TO ABOVE OATMEAL FALLS -- July 27 PHOTO 84, 85

Paddle a quarter mile. The current picks up into a big swift, running for the next mile or two. Follow left shore most of the way. River empties into lake like expanse (possible old C.S. on right on smooth rock at the bottom of this fast water 6 miles below end of the Link. Right shore an 8’ bank.)

S Two swifts. Run where the river takes an “s” turn

R At eastern end of first large island, in left channel. We ran down the center between two cellars. Can be scouted from rock point on right side. Easy run (’70 & ’72 ran hugging left shore, stacks appeared too large here this year. (L.S. on sand/clay beach below on left) ...Photo#84

R About 1/2 way down this first island, just before a small creek comes in from the south. Easy, run on right.

Take the southern most channel around the 2nd and 3rd (“peat”) islands.

S Around the first small island in this southern channel (island not shown on 4-1s), 1/2 mile west of the cut line shown on the 4-1s.

R Small around the second unmarked island, a short distance below the first. Run on right side of right channel

C.S. at western tip of second large island at he top of a steep embankment- good site.

The cinnamon rolls were great this morning- heated up in the wood stove’s oven! Trouble spot #9 was nothing major. The guy who listed these trouble spots (he’s done the Rupert 4-5 times), wants our job. I think that’s why he came up with this list of 13 (not 12, not 14, but unlucky 13) as part of this scheme to scare us or our director into rehiring him to take this trip. I think he threw in a couple easy spots, just to get the number up to 13. Oh well….

South and west winds bringing rain. We are now four miles above Oatmeal Falls, which can be heard very clearly. Over Oatmeal Falls goes the road to the hydro project over 100 miles north of there on La Grande River. So we will surely see people tomorrow, maybe get some mail off if we can, and catch a meal if the construction crew’s camp is operating (doubtful?). Today was easy guide wise. No tricky turns, etc. Spice cake tonight… One of my favorite bannocks (but nothing beats the raspberry pie we had the day before yesterday!)

Later: Sipping Orange Pekoe tea now. So good! Spice cake was unbelievably great. I think #10 trouble spot is tomorrow. Tomorrow is the beginning of walking- the lower Rupert has a lot of large gorges and falls with really long portages. So the next four moving days will be mostly long portages and the canoes don’t get any lighter with time, just heavier as the wood absorbs water.