Old time tour in Nordmarken. WASA WASA.

In the end of the 80-ties I think, there was a group of real canoers from The Macfie Canoe Club on tour in Nordmarken. We started at Älgsjön (Moose Lake) and ended at Store Bör and old name in Swedish for “Great Beaver Lake”. We paddled down Beaver River (Börsälven). The Macfie Canoe Club is still active and we have two times a year a “Rendezvous” one in the autumn and one in the winter. All have wooden canoes and mostly are they build of Harry Macfie or Morten Gedda or his son Björne Gedda. There are today real fine homemade canoes from some of the members.

The photo is from, I think the first Rendezvous, in the southern part of Stora Bör. It was a small group at that time but now the meetings are a bit larger. I´m not the photographer this time, but like to show things and adventures many strokes away from the future. Wooden canoes, canvas Duluth Packsack, Bannock bread made over an open fire. Axe and fatwood. Pork and beans and some Kickapoo medicine (booze). That was the time when canoeing was canoeing. Today modern canoers need a lot more as GPS, Dehydrated food, Gas stove, large barrels an “tons” of equipment. That means they have to paddle where there is no Portage and can´t come to remote areas there is too much shit to take care of. Some call it civilisation and having a good time and in Swedish “slappa” but I don’t agree.