As per my usual move, I am posting a link to my Facebook album of images with regards to my kayaking trek for this year. The trip did not go as planned as some of you already know. I changed my original route to avoid a profusion of polar bears known to be in the area of Hudson Bay where I was planning on paddling. Better to paddle tomorrow than to not paddle at all. Had I started this trip in late May/early June, I would have gone on to Hudson Bay but circumstances dictated otherwise. That said, I opted to paddle Lake Winnipeg (east shore) and had to cancel that route after four days of paddling. Two pinched nerve problems were the deciding factors for ending my cross-Canada tour at Norway House, Manitoba. When I first arrived at Norway House, I was not thinking of ending the trip despite the numbness in my fingers and toes. I was thinking that the nerve problem would pass after a day of rest since that has how my health has always worked out in the past. It didn't this time around. Over one week later, I still have problems with my toes, the tingling isn't getting worse, it gets better until I sit for too long, then it comes back. Strangely, upon meeting the kind folks at Norway House, my ancestral homeland, I felt as if I no longer needed to go any further...like I had made a connection that had to be made with the people there and needed only to stay a few days, then return home. As some of you already know, my Cree heritage began at Norway House over 200 years ago. This is something I knew only recently and did not mean to investigate until I changed my plans for this years trek. I am very glad of the events which occurred to lead me to Norway House. I will not be doing any more long kayak treks for some years to come. Instead, I will focus on writing, getting Linda in the kayak to help her gain more experience, learning to roll (myself and Linda), and then taking Linda on the river up in the mountains for a week of paddling/camping. I paddled through that stretch of the mountains way too quickly back in '04 and want to go back to paddle it more slowly and take more time to smell that fresh mountain air. Next summer, Linda, me and my mom will be driving across Canada to the east coast just to tour Canada and paddle whatever body of water we see that interests us. We plan to B&B it all the way to Newfoundland. Tent only when we can't find a B&B to stay in. Glen Smith, I will need your home address, we are coming for dinner. Joe, same thing.

The following link will take you to the images I took during my Lake Winnipeg trip, complete with commentary. I did manage to paddle the head waters of the Nelson River. I might go back to paddle to York Factory later on, but only after my book is published, Linda has enough rough water paddling experience to join me and I can afford to arrange for a bush plane to pick me up within a day of arriving there. I will be doing a Power Point presentation about paddling the river at the Fort Carlton 200th Anniversary celebration and then at a local bookstore. Once that is completed, I will post the presentation on You Tube for anyone who is interested in seeing images and hearing my commentary for the entirety of my cross-Canada kayaking trip. Enjoy the photos.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=179108&id=609972746&l=810fe11814

Robert N Pruden