June 25 does not look promising at camp 8 with very dark clouds but the rain seems to have stopped after raining all night. Mosquitoes are very bothersome. It is debatable to travel, but decide to do so anyway, both younger self and older agreeing for a change.
Canoeing down the big lake, it starts raining again so on with my rain jacket and pull the tarp over my legs. Even with paddling I am a bit chilled due to the cool wind and dampness in the 8℃ temperature. Stopping above the first rapids at the winter portage, I take a pee break. Note the heavy layer of pollen from pine and spruce trees in the water.
Canoeing down the rapids out of the big lake into 'unnamed lake 14'. The canoe grounds on a boulder just under the surface when I get too close to shore. Luckily I can step out onto boulders into water just over the toe level of my boots, then manage to pull and push the canoe off and hop back in for the ride. There is still some hard sliding off boulders, more scratches and wear on the canoe.
Leaving 'unnamed lake 14' down a deep winding one km creek through a burned over area. Fearful of fallen trees over the creek, I had debated using the winter portage, but decide to chance it. If necessary I hope that I can canoe back out. Sure enough I reach a down pine tree whose branches are blocking my way. Placing the canoe broadside against the branches, I get out the bow saw to remove enough limbs to let me squeeze underneath with no room to spare. Backing up to straighten the canoe, I have to duck under the tree trunk, momentarily snagging my shirt sleeve. Canoeing past an almost fire-bared esker, I reach a fallen spruce tree completely blocking the stream. Turning the canoe around, I back into the tree stern-first so I can work. Thankfully this tree is smaller to allow me to cut through the 13 cm trunk. Forcing the top severed section away enough to let me slide through backwards, the canoe scrapes through, getting the covering tarp snagged which is a struggle to release. Moving down the creek backwards, I manage to turn around with a bit of wiggling and poling off the banks, with a whole lot of grunting, punctuated with many aie's.
Stopping at a small island on 'unnamed lake 15' near the outlet of the second creek, I am hungry and cold in the light rain and strong wind. I start a fire in the lee of a group of spruce to warm up and eat lunch. There is no birch bark, so Vaseline® cotton balls to the rescue again to ignite some dry bark from a dead tree. The ground surface of moss is soaked so I can have a warming fire, safe if brief. Branches sawed from the spruce trees serve as a relatively dry mat to rest my gear and sit while eating. Otters have a trail up the steep bank from the shore nearby where I use the bailer to carry multiple loads of water to thoroughly douse the fire before moving on.
Canoeing 'unnamed lake 15' and down the third creek, sliding off several boulders.
At the next very long lake, I hope for a campsite down the lake at a small "level" peninsula, as shown on the topographical map. I end up canoeing two km out of my way, stopping two times to unsuccessfully check for a campsite before turning back up the lake hoping for better luck. Very much wanting to stop after a long tiring day, I get to a low beach and shoreline that proves to be the end of the winter portage past the creek that I just descended. Spotting a moose slipping into the bush on shore, I take it as a good sign.
Camp 9 is 14 km from the previous camp, including canoeing two 100 metre rapids and one creek one km long, plus two extra km searching for a campsite. In the light rain, I erect the canvas Tent on uneven thick wet moss. A fire built on the trail nearby shoos blackflies and provides embers to start the stove. It is a 50 metre walk to the beach to gather enough gravel for underneath and inside the stove. Carrying gravel in the laundry pail, half full because of the weight, helps minimize the number of trips, but it is a long walk with the heavy load. Supper in the Tent with dozens of mosquitoes makes use of a mosquito coil before bedtime necessary while I vacate to do some outside chores for 30 minutes. Finding a level enough spot in the Tent for bed is a challenge but I manage to sleep okay mosquito-free.
June 26. The stove was on all night with the damper only open slightly. It is 8℃, very cloudy and calm, mosquitoes are very bothersome. Rising at 4 a.m., I cut boughs for the doorway mat from the trees felled yesterday to make poles for the Tent. Because this campsite is so sheltered, damp with tall thick black spruce, making the mosquitoes even worse, I decide to move on after breakfast. If I had made that decision earlier, I would not have cut the branches ... but c'est la vie. After doing dishes and packing I leave by 11 a.m., a late start but I hope to find a better campsite near Adam's main cabin.