Improved weather, June 17 at 05:20 before leaving camp 8.
Weather not looking so good now, 08:00 at the first portage landing. The view back towards the mouth of the river that I just ascended. This river drains the target lake into the Churchill River. Seen is the lower-most of three rapids that is flattened with high water levels, well over the boulders underneath to make easy paddling.
At the next rapid I manage to carry the first load to the end of the 220 metre portage with some difficulty, climbing over and ducking under and around obstructing trees. This load always includes tools so as I return to the canoe I use the saw and axe to clear the trail in about ¾ hour. These photos are in order from the upper end down to the landing, the before and after pictures of each of the worst spots paired together.
After canoeing a short distance to the upper rapid, it only takes ¼ hour to remove a few trees from the 180 metre portage. At the spot shown I have to veer off the main trail to bypass a tree too large for my saw, though I do have to cut off the smaller twinned upper portion to make way. The trail will have a jog here until someone with a chainsaw or more determination than I makes it straight again.
Finished today's portaging, 12:15 at the end of the upper trail, I load and cover the canoe before taking a much needed lunch break. The small smoky fire is to shoo blackflies away. (I forget to initiate the SPOT to let my contacts know my location when I start the first carry and end the second. This is something new I intend to do starting this year, so I make a mental note to make sure it becomes part of my routine.)
At 13:15 before paddling up the target lake, the sky is looking more and more stormlike, sure looking like rain.
June 17 at 17:10, camp 8, 12 km from previous camp including the two portages (220, 180 metres). A large fire against the steady rainfall. All camp gear is stashed under the Tarp shelter out of the rain before the tent is up. The large overturned tree root provides a good backdrop to the fire.
June 18 at 07:10, recovering from yesterday's soggy afternoon and evening. In the first photo can be seen the tent in the background behind the Tarp shelter. The bottom photo shows spruce boughs forming a nice cosy clean mat under the Tarp shelter all the way to the fireplace.
The nylon tent is a tight fit in the only decent spot, which requires clearing of down branches and cutting out several small spruce. The biggest challenge is felling an eight inch diameter very tall jack pine, luckily able to shift the heavy trunk enough to the side to make room. The stump is underneath the tent. The uneven ground needs filling in with lots of moss.
June 18 looking up the lake channel to a small island where I almost camped but it is very exposed to wind. Would be a good fair weather site.
View across the channel to the long island that I also checked, unsuitable for a campsite. Behind this island is another very large island which has channels around it on three sides with the upper side fronting a large expanse of lake.
June 18, three small pike for supper (17, 18, 21 inches). (My boot length is 12-1/2 inches as a reference.)
The biggest fish had two crayfish in its stomach. It is interesting to see what animals have been eating.
Sleepgear hung to air and to dry moisture of condensation and perspiration. Also hanging is the gun case and the white tent floor tarp (underside damp from the tent floor in yesterday's rain before fly could be installed). Packs removed from the rear tent vestibule are laid out to dry; they were covered as much as possible yesterday but still got wet while being carried to the campsite in the rain and from laying on wet ground. The hill provides good shelter against wind.
Both ends of the tent opened to allow the ground under the vestibules, and the inner tent and floor, to dry (rain-dampened while being erected).
A bear trail behind the tent, shows that campsites are often near such trails which run close to shorelines.
Wearing unlaced boots to dry in the sun. Drying is always incremental and I take every opportunity to allow that to occur.
The new Tarp shelter has burn holes from embers blown in the wind from the fireplace, now patched with duct tape. I think the holes occurred when I took the supporting pole down from the Tarp shelter in preparation for bedtime last night. Never leave the pole unattended as the wind can blow it down and rip the Tarp (speaking from experience).
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Summary:
Search for a campsite on three islands which prove unsuitable, finally finding a site on mainland with good shelter from wind. An excellent spot for a warming fire. Camp search and setup in steady rain leads to a late bedtime. Felling a large tree to make room for tent in a tight space. Successfully dry out on a gorgeous second day. Scrumptious supper of fried pike. Distance travelled 12 km including two portages (220, 180 metres).
