After portaging the 360 metre portage to a river, it takes me a while to find the outlet. While trying to target a specific point, it can be difficult because there is no bird's-eye view as when looking at the map. This is where the compass is essential, provided your current location is known. When I find the outlet, on first glance the river looks runnable, however this proves to be a good example of why it is necessary to scout rapids. Just around the bend there were trees and boulders blocking the way. I searched unsuccessfully for two hours on each side of the rapids for signs of a portage. I walked farther inland than would be likely, with still no luck. After walking the length of the rapids, I decided that I would cut a trail on the right hand side. This was going to be a lot of work, so I needed to find a campsite nearby.
Camp 15, after travelling four km, including two extra km to scout the river outlet and to find a campsite, and the 360 metre portage. The campsite was much steeper than desirable but it was the best spot in between two sets of rapids.
Before
After
Before
Before
After
Filled hole
Filled hole
Before
After
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After
It took six hours to cut the next portage, 250 metres in length. I took a lunch break directly on the rocks of the river to dry out both myself and my sweat-soaked clothes. The blackflies were very bothersome, the headnet a blessing and absolutely necessary. The smoke from the small fire shoos away the blackflies so I can have a restful meal.
A very pretty valley. I canoed to the rapids above my campsite and walked the 800 metre length of the rapids along the shore in the bush. There was no evidence of a portage. I considered wading up the rapids to continue on to eventually reach a series of lakes but decided I would not have enough time. These rapids are wadeable up and runnable down ... another time. There was a long water-soaked spruce tree near the base of the rapids that I removed for just such and occasion.
