ELBOW RUN 2015 - The Lake Diefenbaker Experience
We extend an invitation to all WindRider enthusiasts to join us for our third Lake Diefenbaker WindRider Experience. This is a 5 day sailing/camping trip, offering excellent day time sailing along with communal cooking and evening campfire camaraderie.
Lake Diefenbaker is a man made lake extending 140 miles from Saskatchewan Landing in the west to the Gardiner Dam in the north east where the lake continues as the South Saskatchewan River. With over 500 miles of coastline, there are many excellent beaches that are suitable for lunchtime breaks during the day and wilderness camping for the night.
The lake features considerable bird life, including white pelican and cormorant, and twenty six species of fish. The hillsides around the lake offer ample opportunity to explore the terrain and check out native flowers and other species. The hills are also home to various wild life: deer and moose, coyote and cougar, many small mammals along with a couple of species of snakes.
For history buffs, there is no shortage of interesting stories and anecdotes that involve the area. The Cree, Dakota and Blackfoot First Nations peoples moved up and down the South Saskatchewan River that preceded the lake. They hunted the huge bison herds that forded the river at an elbow of the river that provided the name for the village near where we will begin our expedition. In later years after the arrival of Europeans on the Great Plains, deep ravines along the river offered excellent hide-outs for gangs of rustlers and outlaws from both sides of the Canada-USA border. Those same ravines and coulees form some of the bays that we camp in during the trip.
Current plans will have participants gathering near the village of Elbow, Saskatchewan during the day of July 26, in preparation for departure the next morning. We will launch at Tuft’s Bay, and those who arrive early can explore the area by boat or by foot.There is ample room to leave vehicles and trailers at the launch site for the week.The launch is across a sheltered bay from a busy campground where we will tent for the night. (There is a motel in the town for those who prefer a more comfortable sleep before the start of the trip.) We expect to be back to Tuft’s Bay on Friday, July 31.
There are no fees to join in the fun. Participants should come prepared for a week of wilderness camping. We expect each person to be self sufficient, supplying their own food and refreshments, including drinking water, along with tenting and camping gear. Once we have left our launch site there will be no opportunities to replenish supplies. Cel phone coverage on the lake is limited and for much of the trip non-existent.
Check out previous trips on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5QbyHUWdVo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKVOkGo63Jw
For more information, including a list of helpful links, contact Rod McLaren, E-mail: nkosuohene@gmail.com
