Heavy fog in the early morning gives way to a beautiful sunny day.
These tall dead trees had three ducks flying around and periodically landing on top, but I am unable to get a photo of them. I think they are common goldeneye. It always seems wrong to see ducks perched in trees.
This black bear follows my canoe along the shores of the channel for several hundred metres. He is far too curious for his own safety.
Camp 5, 11 km from last camp, including two portages 180 and 220 metres in length. The first portage needs considerable clearing of fallen trees to be passable, felling only the ones I cannot climb over or under. To duck under one tree I have to kneel when carrying the canoe, but manage by grabbing a nearby tree to keep my balance.
Blackflies are bothersome both on and off the water, so I wear my hat scarf all day. This is my first use of the bug tent this season, providing welcome relief for meals.
I pitch my tent in what I think is a good site (above) but the moss proves to be very wet and cold, making for a damp interior, so I move to a more open sunny spot (below).
This campsite is memorable for the wrong reasons.
The shore where I land is a bit difficult from which to unload the canoe because of a steep bank with lots of brush growing. I can only tether one end of the canoe. (When I unload from the stern end backed up to the shore, I always carry one pack at a time carefully from the canoe to the rear end and then off the canoe to shore, balancing carefully so as not to tip the canoe. The canoe will be tied to a solid object on shore.) Today while standing in the stern I grab a tree on shore to boost myself up the bank. Unfortunately I grab a tree that breaks. I and pack end up in the lake. Aie! My second stupid this trip. A reminder to grab the canoe rope tethered to a solid point on shore rather than to chance grabbing a tree or brush.
In order to have a bath, I find a nice spot on open rock about 200 metres from camp. It is nice, until I am attacked by red ants, so I spend a lot of time dancing from spot to spot to avoid them. Their bite sure hurts!
The shore where I land is a bit difficult from which to unload the canoe because of a steep bank with lots of brush growing. I can only tether one end of the canoe. (When I unload from the stern end backed up to the shore, I always carry one pack at a time carefully from the canoe to the rear end and then off the canoe to shore, balancing carefully so as not to tip the canoe. The canoe will be tied to a solid object on shore.) Today while standing in the stern I grab a tree on shore to boost myself up the bank. Unfortunately I grab a tree that breaks. I and pack end up in the lake. Aie! My second stupid this trip. A reminder to grab the canoe rope tethered to a solid point on shore rather than to chance grabbing a tree or brush.
In order to have a bath, I find a nice spot on open rock about 200 metres from camp. It is nice, until I am attacked by red ants, so I spend a lot of time dancing from spot to spot to avoid them. Their bite sure hurts!