6 Days Canoeing ALONE In The Canadian Wilderness ( my first bear encounter )

In this week's episode I travel to the west coast of Canada to take on a 6 day canoe trip. I loaded everything I would need in my backpack and 6 days worth of food into a food barrel. I was extremely excited but did I have what it takes to do 6 days on this savage canoe route. I hired a canoe and a lot of my essential items off a local canoe hire and I was on my way. So I have just started the journey, the canoe journey that I will be doing for the next 6 days. So I've just started at the first lake of the trip and so far it's covered with a lot of log cabins and ones that are just like floating on the actual water, they're so cool I'll show you now. And this is the start point and oh my god, it is such a beautiful day, it is such beautiful views and even driving in was really cool down this dirt track. I cannot wait for the next 6 days, it's going to be epic. So if you're new here I'm Becky from Girl Outdoors and for the next 6 days I'm going to be paddling and portaging this canoe across some of the most beautiful lakes. I'm currently on the west coast, so pretty close to the sea, got absolutely stunning weather and I have rented this canoe from a company nearby and I cannot wait, I'm going to be camping each night, I'm going to be fishing, I'm going to be just living that absolute dream. Currently got a tailwind so I'm not really in need of this kayak paddle but they've given me a kayak paddle and a canoe paddle to use in case I need it so I've got a spare. So after my time in the Rockies and in Calgary visiting some family in Canada which was absolutely beautiful, the Rockies are something else, they are like Scotland on steroids. It was quite sad to leave that area although Banff as a whole is very very touristy and I was very shocked when I got there but the surrounding area and the backcountry camping and the hiking is insane. Flew over to Vancouver and then to Powell River where I am now. Although I'd only travelled 1000 miles from Calgary to Powell River it felt like a different country, it may not have had the dramatic landscape of Banff or the postcard picture of Lake Louise but it was wild, it was old school, it felt remote and ultimately what I expected Canada would be. From all the noise of that wind earlier, it was so noisy and loud, the wind has picked up dramatically. As you can see it is quite wavy and now it is just bliss, it is silent and it's also a little bit creepy because you feel like at the minute you are going through a tree graveyard and I'll show you what I mean now. I'm chilled, I'm knackered, I'm tired, I've got a portage 1.5k with the canoe and this barrel full of food and my other pack and the paddles, this is going to be eventful isn't it. What I didn't know is I couldn't solo flip this canoe to portage. Do you ever get the moments where you're like what have I signed up for and you just, because you're a pushy person you put yourself in a position and you're like way too far out of your comfort zone and out of your depth. Well, currently portaging a 23kg boat, a canoe, over a 2k and I've just got back to my food barrel and my backpack after portaging the canoe and it nearly killed me. I was really really struggling with portaging the canoe, first getting it up onto my head. I'm used to canoes that don't have rudders so I normally flip it on its front, lift the stern or the bow and then shimmy all the way to the yoke on the boat. This one has a removable yoke and it has a rudder on the back so you can't do that. So, after so many attempts, with the food barrel on as well, a woman kindly helped me who's in a group that's doing this route or similar route. She demonstrated and it's basically you put it onto your legs, onto your thighs and then you roll it, sort of, onto your neck and that's what I've been doing and it's working great. It's really hard. And then, that's not it. I finally got to the end which it felt like it was taking forever. Finally got to the end, chucked my boat down and got a walk back for obviously the barrel and my backpack and I'm walking along and I'm absolutely fragged and I'm dead silent and I'm just plodding along in my own little world and I thought, I hope I don't see a bear because I'm being so quiet right now and there's a black bear so close to the path, like so close and luckily he runs off so I've got to walk past and back up that way so hopefully he's buggered off now and I just keep thinking that I've got two more 2.4ks, I've got two more of them to go which is hard, which is hard when you've got quite a bit of kit and you're on your own and you're portaging. It's a 23kg boat so 50lbs I think that is. Right, my food barrel on, my backpack on, bear spray to the ready and a couple of paddles. This is going to be a slog. Hey bear! Good morning, it is day two. Got my coffee and breakfast on for this morning. My shoulders and my back are killing me. I was battered yesterday, just got here and I was so knackered. Went for a