Dutch Bluff

August 9, 2026

The evening storm was vicious, but I slept soundly to the sound of rain pattering off the tent fly. Suddenly I was awake to the sound of something prowling around the tent. Many things are prowling around the tent! Snapping sounds, general chaos, and finally voices, I realized that some other group was moving into our site in the middle of the night in a downpour. I unzipped the fly and peered out and saw a flurry of colourful tents being erected all around. I could also hear Marc chatting with the newcomers, so figuring that shit was under control I zipped back up and went back to sleep.

Got up for the usual early morning coffee with Deb and marvelled at the city of eleven new tents erected pretty much everywhere there was an open spot between ours, and a total of now eighteen canoes parked on the tiny beach. Our kitchen had been moved as the newcomers had taken over the firepit area, and my bailer (a coffee can that had been set up for filtering drinking water) was missing entirely. We packed up on this foggy morning, finally loading up the canoes as the invasion force began stirring. Their leader came over to say hello and appologized for the late arrival due to the storms. The group was a bunch of British air cadets on adventure training. We confirmed where they were planning to camp tonight so we could avoid them, and then sought out the missing bailer which we found in their trash bag. One final check to make sure we had not left anything behind in the cluster frick and we paddled off into the fog.

Tent city

Just a few canoes on the little beach

Paddling under the fog

Today was easy paddling, since the current was swift and we did not have too far to go to avoid getting ahead of schedule. We took a break after ninety minutes, not because we needed it, but just because. Another hour of paddling, and about one kilometer before our planned destination, we spied a great sandy spit with a big bluff and a distinct trail heading up. We pulled in to check it out, and it turned out to be a lovely place to camp. Unfortunately, big enough for a group of two dozen air cadets as well, but they had planned to stop a little ways before here so we hoped that we would not see them.

Big cut banks

After a hot lunch we decided to explore the trail up to the top of the bluff. Was a very steep climb, but everyone including Ivan made it to a great lookout above camp. Katharina, Marc, Judy, and I decided to hike a few more kilometers along the top of the huge ridge to another lookout, which killed another couple of hours on this lovely afternoon. Upon returning to camp, we learned that the air cadets had indeed come by, and upon seeing the campsite had tried to stop but got caught in the current and swept downstream before being able to stop. That is really too bad... we have to spend the night alone here!

Climbing the Netherlands

Summit

Terminus of our hike

Ivan trying to catch us some Arctic Char

During supper time I spied something (actually two somethings) floating down the river. At first I thought it was a couple people in pack rafts, then it looked like it was some sort of log debris, but as one of the logs turned and looked at me with big floppy ears, I realized it was a pair of moose being carried along in the current. We all watched in astonishment as these two heads bobbed along for another 500 meters and then finally made it to the far shore where they scrambled out of the river and into the forest.

Swimming meese!

Marc ensuring everyone was kept warm at the evening fire

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