The exit of the lake where I was windbound.
One of the lakes on the Churchill River, which receives the river system with all the rapids I canoed down. In this spot I am in the middle of the channel paddling diagonally across and upstream to the far point but I cannot make any headway no matter how hard I paddle. The current is so strong with record high water levels this year. There are boulders just below the surface that would be hidden surprises for motorboats. I have to slide back out and veer off to one side to continue.
All along this lake, the current is quite strong and I have to paddle hard in several places.
I reach a major set of rapids that I have to ascend. First I check for a portage on the left side where my information indicates there should be a trail but I cannot find any evidence of one. The bush is very thick and has quite large trees. The water is too deep at the edge to wade.
I canoe across the base of the lower rapids to check out the other side.
By getting over into a protected bay on the right side I am able to paddle up to this boulder at the edge of the main rapid. It is hard paddling against several sets of "minor" rapids but persistence pays off. Such rapids are only "minor" if descending them. If I was to get out into the main rapid I would be carried downstream and have to make my way all over again. I tie up the canoe in the eddy of the boulder and check out this side of the river. Walking along the shore in and out of the brush I find that this is definitely the side of the rapids to portage. The bush is thinner and the trees smaller. My first plan is to line the loaded canoe all the way to the top of the rapids by walking along the rock shore. So I clear a path by cutting trees and brush along the shore to allow me to walk and pull the canoe with the attached ropes. The water along the shore is way to deep and fast to wade.
With difficulty I line the canoe around the boulder and into the eddy below a really strong rapid over a ledge. When I try to paddle past the next point to get below the ledge I am swept back downstream ... aie! I manage to get back into the bay and up to the boulder again without going all the way to the base of the rapids, then line up to the same spot to try my second plan.
My second plan is to portage from this point about 200 metres to the calm water above the ledge. To do this I hope that I can cut a trail through the bush. The gods are with me ... the trail ends up being 150 metres long. It squeezes between and under some big trees but is mainly brush to clear using the pruners. The first 30 metres is up a steep slope but I make it okay even with the canoe. Maybe I am getting muscles on my muscles. I have now spent two hours from the time I reached the rapids. But I am happy that I did not have to invoke the third plan which would be to cut an even longer trail farther inland below the big boulder.
Looking back downstream at the head of the rapids and the upper end of my portage.
Now I paddle to the base of the main upper rapids. I sure hope there is an established portage here and a campsite. When I land there is no camp spot at the lower end and right away I see large trees down over the trail. Not a good sign. I take one portage load with me across the trail, but it is not pretty.
There has been a strong wind toppling the large poplars and some spruce. The original trail is not passable so previous canoeists managed to zig-zag to create a new trail of sorts. I learn later that there were several "plough" winds flattening trees in many places.
From my journal, "Canoeists have made an alternate path that goes under the top of the spruce (which is built for a short man carrying a shallow canoe)."
Again from my journal, the alternate path goes "... over the trunks of several trees, in a twisting way (which is built for a tall man carrying a short canoe). Aie!" I get stuck with the canoe lodged between trees when I have to make an impossible right angle turn with a 17 foot canoe, so have to set it down and drag it to a spot where I can pick it up again.
At the half way point on this 280 metre trail, the path is in good shape. When I reach the upper end with my first load I search in vain for a campsite. The entire length of the portage is gloomy, damp and uninviting with no good place for fire, water or tent. From my journal, "So ... portage and move on. Going to be a long LONG day." Load canoe in stagnant dirty water and paddle on against the strong current. I now want to have stopped hours ago! Check three islands but all low and very thick. Then I look at two places on the mainland, the first a very exposed point of land, the other a steep shore and too open on top.
Finally I find a small peninsula that is more sheltered and has some open rock. At long last a campsite at 9:50 pm, six to seven hours after my ideal stop time. I have been up since 4 am, weary and hungry. My mouth is so dry I cannot talk, not that I have anybody to converse with, but I try to talk and nothing comes out. So I give silent thanks for a campsite. I finished my two canteens of water long ago, so use my LifeStraw™ to get a drink, and filter two litres of water with the Platypus™ system to refill the canteens. I suspect I will wake up tonight with severe leg cramps.
By the time I set up the tent it is getting dark and the mosquitoes are bothersome. Still have to eat so I set up the bug tent and turn on my headlamp. I have never used the bug tent after dark and soon find out that it is a hopeless endeavour. There are as many mosquitoes inside the tent as out (entering when I open the door), and they are biting ferociously, even through both shirts! Take down the bug tent and arrange the last of my gear that needs to go into the tent including some butter placed into a Ziploc™ bag. Camp is all set up, gear stashed under canoe and in the tent's two vestibules. Just myself and my rubber bag to go into the tent. I walk quickly around the tent once, swatting all around myself with my hat, get inside the front vestibule and zip it closed. Then quickly open the inside door, throw in the bag, crawl in and zip up the door. My sleep gear was placed in the tent when I set it up. I do not unzip the door screens at both ends of tent until I check for mosquitoes with my headlamp. Kill three of the buggers with fly swatter. (In the morning there is only one well-fed mosquito so I did a good job of keeping them out.) I undress completely as I am sweaty, lay out the groundsheet, distribute my gear to make room. Finally, time for supper ... mmm good ... 1/2 currant bannock with 2 tbsp butter, chocolate bar, two cheeses, two mints, two gum, a full canteen of cold water. From my journal, "To bed at 11:55 pm, at least getting to bed today. I tell Wilson [my alarm clock] he and I both taking a rest, no offence but he's being turned off. No way I'm travelling tomorrow. I'm bushed, very weary. Morals: If you want to see how BAD mosquitoes can be, wait till after dark. Must have a headlamp. (I have two.) Must use lithium batteries that last '9x longer'. Don't bother trying to cook supper after dark 'outside'. Always have spare food in lunch bag."
Camp 20 is 24 km from previous camp, with two portages, 150 and 280 metres long. I am not quite sure the exact spot of camp on the map so I take a GPS reading. A long day, considering 16 km is my usual flat water target, and this was all upstream except for a short distance out of the "windbound" lake. And it included a virgin portage and a "ploughed" portage.
July 21, looking out on the lake on a very cloudy day.
July 22 sunrise at 4:45 am before breaking camp 20.
July 22 at 4:54 am.