Paddling the South Saskatchewan.

I have some pictures to add to this later but here goes the story anyway.

Day 0- Jeff and JJ have not yet joined the procession. Jim and Joe, the brothers, paddle from the damn at Diefenbaker to Outlook, grasping the beauty all the way through. Spirits are high, beer is plenty and food everywhere. A six point mule deer is spotted swimming across the river. The duo paddle up in an attempt to pet the deer but are outsmarted by this cloven footed creature.

Day 1- Spirits are high, Jeff gets off work at three, picks up JJ and away into the yonder they go. The friends cut a deal, Jeff buys the gas, Jeff drinks JJ's beer and eats his steaks. The duo greet the brothers on the mean streets of Outlook, The spirits of the brothers are low after having to sober up on account of waiting for the late bloomers all afternoon and evening. the group paddles across the river to the camp that the brothers had set up the night before. Conveniently the camp is located across the river from the pay for a site RV park. Beers are cracked, spirits are raised. Quiet time passes at the RV park to hoots and hollers from the foursome across the river. Fireworks are set off and O Canada sang at the stroke of midnight as spirits rise to unprecedented heights.

Day 2- The friends must paddle across the river to grab the trucks and drop one off near toon town. Voices are taken to their threshold in singalong without a working radio as the trucks stumble along, barely reaching a hundred even when the peddle is pressed tightly against the floor board. The troupe stumbles across an extremely ritzy golf course along the shore near Toon town. Mildly out of place in cow boy boots and wrangler jeans, Joe and JJ park the dusty old 400 dollar, two door, light blue, 1990 Ford Ranger Pickup between an Escalade and a convertible Cadillac. The four then sandwich into the bench seat of the other truck, the one that no one is sure of how it made it there in the first place. Joe picks up the MP3 player in the exact right way so that it properly works and the jams start off with Steve Earle's Guitar Town. Spirits are back at last nights level and the troupe sends themselves off to outlook to the soundtrack an outlaw cowboy.

Canoeing for the day goes off without a hitch except when the rain begins and JJ has to improvise a slicker out of a garbage bag. Jeff and JJ spot a lone coyote crossing the river. As it reaches the shore and scampers up the bank, they can't help but wonder if the coyote is following them, watching them with intrigue and perhaps a slight amount of hunger. Camp is made, spirits rise once again, coolers get a little lighter but no one goes hungry.

Day 3- A day filled with lazy river paddling and naked sand bar bathing. Cliff jumping takes on a new level and Jeff discovers the wonders of making Saskatoon berry chocolate chip biscuits, cooked in bacon fat over a bed of hot coals. The last night on the river raises toasts to the trip all evening long as the group vows to not bring any beer home tomorrow. They do not disappoint. Spirits rise, then plummet as the environment mimics the mood of the drunkards and a thunderstorm rolls in to bring a force down upon the beach where the group has camped. Coolers become empty, self respect drops and meat becomes scarce.

Day 4- Spirits are low at the prospect of returning to careers, wonderful but time consuming families, and empty houses. Thoughts are thrown around about throwing it all away and paddling the water ways all the way to the great Hudson's Bay. An excursion that would knock the socks off just about any grizzled lumberjack. Paddling down the river with anticipation of reaching a destination of sorts, JJ routinely scours the banks for a human that could let us know our location. Gazing off into the distance he spots someone, just as Jim spots the naked man, leaf covering his genitals, standing on the side of the bank holding a friendly wave. Spirits rise slightly at the hilarity of the event. Finally the troupe arrives to interrupt a Sunday morning golf game just as little white balls come flying purposefully in their direction. Hauling the canoe up the side of a valley through thick bush is no easy task, but the men tackle it with pride and resourcefulness. The smell of man is thick in the air, you could cut it with a six inch bowie knife, and luckily, JJ has one strapped to his left leg.

The trip is over. Back to life it is.