Sunrise on August 15 at 05:32 as I prepare to leave.
A young bald eagle standing on its nest which is perched atop a long-dead pine. Hopefully the bird is able to fly before the tree crashes to the ground.
Paddling up the long lake.
Approaching the site for camp 25, the old camp 2 of the spring.
Water level is down at least 18", perhaps 24", the falls significantly tamed compared to springtime when it was flowing over the long rock ledge.
Saskatoon bushes provide abundant tasty juicy berries, turning my fingers and lips (and scat) purple.
A family of common mergansers led by the mother.
August 17, 05:37 at camp 25. Clouds look foreboding but there is bright blue sky behind so I decide to leave.
As I proceed up the lake there is no more blue sky and definite rain falling at the upper end as seen in the top photo.
Approaching the inlet river I am getting rained on myself.
Unlike the open water in spring when I arrived, the river is now full of water plants. In the bottom photo can be seen rain hitting the water surface (and me).
This old beaver dam was not evident in the spring but now I have trouble going across. The first spots I try near the centre beside the plants growing on the dam are too shallow.
On the left side of the dam I find a deeper location. In order to cross I first have to back up to clear an opening. From the stern I manage to pick up and toss aside blocking sticks and then make my way across, luckily without having to step out of the canoe.
Another old dam farther upstream with enough clearance to get across. Later in the fall the river may become even shallower and difficult to navigate.
Pond-lilies are so thick in the shallow water that paddling is difficult, slow progress, paddle getting stuck in the heavy growth.
Approaching the location of my spring portage where I fell and hurt my shoulder, not a good memory. I try to reach the shore to use the short portage but it is too shallow and obstructed with logs and branches. I have to land to the right. Rain is still falling and the trail passes through wet grass soaking my lower body and overhanging branches doing the same to my upper.
The top end of this portage where the water is quite shallow.
Leaving the portage I just manage to squeak through the opening bordered by large boulders and underlaid with rocks. I am again glad to be here now before the water level drops even more. Note the mist over the river.
Another area in the river where it is difficult to pass between and over large boulders.
Farther up the river it is occluded by thick tall water plants making it tough to paddle. The muddy bottom is so deep my paddle does not get much traction as a pole. If need be I would have had to backtrack and cut a long pole from the previous portage.
Heading up a small unnamed lake to the first portage of the spring past the trapper's house.
Cattails are so tall that even standing in the canoe I cannot see over. I try two openings before finding success. For a while I think I might have to land and portage along shore, probably required later on in the year.
Past the portage at the house, more water plants before hitting open water in the long bay.
At the lake proper I pause along shore at the spring's first campsite, debating whether to set up my last camp of the year. My clothes have mostly dried, the only remaining dampness sweat-induced on the inner side. It is only 12:48; I have made surprisingly good time. I decide to continue the last three km to where my vehicle is parked.
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Summary:
Forest fire at narrows continues to flare up as I leave camp 24 on August 15. Hard paddling against a strong headwind much of the 20 km distance to camp 25. Helicopters continue to ferry fire fighters to the narrows. Catch my last three fish of the trip. Eat more than my fill of Saskatoon berries.
On August 17, after spending two days at camp 25 (old camp 2), I head out to take the last portages of the trip over very shallow waters, just squeezing through in spots. Have to wear headnet against very bothersome blackflies for the river portion while getting rained on by thunderstorm clouds. Later in the year the low water level would probably have resulted in a difficult end to the trip. Because I make surprisingly good time, after pausing at old camp 1 used in the spring, decide to paddle the last three km to my vehicle, covering a total distance of 17 km including the three 100 metre portages.
The same day August 17, the usual shock of driving down the road, rushing to civilization after three months alone in the bush.
Follow-up after arriving home: injured shoulder diagnosis, extent and location of the four fires affecting my canoe route.
