The top two photos show the trail to the upper landing at camp 23 through grass and brush beside where the tent was situated. The third is the canoe loaded to leave at 06:30 on August 13. The last photo at 06:33 looks back to the shore after shoving off into the river.
Canoeing up the bay just above camp 23.
Heading up the lake at 06:51. Evident on shore both sides of the lake is the old burn that blocked my route in 2017, wrapping right around the portage at camp 23.
Photographs below of some of the freshly burned areas farther on, including many hot spots still smoldering puffing up smoke. After 20, I quit counting the number of such locations. In the distance can be seen hydroelectric line towers from the dam on the Churchill River.
At 11:15 I stop for breakfast and lunch at a cabin/house, the winter headquarters of a Cree family for fishing and trapping. Saskatchewan Fire Management and Forest Protection services (SK-FMFP) set up a pump before fire approached ("protecting values"). The fire came right up to the yard boundary held back by the sprinklers, currently off.
A hot spot just across the lake narrows from the cabin.
A recently burned section of bush beside the cabin.
At the upper end of the narrows a cow moose and her calf feed on water plants beside a recently burned section of forest.
The clear skies of the morning gradually became clouded during the day until fully so in the evening of August 13, hiding the setting sun.
Hoping to find a better location than where I stopped in the spring at camp 3 I cross to the other side of the lake from the direct route to search several islands. I am pleased to find a good spot for camp 24 on a small isle although not well sheltered. Some work is required to create a levellish tent site on a small knoll. Note the blue rope anchoring a dead tree that hangs towards the tent; I did not notice it until after the tent was erected, too late to cut it out of the way.
A perfect place to bathe, the breeze keeping bugs at bay, a bit of shade from a hot sun on August 14 while I sit unclothed. The point of the small peninsula is where a mink surfaces from the lake. He lands, scampers up beside me, we look at each other while I keep perfectly still. He finally decides it is safe so goes back to the point and hauls his catch, a burbot longer than he, dragging it held in his mouth beside his body. He disappears into the bush on an often frequented trail to eat his meal in peace. An awesome experience. Unfortunately I do not have camera handy.
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Summary:
Pass through the still burning narrows area on my route, many hot spots still smoldering, puffing up smoke. Stop to eat at a Cree cabin which sprinklers protected from burning, the fire advancing right up to the perimeter of the lot. A cow moose and calf feed on water plants beside a recently burned section of forest. Find a camp site on a small isle more shaded than the area of old camp 3 used in the spring, and more protected from foraging bears. Distance travelled 28 km (including an extra two km searching for a campsite). Awesome experience of a mink carrying his catch right past me, both of us staring at each other for a few moments until he figures he is safe to come on shore to dine. The mink has better fishing success than I. A bald eagle catches a fish from the lake but drops it, an exciting experience. Helicopters continue to ferry fire fighters. The narrows starts to puff up a big plume of new smoke. Camp 24 proves to be very restful, an excellent fair weather site.
August 13:
Up by 04:30 before the alarm, still dark enough to need the flashlight occasionally in the tent. When I go outside it is clear and calm. The canoe landing is a short walk beside the tent. From my journal: "Loaded, the test now is can I get out? Have progressively loaded from bow to stern, pushing canoe out to make sure it still floats. When I get in the stern with my extra weight I have to push off quite hard with the backup paddle. Success ... but will I get hung up on stones? At one place I am stuck but with a single wiggle we're out. Yay! Would hate to have had to take footwear and pants off to wade, worse yet to unload and move everything farther up the shore." As I paddle into the lake against a light wind, its direction befools me as there is some calm water, even in areas not in the lee of the land. Stopping on a small island for a pee break I consider eating breakfast but decide to continue to the narrows where Jeanette reports the fire is located. There is a cabin there where I should be able to stop provided it did not burn. From my journal: "As I enter the start of the narrows there is a cow moose and calf in a patch of cattails about 400 metres away. Standing in the water they are eating their breakfast. I manage to take a photo before both saunter off into the burned bush, the calf dutifully following its mother. The cow was getting a good feed; I apologize for scaring her off. Won't be much to eat in the burned area where they disappear. I am seeing the northerly boundary of the fire Jeanette reported."
While paddling I stop counting after 20 the number of visible hot spots near shore, each puffing up smoke from still smoldering fire. Smoke from some looks quite healthy, others just releasing smoke slowly. The pungent smell of poorly burned and still burning wood and charcoal is everywhere. Bush is burned all along both sides of the channel, some completely black with just branchless skeletons thrust upwards, others mixed green and burned trees. The black areas are razed to bare ground, exposing all the rocks and big boulders previously covered with thin soil, moss and brush, revealing a stark landscape. At the cabin, fire has come within range of sprinklers set up by "Saskatchewan Fire Management and Forest Protection" services (SK-FMFP). There is a dock where I tie up to eat breakfast and lunch. This property has a house and a number of small cabins. As expected the water pump is set up on the dock. Sprinklers are installed at the top of poles cut from the nearby forest. Currently the pump is not running but equipment is left on standby if still required. Properties like this classified under 'protecting values' are at the mercy of the pump continuing to function during active fire. Occasionally a pump can fail and property is lost. As I am finishing eating, a helicopter lands on the lot, the backwash from the rotors blowing my good paddle off the dock into the water. It floats and does not get too far away to rescue. The helicopter picks up a big bucket to sling some water hoisted from the lake for fire fighters on the ground nearby. While the plane leaves I meet the owner of this site who is a seasonal worker for SK-FMFP. It is coincidental that he is on this particular helicopter; there are several helicopters working on this large fire. He informs me there are fire fighters on the ground at the periphery of certain locations doing some control work, I think because of the proximity to the power line. The helicopters fly the workers in and out and provide the occasional bucket of water dipped from a nearby water body when requested. Soon the helicopter returns the bucket and the owner climbs aboard before they leave again.
