Camp 18 is too open with no shade so I only stay one day, leaving on July 18. The woodchuck is probably glad to see me go.
Awaking at 3:30 am to the buzzing sound of hundreds of mosquitoes, my first thought is that going outside is not going to be pleasant. With trepidation I exit the tent after packing my sleep gear, but soon realize the bugs are trapped between the inner and outer tent. When I release the outer tent fly, the mosquitoes all swarm en masse high into the air, glad it seems to be released, but not as glad as I that I am not in their midst.
A pelican and gull land in the bay right beside me. They appear to be travelling together although I do not know if the the pelican approves. Is this the same pair that I have seen several times earlier? Perhaps the gull shadows the pelican to pick up left overs? Or are they buddies? I wonder if this is a documented occurrence?
Mid-afternoon I stop at my previous camp 3 site for a break. I do not want to camp here because it tends to be too exposed and wind-blown. From my journal: "Before I land I laugh out loud and say 'Perhaps I'll find my lost tent peg.' I see my first pine mushroom, a benefit of all the rain, as it's usually August before I see them. Just for the heck of it, I check the tent site and find not one but two tent pegs! Now talk about karma, vision, the gods ... whatever ... I found my missing pegs. And I had miscounted, I was missing two! My luck day. And I've made good time in low winds ... the gods are good to me! Feeling refreshed and even uplifted ... how do things like that occur ... perhaps it's in memory. And to think I wasn't going to stop."
Continuing on, I check for camp sites on the big island a few km onward, stopping at four bays with no luck. I stop at a very small island where it would be possible to camp, but very tight and no place for a "fridge". Watching anxiously the dark storm clouds, I keep moving up the lake, eventually the rain clouds passing over. Finally I stop at a likely spot but it is up a steep hill. Weary, I set up camp, have supper, and am in bed by 8:30 pm after a bath with lots of fly bites. Buggers! Aie! I have travelled 20 km plus two extra km looking for a campsite.
Continuing on, I check for camp sites on the big island a few km onward, stopping at four bays with no luck. I stop at a very small island where it would be possible to camp, but very tight and no place for a "fridge". Watching anxiously the dark storm clouds, I keep moving up the lake, eventually the rain clouds passing over. Finally I stop at a likely spot but it is up a steep hill. Weary, I set up camp, have supper, and am in bed by 8:30 pm after a bath with lots of fly bites. Buggers! Aie! I have travelled 20 km plus two extra km looking for a campsite.
After a good night's sleep, the next day I use the Bug Tent to escape the flies under a big shady birch tree in the 29℃ heat with no breeze. I make my first picking of lingonberries with a few blueberries.
Salad of fireweed greens and lingonberries.