You never know what will come out of giving a friendly wave to a passing paddler. We have met and had great conversations with lots of fellow paddlers along the trail. Sharing stories, suggestions and laughs with a vast range of people out and about has been a true highlight of the trip so far. We have met camp groups, Boy Scouts, families and friends of all experience levels and from as far south as Tennessee! We are so thrilled to stop and chat with folks. Our last simple wave however, led us to a weekend we won't ever forget. We were camping on Pickerel Narrows our second last night in Quetico Provincial Park. We had just finished an early dinner and were sitting out on a rock by the water when we saw a boat approach. We shot out a quick wave and up paddled two young guys: Rob who happens to live in Atikokan ( our next destination) and his pal Gislene. We held these two up chatting for a good amount of time and the next thing we knew we were having a fish fry together at our site and joking around as though we had known each other for years. We parted ways in the morning but only after promising to meet up once we arrived in Atikokan.
Two days later we found ourselves exiting Quetico and heading to meet up with POPA board member and Voyageur Wilderness Programme director Michelle Savoie at her island on Nym Lake to collect our food cache. Our jaws dropped when we arrived. VWP is unlike any outdoor program facility we have ever seen. The place is an outdoor enthusiast's dream. Further, it is so perfectly decorated and organized you are both comfortable immediately and never tired of looking around at the beautiful buildings and nature. EVEN FURTHER, Michelle and everyone at VWP were so incredibly welcoming and generous, it felt like being among family. We spent a glorious evening and night at VWP where we enjoyed spectacular hospitality and great conversations. We are definitely exited to return there in the future and highly recommend it as an outtripping post and destination for groups or individuals looking for the perfect triad of outdoor recreation, sustainable environment education and Metis/ Voyageur cultural celebration. 5 STARS!
After a bittersweet farewell at VWP we paddled the Atikokan River to Atikokan. Boy oh boy did we get soaked. It poured and thundered all day long. We were not particularly looking forward to setting up camp in the storm at the campground. To our great fortune, this did not have to happen! Our new pal Rob extended the most generous and entertaining hospitality we could have asked for, having us stay in his house for two nights. We got a detailed tour of the town, ate at the Chip Truck and even played a game of doubles tennis with Rob and his friend Jacob. We ended our stay in Atikokan enjoying a pizza party with Rob and our new Atikokan crew! Just what the doctor ordered after 4 weeks of solitude on the trail! We cannot say enough about the people of Atikokan and the surrounding area. We are so lucky to have these people be a part of our journey and cannot thank them enough for their incredible hospitality.