August 15:
Before leaving camp 24, as I look back on the still burning area travelled through, the fire has continued to flare up, worsened with high temperatures. I am even more comfortable with the decision to travel out; if I had stayed near the Churchill River I would never live down that choice if I had to call Jeanette for a float plane. Jeanette has become proficient with the interpretation of data on the forest fire web sites and I welcome and trust her judgement. Canoeing is far different now than the "old days" with no contact while in the bush; if I did not show up on schedule the plan was for Jeanette to contact the RCMP. These were shorter trips up to six weeks when I was still working full time. The only proviso was if one of the children was with me and did not return I should not bother coming home either. Arising at 04:30, I am hopeful that the absence of wind is a good sign for travel, but it soon builds from light through moderate to strong headwind. I paddle continuously until I reach my turn so that I do not become windbound. As I proceed I notice the stands of wild rice along shore are growing tall and starting to sprout grain heads. Upon reaching the corner I turn west and finally stop for a rest and breakfast on a small island at 10:00. Along the way I see a young bald eagle perched on the edge of a gigantic stick nest in an old forest fire killed tree of 2017. Hopefully the bird is able to fly before the dead tree falls; eagles will use the same nest for many years, continually adding more branches. All birds have an amazing sense of direction, migrating back to last season's home neighbourhood. Also observed are belted kingfishers, warblers with their pretty yellow markings, loons, several more bald eagles, many young ducks almost able to fly as they skitter across the lake surface. Overhead I hear sandhill cranes as I have for several days now, possibly migrating south but could be locals, their distinctive high pitched strident rolling rattling call. Continuing on, when I have to turn south again I face hard paddling against a strong headwind up the last channel. When nearing the falls where I stayed in the spring at camp 2 the wind subsides. Landing at 13:00, I have made good time travelling the 20 km, much of it against a stiff headwind. Except for the breakfast stop I paddle nonstop, pleased that my shoulder seems to tolerate the abuse. On arrival at the campsite I stop close by rather than at the portage to make carrying gear easier. After canoe unloaded and gear placed where needed, I put water on to boil while I eat lunch at 14:00. Next I erect nylon tent and lay out sleep gear. As I am about to exit the tent I see several mosquitoes lurking on the other side of the screen door so light a mosquito coil. Mosquitoes were quite bothersome when breaking camp, some following me for an hour, more bugging me at my lunch stop and now are really bad while setting up camp, worse because I am sweating. Temperature reached close to 30°C today. Just before supper of macaroni and cheese I have a wonderfully refreshing bath. I give thanks for a good canoe day and for the campsite. Helicopters fly over throughout the day in the direction of the fire at the narrows. Weary and tired, by 18:30 I am on the bed sheet unclothed and sweaty; next think I know it is 20:00. Debating if I really need to get up, I do to go pee, then ablutions before donning pyjama socks and undershorts. By morning I am in pyjamas and fleece shell, chilly but just curl up in a fetal position to keep warm while sleeping longer, too lazy to use the sleeping bag. In spite of my injured shoulder bothering me while trying to get comfortable I sleep well.
August 16:
Up by 05:30 I catch an 18" pike from shore but then get the hook snagged on a rock. Taking the canoe out to rescue the lure, I paddle to the ledge below the falls and catch two more pike (21", 14"). Hopeful for walleye I am not surprised though to only land pike. After filleting the fish I pick six cups of Saskatoon berries. I eat at least one cup while picking, very tasty, would be even better baked in a pie. There are many more left to gather another day. By 09:00 breakfast in the shade against the hot sun I have done most of the chores, only needing yet to gather firewood. Bothersome mosquitoes have gone to shelter against the sun and heat. By noon lunch, eating more Saskatoons, temperature is 26°C, rising later to 28°C, with very little cooling breeze. A flock of quite small warblers with a distinctly yellow body flit quietly very quickly around and above me in the huge spruce trees. They do not stay in one place very long, eating something from or on the boughs. They number at least one hundred. A big bird, heavy by the sound of air passing through its wings, lands in a tall spruce above me; without rising I crane my head to look up but the bird is out of sight, must be near the top. Thinking it is probably a crow, I caw several times in my best voice with no response. When I stand thirty minutes later the bird leaves, showing itself to be a bald eagle as it wings away. It must not have detected me as I sat quietly eating and updating journal and doing a puzzle. Some of the warblers return for another feed. As I sit in shade near the lake for the afternoon, glad that there is little to do, I complete several puzzles. As the sun moves west I have to keep shifting to find a cooler spot. By 17:55 I finish a late supper, delicious sauteed fried pike in couscous accompanied by more Saskatoon berries. From my journal: "Have eaten way too many Saskatoons, breakfast, lunch and supper. My scat will be blue." By 19:00 mosquitoes make an appearance so I head to bed. It is a calm evening, the only sound is the tumbling falls uninterrupted by noisy helicopters.
