June 5 shortly after my arrival at camp 3. View across the lake from Michael's cottage showing the very cloudy very grey skies.
June 7 at 4 a.m., beautiful red sunrise forecasting the rain that soon starts, continuing all day.
June 7 at 6:50 a.m, very strong wind and rain.
June 5 soon after reaching the cottage. Note the birch fireplace wood from Michael's woodshed and damp clothes hanging to dry. My pots are on the fireplace grate to boil raw water.
Not wanting to use too much of Michael's firewood, I fell and saw dry spruce (some visible in lower left of photo). In order to use the Dutch oven to bake a cinnamon bannock, I temporarily remove the fireplace grate.
Luxurious "camping". Cool temperatures make the fireplace welcome. Damp clothes, from rain and sweat when gathering firewood, dry by the fire. Newspaper covers the table to protect it from my gear. Note also the welcome library of books, several of which I read during my stay.
Sleepgear hanging to dry.
Kitchen table, covered in protective newspaper, where I eat meals.
This island has luxuriant growth of stair-step moss. Note the branches that I placed across the trail to mark the turnoff to my "fridge".
http://wildernessfellow.blogspot.com/2019/12/northern-saskatchewan-2019-camp-20-jul.html
Not as good as new, but functional, I patched the holes with spray foam insulation, the surface then sealed with "Amazing GOOP® Marine".
Tinder (birch or hoof) polypore which, when dry, can be used as tinder. "Otzi the Iceman" of 3000 B.C., found preserved frozen in the Alps, carried this fungus amongst his possessions.
Supper of alder leaf salad, oriental noodles, a mint, pepperoni, "Birthday Cake" protein bar, hot water.
Willow leaf salad, couscous (with nutritional yeast, chicken soup base, butter, Parmesan cheese), a mint, pepperoni, "Birthday Cake" protein bar, hot water.
Poplar leaf salad, orzo (with nutritional yeast, chicken soup base, butter, Parmesan cheese), a mint, pepperoni, "Birthday Cake" protein bar, hot water.
Breakfast of fresh cinnamon bannock (with a treat of added seeds), Parmesan cheese, bacon crumbles, a mint, hot water.
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Summary:
Caching my canvas Tent and stove in Michael's cottage. More windy rainy weather. Fresh salads. Jeanette's weather forecast. Distance travelled five km.
June 5:
Up by 3 a.m., it is quite dark with cloud and the fact the bush around camp is so tall. Wind was very strong last night, a cool 8°C, so had to close the tent windows except for the top 30 cm. Leaving without breakfast, I want to get away before rain and before the wind rises again. Thankfully I load the canoe uneventfully as this is not a good spot on the shallow sloping rock shore if windy. Canoeing five km, I reach Michael's cottage by 8 a.m., against a moderate sidewind with light rain. There are no boats at the dock, nobody is home. Parking the canoe along shore, underneath it I place the gear I will not need (paddles, large Tarp, Bug Tent, Food Pack, Canoe Pack); nearby I stash two barrels full of grub. It is a steep climb with the rest of the gear to the cottage (Kitchen Barrel, Laundry Pail, Miscellaneous Duffle Bag, Personal Pack, Rubber Pack, Clothes Pack, gun). I am glad to be inside where I can dry my sleep gear. The Tent and stove are going to be sorely missed. The nylon tent is great in fair weather, sheds rain well and is quick to set up. The inner tent is permeable with a waterproof fly and vestibules covering the entire tent and an air space between. The problem is that in damp weather the tent does not "breathe" well, depending on drying air flow through the ends; by autumn there is usually cool wet weather, often with snow. In cool damp weather, perspiration from my body stays in the sleep gear, all right in a shorter trip of one month or less, but if I get a lot of wet or cool weather it is going to be a long 16 weeks.
Temperature is 9°C outside and 10°C in the cottage. Splitting some kindling in the woodshed, I soon have a fire going in the fireplace. Sitting at breakfast with food and hot water, wearing a heavy fleece sweater, the warmth of the fire feels great. After breakfast, I fetch more water, firewood and kindling, boil more water, erect a clothesline inside, hang sleep gear and damp clothing, aliquot next week's grub. Hanging the shower bag nearby outside I have a glorious warm shower. It does warm to 21°C, but after supper the temperature is a cool 13°C outside and 19°C near the fireplace. Late to bed at 9 p.m. after reading one of the books in Michael's library.
