Elinor Lake has been on our canoe bucket list for many years, and this last weekend we finally made it there.
As we usually assign each trip a theme or suitable soundtrack, we decided “Smoke on the Water” would definitely be the theme song for this outing. The province of Alberta was experiencing forest fires in many regions. The smoke from the fires was affecting air quality in most northern regions. Today, the smoke is quite thick and visibility beyond 300m fairly difficult. (We should also note that there was a provincial fire and off highway vehicle ban.)
We met up early Saturday morning in Lac La Biche, and drove out to Elinor to meet our host, Robbie Kruk of Off Road Adventures.
Robbie pilots his pontoon boat through the smoke to the dock at the prearranged time, 10 am at the dock. We load him up with our overnight gear…nice perk!
We pack our wonderfully light canoe, Marvin and head out. Marvin was acquired last year by a wonderful elder couple in Marlborough, AB. He is a Clipper, not too big, not too short and moves like a knife in the water.
Ready to paddle!
Robbie gave us a basic layout of the lake. As the smoke from all the fires was obstructing our full view of the lake and the shore, the directions were much appreciated.
Along the east shore, you will find Elinor Lake Resort. This is a private lake front community.
Off Road Adventures is located on the shorter west arm. The lake is peppered with a few islands.
We decided to follow the west shore as visibility is limited and we would rather find the campsite and explore after we find homebase.
The canoeing is perfect: smooth water and we stayed dry.
As we paddle following along the west side of the lake, we see lots of Saskatoon trees in full bloom, spots where beavers have claimed the area for themselves, and a variety of birds. But, when you look to the east, the white smoke quickly swallows up the lake. Islands, with their spruce tips poking out in the distance, have the illusion of “floating” in the air (since the water and sky are not definable). So the shoreline on that side is not visible at all.
I just over one hour, we came across Off Road Adventure site.
It is on one of the few deeded quarter sections in the area and the original home of the Elinor Lake Settlement. A general store, several homes and the local Indian Office were situated there. Robbie gives us a tour of the facilities.
The kitchen has all the necessities: potable water supply, dishes, pot, pans, and snacks. It also has a few surprises: power for all kitchen appliances: microwave, slow cooker, blender. Wow. Most surprising is the six burner propane commercial kitchen. Rumour has it the oven runs a bit hot, so don’t turn your back on your pizza… Most interestingly is the roll top garage door. This is a really neat feature allowing for fresh air cooking. No need to a vent hood over the oven if your bacon gets too crispy, just open the door.
The next building Robbie shows us is the outhouse. As there are strict regulations with digging holes for human waste near lakes, Robbie has designed this outhouse in an elevated fashion. All waste is collected in portable receptacles that are brought out of the bush in the winter via sled. He makes large poopcicles. When spring comes, the local vac truck empties them.
The outhouse has a light strip on a timer. The power plant powers the main cabin, washrooms and two tent accommodations. Inside the outhouse, Robbie has also built a wood stove fashioned out of an old propane tank. Light and heat. Both niceties when camping off grid.
The two tent accommodations are cabins with flair. The base is sheeted with plywood with three foot pony walls. The top is framed in and covered with a canvas tent. Inside we find a designer wooden table, plug in station for any USB tech, a wood stove, two elevated queen beds and a set of bunks. This would sleep six. The tent has a small front porch with benches and one heck of a view of the lake.
With all the camp touring done, we are ready to head out and explore the rest of the west arm and try our luck at some fishing. With some tips on good action fishing holes, we head left from the camp.
The west leg has several beaver houses, willowy estuaries and some rather steep banks. Aside from the picturesque surroundings, we also see quite a few types of birds. Loons, grebes, a yellow headed blackbird, many kinds of ducks and the lucky red winged black birds whose constant classic wetland song is the only noise you can hear (besides our chatting and laughing).
We find some reed beds and decide to cast our lines in any direction.
