George River Sabbatical Expedition

Over the past decade, my annual Canadian canoe trips have been evolving from short whitewater camping trips into extended wilderness pilgrimages.  Much of this has to do with the increasing size and scope of the expeditions.  Related factors include the remoteness and beauty of the locations, the size and power of the rapids, and the difficulty of the portages.  And many rivers also have a certain mystique derived from early history, lore, and stories of previous attempts at navigation.

Two of my last three of trips - the Moisie and the Seal - have been on rivers that had long captured my imagination.  In each case, the trip exceeded my previous experiences of remote wilderness, big water canoeing, major portaging, and challenging camping conditions.  (My Canadian paddling partner posted a very detailed account of last year's trip online at http://www.recped.com/seal/index.htm.  [It is way more detailed than most people would ever want or need, but if you'd like to sample an entry to get a feel for what it's like, I'd suggest starting near the end with Day 25.])

This year's Sabbatical Expedition will be on the George River in northern Quebec and I will again be pushing my personal limits in terms of remoteness, length and duration of the trip.  There will be no signs of civilization for the entire 380 miles (and approximately 30 days) of the trip.  The whitewater - while big - should not exceed that which I have successfully negotiated in the past and the camping conditions are expected to be slightly less harsh than last year's trip.  

Here's an excerpt from Wikipedia that gives a basic idea of what the river is like:

The George is a big and wide river. It offers relatively easy and inexpensive access to Ungava Bay, compared to other major rivers of this area, hence its canoe-camping popularity.  The George originates about 175 kilometers east of Schefferville in Lac Jannière, between bogs and swamps. The headwater lakes are shallow, connected by rushing rapids. After Lake Advance, the river runs through heavy whitewater until it reaches Indian House Lake (Naskapi: Mushuan Nipi [The big lake in the barrens]), which stretches 100 km.  After Indian House Lake, the George really starts to flow. It offers an abundance of rapids with various levels of difficulty until it reaches Kangiqsualujjuaq close to Ungava Bay....  The river is big and powerful - the French word "Fleuve", also used to describe the St. Lawrence River, describes its character better than the word "Rivière". The power of the George leaves no room for error.

The George certainly demands respect and caution, but it is not quite as hazardous as this description makes it sound.  (Wikipedia also describes this - the biggest trip I'll probably ever be able to afford - as "relatively inexpensive," and speaks of the river's "canoe-camping popularity" when the river probably only sees a dozen canoe trips or so in a season.)  But it clearly is a huge river, draining a massive watershed, flowing completely unencumbered through big rapids and total wilderness - freely - all the way from its headwaters to the ocean.  There are more of these left in this world than you might imagine, but this one also features an Inuit village at the coast that has a small airport.  This feature - along with the fact that the headwaters can be accessed by a fly-in of not much more than 100 miles - does make the trip "relatively inexpensive."  We can be flown in from the mining-town of Schefferville.  No roads go to Schefferville but a train does.  It will be a two-day drive, a twenty-four hour train ride, and then the fly-in to gain access to the watershed.

For safety, we will carry a locator beacon that can be tracked online for those who might be interested in following our progress on the computer.  A link to this will be posted on our church website just before the trip begins.  (The little dot will begin to move across the map sometime around July 8 or 9 in Toronto.  I'll be joining it on the 10th as it passes through Montreal.)  We'll also carry a satellite phone; GPS; repair kits; first aid; extra paddles, food, fuel, batteries, dry socks, and plenty of chocolate!

Modern equipment and supplies make the trip much safer and more comfortable.  But it is still true wilderness.  It will offer the wilderness solitude in which that still small voice - that sound of sheer silence - might be heard. (see 1 Kings 19:11-12 [and a recording of our recent sermon reflecting on this theme at http://web.mac.com/stockbridgeucc/Site/Podcast/Entries/2010/6/20_.html ])

I expect the experience to challenge, humble, reward, inspire, and shape my consciousness - helping to make me a better person and a better minister.  And I can't begin to thank this congregation enough for having the foresight to invest in this time of intentional sabbatical for a time of renewal, reflection, refocus and recommitment.

I would also like to thank the Rev. Janet McKinstry who will be filling in during the entire sabbatical time.  The article below explains the details.

I will return at the beginning of October - recovered, rested, and ready to re-envision our work together as a church - and with stories to tell, no doubt!