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Floating Hotel Barge not unlike the one I do manage to stand and dug my paddle in as if there were
that passed earlier. I asked a guy on the on this Sargasso no tomorrow. I was fuming and the
roof if I could stay the night in the barge adrenaline was coursing through me. I
he said he was tying her up for the night camping pitch but it moved faster going back the right way and
and I should try the town. Alarm bells moves and heaves as if started to realise when I thought it was
went off as there is no town between just a head wind it was also the flow I was
Inuvik and Tuk. What town is that I said about to free itself from fighting against. How , how , how is that
and to my Horror he replied “Inuvik”, it is the manicles attaching possible...I had to force myself to back off
over there and pointed further down the with the power strokes and accept what
river. it to the embankment, had happened ,had happened and there
Tent half up I am was nothing I could do about it. I needed
I still find it hard to understand my to concentrate on the things I could effect
feelings at that time as I think I was blinded by a light, I am which is getting my ass going the right
temporarily in shock. I asked the mariner concentrating so hard way. I was determined not to stop until I
if he would check my chart and he came got past my original starting point earlier
down and met me at the jetty next to his I only half hear the that day. Sure enough about 5 hours later,
charge. "Yes your route you have marked I passed my muddy track that led from the
on the map is good" he said. How did I arrival of another craft previous camp to the waters edge.
end up back here then I exclaimed.".I from the North. I turn
duno" he said ,,",there are many small I kept going and stopped to camp in
tributaries joining the main river and a lot to face the source of the dark at 1.15 am a mile further up but
of winding routes. You could have made a the intrusion to hear a still I had to contend with the mud. So I
mistake but if you keep the mountains on had made progress but only by a solitary
your right, you will be ok. I never saw any shout single mile in 11hrs...so tired..but going
mountains I said and I have been in the the right way. Again the mud to contend
water for 6 hours...well you should have getting straight back out there I said.. with, Everywhere energy sapping mud,
he said. I thanked him and made to go... ok good luck came the reply ..I waved bad enough in daylight but in the dark a
Just missed the Beaver.
90 Arctic Art & Culture • №1 (3) • 2018 Arctic Art & Culture • №1 (3) • 2018 91