We catch lots of small pike. Very small pike; when you grasp them and your fingers overlap…tiny jack. But of all the northern fish we’ve caught, jack are the feistiest. They hit the lure hard and put up a good fight. As we toss the hook, paddle, and float along the shore, we snag a few walleye, sadly not meeting regulation size. The walleye feel like you have snagged a log. There is some resistance but no fight. And once they get up to the boat, is when you realize the weight is a fish. You have to love how easy it is to unhook them compared to the close lipped, tight jawed jack.
As the afternoon goes on, we cover most of the west arm and still the smoke has not cleared. We decide its supper time, so we head back to camp and cook a hefty camping meal; steak, potatoes, and grilled asparagus on the BBQ and in the oven. Delicious!
We would usually sit and hang out by the campfire after a big meal, but since there are no fires, and it’s too early to nap, we decided to head back out in the canoe.
You guessed it…more FISHING!
To the right of the camp we go, paddling into a small cove that is sheltered from the slight wind. The shore is bordered by reed beds, and we sit ourselves in the middle of it all. Casting in any direction, every 2nd or 3rd cast we are catching jack and a couple of walleye. As we each catch a fish, we put it over in the other’s direction and take the hook off. For the more difficult hook removal, we put the fish in the middle of the canoe and tag team. One with the long pliers opens the mouth, the other one takes the hook out, and ca-bang..it’s back in the water. We got this down to 15 seconds tops!
The fishing comes to an end over an hour later due to the loss of our last leader (yes, our fishing tackle needs more attention), and we decide to call it a night and get some rest. The cozy cabin and beds with mattresses are a truly wonderful finish to our evening.
When we wake up the next morning, the air is cool and damp. The small wood stove in the cabin lights easy, thanks to the birchbark and stocked dry wood we were supplied. In no time we are toasty warm. Our leftover foil wrapped supper heats up quickly on the stove as we enjoy some much-needed coffee.
Cabin Comfort
Morning seems to quickly slip away as we sit on the cabin porch and visit. There is a slight southeast wind, and we decide to pack up and get canoeing before it picks up any more. Our canoe is still light on the trip out. Our host will be delivering most of our gear at the main dock at 2pm. This gives us a good 3 hours to paddle out.
We take the opposite shore from when we came to the camp. Lots of the shore has mature poplars along it and the same steep banks. There are 3 small islands which we paddle past before crossing the open water to reach the east side of the lake. Paddling quickly, we watch for the motorboats and get across the lake.
On the east side, we go past the Elinor Lake Resort area and finally find a sliver of sand poking out from a very wet area. Accessible only by canoe, we pull ashore and do a little rock picking.
Time goes by, and soon it is time to head to the main dock to meet Robbie. The dock is hopping with action; boats coming in, loading up, boats leaving and unloading. We manoeuvre to the unused side of the dock and load up the canoe with our stuff in the truck. Our gear arrives right on time, and we thank our Off Road Adventure host.
Adios Elinor Lake
Adios Elinor Lake, we will most likely be back again. A beautiful lake that needs more exploring and a few more casts. If you are looking for relaxation, a bit of pampering and do not want to be self-reliant, Off Road Adventures is an excellent option. Your adventure can be personalized depending on what activities you are interested in. Hiking, off-road vehicles, paddle boards, canoes, sunset pontoon boat trips… just ask Robbie. He is willing to make your adventure a memory filled one.
On the trip home, we discussed plans for near future canoes and what we are going to get to eat at VH Drive Thru when we get back to Lac La Biche. As we get to town and stop at the 4 way stop, we are pulled over by the County Peace Officer. Not your average end to a weekend canoe trip.
Uh oh!
One of us is certain the other did not completely stop at the four way stop sign. The other is positive she did. Sisterly bickering fills the cab with the truck. We get silent as the Peace office walks up and asks for the operator’s driver’s licence, insurance, and registration. No tickets given out. Lucky us! Selfies are taken with the red and blues flashing behind. That is one way to finish off a Greenbean Adventure.
Happy and safe paddling. Thank you and farewell, Elinor Lake. That was a fun adventure.
