After I cleaned pike on shore near Camp 9, this gull waited patiently nearby most of the time I was there. She sees me off early morning June 20.
Looking back at Camp 9 site on a beautiful sunny morning as I travel onward.
Heading into the next big lake through a long winding channel.
I canoe to the upper end of the lake to make sure I can find the creek that I hope to portage to get to the next lake. It is always a bit suspenseful when exploring a new area when not quite sure if in the correct place. Looking at a topographical map versus viewing the landscape from a canoe is markedly different. Provided I keep track of landmarks as I go, I am usually reasonably confident in my location. I explore on the more open side of the creek first but the bush is very thick and runs up against a rock face farther upstream. When I check out the other side which starts right at a rock cliff, it opens up to a game trail for a short way and I make my way through the bush to finally reach the upper end of the creek. Along the way, I check out a few other game trails but they head up the slope into dense bush and as often the case they peter out, just being collector trails near the creek. There are several spots with steep rock faces and some spots with open water that will be challenging to portage. It will take several hours of work to cut a trail. From my journal, "The younger me says to cut portage now and camp on the little lake where I can see possible good campsites. My older self says no, camp on the big lake and cut trail from there." Thankfully my older self wins.
Camp 10, eight km travelled plus one extra km to find a campsite. There are very few places to camp at this end of the lake, mostly precipitous rock shores. I stop at several spots to check but finally find a campsite about 1/2 km from the creek. It is up a steep rock slope that is slippery when wet so have to be careful when fetching water. After cutting out about 50 small pine and spruce trees, I erect the tent and the tarp shelter. While I am sitting at camp, there is quite a clatter of brush in the bush coming towards me, and I think "moose running?". It is a female ruffed grouse who lands beside me about five metres away, then walks off, murmuring the whole time, probably saying "What the heck is HE doing here in my favourite spot?". She must have been banging into branches as she flew to make that racket. Interestingly, the next morning at breakfast, a gray jay lands at the same spot on the rock face and we say good morning to each other.
Initially I created a small fireplace overlooking the lake for my late lunch, but it was much too exposed so headed inland about 100 metres. There is a flattish raised rock area in the pines that overlooks thick bush inland. I have to cut a trail from shore inland to the camp. In order to park the canoe at shore's edge I cut out about 20 trees, mostly birch.
It takes five hours to cut a 520 metre trail. Hot sweaty work made worse by quite bothersome blackflies. There are several spots that skirt along steep rock and other places where I create a corduroy road using felled trees and brush to span open water. Some trees have suspicious blazes, but probably bear scrapes. A fire to shoo the bugs away and to boil water provides a welcome lunch break. I wear a hat scarf all day, but I do get some bites as demonstrated by the blood on the sweatband of my hat. Thank goodness my younger self did not convince me to cut the portage yesterday. I am away from camp from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm, and am apprehensive when returning after such an absence but all is as I left it.
A bear scratched tree along the trail.