year - I can't wait to hear about this year's trips. This year our grand prize Nova Craft Cronje canoe will be given to the "Best Group Story Written". The winner(s) will have their photo taken with renowned expert, Kevin Callan. The only catch is that the winner(s) must be able to pick up their canoe at the Canoe Museum in Peterborough, Ontario. I will be heading up early Friday, so get your info to me at wildernesscleanup@rogers.com before then, if you can. Just a few days left!! I can't wait to read all the stories! Good luck and be safe!
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Post by nancy on May 6, 2009 18:04:59 GMT -5
USA, where are you? We need your support!! Please help us make our planet a better place to be. We need you!
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Post by nancy on May 13, 2009 8:54:14 GMT -5
So, Bo, how did your trip go? Our was great! I'll tell you more about it after I've gone through all my e-mails.
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Post by nancy on May 18, 2009 16:08:23 GMT -5
It was a dark and stormy night...
Or was it just the cloud of black flies surrounding my head?
Friday, May 8, 2009, the beginning of our adventure for The Great Wilderness Cleanup 2009...
My brother, Ron, and I, packed up my Civic with Nova Craft secured on the roof. With Ron’s best friend, Murphy the Golden Retriever, aboard, we set off for Beaver Lake Road in the Kawartha Highlands where we would put in and paddle through Gold Lake and into Cold Lake to base camp for the next 4 days. Our objective was to venture out into the unknown and clean up where others have gone before.
We made a wrong turn at Lindsay, but not to worry, it was just a minor detour. After 200 km of driving, at Hwy 507 we encountered a “road closed” sign. But not to worry, the road crew let us pass. After reaching the access point on Beaver Lake Road, we disembarked the Civic and were attacked by the black flies. It was a dark and stormy night...or so it seemed with all the black flies. I instinctively tossed my fleece jacket into the car and raced for my bug jacket, unthinking of the fact that my car keys were in the fleece. Ron unknowingly shut the doors. Uh oh...
After flagging down a passing car and having them kindly call CAA for us, we not-so-patiently waited. The bugs were getting worse and Ron’s bug jacket was still in the car. We frantically poked small branches through the partially-open sun roof to attempt to unlock the doors. No go. Ron brilliantly suggested using a paddle...it worked!
Mike and Deb arrived shortly thereafter. We set off to make camp on Cold Lake. After a pleasant afternoon (with bug jackets on, of course), and a steak dinner, Ron and I decided to go for an evening paddle. Ron was in the stern. I attempted to set out the canoe, but balance was lost and Ron went for a dip in Cold Lake. It was cold, all right, the ice was not long gone! After showing us all his bare behind, Ron managed to get some dry clothes on. We all enjoyed the rest of the evening by a warm fire.
Saturday was a mixed bag of weather, ranging from sunny and warm, to cold, windy and rainy. Don’t forget the bugs! We managed to venture out to a couple of campsites on Cold Lake to clean up before the rain hit. Ron and I found very little where we went - hurray! Our own campsite, however, had a few old beer cans and bottles, some plastic bags, a large round back yard patio-type table (complete with pole for an umbrella) and a rusty full-size propane BBQ. Kevin, his little girl, Kyla, and Ashley arrived around lunch time during the rain. Kyla was a real trooper and didn’t want to go when her daddy said it was time to leave. It’s a good thing they did, however; we were later hit with a bad thunderstorm and had to hunker down in our tents for a few hours. I, for one, had a nice nap! The storm passed and we had another nice fire that evening.
Sunday was cloudy and cold, but rain-free. We had breakfast, said our goodbyes to Mike and Deb, and then Ron and I paddled/portaged over to Cox Lake to do some cleaning. Again, we didn’t find much, just 2 bags from several sites. “Could it be working?”, I asked myself. Back we went to Cold Lake, where we enjoyed another campfire on a beautiful evening. I was awakened at about 2:30 AM, not a sound at all except that of a lone beaver slapping it’s tail on the surface of the water...ten...eleven...twelve times I counted before it made its way back where it came from. I felt privileged to have experienced it and it made the entire trip for me.
Monday morning the sun was shining! The bugs were out. We had to pack up and head home. It’s always sad to leave and go home. Even after the bugs and the rain and the lightening and thunder, it‘s always sad to leave and go home.
I’m always sad to leave, but I’m also happy to know that I’ve left there leaving it nicer than it was when I got there. It doesn’t take much. Just pick up a thing or two...or three...or more. Just pack it in and just pack it out.
Simple as that.
Together we ARE making a difference. Thank you all.
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Post by nancy on May 29, 2009 10:07:57 GMT -5
Does anyone have some cleanup trips to share?
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Post by nancy on Jun 8, 2009 9:06:40 GMT -5
Guess what?! We have just added another chapter to The Great Wilderness Cleanup!! Yes, Finland has just joined us! Welcome Finland! I recently received an e-mail from Mr Jaakko P. Makikyla, President of The Finnish Open Canoe Association. The association is proud to announce that they held their first cleanup event this spring and had a great turnout. I invited Jaakko to join us in leading Finland as our new chapter, and he has accepted! Here are a couple of links you should check out about it (one is in Finnish, but the pics are universal): roskaretki.blogit.fi/www.avokanootti.info/html/in_english.htmlOnce again, welcome Finland!!
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Post by nancy on Jun 10, 2009 12:04:20 GMT -5
Hi everyone. I'm still waiting on a few results, but as soon as they come in, I'll get things together and post it all. In the meantime, I thought you might like to check out a couple of blogs from the UK cleanups. Enjoy! www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=16881www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=15742 (This one starts about 1/3 down the page and is posted by Kazbunny cleaning up the Chichester Canal.) Here's a few pics to check out from our own group, The Kawartha Brigade: Courtesy of Me ;D Kevin, Kyla and Ash arriving on a wet Saturday Courtesy of Kevin CallanKeeping Kyla warm Kyla and Ash being silly Kyla having some lunch (what a cutie!) Ron Deb and Mike (Lost Canoe) Group shot I count 5 bags in that photo, and a full-size propane BBQ (on an island!). There was also a big round table with a metal pole through the middle of it, like a patio table. Deb and Mike found another bag or so on Cold Lake on their way out and Ron and I picked up a couple of bags from Cox Lake. I think that would be 8 "or so" bags in total. Geez, more than I thought. Courtesy of RonDeb, Mike and Murphy (Ron's Golden Retriever) keeping the bugs off Murphy guarding our supplies (yes, they've put picnic tables on all the sites in the Kawarthas :-? ) Yours truly (hey, the bugs love me, OK? ) Courtesy of Mike MacHugh (Lost Canoe)A bug-free meal...well, sort of Yours truly and Mike at the table I was telling you about (Now where did I put that kitchen sink? ) Home from the water Stay tuned for more from others...
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