June 17:
Up to alarm at 03:00, with an all night strong wind still blowing, I hope it will go down before leaving because I have to launch directly into it. Otherwise I might have to portage everything across the island about 300 metres. Fortunately the wind decreases to moderate, so I push away quickly before the wind has a chance to blow me broadside into the shore. I leave without eating, not willing to stay any longer than necessary in case the wind rises again. Stopping at the treed end of a mostly burned island, I finally have breakfast, including two protein bars. With an earlier surplus of bars, I realize the surplus was temporary, my body now definitely saying I need all the budgeted bars to make up the daily allotment of almost 4000 calories. It is an easy paddle up the lower rapids exiting the target lake because they are quite flat due to high water levels, the boulders being well covered. Landing at the portage at the base of the middle of the three rapids, the sky is filling up with more dark-bottomed clouds but there is still some blue sky showing between them. Unloading all the gear I drop it beside the trail in the correct paired loads. Because as usual I land stern first, I have to turn the canoe around so bow is pointed up the trail for portaging as the last load. It will not be easy to turn the canoe on land in the limited space, so I make the switch by using both painter ropes, shoving the canoe out into the water and then pulling the canoe in bow first. This procedure is not always possible so occasionally I have to paddle the empty canoe out to make the turnaround. Optimistic that I will be able to walk the trail without clearing it first, often not possible, I start with the first load. It is a bit of a struggle to dodge downed trees, but I manage without setting the load down until reaching the end of the 220 metre path. Getting out the saw and axe I clear the trail on the way back to the landing, taking about 3/4 hour. It looks like it was last cleaned by me the previous year. Reloading the canoe but not covering the load it is a quick paddle to the next 180 metre portage which bypasses the third upper rapid. There is only about 1/4 hour of clearing required. After reloading and covering the canoe at the next lake, it is time for lunch. At the base and head of all the rapids I saw many small ducks (goldeneyes with their distinctive whistling wing beat and buffleheads), plus gulls, terns and bald eagles.
Now the sky is completely occluded with dark cloud except for a little bit of white at the horizon, sure looking like rain. I have camped at least four times at different sites on this lake but was never happy with any of them, so especially because of the threatening weather I search once again for a better spot, that is hopefully more sheltered. Checking three new islands not looked at before, the first two are unsuitable (as sites for tent, Tarp shelter, fireplace and/or access to water, definitely hard luck camps), the third is a good site except very exposed, not a good day for that. Just opposite the latter island on mainland there is a big hill with some rockface showing. From my journal: "It has been raining for all site checks except the first, light but steady, the kind that sneaks up on you making you wetter than realized. Land on mainland and the four required parameters check, also a fifth, wind protection. The campsite is about 100 metres inland behind the hill. The wettable packs are under the medium tarp in the canoe. I have been putting the partly unfolded large Tarp over my legs in the canoe while paddling. Taking the Miscellaneous Bag [containing tools] and Rubber Pack to the campsite I cover them with the large Tarp. Saw a few small spruce to make room for the Tarp. Will use the spruce to place under Tarp tomorrow. Fetch all required camp gear and put under Tarp. Remainder goes under the canoe. Tie two heavy barrels to trimmed trees about 20 metres from shore in a copse of spruce. Make moss fridge for butter coolers. Get roaring fire going after using stones to make a fireplace near Tarp shelter. The stones are exposed by an overturned pine just behind the fireplace. There is soil too if needed for stove. Find a long down birch tree for bark tinder, mossy but wet spruce branches for kindling. Keep sawing four to six inch diameter firewood as needed for fireplace. Get four pots on to boil water. Clear nylon tent site of down branches and several small spruce. The big challenge is sawing an eight inch diameter very tall jack pine [to make room for the tent, there being no other site that I could find nearby. I had checked farther in the bush in multiple spots.] Make three cuts in the pine, the third to create a notch on the falling side. Takes some strenuous sawing to get through the green tree [harder because of having to cut as close to the ground as possible while kneeling in the wet moss]. Luckily able to shift heavy felled tree enough to the side to make room for the tent, glad not to have to cut the trunk into pieces to remove. Fill in a dip in centre with moss, fortunately there is lots here. Not the best base but situating bedding in the proper spot inside the tent should make it okay. [The tent is large enough that the mattress can be placed in various positions to yield a comfortable enough bed, propped up with a folded tarp and PFD if necessary.] Place all the packs under the rear tent vestibule, the Kitchen Barrel after supper in the front vestibule. Mac and cheese, protein bar and hot water for supper (while standing under Tarp shelter). Stand near fire when rainfall less heavy to start to dry my upper jeans and perhaps long shirt a bit. Able to mostly dry out soggy leather mitts and hat on firestick stuck in moss at 45° slant near fire, constantly changing positions so don't burn or char. To tent and lay out sleep gear and perform usual ablutions. Give thanks again for a good campsite. In bed by 21:30." Total distance travelled 12 km including two portages (220, 180 metres).
