Yellowknife is getting the streets cleaned for free today and the river levels will be rising. The rain is great for keeping the dust down and will certainly help break up the ice that remains on the Great Slave Lake.

Having a few small leaks in my roof keeps me home on bucket brigade. I did however complete 17,000 steps along the TCT and will skip the bike ride as the rain is much heavier than when I was walking. I normally use an umbrella in the rain but it is difficult with the walking poles.  Today I opped for my gortex cycling jacket and my trusty Souwester rain hat.

I talked with Mr. Luke Coady from The Territorial Parks and we have permission to host the "Paddlers for Parts" Annual Sociable Affair #6 at our preferred location the Yellowknife River bridge. This is our annual 3 day event where we give away canoe and kayak rides and free food as well. We try each year to host an assortment of paddling related activties and games to prevent boredom between paddles.

The type of activities that we get up to depends on who shows up and what they would like to try. We will have soccer balls and volley ball, horseshoes a slackline and hoping to set up a Greenlandic rope game system as well as my never tried before kayak rolling Hammock. We will have 3/4 sea kayaks, a couple of white water boats and 3/4 canoes of various types a zodiac and a Nautiraid 2 folding tandem for folks to try. Hoping to have at least one extra plastic tandem.

We have been hosting this event for 5 years and this will be year six.

Each year we get a little bigger and we hope better and have grown now to two sun shelters and a 15 foot diameter dome tent and some pup tents. This year we have the usual hot dogs and burgers and will be serving beef stew and bannock on Saturday around 18:00 hours and the usual assortment of soft drinks and fruits and snacks. Sundays dinner is still a surprise but we will come up with something good. we did chilly for a few years and time to change up however paddlers chillie is very good and we may make one anyway. We like to keep everyone well fed and happy. We used to provide a huge cake but the weather made it very difficult to keep it from melting. 

The even keeps us busy rounding up wood and getting set up and last year we were ready about ten minutes before the first would be paddlers arrived looking for their ride.

We do roll demos and water rescue and this year we will set up a knot practice table and teach folks how to rig a Z-drag or perhaps even a pig rig.

The event will be held on July 3,4, and 5th, we hope to be set up by noon Friday and start playing in the afternoon. This is a tiring event for the paddlers and by Sunday evening we are ready to head home and take a break. Should you be in Yellowknife during that time this event is open to any and all that wish to attend. Please drop by we have lots of room. Cheers, Greg Ps I think that we are getting all of our Annual 10 inches of precipitation all in one shot and I and beginning to feel like the Titanic.