THUNDER BAY - Intrepid solo canoeist Mike Ranta has encountered windy conditions so often on his current trans-Canada paddle that he is about 1,000 kilometres behind his projected schedule.
The 45-year-old Atikokan man set off from Bella Coola, BC on April l, accompanied by his faithful dog Spitzii and photojournalist David Jackson. Each man is paddling his own canoe.
During the latest of several cross-country paddles he has made since 2011, Ranta is trying to raise awareness and funds for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder suffered by first-responders. He is also celebrating Canada's 150th birthday.
Tbnewswatch caught up with Ranta on Monday during a layover at Winnipeg Beach on the shore of Lake Winnipeg.
"It's been an amazing journey so far," he said. "I'm having fun entertaining others through the eyes of a modern-day voyageur."
During the interview, Ranta sounded a little frustrated by the weather conditions he's had to deal with.
"The wind has been really detrimental to us this year. It's just been incredible on the northern lakes. But on the silver lining of it, you learn patience."
He hopes conditions will be more favourable during the second half of the trip, as he plans to hit salt water off Cape Breton, Nova Scotia around the end of October.
Ranta said that, so far, the highlight of the expedition is the hospitality he has been offered at First Nations communities he's travelled through.
"Seeing that welcomeness, that kindness, that all-around good general nature of our First Nations...It's just incredibly heartwarming how welcoming these people are."
Although a number of sponsors are covering expedition costs, Ranta noted that he's sold his property in Atikokan and now only has his pickup truck besides a few things that all fit into his canoe.
But he's committed, he said, to do what he's doing, even if it means having to live a "pretty frugal" lifestyle. Being out in the bush as much as he is makes it easier to do that, Ranta added.
He's already looking ahead to his next adventure, possibly canoeing the length of the Mackenzie River, the longest river in Canada.
Ranta expects to paddle into Thunder Bay around the end of August.
