Smoke from the forest fire has now blown over camp 30 by morning and hangs in the air even as I move farther away.
At my rest breaks I pick several servings of lingonberries for supper.
I make my way down a channel in the lake through landscape ravaged by forest fire a few years ago. At a burned-over area I pick two servings of fireweed salad.
I stop to make camp 31 near the lower end of this large lake, 19 km from the last site. This is the second place I check, and has densely growing trees and brush up its steep slope. As with many lakes, the area near its outlet tends to have low shores and very few good camp sites. I am sure glad to find this one.
The tent just fits in a somewhat level area under a large spruce tree after I remove the lower branches and level the ground with the head of my axe. It would be nice to have a perfectly level floor but seldom occurs.
The steep slope up to the tent, about 100 metres from shore, after cutting a trail through the bush.
The fireplace has to be perched on the edge of a rock outcrop with a steep drop-off to the lake. I find only a few stones, just enough to contain the fire. When working at the fire, I have to be careful to not misstep and slide down the slope.
In order to erect the tarp shelter, it takes 30 minutes to clear trees and brush. Meanwhile it is raining and I get wet. The bug tent sits in between stumps of cut off trees. I can hear rapids in the distance of the river that is my next target.
The next day August 11, I canoe to find and clear the next portages. At the first rapid out of the lake, it takes one hour to clear the 100 metre trail.
I then canoe through a minor rapid and down the river to the next rapids. It takes a few minutes of searching to find the portage in the thick bush. To clear the 800 metre trail takes three hours.
The portage trail overlooks the river in the distance.
There are trees down over the trail in many places, but at this spot completely block it for 100 metres. I cut a trail around the area through down trees and raspberry canes.
There are innumerable raspberry plants along the portage.
I pick two servings of bunchberries.
Back at camp I troll back and forth through a narrows and catch four walleye for late supper, two big pans full. Trolling often works better for walleye in a place like this to get the lure deeper in the water, above where pike are more likely to take the hook. Late to bed in the dark at 10 pm, I wake up at 11 pm with a severe leg cramp, even though I thought I drank enough water. I have alarm set for 4 am to travel tomorrow August 12, but decide to stay another day to rest, so turn off the alarm.
Trail cutting made me very sweaty and a bath feels glorious. Temperature is 32°C, hot even in the shade, and wind has blown in forest fire smoke. In this heat all the animals seem quiet, except for one annoying horsefly that keeps circling around the bug tent. My clothes dry in the sun and wind and the bugs leave me alone while I wear nothing but my Crocs™. I am glad that I decided to take a rest day.