Beautiful early morning sunrise at 4:50 am and 5:10 am on July 30 at camp 22. It is still quite dark as I arise at 3:30 to Wilson. I manage to dress, pack gear and tie my boot laces without using a flashlight. It is amazing how much is possible "by touch" once I am used to all my gear and its location, another reason to live by the maxim "A place for everything and everything in its place".
Stopping to pick salad for supper in a burned area, there is a bald eagle perched in a nearby dead spruce tree. Initially I think the eagle perhaps has a problem as she remains even though I am quite close, but in a few minutes flies away with no apparent difficulty.
Arriving at my first portage after a long paddle, the first 50 metres is mud with some firmer grassy ground alongside. I do not know how deep the mud is, and do not want to find out. All the gear gets carried to a drier raised area near the start, then portaged to the end of the 300 metre trail. The last load is the canoe which I pull through the mudhole before raising it above my head.
The trail would be a good spot to pick blueberries, lingonberries, bunchberries and raspberries but I do not want to take the time as it has already rained and does not look promising.
This route is one I have not taken before, so am not sure where the next portage is. Looking ahead, it is not obvious that the trail is near the end of the small lake, to the right. There is an 80 metre portage beside a small creek emptying into the next lake. Light rainfall starts with the first portage load, and continues for the duration of my travel and all night. There is a strong wind blowing directly onshore, full of small and large boulders, so it is a challenge to find a safe spot to tie and load the canoe. As I paddle into the headwind, I am already chanting "Come on campsite ...".
The first longish island looks promising, with a mostly bare sloping rock face at one end. Landing in the steady rain, I find and flag a tent site about 100 metres inland. Thirty metres inland at the site for the tarp shelter, I cover gear with the tarp. I pull the canoe uphill 20 metres and place the gear underneath that will remain there. In a deep moss area nearby I bury the coolers in their new "fridge". I erect the tarp shelter over the gear. Then I build a fireplace near shore, start a fire and put pots on to boil water. Next I cut a trail to the nylon tent site and clear and level a base. To make room I have to fell 10 small spruce and limb 10 large spruce trees. The axe head is used to level the site, but it takes several armloads of moss to finish the job. Time now to erect the nylon tent and lay out the sleep gear but I do not hang any items to "dry" as they would get damp in this weather. Gear is stowed in the rear and front tent vestibules.
Hungry, I make supper - a scotch mint, macaroni and cheese, hot water, salad (below), Nutri-Grain® bar. The latter is what I purchased in La Ronge to replace my previous chocolate bar dessert. (I no longer drink coffee or tea because of caffeine intolerance, and now I find the same with chocolate.) The rain stops long enough for me to sit outside by the fire to eat supper. The rain starts again as I go to the tent, weary and tired after travelling 19 km with two portages (300, 80 metres). Luckily my bed proves level enough and I sleep well except for a bout of leg cramps. Aie! A long hard day and I did not drink enough water. Rainfall is on and off all night, stopping at 4 am.
As with the last site, this one has lots of deep moss underfoot, and there are very few bothersome bugs. There are several spots with old woodland caribou droppings, and some more recent spring ones. I wonder if there are caribou in the area now.
The first longish island looks promising, with a mostly bare sloping rock face at one end. Landing in the steady rain, I find and flag a tent site about 100 metres inland. Thirty metres inland at the site for the tarp shelter, I cover gear with the tarp. I pull the canoe uphill 20 metres and place the gear underneath that will remain there. In a deep moss area nearby I bury the coolers in their new "fridge". I erect the tarp shelter over the gear. Then I build a fireplace near shore, start a fire and put pots on to boil water. Next I cut a trail to the nylon tent site and clear and level a base. To make room I have to fell 10 small spruce and limb 10 large spruce trees. The axe head is used to level the site, but it takes several armloads of moss to finish the job. Time now to erect the nylon tent and lay out the sleep gear but I do not hang any items to "dry" as they would get damp in this weather. Gear is stowed in the rear and front tent vestibules.
Hungry, I make supper - a scotch mint, macaroni and cheese, hot water, salad (below), Nutri-Grain® bar. The latter is what I purchased in La Ronge to replace my previous chocolate bar dessert. (I no longer drink coffee or tea because of caffeine intolerance, and now I find the same with chocolate.) The rain stops long enough for me to sit outside by the fire to eat supper. The rain starts again as I go to the tent, weary and tired after travelling 19 km with two portages (300, 80 metres). Luckily my bed proves level enough and I sleep well except for a bout of leg cramps. Aie! A long hard day and I did not drink enough water. Rainfall is on and off all night, stopping at 4 am.
As with the last site, this one has lots of deep moss underfoot, and there are very few bothersome bugs. There are several spots with old woodland caribou droppings, and some more recent spring ones. I wonder if there are caribou in the area now.
Salad of green dock seeds, fireweed flowers and seed pods, and a few raspberries.
Thinking I am going to get bad weather, I clear a site for the canvas tent. It will need some holes filled if I need to use it.
I also cut poles for the canvas tent. Later I am thankful that the tent site and poles are available.