August 17:
Up before the 04:30 alarm, I finish packing gear. Yesterday I prepacked as much as possible. It is very cloudy, looking like rain as I portage gear and canoe over the 100 metre trail to the upper landing at the top of the rapids. Mosquitoes are bothersome, worse because I am sweating. I make good time up the small lake, rainfall streaming from distant dark clouds in front of me. By the time I reach the incoming river, light rainfall starts. The channel is heavy with summer growth of water plants. Blackflies and mosquitoes are quite bothersome so I don the headnet as I paddle. I am stopped by low water levels at an old beaver dam that the canoe passed over easily in the spring. Unsuccessfully trying to push the canoe across in two spots near the centre, I then back up and move over to the left side next to tall cattails. This location appears to be the deepest. Unable to force my way over, I turn around and back up stern first right against the obstructions. Reaching over the gunwale I remove many beaver cut poles until there is a deep enough channel to squeeze the canoe through, pushing with the old paddle.
When I reach the next portage, I try to land at the short but steep trail that I used in the spring. But dead trees and logs in the shallow water block my approach. So I have to back up and move over to the longer 100 metre portage. There has been enough rain that tall grass and brush overhanging the trail are quite wet. I get soaked myself from top down as I carry gear. I am not wearing any rain gear as I know that I would be just as wet, and much hotter, from sweat. The trail is slick sloping rock at the upper end so have to be careful not to slip. This is the portage where I fell and hurt my shoulder in the spring so I am well aware that I do not want a repeat performance. Because I had to land stern first to unload, and there is no room to turn near shore, I pull the canoe up the trail far enough to do so farther inland. Even so I have to manoeuvre the canoe back and forth in the brush and trees in order to swing it around so I can hoist to carry overhead. The water level is very low at the upper landing, sitting atop rocks and big boulders so it is a challenge to wiggle the canoe around and over obstructions. Thick water plants also make passage a challenge.
At the lower end of the final portage at the trapper's house, I face thick cattails too tall for me see over even when standing. The natural thing to try is a central passage but am soon blocked. Backing out I explore to the left and then to the right where I reach the main channel. The 17' canoe is a challenge to force around sharp turns and the water is very shallow near shore. At the upper landing there is only 6" of water at shore. Again it is difficult to wiggle the canoe through the boulders near the landing and another spot farther upstream. Thick water plants choke the waterway. Still wearing the headnet since leaving today's first lake, I stop at an open rock point. From my journal: "I light a small smoky fire close to the water to make extinguishing easy. Smoke shoos blackflies away so I can remove the headnet. Aah ... what a relief! I have been sweating over the final two portages, made worse by the fine mesh over my face."
Paddling on to the uppermost lake, I pause on the shore at my first campsite. Since leaving the last portage, the rain has stopped, my clothes mostly dried in the sun and light breeze. It is only 12:48. Debating whether to set up camp at old camp 1, I am impressed that I made such good time so decide to carry on to the final landing. Reaching it by 14:30 I activate the SPOT™ to indicate to my contacts I am "out". Distance travelled today is 17 km, including three 100 metre portages. After loading my vehicle I have a combined breakfast and lunch before driving away. I give thanks for a safe trip. Because Harvey and Elaine are away I will have to write a letter when I get home thanking them for providing a safe and secure place to park my vehicle for three months. Before leaving I ask a neighbour to let them know that the correct person took the vehicle.
