We take off from Missinippi at 8-9am. We are headed to
Stanley Mission for the Poker Derby. We had guides lead a
group of 28 riders aprox 35-40 Km past the community of
Grandmothers Bay, down Otter Lake, thru a few portage to
Mountain Lake, then into Harvesting Bay which is on the shores
of Stanley Mission. From Stanley Mission the poker derby
traveled over land for some segments then across small lakes.
Eventually the trail led us to the 2nd check point on Stewart
Bay. The trail then crossed Iskwatikan Lake past Abram Island,
shortly after it went back to main land where there was a pull
out to stop and look at the wonder of Nistowiak Falls. Having
had been a guest there in the summer it was more spectacular in
the winter, the whitest whites! Could of been a laundry soap
commercial! The next check point was at the north end of the
falls Fisher Rapids at Jim's Camp. In the background the
Nistowiak Lake was pretty open! Good idea to have some guides
when you are on the Churchill River system. We stopped again at
Malachi's for the second last card, to get there we went up
Coghill lake into Lamont Bay. From here it was Bliss Bay, Drope
Lake then overland to miss the Stanley Rapids and onto the
Churchill River to the original settlement of Stanley Mission
the Anglican Church, which turns out to be the oldest building
in all of Saskatchewan. The church was built from 1853 to 1856,
the stained glass windows came out of England in barrels of tar.
Construction was delayed in'53 because the first series of boats
containing windows and hard ware was lost in some Churchill
Rapids and had to be reordered. It was probably a year before
the order was on it's way again since there wouldn't be a ship
headed back to the U.K. until it was full of furs and seasonal
goods. |