June 17 03:07, beautiful full moon reflected in the water just before sunrise.
June 17 08:44, gear and canoe portaged 200 metres to where "river road" starts. In the canoe are the barrels, pail, paddles, Bug Tent, barrel harness, gun and my dry lower clothes; I am wearing wading gear.
This photo at 08:51 is of a very hot sweaty me, seriously questioning the sanity of pulling such a heavy load. The canoe bottoms hard in places, the wide centre wedging tight in other spots. There is no way I am pulling an empty canoe back up the slope to pick up the other gear; that I must carry in four loads.
At 09:01 I have pulled the canoe the 200 metres to the dry end of "river road" just up from the log across the trail which I have trimmed to ease the way under or over.
June 17 12:59, canoe loaded as I paddle facing the lower rapids to take the photo. The 600 metre portage took me longer than anticipated.
When shooting this video, the canoe inadvertently gets sucked bow first into the eddy streaming strongly upstream, getting rocked and splashed, shipping some water; it is a hard back paddle to get out and a bit dangerous, giving me a scare.
June 17 13:06, heading two km down the small unnamed lake to the next 370 metre portage beside another set of rapids.
Two large trees across the portage that must be limbed in order to cross. There were other spots that had to be cleared but these took some of the longest.
Looking back at 18:02 up the second rapids, past which I exited from the portage just to the left of their base in the photo.
Facing impressive stratus clouds at 18:59 as I make my way down the six km long lake below the second portage.
Approaching the lower end of the lake (19:29 - 19:32). A long day to cover eight km, including two portages (600, 370 metres). No way am I doing two more portages today!
Finding a campsite is difficult but I manage to clear and level a spot for the tent on the hillside. Using two tarps to help level the bed under the mattress makes for a tolerable night's sleep.
Nine beautiful yellow butterflies with black wing bars congregate on the dead coals of the fireplace. At one point there were 19 butterflies.
Spruce tree riddled with holes by woodpeckers to eat the insects that are gradually killing the tree.
**********************
Summary:
A long hard morning of portaging "river road", then two hours to clear another trail, travelling a total of eight km including the two portages (600, 370 metres). A late camp setup wearing headnet, then getting to bed by the light of a headlamp, with no supper. Clear the next 300 metre portage in preparation of moving on. Beautiful yellow butterflies with black wing bars make their annual appearance.
June 17:
Up by 03:30, warming up with the stove in the 8°C temperature while eating breakfast, still getting away by 07:30. Already humming the Crystal Gayle song, I pack all the gear the 200 metres to "river road". I load the canoe with the three barrels, pail, two paddles, Bug Tent, barrel harness, gun, two attached painters and my dry lower clothes. Then starts the haul, a tough one especially because the width of the canoe gets stuck in narrow channels. I had visions beforehand of hauling the canoe back uphill to portage the remainder of the gear, but after reaching the end of "river road", going back with the canoe is definitely not going to happen. Next I carry the remaining four loads. Sloshing down "river road" with a full heavy load on uneven footing is not fun especially when I slip sideways in the water on exposed roots, once managing to catch myself barely able to stand up again with the load without falling. Twice I step into a deceptively level-looking mud hole, once to mid-thigh and again just barely managing to keep my load and stand up again. Aie! With everything at the ⅔ mark, 200 metres left to go, I don regular clothes and sturdy boots, a welcome change. With my first load I also carry the wet muddy wading gear to rinse in the water at the lower end and hang in the sun to start drying. In deference to my sore shoulder, instead of carrying the canoe, I drag the empty canoe the remainder of the way on relatively smooth ground. I make a point of hauling the canoe with emphasis on my good left side to limit heavy use of the bad shoulder, having to counteract the tendency to use my dominant right arm. Everything moved, it is 11:30 already, later than anticipated, so I have lunch after the canoe is loaded. A small smoky fire shoos blackflies, quite bothersome especially because I am so sweaty. I vow that if I had to do the "river road" portage again, I would instead cut a portage on the other side of the river. Before leaving the rapids, I canoe across to the far side to get a photo up the torrent. In so doing the canoe inadvertently gets sucked bow first into the eddy streaming strongly upstream, getting rocked and splashed, shipping some water; it is a hard back paddle to get out and a bit dangerous, giving me a scare. Shows the power of water! Aie!
