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Fast Fast Day One

Susan McKenzie / 09.09.2006

The Ashuapmushuan River is a long, winding river, one of hundreds that connect James Bay in Northern Quebec with the St Lawrence River that were once used by trappers to transport beaver, fox and lynx pelt to the Hudson Bay Company. The river is framed by a forest of spruce and fir and pine and silver beech and sugar maple, and the colours are slowly changing.

The view is even better from a helicopter (Un grand merci a l’equipe du Raid pour arranger ca.) We were able to fly over the first half dozen teams as they paddled down the slow moving Ashuapmushuan and then still get back in time to watch as they forced their way through a mini-gorge and a few rapids.

The top ten teams were all within minutes of each other as they raced to the portage that would take them away from the most treacherous rapids.

“It’s nice paddling but I would have preferred a few more rapids,� Spyder’s Narelle Ash called out across the water as she steered the bright red inflatable canoe down river, John Jacoby paddling hard in the bow, their teammates Travis Macy and Dave Mackey not far behind.

“It was good paddling,� Speleo Salomon’s Piotr Kosmala said just prior to the portage.

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