Day One:

The team makes camp at Kendrick Rips on the St. Croix in heavy rain. By the next morning all their gear was soaked. The torrential rain also brought another challenge - lots of bugs. Staff photo by John Patriquin.

Between stretches of white water, the river is silent, the scenery wild. The only home we see belongs to a beaver, who doesn't appear to be home. But the quiet here is deceiving. A glance at the river bottom reminds us that these waters were once clogged with timber moving downriver to the mills. The St. Croix isn't just a river, however. It's an international border. On the right is the United States. To the left - Canada. As we zig-zag between countries and time-zones, we meet our first fellow travellers - campers who are working on a project downriver at Little Falls Campsite. We learned that they're all taking part in a wilderness work project along the St. Croix Waterway.

But we have our own work to do. Up ahead we spot a set of Class Three rapids - Little Falls is just around the bend. Tux and I decide to shoot the falls without gear, just in case... but we made it through unscathed. We continued down the river debating which country would provide us with a better night's rest.

Watch a Quicktime movie of Tux Turkel and Amy Sinclair tackling the rapids. This 616 K file will take a minute or two to download. To view this video, your browser will need the QuickTime System extension version 2.1 or later. QuickTime is available at http://www.quicktime.apple.com

Day Two:

Rain falls on the leaves of a tree. Photo by Don Couillard.

On the river we see no one. The sensible people are waiting out the storm someplace dry. The sun appears just once, in time to shoot Kanoose Rips. But the rain comes back with a vengence.

Now, if you've ever camped in the rain, you know this misery and the punchy humor that goes along with being soaked to the skin. We look pathetic huddled under our leaking tarp. Forget about exploration and discovery, we need food and shelter!

Things do get better... until we pull out our tents. They're soaked along with everything else. Forget about camping under the stars, falling asleep to the cry of the loons. Tonight I'll settle for just being unconscious!

Day Three:

We've discovered what real outdoorspeople already know - that there are limits to waterproofing.

After repacking, some local kids send us off with a push in the right direction. We used a motor to make time crossing the lakes.

Tux likes maps, and seeing he has everything under control, I settle back to do a little research. On this night, we set up camp under some tall pines and swim in Big Lake off Governor's Point. The wood finally dries enough to build a campfire.

Looking out over the lake, I discover I'm having a "camping moment." I share a stale bagel with a brown duck. There is nothing but water and sky and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Day Four:

I talked to John Shamel, a third-generation canoe maker up here. The tradition started with his grandfather, Pop Moore. When Pop died, he jeft John a precious gift - his canoe molde.

The canoes he makes are made of cedar and ash, are beautiful to look at are are built to last. Each one takes hundreds of hours to build. In moments of frustration, John says his grandfather keeps him in line. "Every time I bend a nail I'm sure he's rolling in his grave. I've redone a lot of things because I know he would have told me to."

John is making sure his grandfather continues to be a big influence by making a product many people want. The Grand Laker will continue to adorn the lakes here for many more years to come.

Day Five:

Bob Upham fly casts for a fish in Grand Lake Stream. Watch a Quicktime movie of Bob Upham doing his thing. This 363 K file will take a minute or two to download. To view this video, your browser will need the QuickTime System extension version 2.1 or later. QuickTime is available at http://www.quicktime.apple.com

He makes all kinds of flies. There's the "One Eyed Poacher." "The Silver Bullet." And even the "Heidi Fleiss." Around town, Bob's known as the River Master. On this day, he tied for us a "Black Ghost Maribou," which he hopes will lure a nice salmon or brook trout.

It doesn't hurt to be a retired entimologist, either. Bob has spent his career working and studying the very things fish love to eat. Bob has tied thousands of flies since he retired to Grand Lake Stream over 20 years ago.

Every day, sometimes twice, Bob is on the lake casting out his line with one of his ties attached to the end. Unfortunately for us and Bob, the fish weren't biting the day we visited with him.

Day Six

Most people would call this the middle of nowhere. But we met a man who calls this home. Jack Perkins, not the one on A&E, is a jack-of-all-trades; a caretaker, canoemaker, cook, storyteller, and fishing guide. He does it effortlessly and proves that he is the ideal company for anyone in this remote place. He has a working knowledge of of all the animals who share his neighborhood and knows where to find them.

It seems to me that it would be impossible to have a bad day on the water with Jack. I've tried to picture Jack in a business suit, but I just can't do it. Neither can he.

We thanked Jack for showing us some of the wonders of his home... the area surrounding the Grand Lake Stream.

Fly Fishing

Basic Fly Tying teaches you to tie such flies as the Wooly Bugger, the Cork Head Popper and the Griffith Gnat.

Casting Angles teaches you the fundamental casts.

Flyfishing Resource Guide has information on gear, travel and tying, and a search engine.

Flyfishing.com has a chat area, more than 10,000 fly patterns, classifies, shops and more.

Canoeing and birch bark canoes

"Arnold Invades Quebec: Canoe-borne attack follows Kennebec, Dead and Chaudiere" is about Colonel Benedict Arnold's birchbark-canoe invasion of Canada, the first amphibious military assault in our nation's history.

Margaret's Algonquin Park Page has tips for planning a canoe trip.

Canoe and Kayak magazine online

The Paddlers' Web

Chat about paddling in the GORP Paddling Forum

Maine Sportsmen's Guide to river trips

Checklist for canoe campers

Top ten tips for safe canoeing