quick swim in this lake, made some food, met some really lovely people, started chatting with them and then camped with them and yeah, so now it's day two. Hope today goes well, I've got a bit of a paddle and a 2.4k portage which is even longer than yesterday. The boat is loaded with all my kit. I'm just going to show you the crazy portage that you've got to do. Come down here, you've got to come down this ladder or along this log, along here, down onto that dock. I just wanted to stop because obviously you're looking around and it just hit me, like how remote this is really and I'm just here on my own on this lovely, beautiful lake that feels huge and not a soul in sight and it's so quiet. It's just insane and I feel so, so lucky to experience this. It's all good fun and it teaches you so much about yourself, how you act in a hard situation, that you've got to keep persevering and be determined and teaches you hardship which we don't get a lot anymore. We don't get that in society, hardship, everything's easy, quick. And I guess that's what draws me to adventures like this, to experience hardship, being alone, being independent and reliant on yourself and your kit, to motivate yourself when times are challenging and always try to laugh or be positive when you feel like giving up. There's a beautiful art in that and you gain so much self-worth from it. That was the 2.4km portage done. Second portage. Let's see how this goes. I've got this on for a bit of padding today. This one's a really high platform as well so I'm struggling to lift it over because I'm not the tallest. I've hit the halfway point, left my canoe there and I'm now going back for my backpack and my food barrel. That felt so much better today. Just having my jacket on my shoulders helped so much. And also having these on route, lifesaver. I'm just really happy because that was really getting me down and I was really dreading it just because of how painful yesterday was. To have that weight not on my shoulders and my back is so good. I've just got to my camp spot of night two, which is very, very rewarding. I am absolutely knackered. Tonight on the menu we've got some sort of pasta with spinach and walnuts. And I was kindly gifted for this trip some meals off of Base Camp Food. If you haven't heard of Base Camp Food, they are a site that sell a range of different freeze-dried and dehydrated meals for your trips, for hiking, bikepacking, canoeing, whatever it is that you do. And they're great, they're really good. If you are interested and you do shop at Base Camp Food already, then if you want 10% off, use my discount code GIRLOUTDOORS10. I'll leave it here. It is a beautiful evening. This is what, when I thought Canada, this is literally the definition of what I thought Canada would be. Like dead silent, big lakes, forests, mountains. Right, so it is map time. So yesterday I started around here, floated in, and I stopped here. And you would have seen that I went for a swim and it was really cool. There's a little campground there. And then I paddled on further and this was the tiny island that I was tempted to camp on. And paddled on, on Lowis Lake. And then eventually got to the end and there were so many dead trees and everything which was mad. After that I did the portage and this was my first portage of the trip. And I stopped here for night one. And then today I went for a morning swim, set off at that dock and that was a really difficult put in. Headed on up Horseshoe Lake. When you get to the end of Horseshoe Lake, it splits. So I went this route and this was the 2.5km route which was a mission. It was an absolute joke. Finally dropped into Island Lake after portaging to this middle point. I portaged my boat, walked back for my bags, bought my bags, set to that point and then did the same to Island Lake. Crossed Island Lake and then I'm now here. After doing a portage, I think that was like 800m. And after that you go all the way on Powell Lake and get picked up here. Overall this circuit covers nearly 60km of beautiful scenery. 8 varied lakes, 5 portages as well as encountering amazing wildlife such as bears, bald eagles, fish, beavers, hummingbirds and more. This was a route that really captured me for its beauty and its wild feel that you witness in very few places. Good morning. What a beautiful day yet again. Already this morning seen loads of different birds. I'm not sure what the tiny bird is that's like this small. It sounds like a really large bee. I don't know what that is but I've seen so many of those. I've seen a beaver, that reoccurring rabbit that keeps coming around camp. What a beautiful camp spot, I don't want to leave. I'm on my first portage of the day. This is a 700m or 800m portage. The next portage is 2.4km and it's like up a mountain over a saddle. This is the final portage and it is so hard and is extremely hot. There's the boat on the platform. So, so, so close. You can literally see the lake. Get in there. There's just loads of switchbacks down this mountain. I