By guest writer Bruce Tomlinson
Renowned local litter picker Mark Crofts received an unexpected bonus for spearheading the removal of an abandoned kayak from the bush.
Over the years I have been on a few canoe outings with Mark Crofts. He hates garbage being left in the bush and especially despises plastic grocery bags. He has been known to jump out of a canoe to retrieve a fully ballooned bag being swept downstream several feet below the surface. Needless to say, we all realize that when tripping with Mark, your packs end up weighing more, not less, as the days progress.
On the May 2-4 weekend, four of us headed to the Upper Garden River. Starting at Ranger Lake, we were expecting a leisurely 3-day tour down to Garden Lake. It was not to be; the river was in full flood, and we ended up camping near the top of the first rapids for the duration. To get around all the rapids, which were too dangerous to run, would entail a 1.5 km portage along an old tote road; the problem was the amount of blowdown. Under normal water conditions, there was one 100 metre portage and lining of or running of rapids. We spent the time exploring and clearing the old portage.
While exploring, Mark found a “toy” whitewater kayak. It had been left on site by someone who had obviously miscalculated the strength of the river and gone for a tumble. It was punctured in at least five locations. While abandoned in the bush, a bear (or several) had tried chewing into it over the years.
One night, as Mark sat by the fire picking through the forest duff for pieces of a shredded grocery bag, he made it known the plastic broken boat was coming out with us.
Easier said than done. On the day of, the wind was howling directly downstream, and with a fully loaded canoe plus the kayak tied on top, two of us paddled upstream against a very strong current. Every so often there would be a gust of wind and in spite of paddling for all we were worth, we would come to a complete standstill.
But since I am writing this, you know we made it.
My task was to take the kayak to the landfill site. On principle, however, I made it into a planter and dumped it on Mark’s front lawn. A fitting gift for one of our area’s most enthusiastic and energetic litter pickers.
Bruce Tomlinson is a retired conservation officer and current sessional college professor, naturalist, and devoted poppa to four granddaughters. He lives in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
