OUTLAW EAGLE MANUFACTURING

[GRWAdventures]

GRAND RAPIDS RUN. (July 1st to July 4th.)
Athabasca River (Canada 150)
Join us and others as we retrace the route of the Hudson Bay Company, fur traders, explorers and indigenous peoples from over 150 years ago. As we travel over 150 miles down the Athabasca, stops will be made at historical locations to view the remnants of old trading posts, telegraph offices, turn of the century oil and gas exploration sites, trappers cabins, homesteads, and of course a hike on the historic Grand Rapids Portage trail. This informative and fun filled 4 day 3 night trip includes log cabin accommodations, use of lodge facilities, interpretive tours, fishing, and more, all in celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday.

The lodge has 2 beds left available, to be booked on a first come first serve basis (per bed,) or, people may choose to pitch a tent in the yard or spend the nights on their boat. Sorry no pets will be allowed.

The Canada 150 special pricing for this trip is $225.00 per person (plus gst) If you wish to take in the guided trip down to the Grand Rapids or guided hike of the portage trail it will be an additional cost of $25.00* per person.

We will depart from Poachers landing between 10:00 and 11:00 am on Saturday July 1 (approx 45 mins. by vehicle north east of the Town of Athabasca)

What to bring: Bedrolls, pillows, wash cloths, towels, food, drinking water, personal toiletries, refreshments, ice, mix, bug spray, fishing gear, rubber/hiking boots, and comfortable footwear for around camp. Please also bring a great attitude and your musical instruments if you play.

All boat owners must ensure that their boat is in good mechanical condition, carry all required safety equipment and insurance, haul enough fuel to complete the 280 mile round trip, follow the guide boat when requested, and stay with the group as much as possible. Rowdy, obnoxious behaviour or reckless operation of boats will not be tolerated. Individuals that do not comply with any of the above will be sent home.
(Please note participants only wishing to stay 2 nights may need to return back up river on their own.) We require a minimum of 6 participants booked with deposit by June 1 to go ahead with the trip.

For more information or to book your spot please contact us at grwadventures@gmail.com.
* all pricing before gst

History 101
In 1867 the Hudson Bay Company began work on establishing a trade route on the Athabasca River that headed north and eventually ended at the Beaufort Sea. One of the first major obstacles they encountered, at 160 miles downstream, was the Grand Rapids. This Class VI set of rapids drops over 60 feet from the top to the bottom of the stretch. They tackled this obstacle, firstly, with a brutal two mile portage trail (going straight up in many places), and then, when that didn't work out, a wooden narrow gauge railway along the entire length of the Grand Rapids Island was constructed. Dynamite was used to blast the huge boulders out of the way to create channels for paddle wheelers to safely approach the island. There they were unloaded, and the freight was loaded onto carts that were pushed and pulled along the wooden tracks by locals, Metis and First Nations Peoples. What followed in a few short years was one of Canada's most prolific fur trade routes, a major transportation route for all goods going and coming from the north, the search for oil and gas, and a longer but safer route to the Klondike.
This prolific “little” wooden railway, in its glory days, moved over 200,000 tons of freight annually, grossing the HBC over a ½ millon dollars a season, and helped build Canada’s north.