In order to reach the provisioners' cabins and snowmobile rentals at LG-4 before they shut down for the season, we need to consider that day 1 would be Feb 14th (departure day) and under version (a) would get us into the area by the 16th, version (b) by the 17th. Day 10 would be Feb 23rd. Please consider this schedule. A detail of the mentioned communities will follow. No specific reservations have been made to date, but each facility has been contacted. -- M.F. |
|
At last, the day was approaching. We had all our gear in place and checked all the lists. We took our normal pile of backpacking equipment plus all the cold weather stuff we either had or bought specifically for the trip. We were ready. Mick called me up in the afternoon and asked me if I had all my things together. Of course I hadn't. I was scrambling around trying to get it all in one place and fully packed, ready for stowing. It took, as always, more time than I had imagined.
We finally got on our way the afternoon of the 11th, and decided to head up the middle of Pennsylvania, take a left in New York, and swing around Lake Ontario to get to Toronto. We didn't really have an exact route planned and mapped, but we figured I-81 would be the fastest way. Mick essentially navigated via GPS, handing it to me only when looking at it for something specific was too distracting. When the GPS wasn't good enough, the CB was the backup. Somewhere there is someone who knows! It didn't take long to get into Pennsylvania, but getting through that state seemed to take forever. We stopped for dinner at some strange theme-type restaurant near the state line (PA/NY). At a gas stop somewhere else along the way, we picked up a map (of New York) to see where we might be able to camp for the night, which was the initial plan. Nothing too promising really presented itself, so we pulled into the skankiest motel we could find somewhere between Syracuse and Buffalo (see #1 on map), and rang the bell. While Mick made the necessary arrangements, I looked around at the plaques on the wall and noticed that the family which ran the motel was named Patel. Once we had left the small lobby, I told Mickey, who cracked up. The Patel family (granted, a common Indian name) essentially runs
all of the motels in Elizabeth City, NC, which is where we sometimes visit when travelling to the Great Dismal Swamp or other wildlife refuges in the area. It was amusing to have stayed in another "fine Patel establishment."
It was a pretty nasty room, but we had 2 beds and a T.V., which was entertaining enough for us to watch until some ungodly hour. We had to rush out the next morning in order to keep our rather loose schedule. We did have a nice little breakfast, though, in a small-town breakfast place of which we're so fond. One thing every member of our group really likes is to see the local establishments, avoiding the fast food places unless absolutely necessary. We stopped once before the border, for coffee and money. I had no idea whether or not my ATM card worked across the border, so I figured I'd take as much as the machine would allow. Mick asked if I wanted to stop at the falls before crossing the border, I said no, so we motored on through to Canada's customs to be asked some cursory questions (no ID check or anything) and we were on our way.
Once we entered Canada, it was pretty smooth sailing to downtown Toronto. We got our money exchanged and found ourselves a place to eat: predictably, an Irish place called the James Joyce on Bloor St. We spent quite a bit of time there eating, drinking, making reservations for the hotel, talking with our Canadian contacts to set up a meeting, whatever we had to do. The hotel room I got was at the Sheraton Toronto, so once we were finished at the bar, we headed over there to check in and get our stuff up to the room, which was on the 17th floor. Mickey got a hold of both Michel and Ted, but only Ted (due to his proximity) agreed to meet us at the bar of our hotel and discuss what was to come. He suggested some outdoor places for more gear should we need it (specifically Mountain Equipment Co-Op or MEC). He also suggested getting winter wipers, 5w30 oil and other vehicle stuff at Canadian Tire before taking in the truck to the station which knew how to change all the fluids for extreme cold. |
|
Note: This document will only deal with the key communities in the Municipality of BAIE JAMES (i.e. quite far north) that we will be dealing with. MUNICIPALITY OF JAMES BAY This is the largest municipality in the world, covering an area of 350,000 square kilometres. This territory is governed by a body that has the land divided into three categories; land use set aside for natives; joint use between natives and governing body, and that which is covered by the governing body. The French speaking Canadiennes will mainly be encountered in the Radisson area, with most of the other communities we will be visiting being largely populated by various Cree bands.
This is at KM 0 on the James Bay Road ( considered an engineering marvel, constructed over muskeg & permafrost), and is largely a forest products and mining centre. Once a Hudson Bay Company centre. This town really represents the beginning of our trip. The James Bay Road was constructed to serve the construction industry's need to access northern Québec during the construction of the mammoth Hydro-Québec James Bay Hydro-electric dam system. Less than 30 vehicles per day use this route, and these mostly in the better weather seasons. It would not be uncommon this time of year to see 1-2 vehicles in a day. There are telephones every 90 miles (no cell service). Accomodation at the Motel le Caribou (819-755-4333) @ $40-$65 Canadian. We might want to upgrade to one of the other two motels in town @ $87-$137 Canadian.
Waskaganish means little house and was a historic native meeting and trading site, and later an important Hudson Bay Post in 1668, and was the very first trading post established by the explorers Radisson & Groseilliers. Currently only accessible by land during the winter months, when a 'winter road' is created over the muskeg- but plans call for a permanent road to be in service later this year (the last year of the winter ice road). This is an important native community which hosts a traditional and historic cross-James Bay X-C ski race which will be taking place while we are there. It is interesting to note that this event doesn't seem to impact on the local accomodation stock. Accomodation at the Canyo Kashi Lodge (819-895-2005) @$124/double, Canadian (band council: 819-895-8650).
This is the last community accessible by road, which means the last accessible by land, other than by snow machines, and represents the northernmost of the Cree populations, as the Inuit ("Eskimo") begin to prevail from here on. Chisasibi means 'great river'. A Hudson Bay Trading Post from 1837, until recent times. Accomodation at the Chisasibi Motel (819-855-2838) @ $120/double, Canadian. (Chisasibi Mandow Agency: 819-855-3373)
The population of this town belies it's importance as the centre for virtually all activity relating to Hydro-Québec's giant 6-dam project. There are even four motels in town. This is the only non-native community north of the 53rd parallel. Accomodation at Motel Baie-James (819-638-7363) @ $58/double, Canadian (we could upgrade motels @ $70-$92)
This is not a town nor a village, but an area around a dam site (not damn site), that has in its vicinities provisioners who are set up to serve the hunting interests. It is from this area that we need to secure a guide and snowmobiles to seek out and view the giant herds of northern Québec caribou. Accomodation: 6-8 person cabins from Mirage Outfitters (I hope it's true) 418-359-2259 @ $900 per week, Canadian, for the whole cabin. We need to prepare our own meals here. Snowmobile rental @ $135 per day, plus taxes: Guide @ $125 per day.
There are a pot of other places to stop, or to detour to, as follows: -- M.F. |
|
Our second day as "international travellers" was spent at the aforementioned stores as well as the shop and a neat little hole-in-the-wall, tiny storefront lunch place with good food and a friendly pair of women who ran it - very much mom's cooking-type stuff. Later in the evening, we decided to try the indoor/outdoor pool, which burned Mickey's eyes and caused us to search for a pharmacy for eye drops prior to dinner. After getting the drops, we wandered about the area near the hotel and found Hy's, a small Canadian chain restaurant that serves meat, meat and more meat. We packed ourselves silly and slowly waddled into the street before finding an itsy-bitsy bar in which to sit quietly and reflect on the coming trip. We were to leave in the morning. |
Author: 
|
| Last updated: April 3, 2001 © tjd |