June 18:
Up at 05:00, thankfully not raining but trees and tent dripping as they dry. Hopefully the weather will be good to recover from searching for and setting up camp during yesterday's soggy afternoon and evening rain. Last night when getting up to pee, I had a bad cramp in my leg, never a good time to try to use the pee can when leg will not bend to kneel. Aie! No surprise after all the portaging, tramping the four possible camping sites, setting up camp. Getting into clammy damp clothes, I exit tent to start the day with a big fire, sawing wood to add to it frequently. Pruning spruce boughs from all the branches and small trees I cut yesterday, I place them as a mat under the Tarp shelter. I also fell a few more spruce trees to lay boughs all the way to the fireplace which is about one metre from the Tarp. By 08:30 I am sitting near the fire on the spruce boughs eating hot cinnamon bannock, Parmesan cheese, bacon crumbles and hot water. The sun is out, mostly clear sky, well sheltered from the light wind. My feet in boots are about 12 inches from the front fireplace stones which are 18 inches from active fire. There are numerous moderate-sized yellow butterflies that I always see this time of year, and many dragonflies. We are all glad to be alive today in the beautiful weather. I hear the quiet murmur of gray jays, a warbler's pretty song and loons calling on the lake, echoing between shorelines. By 09:30 I start fishing for supper, later than desirable as I like to do it as soon as I get up, but was not first priority this morning. Trying from shore, I catch one small 17 inch pike, then have to take canoe out to retrieve a snagged lure, just as well as I would have had to use canoe anyway to catch more. Leaving the wet gear from under the canoe out to dry while I fish in the small bay beside camp, I catch two more small pike (18 and 21 inches), now plenty for supper. After filleting the fish and storing under moss, I erect clothesline and hang sleep gear, tent floor tarp and gun case to dry, also lay out the packs from the rear vestibule of tent to dry on bare rockface at the top of the hill above camp. Thinking about moving the tent to allow the underlying moss to dry a bit, I decline as that would be too much work. I saw a two foot length of log occasionally to place on the fire. By lunch time at 12:45, temperature has risen to 26°C, to 28°C by midafternoon when I have a much needed bath. Before my bath I put all gear back in tent and lay out sleep gear, giving thanks that everything got a good airing and sun exposure. I notice that some of the mud on my jeans from the long muddy portage a few days ago has been washed away in the rain and wet ground cover yesterday. Thinking I would need another day to recover from the rain, I change my mind deciding to move on tomorrow. Supper is scrumptious, fried pike (that filled the bottom of the Dutch oven pan), then sauteed in butter (with Parmesan cheese, sugar, lemon pepper) then mixed with cooked couscous (with nutritional yeast, chicken soup base) ... mmm good. Realizing I am behind one needed bannock, I bake another after supper. From my journal: "Know I shouldn't say it for jinxing, but bugs at camp have been good (not bad). But as I stay up later than planned to tend the extra bannock, mosquitoes become bothersome." To bed by 20:30.