A short paddle takes me the two km down the unnamed lake to the next rapids. Seeing the old burn of 2017 reminds me of the big fire that forced me to fly out. Underestimating the strength of the rapids with the higher water levels, I get too close and have a difficult back paddle along the shore to retreat to a safer landing spot. Walking the trail, I find that there is lots of clearing needed, especially at the upper end due to encroaching high water which forces me to clear a trail to the side for at least 50 metres. Farther on there are two big spruce trees blown down fully branched, plus several other spots with smaller down trees. Clearing the trail with all three tools is sweaty work but I am impressed with the new Silky saw, its sharp double row of teeth managing an eight inch diameter tree easily. Hot and sweaty, I wear the headnet against blackflies. The lower landing is clogged with logs and debris in the backwater of the rapids; I have to fish out over 20 small and large heavy water-laden logs to make room for the canoe. This is not a good trail to drag the canoe, so I carry it as the first load while I am fresher. In respect for my sore shoulder I do not carry the Rubber Pack under the canoe; I have reservations about hoisting the canoe but manage to do so in one clean jerk, impressing myself. The carry is successful even though I find that I do not want to raise the right arm as high as usual to steady the canoe. Already 17:30 when I paddle on, my aspirations to get over two more portages will definitely not be fulfilled. Keeping my eye out for campsites, I spot one, and the only one, at km 4 of the 6 km lake so I stop to check it out. It would work but I move on hoping for better; in hindsight a bad decision as it is already 19:30. C'est la vie. Should know better that late in the day. Hoping for a site along the large isle, I momentarily consider camping at a cabin at the lower end. Paddling on all the way to the next portage landing which skirts a set of rapids, I think surely there should be something there. After tying up parallel to the shore, possible because of the elevated water levels, I walk here and there but only find one tent site about 40 metres up the hill in the spruce bush. It will require considerable use of the axehead to move moss downhill to level one side for my bed. Back at the canoe I initiate the SPOT™ at 20:00, a late night for sure. Blackflies and mosquitoes necessitate wearing the headnet which makes the evening in the bush appear darker than it really is. First thing I level the tent site as best I can to make sure it is doable, also having to trim overhanging branches. Forgoing the Tarp shelter until tomorrow morning, I stow gear under canoe and in tent. I give thanks for finding a tent site and for no rain; it would be bad setting up a wet camp at this time of the day. Inside the tent with the headlamp to get organized, I use two tarps to help level the bed. No fire, not even cold supper, I am in bed at 22:00, a long day! Aie! Tired and weary I sleep okay, awake in daylight a few times to pee but get back in bed until 07:00. Surprisingly there are no leg cramps during the night. Yay!
June 18:
Eating breakfast at 09:50, sitting under the Tarp shelter, fireplace smoke shooing blackflies, there are only a few mosquitoes. Life is good! Breakfast is actually last night's supper of macaroni and cheese. It is very cloudy at 12°C with thunder in the distance gradually approaching over a period of at least three hours, but passing through with only 30 minutes of light rain. Temperature rises to 25°C by suppertime, sunny but hazy overcast that really brings out the annoying biting flies. A belted kingfisher gives its "k...rrrr" call as it fishes along the lake shore. Yesterday while paddling I saw quite a few common goldeneye ducks identifying themselves in flight with the distinctive whistling sound through their wings. After lunch, I clear the 300 metre portage with one hour of work, mostly overhanging brush. Fortunately there are no water issues with this trail, in fact the high water levels making launching easier at the lower end. There are four large logs across the portage that I trim of branches to make them easier and safer to cross with loads. After giving myself heck for not stopping at the earlier campsite yesterday, I am now glad as the late stop makes it easy to clear the next portage. Flies and mosquitoes drive me to erect the Bug Tent on a levelish spot created under the Tarp shelter with spruce boughs. It feels good to rest bug-free, boots off, updating journal and doing some puzzles, then eating supper in the Bug Tent. As usual at this time of the year, beautiful yellow butterflies appear, black bars along the wings; they like to rest on the doused coals of the fireplace, nine of them at one point. After prepacking to move on tomorrow, I am in bed by 20:00.