finally found a stand that's short for short arses like myself. That's the portage over. Never again, never again. What's that? So 2.5km down, 2.5km up, 2.5km down. All with pretty heavy gear. As you can see my body's taken a bit of a toll. I'm just out for a little dabble of fishing. You can see today where we portaged from up here all the way to down here. So it's a big old portage. Although this trip was very challenging for me, I absolutely thrived out there. Almost two months on, I'm missing being out in the Canadian wilderness, travelling by canoe. Life was simple and I felt extremely free in the hands of Mother Nature. I got away from daily life stress, expectations, cell signal and felt truly present. Good morning. Just coming out of Egypt Lake where I stayed last night. Onto this stretch of river that leads into the other lake. So no more portaging. My shoulders, back, arms are just killing. Portaging is definitely one of the hardest things out there. From this point I would be joining Powell Lake which is a whopping 32 miles long. This is what I'd be covering over the next couple of days or so. Look at them views. It's got windy. Real windy. So I have just arrived at this hut. This is Fiddlehead Landing. It was windy out there, seriously windy. And you can still see now and there's bits of white water out there. So I've come in here for a bit of a break. There was also another group that came in here. But they have to be back tomorrow. So they've got to go out and paddle through it. I went out and I just felt like I was completely fighting the wind. I don't know if I'm going to stay yet. I'm going to see. Because a big part that put me off was this sign. Cougars in the area. And I think out of everything, cougars scare me the most. I just saw my second black bear of the trip. He was so close. And I was just looking at the map or looking at something. And I turn around and this guy is literally here. And he's walking the other way. So he's obviously walked down here. He spotted me and thought sod that and walked back up the hill. Crazy. And I think he was a tiny bear as well. So I'd hate to see a grizzly. I think I'd actually catch myself if I saw a grizzly. So this camp spot has definitely got some animal activity by the looks of things. Literally here he can smell me because the wind is blowing that way. So he can smell me. He can smell my food because I'm eating at the minute. Not asked. Just thought oh come join her. Come say hello. It's something. It's definitely something. For people who live in these areas it's just probably like everyday life. But for someone like me who's in the UK and all you get is stags and birds and foxes. It's crazy seeing him. It's absolutely amazing getting to witness wildlife and animals. Because we aren't fortunate to in the UK. So seeing that was incredible. It's been something everyday here. Whilst editing this from the comfort of a chair with washed hair, a secure place to sleep and a structured routine. I cannot tell you what I do to be back here. I can still pick up the emotions and how peaceful I felt. It was one of the best trips I've ever done and canoe expeditions are definitely something that I've become addicted to. What I do to be back there under the hot sun, fishing, paddling. Just tasks that feed the soul. I met a couple of canoeists that night at this wild camp spot. And we all sat and reflected on this awesome canoe route. Sharing moments and highlights of our own personal trips. This whole trip has been amazing and I've absolutely loved it. I was a bit shocked about this lake, how windy it was going to be. Because I was expecting to do a lot of fishing on this lake. But it's been so, so windy. So you wouldn't be able to control the boat and fish. It's just been carnage. If I had to be honest, I am a little bit emotional that this is my last full day. I've just really enjoyed being on the water and everything about this trip has been amazing. I know I fished and not caught anything. But it is what it is. And I've spoke to a few other people and they said they haven't had any luck either. So it makes me feel a little bit better. But I've definitely learned so much about canoeing, fishing, everything. And myself. And it's been incredible. I feel like I definitely slacked on filming. Just not bringing a GoPro and filming now and again. But I've really enjoyed it for myself and my own journey. And I've really loved it. So I couldn't find somewhere to camp in the end. It's really difficult trying to find somewhere that's flat, that isn't overgrown. And you can actually get the canoe nearby. So I've had to resort to the last option. And that is stay on somebody's houseboat. They're like weekend holiday homes it seems like. So I'm just going to borrow their deck for the night. And pitch now. Stay here overnight. Just somewhere to pitch my tent. So I'm just going to show you now some of the gear that I bought for this trip. So you have a rough idea. So with me obviously I've bought my tent. And I have got the Big