Now the usual challenge and shock of driving down the road, rushing from bush one moment to civilization the next at 100 km/hour. By 19:30, I reach the motel to stay the night in Prince Albert, activating the SPOT™ again. Temperature has been a hot 30°C. Weary, tired, hot and sweaty, I register for the night, another shock the wearing of a mask and using hand sanitizer once again because of the COVID-19 pandemic which Jeanette reports is still active. After dropping my travel gear in the room, I go through a KFC drive-through to pick up a deliciously greasy meal of eight pieces of fried chicken and coleslaw. After charging my cellphone, I call Jeanette who already knows where I am because of the SPOT™ messages. I use clippers to trim my very bushy beard, followed by a hot shower. As usual I am surprised looking at myself in the mirror at apparent weight loss, although I feel good. Because it is hot I turn on the air conditioner to spend the night for the first time in three months in a closed stuffy room.
August 18:
Up by 05:00, I shower again. This is a Best Western hotel which provides a complimentary breakfast at 06:00, their usual chef-prepared excellent meal. Leaving by 07:30, after stopping three times for gas, I take a short break at a Tim Hortons; I drink an extra large coffee with two muffins slathered in butter. I am intolerant of caffeine, but it is either drink coffee or stop for a snooze. Arriving home by 15:30, Jeanette has prepared her usual scrumptious supper. We talk for a long time catching up. It is nice to be home, but bittersweet to leave the sanity of the bush.
********************** AFTERWORD **********************
The last campsite near the end of my trip. Definitely in need of a haircut and beard trim.
Suitably shorn after arriving home.
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Follow-up on my shoulder injury that occurred on the first portage after camp 1:
On return home I see my physician who orders diagnostic imaging tests. The clinical exam documents that I continue to have some limited mobility of the affected arm. I still have difficulty finding a comfortable sleeping position. The x-ray shows no broken or cracked bones. The ultrasound however identifies that the affected right shoulder has a "supraspinatus tendon tear, full thickness full width" (with associated inflammation and fluid buildup). This explains the large crack I heard when I fell on the portage. At the time I hoped it was just branches breaking but that was not to be. It did affect mobility of that arm and sleeping comfortably but I was able to continue my trip, even hoisting the canoe on portages. It took a while to get used to using my left arm more than the dominant right. When my physician receives the test results she is surprised, as am I, that I was able to continue my trip for the next almost three months. My physician suggests I see a physiotherapist who provides me with a series of exercises that I continue to use to strengthen the muscles around the injury to help compensate. As a result of time and exercises I have regained almost full mobility and sleep comfortably, ready for the next canoe trip already in planning.
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Follow-up on the forest fires that affected my 2022 trip:
The sizes of the forest fires are listed below as reported on the Saskatchewan and Manitoba web sites.
All were caused by lightning strikes. One square kilometre covers 100 hectares. The date ranges are those listed as first detected, followed by when considered "out".
1. Smoke coming from the west along the Churchill River:
- Labee fire Saskatchewan, July 13 - September 14 (5,284 hectares)
2. Fire nearby and visible when camped on the Churchill River affecting mainly Manitoba but some of Saskatchewan:
- Pukatawagan fire Manitoba, July 13 - October 11 (52,760 hectares)
This fire travelled 17 km east along the Churchill River causing the evacuation of the community of Pukatawagan ("Puk") in Manitoba.
Because I was so close I first saw smoke from the fire on July 7.
This fire also advanced farther west coming to within less than one km of my camp 14 on the Churchill River.
3. The small fire on my route south from camp 14 was a lightning strike in Manitoba directly beside my route that did not develop into a full fledged fire.
4. The fire that blocked my route out that jumped the lake narrows between camps 23 and 24:
- Richard fire Saskatchewan and Manitoba, July 17 - October 10 (20,101 hectares)
This fire is the one where I canoed through numerous hot spots, that flared up after I paddled up the lake to camp 24.