Camp 22 is only five km travelled, but includes a 2550 metre portage ... 2-1/2 km, crazy!
This is past the five rapids of May 31, four of which I ran when I started my trip. The water level is even higher now than the higher-than-usual level of this spring. The lowest rapid is completely flat, no boulders showing, so is definitely a lot higher now. I had thought perhaps water levels would be lower and I could wade up the creek, but it is too deep and fast. All the lower four canoe portages are well under water. I decide to make a go of it all at once, on the long trail, much as I hate it. At least, nearing the end of the trip, I am down to one week of food left so have five carries instead of six. I have only made such a long portage once before. I was much younger then than now, had fewer loads, the route was mostly level and I broke the carry in half. But as Bob Dylan sings in "My Back Pages", "Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now". From my journal, "This time I do the whole carry in one go - I'm in better shape now - or crazier!" My portage loads range from 28 to 44 kg at the start of the trip.
The reason there is one single long portage is that the locals have made an all-terrain-vehicle (ATV) portage to carry motor boats from one large lake to the other. That is "progress". However this two metre wide trail is eroding badly in places and is responsible for ruining portions of the age-old original portage.
The low portion of the long portage has four sections under water, so I have to cut trails around them, the first one right away, 100 metres long, some of it on a side hill, one spot I will have to be careful not to slide down into the deep water in the ATV track. I carry my usual first load including tool kit, and cut another side trail 50 metres long. Load up again and farther on have to cut two more short ones to bypass deep water in the ATV trail. The trail has some quite hilly portions, so when I get to my third and later carries, I am grunting as I walk up the steep places. To reiterate what Bill Mason said "… portaging is like hitting yourself on the head with a hammer: it feels so good when you stop." It takes me 40 minutes to make the trip one way, for a total time of almost seven hours of walking with heavy loads. Aie!
I stop at the upper end of the trail for lunch and rest after the third carry. I am sweat-soaked, even my jeans are soaked from waist to knees. A small lunch fire shoos the blackflies away. The blackflies, mosquitoes and horseflies are quite bothersome along the entire trail. I rinse my handkerchief and two bandanas and hang them, my hat and long-sleeved shirt to dry. A mother spruce grouse brings her brood close before realizing my presence, and then her brood are flying away all over the place. She remains nearby, clucking and cooing to her young. I am super hungry. Lunch is 1/2 currant bannock with 1/4 cup butter, hot water, sardines, Skor™ chocolate bar, almonds, cheese, mint, gum.
Arrive at camp by 5 pm. This is the same site as camp 2 in May so camp setup is faster than if camping at a new spot. After landing, one of my first tasks is to use the LifeStraw™ to quench my thirst and the Platypus™ system to fill the canteens. I set up camp and get supper started, then have much needed bath, hanging all my clothes to dry. To bed by 8:30 pm, my usual bedtime, clothes mostly dry. Before bedtime I prepack as much as possible, planning to leave tomorrow.
I awake to the alarm and light rain at 4 am on July 24, getting up at 4:30 after convincing myself that the rain will stop. As usual I pack my sleep gear inside the tent before exiting. I start the breakfast fire, then load the canoe with most of the packs and cover with the big tarp. Then it starts to pour HARD with lots of thunder and lightning. I don raingear to put up the tarp shelter, which I had just taken down. Aie! My rain-jacket leaks like a sieve, soaking my shirt. The jacket is old but I did not realize it was this bad; it is like it just decided to give up. I put big wood on the fire to keep it going and sit under the tarp for 30 minutes. I go to the canoe to get my pack containing my writing bag. From my journal, "... at least 20 litres of rainwater in canoe! Aie! If only I had left everything in place ...". So I unload the canoe and pull it on shore. The packs are placed back under the canoe and into the tent vestibules. Finally I go into the tent to have a cold breakfast, after which I am really feeling chilled. Still raining. Put wet clothes back on to erect the canvas tent and stove. The stove is easy to light with coals from the fireplace. The rain continues off and on, the heavy rain clouds hovering over me all day. After supper I prepack again hoping to leave tomorrow.
The reason there is one single long portage is that the locals have made an all-terrain-vehicle (ATV) portage to carry motor boats from one large lake to the other. That is "progress". However this two metre wide trail is eroding badly in places and is responsible for ruining portions of the age-old original portage.
The low portion of the long portage has four sections under water, so I have to cut trails around them, the first one right away, 100 metres long, some of it on a side hill, one spot I will have to be careful not to slide down into the deep water in the ATV track. I carry my usual first load including tool kit, and cut another side trail 50 metres long. Load up again and farther on have to cut two more short ones to bypass deep water in the ATV trail. The trail has some quite hilly portions, so when I get to my third and later carries, I am grunting as I walk up the steep places. To reiterate what Bill Mason said "… portaging is like hitting yourself on the head with a hammer: it feels so good when you stop." It takes me 40 minutes to make the trip one way, for a total time of almost seven hours of walking with heavy loads. Aie!
I stop at the upper end of the trail for lunch and rest after the third carry. I am sweat-soaked, even my jeans are soaked from waist to knees. A small lunch fire shoos the blackflies away. The blackflies, mosquitoes and horseflies are quite bothersome along the entire trail. I rinse my handkerchief and two bandanas and hang them, my hat and long-sleeved shirt to dry. A mother spruce grouse brings her brood close before realizing my presence, and then her brood are flying away all over the place. She remains nearby, clucking and cooing to her young. I am super hungry. Lunch is 1/2 currant bannock with 1/4 cup butter, hot water, sardines, Skor™ chocolate bar, almonds, cheese, mint, gum.
Arrive at camp by 5 pm. This is the same site as camp 2 in May so camp setup is faster than if camping at a new spot. After landing, one of my first tasks is to use the LifeStraw™ to quench my thirst and the Platypus™ system to fill the canteens. I set up camp and get supper started, then have much needed bath, hanging all my clothes to dry. To bed by 8:30 pm, my usual bedtime, clothes mostly dry. Before bedtime I prepack as much as possible, planning to leave tomorrow.
I awake to the alarm and light rain at 4 am on July 24, getting up at 4:30 after convincing myself that the rain will stop. As usual I pack my sleep gear inside the tent before exiting. I start the breakfast fire, then load the canoe with most of the packs and cover with the big tarp. Then it starts to pour HARD with lots of thunder and lightning. I don raingear to put up the tarp shelter, which I had just taken down. Aie! My rain-jacket leaks like a sieve, soaking my shirt. The jacket is old but I did not realize it was this bad; it is like it just decided to give up. I put big wood on the fire to keep it going and sit under the tarp for 30 minutes. I go to the canoe to get my pack containing my writing bag. From my journal, "... at least 20 litres of rainwater in canoe! Aie! If only I had left everything in place ...". So I unload the canoe and pull it on shore. The packs are placed back under the canoe and into the tent vestibules. Finally I go into the tent to have a cold breakfast, after which I am really feeling chilled. Still raining. Put wet clothes back on to erect the canvas tent and stove. The stove is easy to light with coals from the fireplace. The rain continues off and on, the heavy rain clouds hovering over me all day. After supper I prepack again hoping to leave tomorrow.