June 6:
Up by 5 a.m., 5°C with a strong wind. Wilson woke me at 3 a.m.; "someone" did not turn off the alarm. Wearing my fleece sweater until the fire is going well, when the temperature near the stove rises to 18°C, I eat a hearty breakfast of cinnamon bannock. Thick grey clouds and very strong wind persist all day, temperature reaching 15°C. I write a note to Michael thanking for use of his place. My letter describes what happened to my Tent, that I am leaving it and the stove so hope that is okay, and asking if he can deliver it to my vehicle if possible. So that I will know if I need to fetch it on my return, I also ask him to notify Jeanette on the status of the Tent. [A big thank you to Michael for later taking the gear to my van.] Canada geese flocks fly overhead throughout the day. From my journal: "I'm OK with not having the canvas Tent and stove. It will be less comfortable and more work to stay warm and dry in bad weather. The bush, the river, the elements, the wilderness is not out to "get me". It's neutral. Better to stay positive and focused on what I have in a "cup half full, not half empty" state of mind. The bush is neither good nor bad, only thinking makes it so." Walking on the trail all around the periphery of the island, I spot a potential campsite on the far side if ever required, though no good location for a fireplace. I call Jeanette by satellite phone to let her know about the demise of the Tent and stove, and that Michael may contact her (assuming he will be back sometime this summer). Tomorrow is Sunday, when I usually try to check for messages, but I receive Jeanette's weekly text sent earlier today: "OK. No fires. Rain 4u till Thurs. Wet cool here 2." The way the weather has been all day, it sure looks like rain. Jeanette says I may want to wait until Thursday to leave. As always we remark "better rain than forest fire". Despite Jeanette's forecast I pre-pack to leave tomorrow and set Wilson to alarm at 3 a.m.
June 7:
The very strong wind continued throughout the night so I shut off Wilson. From my journal: "Up at 4 a.m. to pee, I witnessed a fiery fiery red horizon with the sun still not visible. Beautiful but awesome and a bit intimidating as if the earth was on fire. Back to bed for a bit more rest." Arising by 5:30 a.m., it is 11°C inside and 8°C out. Wearing extra clothes, until the room warms near the fireplace to 15°C, I unpack and vow not to pre-pack, but to wait until the morning I leave to pack. Jeanette's advice may be best! Treetops are being whipped by the very strong wind, many whitecaps on the lake surface, heavy rainfall. From my journal: "Very very lucky to have a friend in Michael. Very lucky to have discovered the broken canvas Tent so close to his cottage." Timing my trips outside when the rain is a bit less, I fetch some firewood poles and saw some wood so I am not using too much birch from the woodshed. Yesterday I made the mistake of gathering alder leaves for salad in a pan but the wind was so strong it was blowing them away. I had to keep the leaves covered with my hand and tilted toward my chest. Today the wind is even stronger, so I use a plastic bag instead of the pan. There are young alder, birch, willow and poplar leaves available for salad. Later I go farther afield to gather more spruce poles for firewood and saw them in short enough lengths to fit in the woodshed out of the rain. There are two dead balsam firs blown across the trail that I saw to clear the path. My outer clothes get damp, but dry quickly when placed close to the fireplace. The temperature in the room near the fireplace never goes above a cool 15°C. At times I cannot see the lake surface for the wind-blown rain. After supper and finishing a novel, I let the fire die and spend a cosy night in my sleeping bag.
June 8:
Today I fetch and limb more dry dead fallen spruce firewood poles and find a sheltered place near the cottage to cache them. I saw more wood for the fireplace, pick salad, cut out another fallen balsam fir from the trail, have a nice warm shower. Temperature ranges from 10°C to 15°C outside, 11°C to 20°C inside. In the comfort of "sweats", I read several novels, after supper letting the fire die and having to don extra clothes. From my journal: "Thought about pre-packing but that didn't turn out well last time. Jeanette said rain till Thursday [June 11]." Now progressively greyer clouds cover the entire sky.
June 9:
Rained heavy during the night, 7°C outside, 11°C in when I arise at 4:45 a.m. I see a spruce grouse flying away just outside. During my stay, I have heard pileated woodpeckers, mergansers, crows, the distinctive thunderous flight of spruce grouse. Temperature rises to 18°C midafternoon, but it feels cold in the strong wind with dense cloud overhead. Defying my pledge, I pre-pack for moving on tomorrow. One more time I empty the fireplace of ashes, remove extra firewood, sweep the floor, shake mats, put furniture back to original spots. I keep up with tidying every day, so cleanup is easy. To bed by 8 p.m., Wilson set for 3 a.m., there is clear blue sky, dead calm; hopefully tomorrow is more of the same. Tomorrow is only Wednesday so with luck Jeanette's weather forecast proves wrong.