Just before leaving camp 11 at 05:56 June 24. The canoe is tethered at both ends while loading, always preferable for stability, even if in this spot I do have to brush past the bushes overhanging the canoe.
June 25 early morning looking out on the river from camp 12, a rainy day.
Camp 12 is on a river after travelling 10 km from the previous camp (including the 220 metre portage). It is the only decent campsite closest to the next portage one km upstream, although in an exposed location.
A cool spot to store filleted pike beneath stair-step moss covered with pretty flowers of lingonberry, which will later produce delicious tart cranberry-like fruit. I need to remember where the spot is at supper time. My boots and jeans get stained blood red from last years berries.
My moss fridge for the two butter coolers, the log on top so from a distance I can tell if it has been tampered with by a bear.
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Summary:
Distance travelled 10 km (including the 220 metre portage and paddle/pole up two small 100 metre rapids), plus another two km to clear the next portage. Camp is very wind exposed. Catch two pike for fish chowder supper.
June 24:
Up to alarm at 03:00, clear, calm and cool at 10°C, but warm enough for mosquitoes to be bothersome, so breakfast in Tent. By the time I reach the portage three km away there is a strong tailwind. This 220 metre portage is easy, having cleared it three days ago. Once on the river, I paddle up two small rapids, mostly poling with the paddle, thankful that I can usually reach the bottom and that the bottom is firm enough to anchor the paddle blade. Fortuitously there are down trees in the deep spots that I can push against the branches to get past. There is a bald eagle perched on a down tree at the rapids before I arrive, taking off with a scream before I can manage a photo. Likewise there is a kingfisher just past the upper rapid on another overhanging tree that flies away with its typical 'krrrrrr' and undulating flight. Every day I see bald eagles and kingfishers, and hear warblers' melodies, but have not heard a robin yet. Having escaped the clutches of the rapids and only getting my lower glove and shirt sleeve wet, paddling upriver is difficult, not because of the current but due to the wind eddying in every which direction in the river valley, sometimes backwards so hard to tell if it is still a tailwind.
I move on past the campsite, saying "Hi. Will be back in about two hours I hope." Paddling a farther one km to the next portage, I land at 11:30 and initiate the SPOT device to indicate my location, having made better time than expected. My stomach was calling for food an hour ago, so first priority is lunch. After eating I reach for lipbalm which is not in my Waist Pack's front pocket where it should be. Aie! Unlike almost losing the vice grips recently (irreplaceable until back home), this item though is lost but at least can be replaced from my Rubber Pack; I must have dropped it after breakfast. The lipbalm with SPF provides protection against UV rays, something my younger self was never concerned about, but after many years of exposure and a few required skin lesion treatments, my motto is to cover up (long clothes and wide-brimmed Tilley hat) and ointment for lips. If only I could have told my younger self to protect against sun, and to wear eye and hearing protection. Walking the trail with tools in hand it takes one hour to clear, a few medium size trees to saw, many smaller to throw off, saw or cut with pruners, one large down tree to limb so as not to get hung up when crossing with heavy loads. There are several quite wet areas to widen in order to bypass. A small stream that crosses the trail has to have many trees, limbs and bushes cut out to allow a safe crossing by stepping on the boulders, not a place I want to trip and fall with a load. From my journal: "No sign of barrel lost last year. The least the bear could have done is to return it for filling." It would be nice if I could search the area in autumn after the leaves are off the thick brush so maybe I could spot the blue barrel.
On the one km trip back down the river I face strong headwind and hard paddling even though going in the direction of the current. It is a gorgeous day, mostly clear and I give thanks several times. Because the weather is so nice, breaking my rule of Tarp first, I erect the nylon tent, store packs and lay out sleep gear. Next I start a fire to boil water. The wind is now very strong and gusty, directly onshore, exactly the wrong direction, well actually camp is facing the wrong direction for this wind. One blown ember starts smoldering in the humus about one metre behind the fireplace. I have doused all around the fireplace with water several times, just not that far out. Smokey the Bear would not be happy. I do not leave the fire on any longer than necessary, dousing it thoroughly in and around with multiple bailers-full of water. While getting the Tarp shelter up it is blown out of my hands several times. I try fishing from shore for about one hour unsuccessfully, the wind too strong with no good protected locations. Because of the wind I saw off several down leaning trees near the tent. Just before bedtime, sunny but still windy, I put up the clothesline to hang my clothes while having a welcome bath.
June 25:
Mosquitoes and blackflies are very bothersome when I arise at 04:00 despite the moderate onshore wind, so I wear a hat scarf. Fishing over a period of one hour from the few spots along shore available, I catch two pike, 20 and 21 inches for supper chowder. A nice walleye manages to wiggle back into the lake as I try to land it. Luckily I do not snag the hook as I would prefer not to launch the canoe. Getting a bannock baked before a steady rain, I retreat to the Tarp shelter where fortunately I am not getting wind driven rain underneath. Temperature rises to 23°C when the rain stops by mid-afternoon, but the wind cools me enough that have to don hat, bandana and do up the top button of my shirt. I pick a salad of Labrador tea flowers, spruce buds and a few fireweed greens, keeping an eye out unsuccessfully for a canvas Tent site; if required I would have to use the nylon Tent location; I do not notice any soil for the stove. Planning to move on tomorrow, heavy rainfall starts after bedtime; falling asleep I know the tent, Tarp shelter and portage will be very wet.