Agnes Copper Spur Ultralight Bikepacking Tent. And I bought this because it's freestanding. It's the only freestanding tent that I have. If I didn't have a freestanding tent I'd have been pretty lost this trip. Just because the ground's so hard. It hasn't rained in ages. And any of the platforms at the campgrounds you are supplied with. You can't get any pegs in. As well as that I've bought a quill. Which is a summer quill. And a Thermarest Uberlite. I bought electrics. Drone, drone batteries. A charger that fits UK, Europe and the US Canadian charger. Head torch. Drone leads like I say. Spare batteries. Wash kit. I bought this new sun cream that I've been trying. It is the Green People sun cream. It's organic. I don't really like the crap that they put in the normal sun cream. So I've been trying that out. Then obviously toothbrush, toothpaste, wash kit. I've got the Chinook bag with the Katadyn filter. And this has been working brilliantly. This is a 2 litre bag. And then I got supplied with a barrel. These barrels are ace. They're so good. I've got all my food in there. I put my rubbish in there. Obviously my toiletries go in there also. A selection of clothes. I have had to be so, so clever with clothing for this trip. On my first week it was snowing and bam. Now it is obviously so hot. About 28 degrees intense sun. And then obviously my Osprey pack with all my other belongings and stuff to carry. Bear spray obviously. Bear spray is a must. A big, big thing. Bug spray. Bug spray has actually been a big part of this trip. And obviously lip balm. I just saw that as well. Just because my lips have been cracking in the heat. Right. I've noticed it's really dry heat here in Canada. So your skin and everything just dries up. Also this is a must. I've got a 21 watt anchor solar panel. And this thing has served me through many trips. And it is great for charging my stuff. Here is the boat that I've been hiring. It is a one man canoe. And it's got a rudder at the rear. There's the removable yoke I've been using. A PDF that doesn't fit the best. That's why I haven't been wearing it loads. And this is my view for tonight. I will definitely miss this view. When I was fishing then, I was watching the sun go behind this hill. And I was like, wow, that was my last night. And it was kind of emotional knowing that this trip has come to an end. Because it's just gone like that. And then I thought, blimey, that's literally what life's going to be like. It's just going to go like that. I've only been around 21 years. Which is nothing on the scheme of things. But even my 21 years, which is still a long time. You do so much in 21 years. Has gone so quickly. And I know I'm still young, but each year is getting quicker and quicker and quicker. By the time I'm 70, if I make it that far, hopefully, maybe. It's just, years are going to feel like months, aren't they? It's crazy. It's absolutely crazy. I remember when I was little, years would seem like decades. And it seems so long. And you'd be either waiting for summer or waiting for Christmas. And now they go so quickly. We're more than halfway through this year now, 2023. And it's scary. It really is scary. And that's why, when I was looking at that sun going down, I was thinking, you've got to make the most of each day. And each time you see a sun go down, you've got to think, I'm alive and be grateful for it. And be grateful to be alive. Be grateful for your health, your family, your friends. Because time goes quick and you've got to grasp stuff. And that's what I was thinking when that sun went down. But yeah, these trips definitely teach you a lot. They humble you. They teach you perspective. They teach you things about yourself that you wouldn't know if you didn't push yourself out of your comfort zone or you didn't change your routine. Yeah, not knowing where you're going to be each night, not knowing what's going to happen. The more I go down this road, the more addictive it gets. Being outdoors, the freedom, being spontaneous, seeing new places and people. Modern life becomes boring, mundane, and something I don't want to be a part of as I grow older. This time in Canada definitely taught me to pursue your dream life, to follow the path you feel most content and alive on. To end up in a wild place far from big cities and noise. I started truly immersing myself in the outdoors five years ago, and now it's too late to go back. This lifestyle has completely changed my mindset and outlook. As this trip comes to a close, an immense feeling of inner peace and pride emerges. As much as I don't want it to, another adventure has come to an end. And we're off. I really don't want to leave that place. It's absolutely beautiful. I left it immaculate, and no one will know I was there. That's the end of this mega adventure. Thank you so, so much for watching. I really hope you enjoyed it. Thank you to all my Patreons for making this possible. I will see you on next week's video, where it will be the last episode of this Canadian series.