To get the portage gear down the two metre vertical drop, I use a rope to lower each item. I am glad that I only have five portage loads instead of six, as I am down to one food pack now. Bugs are very bothersome so wear headnet to portage.
From my journal: "On the second carry, I tripped and stumbled at the step down to the trail on the ledge along the cliff! I went backwards off the ledge, losing my hat, bandana scarf and the top Food Pack. Still attached to me was the Clothes Pack because of the chest strap, probably a good thing because the pack bore the brunt of my weight. I was inverted at a 45° angle just above a three metre drop. Aie! I certainly used another of my '9 or more lives'. I extricated myself and looked behind to see if I had lost the Food Pack, hat or bandana but luckily they were all there. The gods were smiling on me today thank goodness. The cause of my tumble was two roots exposed over the lip of the cliff to the ledge, made worse by attempting to carry two packs at the same time. I sawed the roots off (which I should have done in the first place). After that I also at this point lowered the packs down and carried each alone to the "elevator" rope. On that note, one time I lowered a load without leather mitts on and got a rope burn on one finger. Aie! The final chapter was getting the canoe down."
From my journal: "On the second carry, I tripped and stumbled at the step down to the trail on the ledge along the cliff! I went backwards off the ledge, losing my hat, bandana scarf and the top Food Pack. Still attached to me was the Clothes Pack because of the chest strap, probably a good thing because the pack bore the brunt of my weight. I was inverted at a 45° angle just above a three metre drop. Aie! I certainly used another of my '9 or more lives'. I extricated myself and looked behind to see if I had lost the Food Pack, hat or bandana but luckily they were all there. The gods were smiling on me today thank goodness. The cause of my tumble was two roots exposed over the lip of the cliff to the ledge, made worse by attempting to carry two packs at the same time. I sawed the roots off (which I should have done in the first place). After that I also at this point lowered the packs down and carried each alone to the "elevator" rope. On that note, one time I lowered a load without leather mitts on and got a rope burn on one finger. Aie! The final chapter was getting the canoe down."
Because of its 17 foot length, the canoe is the hardest item to move along the cliff trail and down the slope. I would not want to have to portage the opposite way on this trail! The last five portages have been virgin ones where I had to cut a total of four km of my own trails.
Camp 14, two km from the previous camp including two portages, 80 and 1020 metres. When I reach camp it is time for a late lunch. It starts to rain, but hunger supersedes comfort, and I eat under a spruce tree while wearing my raincoat. Two more thunderstorms move through before it is safe to remove the tarp covering the packs.
The view down the small unnamed lake towards its exit where I hope to do my next portage. The camp side of the lake is very low and marshy, the direct opposite type of terrain compared to the other side.
Looking directly across the lake from camp to the previous portage.
The portage side has steep cliffs along the length of the lake.
On July 9, I have a relaxing day doing camp chores, some repairs and drying clothes and gear. Horseflies are bothersome, biting through my shirt. My boots are finally dry after all the boggy portages the last two weeks and have lost half their weight in water. After a restful day off I get up by 4 am, the usual time when I am breaking camp or have to clear portage. I canoe to the lower end of the lake prepared to have to cut another long portage. There is an unoccupied beaver lodge nearby and an old beaver dam across the lake outlet. I am very pleased to find an existing trail which looks to have been cleared within the last year or two. Yeah! On seeing the trail I state out loud "I'll be damned." It has been created with chain saws and is 1-1/2 metres wide, presumably a winter trail, following a game trail for most of the way. It would have taken me several days to cut the trail as it goes through mostly thick bush.
Everywhere I canoe, little ducklings scoot across the water, the mother pretending to be injured to lure me away.
Everywhere I canoe, little ducklings scoot across the water, the mother pretending to be injured to lure me away.