Mike Ranta will soon follow in Alexander Mackenzie害羞草研究所檚 footsteps and canoe wakes.
Ranta, living and training in Lumby, will set out April 1 - No Fooling 害羞草研究所� on his third cross-Canada canoe portage with his beloved, soon-to-be-nine-year-old Finnish Spitz sidekick, Spitzii.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 going to mimic Alexander Mackenzie害羞草研究所檚 routes from Bella Coola to Cape Breton,害羞草研究所� said Ranta, 45, originally from Canada害羞草研究所檚 Canoeing Capital, Atikokan, Ont., about 200 kilometres west of Thunder Bay. 害羞草研究所淭he first portage is 823 kilometres. I have a cart for my canoe and I tow it behind me. Everything I do is by foot and by paddle.害羞草研究所�
In 2011, Ranta paddled solo with Spitzii from Rocky Mountain House, Alta. to Montreal and, in 2014, he and Spitzii canoed and portaged across the country from Vancouver to Tatamagouche, NS, falling about 150 kilometres shy of reaching his goal of Cape Breton.
(Both trips are the subject of Ranta害羞草研究所檚 book, Mike and Spitzii Great Canadian Adventure. He害羞草研究所檒l be signing copies of the book Saturday at Bookland in Vernon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
Set in a canoe by his mom and dad at a young age, Ranta is rarely without a paddle. His cross-country trips have been inspired by a pair of brothers from his hometown, Don and Joe Meaney, and by a group of six women and two men he encountered who were in the midst of their own across Canada portage.
害羞草研究所淚 always wanted to do it, thanks to Don and Joe Meaney, they were cool guys,害羞草研究所� said Ranta. 害羞草研究所淭hen I met up with these young girls who were paddling from Vancouver to St. John, NB. That sparked my interest. I wondered if it was possible to do solo and starting looking into it. Nobody had gone coast-to-coast.害羞草研究所�
Ranta says he害羞草研究所檚 the only solo canoeist to cross the North American continent. A successful trip this year will be his third such excursion, accompanied this time by David Jackson of Canoe and Kayak Magazine, who will record the entire trip to produce a photographic journal.
His last trip raised awareness and funds for Canada害羞草研究所檚 veterans. This year害羞草研究所檚 trip, which will take Ranta about 200-plus days to complete (hopes to arrive in Cape Breton Oct. 31), is raising funds and awareness for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, as well as his and Spitzii害羞草研究所檚 way of celebrating害羞草研究所檚 Canada害羞草研究所檚 150th birthday.
A self-proclaimed 害羞草研究所渕odern day voyageur and explorer,害羞草研究所� Ranta runs up and down Lumby害羞草研究所檚 Saddle Mountain twice a day to prepare his legs for the seven-month journey.
害羞草研究所淏.C. is a tough province to go through by canoe,害羞草研究所� he said, adding he keeps up his paddling skills by dropping his 18-foot lark carbon fibre canoe into Kalamalka Lake.
Ranta害羞草研究所檚 portage looks something like this.
Starting at Bella Coola, he traverses over mountains to Kinbasket Lake near Golden. He paddles up the Columbia River and walks from Golden to Lake Louise.
Ranta then takes the Bow River from Lake Louise through Canmore, Calgary and down to where the Bow meets the Oldman River, which is the start of the South Saskatchewan River, and takes that all the way down to Lake Diefenbaker. He continues from there til he gets to the North Saskatchewan River which takes him to Cumberland House. From there, it害羞草研究所檚 into The Pas, MB., into Cedar Lake which will take him and Spitzii to Lake Winnipeg.
From there, it害羞草研究所檚 around the shores of Lake Winnipeg to Traverse Bay, up the Winnipeg River to Kenora, Ont. and Lake of the Woods. He害羞草研究所檒l follow the old voyageur routes to his old stomping grounds near Atikokan, then it害羞草研究所檚 into 害羞草研究所渢he big lake,害羞草研究所� Lake Superior.
From the big lake, it害羞草研究所檚 on to Georgian Bay then taking the Trent-Severyn Waterway through Peterborough into Lake Ontario, through Kingston and into the Rideau Canal into Ottawa. Ranta will jump into the Ottawa River, paddling to the St. Lawrence Seaway and into Montreal, hugging the south shore to Riviere-du-Loup. He害羞草研究所檒l portage to Lake Temiscouata, then down the Madawaska River in St. John.
For the final part of the journey, Ranta heads north to Cambridge-Narrows, up the Canaan River and portage to Shediac, NB before finishing at Cape Breton and Bras d害羞草研究所橭r Lake.
害羞草研究所淭he toughest part is B.C. through the mountains,害羞草研究所� said Ranta. 害羞草研究所淟ake Superior is really challenging, so is the St. Lawrence Seaway. Really challenging in some areas. It害羞草研究所檚 pretty brutal.害羞草研究所�
On his trips, Ranta has found a body in the North Saskatchewan River; rescued a drowning baby moose in Saskatchewan害羞草研究所檚 Qu害羞草研究所橝ppelle River; was nearly hit by lightning; and encountered rain for 170 of his 214 days on the road.
The most spectacular part of the trip, he said, without hesitation: Lake Superior.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 very beautiful. It害羞草研究所檚 a good energy lake,害羞草研究所� said Ranta.
A former labourer, Ranta is not one to 害羞草研究所渟it in a mill or work in a cubicle.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚 worked in a mill and on the rigs, and I was not liking what I was doing. It was killing me,害羞草研究所� said Ranta, who decided to make a go out of portaging across the country.
He sold off 害羞草研究所減retty much everything I owned害羞草研究所� and has learned to 害羞草研究所渓ive without a lot of money.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淲ith great sacrifice comes great reward,害羞草研究所� said Ranta. 害羞草研究所淐anada is a beautiful country to travel through.害羞草研究所�
Ranta害羞草研究所檚 future excursions, he hopes, include spending a year in each province害羞草研究所檚 paddling seasons, hitting up every waterway and river he can to get a really good understanding of Canada in the back country.
You can get updates on Ranta害羞草研究所檚 upcoming trip at his website, www.mikeranta.ca.
