July 20 at 07:06, first rapids, class 2+. I decide not to run the rapids on the left side of the treed shoal in the middle of the river.
Instead I wade downstream on the right side, hopping in the canoe below the shoal to paddle across the eddy pool at the bottom corner where the rapids take a sharp turn to the left, the part which I could not see anywhere from shore when I scouted the rapids. I wade again until getting to deeper water above the far right hand corner and paddle close to shore, ducking low underneath the overhanging tree jutting out into the river. Yay, the only water in the canoe is from my wading gear. Avoiding the 150 metre portage on the left side saves considerable effort and time.
Canoeing downstream, 08:28, the smoke haze is quite evident at the horizon below the clouds.
I canoe through one small rapid before reaching the second significant rapids with a 300 metre portage on the left, 08:50. These rapids are class 2 and after viewing their entirety from shore, run them, glancing off a boulder with the side of the canoe, not shipping any water.
Looking upstream to the second rapids.
The third important rapids, class 3, are just below where I land the canoe to make the 400 metre portage. These rapids have boulders and bigger waves midstream farther down to navigate, not something I want to do solo with a fully loaded canoe. I carry a large rock to shore to tether the canoe while I unload; the stern painter rope is stretched inland, just in case I need to grab it. In the photo I am still wearing wading gear, but change back to proper clothes and boots before portaging.
July 20, as I unload the canoe at the third rapids, I start the SPOT at 09:15 so my contacts will know I am descending the river and doing my first portage, sending a second signal when finished at 11:30, which included lunch and ½ hour to clear the trail.
Early morning July 21, the photos below are of the five metre falls, after canoeing ½ km across the river from camp 20.
July 21, the location at water's edge to the left of the falls where I catch two walleye and pick a salad of fireweed and blueberries for supper.
Canoeing from the falls back to camp 20 on a peninsula jutting into the river.
The area that I prepare to erect the canvas Tent. Except for the two vertical supports, the required poles are cut from dead dry down trees.
A supper of fried walleye with a salad of red currants, yellow salsify and fireweed greens, flowers and flower buds.
July 21, 08:38, 08:39, sun through smoke.
July 21 at 19:11, video showing the heavy smoke.
July 22, 05:39 to 05:40, sun through smoke again.
July 22 at 16:08, yay ... blue sky with white clouds, with smoke haze at horizons.
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Summary:
Good walleye fishing at a beautiful falls. Catch and release several large pike, one monstrous in size, each too large for one meal. Camp at a great location. Thick smoke continues. Camp 20 is on a peninsula about ½ km above a five metre falls, having travelled 11 km from the previous site including wading and running the first class 2+ rapids, running the second class 2, portaging 400 metres past a class 3 and descending a few class 1 rapids.
Summary of a commonly used system of rapids classification:
Note that rapids can vary on the scale from year to year, and time of year, depending on water levels.
July 20:
July 20 at camp 20 (more synchrony) I am up at 03:00 by candlelight; daylight is getting shorter, but darkness is accentuated by cloud and smoke. Mosquitoes are bothersome as I break camp. Stopping at the shoal island just above the first rapids, I eat breakfast. I reach the rapids promptly and park at the base of the portage. There is old bear scat on the trail which I walk along and out to shore to scout the rapids in the few places possible. However, I cannot see the bottom curve. The main rapids, listed as class 2+ have some big waves, which I debate about running, but because the canoe is fully loaded and I am alone, and especially because I cannot see the rapids where they turn the bottom corner, I decide to wade on the right hand side which looks shallow as far as I can see, at least until the corner. Donning wading gear, I walk beside the canoe with a good grip on the gunwale near the bow, having to pull or lift over rocks in some places, crotch deep in the occasional hole. Where the rapids eddy to the right into a deep pool, I hop into the canoe to paddle across, keeping to the right hand side. When it gets shallow before flowing down to the outlet, I step out and wade, pull and lift again. When deep once more, I hop in to run the rapids on the right, having to duck under an overhanging fallen birch tree. Successfully entering the calmer river below, the only water in the canoe is from my wading gear. I am happy to have avoided the 150 metre portage and not to have shipped any water. Paddling on down the river, through one small rapid, the smoke haze is obvious by sight and by smell. On reaching the second major rapid, class 2, I stop at the 300 metre portage on the left side to check navigability, able to see the entire course from various vantage points, plus viewing downstream to the next set of rapids. Going down, braking as much as possible, I screw up a bit and glance off a boulder but not hitting too hard, still not shipping any water. Each of the first two rapids are much longer than their portage trails, but the time and effort saved not having to portage well worth it. The third rapids are class 3 with big waves and boulders midstream farther down, not one I want to run solo with a fully loaded canoe, so have to take the 400 metre portage. While the SPOT is activated, I lay affected gear from the water of my wading gear to drain on the bare sloped rockface area. The trail only needs about half hour of clearing in the middle around a muddy section. Paddling on downstream I go through some small rapids of which there are many such class 1 on this river.