As I move on, paddling becomes more difficult as the headwind increases. Closer to where camp 3 in the spring was I go out of my way to cross the lake to check several islands for a better campsite. The last isle before having to camp again at camp 3 site proves to be suitable. As I approach the small island I am encouraged by the number of jack pines; most islands on this lake have spruce trees and do not provide any suitable flat areas. The tops of the pines are all at the same level, often indicative of smooth ground beneath. It does not take long to explore the entire island, finding spots for fireplace, nylon tent and Tarp shelter, the latter two both requiring some clearing; the tent site also needs significant levelling. The latter spot is not ideal and I am concerned that my bed may be uncomfortable. The fireplace and Tarp shelter locations are very exposed so I hope the wind does not pick up. Supper is eaten sitting on the canoe beside the Tarp shelter enjoying a pretty rose-coloured sunset although through thick ominous looking clouds. I give thanks for a good travel day and for finding a better campsite than old camp 3 which does not have many shading trees. Temperature reached 30°C today, causing me to be sweating profusely; I have taken in lots of drinking water at breakfast/lunch, while setting up camp and at supper. I am also thankful for camp being on an island well removed from mainland; bears will be on the search for berries now and there were many blueberry bushes at camp 3 which is on mainland. Distance travelled is 28 km (including an extra two km searching for a campsite); I am impressed that I was able to go that far, much farther than the 16 km that I consider a good day's journey. After a late supper I head to the tent to unpack, on the bed sheet by 20:30 unclothed. With a tarp folded to level the bed I sleep quite well, something else I am thankful for.
August 14:
Sleeping in until 06:30, I slept well despite the bed sloping downwards; yesterday's long day of paddling was a great incentive. Eating fresh bannock I enjoy the beautiful clear morning, a few white stratus clouds, 18°C. By 09:35 temperature is up to 24°C, rising later to 26°C with a moderating wind to help cool and to keep bugs at bay. Wasps are buzzing around landing on any exposed food. Mosquitoes have not been bothersome although I do see quite a few under the tent fly where they spent the night, attracted by the warm body in the inner tent. There have been three helicopters fly overhead, with more heard out of sight; it does not take more than one plane to check the fire and when they return in the evening I know they have ferried fire fighters to and from their job on the ground. It is Sunday but fires do not take time off. I try fishing from shore all around the island with no luck, not even a nibble; I would have to try early morning to be sure, but I probably would have to take the canoe out to find productive areas elsewhere. Searching for a more sheltered spot for the Tarp shelter there is one that would work after some clearing; it is more protected but still exposed in one direction. The current shelter is only protected from one side so would be miserable in poor weather. As I walk the island I see some winter moose droppings as they stopped here on their way across the ice; there are only a few alders and birch, not much fodder for a hungry animal. I manage to find enough ripening lingonberries, along with a few fireweed tops and yellow salsify flowers for one meal. As the sun moves across the sky I too move to find shade where I update journal, do puzzles ... and nap.
There is a rock shore at the lower end of the island that proves to be an excellent spot to bathe not bothered by bugs, a line strung to hang my clothes while I sit to relax in my chair. From my journal: "An awesome happening. A sleek mink comes onto my (his) isle on the bare rock point. He scampers up beside me, head turned sideways and tilted up to look me over. He is soaking wet, brown fur slicked back, appearing more black than brown. Evident is the typical white chin patch and throat. I remain stock still, having just started to undress to bathe. He runs back to the point to grab his catch that I had not noticed. It is a burbot as long or longer than the mink and about the same circumference. Hoisted by the neck in his teeth, he drags the fish up onto the island and into the bush along a path that I am sure he has used many times before. I am not invited and choose not to follow into the thick bush. I would only scare him and unlikely to spot him anyway. Awesome!"
A big plume of smoke rises up in the direction of the fire at the narrows a few kilometres away. This is a lot more than the hotspots when I canoed through. It probably started as one of them; I had considered staying longer but now I am not so sure. Bedding has been hanging on the clothesline long enough so I return it to the tent. Because of the number of mosquitoes still under the tent fly I decide to light a mosquito coil, not wanting to take a chance. I have always found that as the season progresses mosquitoes tend to stay well hidden in the tent biding their time until coming out after dark when they are almost impossible to catch, small and sneaky. After doing some more chores, I walk to the peninsula. From my journal: "A bald eagle all of a sudden dives down to make a pass at a fish in the lake nearby. She grabs it but then fumbles and the fish drops into the water. The eagle swoops back around twice over the spot before flying away empty handed. Always an exciting event!" I decide to leave tomorrow so prepack the tools. Until recently, prepacking included emptying and drying all the pots of water to place in the Kitchen Barrel. The problem is that if I end up being unable to leave, I have to unpack the pots to boil water again. Now I consolidate all the water into the largest pot and dry the others to store under the canoe or Tarp shelter to pack in the morning. Packing the pots then is quick but I still have water if needed; after drinking as much as possible then I simply drain the last pot without fully drying before storing. I should have thought of it a long time ago. Before supper I return to the point to sit in some cooling breeze, few bugs, only some pesky wasps. The wind is welcome but if it remains tomorrow from the same direction it will be a headwind. Hopefully leaving early will let me make some good distance before reaching the corner where I would turn away from the wind. At 18:25, three helicopters return from the fire area so I am sure they are flying workers back to camp for the night. An hour later after doing some puzzles and screwing up the last one, I retire to the tent. The sky is covered with the distinctive mottled pattern of strings of stratus cloud.