One of these trips was with a friend and involved the use of a 17 foot aluminum canoe in order to see the canyon from the river. The shortish first (and only, in our case) portage of 420 m was near the beginning of our trip and was not bad to negotiate with our light load as this was only a day trip. The portage allowed us access for canoeing the next 3 or 4 km to make our way towards a cliff face about 3 or 4 km up river. I had wondered about how this area of the canyon looked from river level for several years since I had walked the trail a couple of times years before, once in winter and once in summer. We were fortunate on the day that we chose for this venture for three reasons.

First, we were blessed with almost perfect weather with lots of sun and a slight breeze to help cool us and keep the flies away. Secondly, the current was not so strong as to completely exhaust us after the distance we needed to paddle (although, for me, it was a pretty good workout). And thirdly, when we arrived at the location beneath the main cliff, we were surprised to see two or three people rappelling down the rock face. We saw this as a great opportunity to take a breather while we were entertained by these adventurous rock climbers as they made their way down the 200+ foot, almost-vertical cliff face. Unfortunately, neither of us had brought a camera with us (major mistake) and so have no record but our memories of that day. It was several years before digital cameras hit the market so it would have had to have been the 35 mm camera. I didn't really know what to expect that day and so had left it at home. The trip back down river was much less work but no less enjoyable, being a beautiful, untouched piece of Ontario. Good memories were made that day.

Years later, and a couple of years ago, my significant other and I hiked the 1.5 km trail once more to refresh our memories. This time, we had a digital camera with us, and we were able to capture a few photos that give some idea of the natural beauty of the canyon as seen from the trail. I must say, though, that as I have aged, so has my nervousness increased at certain parts of the trail. I find that even though years before, I had ventured out to peer over the edge of precipitous rock edges, now I felt too uneasy about the danger, and enjoyed the wonderful views from several feet back. The canyon is kept as a natural area and so there is no man-made protection or fencing to prevent a person getting into trouble by being too bold and approaching the edge too closely. This should be kept in mind if one is to visit the area with younger folk.

I am not sure if one would be allowed to visit the canyon trail in winter these days. I haven't checked. I did visit with a friend about 30 years ago and I must admit, it was as beautiful in winter as in summer. There is an added advantage in winter. There are no black flies or mosquitoes. However, the trail needed to be negotiated very carefully as it was difficult to tell exactly what was underfoot. After some sight-seeing, we eventually decided on a great spot for our lunch and hot coffee. There, we spent a relaxed hour or two, chatting and in awe of the sight before us. There is a wonderful calmness that invades you when faced with such an experience. While there, we noticed cross-country skiers far below us traversing the river, now frozen and covered in a thick blanket of snow. Two sets of tracks extended behind them, barely disturbing the virgin surface. It is difficult to convey the feeling that one gets in the beauty of a sunny winter day in January looking over the surrounding country with the canyon below.

It is my hope that the natural beauty of the Barron Canyon can be preserved for generations to come so that more may experience it's unique offering.

While their are probably scores of locations to float a river for 3 to 5 miles in the state, I will only outline a few here to give you some examples of good place to go. The first one is the Meramec River near Steelville and Cuba, Missouri. There are about a half dozen or so excellent resorts that specialize in helping people float this river. You can rent tubes, canoes, and 3 to 5 man inflatable boats for the ride. Most of these resorts offer two different lengths of floats. On weekends these resorts like most in the state in the summer become major hives of activity. You will find it much better to float during the week if you do not like the overcrowding, loud music and noise, and drinking.

The upper Black River near Lesterville, Missouri, is another excellent and well-used section of water. While not as many resorts and campground to help you with your float, there are still several to choose from. This venue draws a lot of younger late-teen floaters. The float prior to the dog-days of summer is better because the water level tends to be higher. This makes for fewer times that you have to portage your boat or tube. Lesterville is a small town, but still has a decent store and gas stations. It sits at the foot of Taum Sauk, the highest point in the state. There are a number of other areas like Elephant Rocks State Park in the vicinity to explore if you want to make it a multiple day outing.

In the south-central part of Missouri, you will find the town of Eminence. Near Eminence are the Current and Jack's Fork rivers. These are fast flowing cold streams. You can experience more intense rapids in these rivers. This area of the state is even less developed than the previous two mentioned. For the person looking for rustic and back woods areas, there are plenty to be found here. Like the other areas, the campgrounds here make it easy to float. They utilize the more well-know and safer areas of the rivers to insure the well-being of their guests.

No matter where you go to float, the resorts will guide you to enter the river and be waiting for you when you exit. Buses and vans transport floaters back to their campgrounds or to the floater's cars making the return trip very easy. Workers will attend to the boats and tubes once you pull ashore.

Always bring along food and drink for a float trip. Most will take from 2 1/2 to 5 hours to complete. They tend to be somewhat leisurely and relaxing in most areas. There are generous areas to pull ashore and explore or have a picnic meal. Some of the floating areas encourage a moderate amount of fishing if you like to do that.

Shade can be difficult to come by during parts of any float trip. Sunscreen with a 45+ Spf rating is recommended. Apply it often during the day. It will more than likely be hot also. Bring plenty of liquid to stay hydrated. Something besides copious amounts of alcohol are needed to keep your water loss covered.

If you have an older swimming suit, it is recommended. The water can become a little murky after it rains or if the crowd is dense. This can leave muddy stains on swim wear. Bringing your old suit keeps you from putting a new one at risk. Even cutoffs might be the best way to go. Plan on swimming along side your canoe or boat if you rent one. This helps cool you off and is a nice diversion from paddling through large pools. Swim shoes are better than being bare-footed. Some of these rivers have sharp rocks or debris left behind by inconsiderate floaters in the past. Protecting your feet is important. Wearing a good had may be necessary too. This will protect your head, nose, and ears from overexposure to sunlight.

Wrap your towels in plastic to keep them dry in case your boat tips. Leave anything you do not want to loose at home. It will be better there than lost at the bottom of the river. Bring a water proof camera. There are invariably some great photo opportunities on every float trip.

The day of the Voyageur may be past but their spirit lives on. Their well traveled routes through northern Saskatchewan via the Churchill, Saskatchewan and Nelson Rivers, surrounding lakes and their interlinking portages are well documented and many are still used today.

There are over fifty certified canoe trips published by Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management following these original Voyageur routes. Each booklet has a detailed description of the trip including portages (in both directions), length of the trip and approximate days required to complete the trip, access points and a list of map coordinates. You will find more than enough information here to plot your trip in detail.

Remember to register your trip and become a certified Saskatchewan Voyageur. Upon completion you will receive a Voyageur Certificate documenting your trip.

If you’re tired of the over populated tourist traps and are open for adventure look north and discover a true gem. Northern Saskatchewan has it all, history, isolation, fishing and more. Come and discover why the Voyageurs of seemed to enjoy their work so much.