As I get closer to the falls, I realize I would like to fish for walleye there but not to camp beside the noise. It will be easier to set up above the falls than below where I would have to paddle back upstream to fish. (I camped once beside a noisy cataract and vowed never to do so again if avoidable.) There is a promising peninsula on the right about ½ km above the falls which proves to be an excellent campsite. Within close range of each other, there are spots for fireplace, Tarp shelter, nylon tent, canvas Tent and canoe, all near the water with reasonable protection from wind unless strong directly onshore. As I unload the canoe, I place those packs still damp on their underside on the rock face to dry. After a successful day, I am in bed by 20:30, to a few drops of rain and I say "Come on rain!"
Camp 20 is on a peninsula about ½ km above a five metre falls, having travelled 11 km from the previous site including wading and running the first class 2+ rapids, running the second class 2, portaging 400 metres past a class 3 and descending a few class 1 rapids.
July 21:
Awakening to a short heavy rain at 04:00, I am up by 04:45. I try fishing with several lures in multiple places off the shallow shore on both sides of the peninsula, but not even a nibble. Mosquitoes are quite bothersome, so I wear a hat scarf for two hours. Canoeing to the falls, I check the portage trail to see that no clearing is needed. Because there is some water flowing across the rock between the falls and the portage, I then paddle to land just to the left of the falls. I try fishing a short while at the top of the falls before walking down the bare rock slope, with some grassy areas, to the lower shore. After many casts I hook two walleye, 15 and 16 inches long. In a bit of excitement, I catch a monstrous pike, at least one metre long with very large girth, so big that I cannot grasp with one hand. She pulls the line downstream twice against the fishing rod drag, putting up quite a battle. From my journal "Way too big to eat even though I only have the 15 inch walleye yet. Man she is big! Luckily I am able to release her okay. Sure hope she is not hurt. She slowly swims along shore towards the falls and with a flick of her tail enters the rapids and is gone. If this pike was caught from the canoe, she would have definitely been towing it!" One time, the hook snags below and to the side of the falls; I pull the line with hands until I think it will break but it comes free, perhaps caught on a stick which I manage to drag until released. I certainly would not bring the canoe down the steep 60° slope over the portage just to retrieve the lure. There is a good place to clean the fish right where caught. I gather a salad of fireweed flowers and a few blueberries from the grassy areas of the slope. Back to camp by 09:00, I am hungry. After gear is stowed or put out to dry, I start a fire to bake a bannock, but first cleaning up garbage left by previous canoeists. Aie! I burn as much as possible, but bury the remainder, much of it the scourge of aluminum foil. By the time I am eating breakfast, it is lunchtime, so combine the two to finish by 11:30. By 15:35 I have finished the remaining chores, including patching a small hole in the canoe bow skid plate with Amazing GOOP® Marine. It is Wednesday and as promised I check for messages from Jeanette; there is a text "1 fire 24 km east of the long rapids. Parking location OK. Chk Sat p.m. late updates." I assume Jeanette means she will check for more updates late Saturday before texting me again which I will receive when I check messages on Sunday. By 16:00, 22°C, dead calm, very very smoky, chilled after a bath, wearing my rinsed short shirt not quite dry does not help. Hungry for supper of fried walleye, starting a fire will help warm me. Getting out food for the meal, I see that I am short one protein bar, so know that I am more than caught up eating grub after the supplement by Candy and Brian; any thought of reducing the number of bars in my checklist has definitely disappeared. With the thick smoke I now cannot see past the falls. In bed by 20:20, I sleep well.
July 22:
Up by 04:30 to thunder, 19°C, but only a few drops of rain, there is a strong onshore wind so I drop the Tarp shelter lower edge as close to the ground as possible. Luckily the Tarp faces away from shore, and I place two heavy logs on the bottom ropes to force the Tarp down even more. Yay, the wind is blowing some smoke away I hope. The sun is a red ball through the smoke haze. I try fishing from both sides of the peninsula while waiting for wind to subside so I can canoe to the falls for more walleye. After breakfast under the shelter, I move out to shore to escape the very bothersome blackflies underneath the Tarp; out in the wind the buggers are less bothersome. The wind shifts to the side, though still strong, and now I can paddle to the falls where I catch two walleye (15 and 19 inches), one on either side of the waterfall. On the right hand side I find that it is easy to walk to the landing below but it would be harder and farther to portage here rather than on the opposite side. There is a campsite location but would be very noisy so close to the falls. I try fishing from several spots on the right side, but the only successful place is close to the falls. Besides the walleye, I also hook three pike, all very large which I release, each too big to eat in one meal. (I only use barbless hooks, ie, hooks that I have pinched the barbs with pliers to make it easy to release fish.) Unfortunately one lure gets snagged and despite moving to various angles along shore, I have to break the line. On the left side of the falls, I pick red currants, some yellow salsify flowers and more fireweed tops and flowers for supper. Strong wind keeps up all day with clouds and smoke gradually clearing overhead, temperature rising to 28°C by late afternoon, smoke still evident on the horizons though. When I have a bath, flies are biting like crazy, buggers hurt. Eating supper at 17:10, I write " ... mmm good! A beautiful eve in a beautiful setting with a scrumptious meal of the river and the land. Awesome! Thank you!" Planning to move on tomorrow, I prepack and am in bed by 19:30, sleeping well, thankfully temperature cooling so that I get in my fleece shell by morning.