A gentle rolling swell greets us we push out onto Great Slave Lake and the start of our Paddle to the Arctic family adventure. It's 5:15pm, July 4th and we're finally under way.
Pointe Roche lies 20 kilometers to the west at the end of a huge crescent bay that sweeps towards the mouth of the Mackenzie. The shore we follow is a jumble of logs and branches and speaks to the incessant push of wind and wave from this huge body of fresh water, the tenth largest in the world.
A forest fire near Fort Providence - the first community we'll hit on the Mackenzie - has sent a haze across the horizon and there's a faint tinge of smoke in the air. A flock of of pelicans sweep past us as we near Pointe de Roche. The birds are huge, akin to flying swans than a smaller bird and land on the nearby shore to watch our passing.
Pointe de Roche, as its name describes, is a rocky promontory with a small fishing cabin and marker tower at its end.
It's been a short day but a good one and a great start to the adventure.
Pointe Roche lies 20 kilometers to the west at the end of a huge crescent bay that sweeps towards the mouth of the Mackenzie. The shore we follow is a jumble of logs and branches and speaks to the incessant push of wind and wave from this huge body of fresh water, the tenth largest in the world.
A forest fire near Fort Providence - the first community we'll hit on the Mackenzie - has sent a haze across the horizon and there's a faint tinge of smoke in the air. A flock of of pelicans sweep past us as we near Pointe de Roche. The birds are huge, akin to flying swans than a smaller bird and land on the nearby shore to watch our passing.
Pointe de Roche, as its name describes, is a rocky promontory with a small fishing cabin and marker tower at its end.
It's been a short day but a good one and a great start to the adventure.