June 23 sunrise at camp 6 (03:59, 04:00).
Just exiting the narrows from the bay with camp 6 waterfalls into the main body of this large sprawling lake.
Camp 7, having travelled 24 km, six km being extra distance searching for a campsite but largely to escape the strong wind that forced me to repeatedly take less direct routes in the lee of shorelines.
A spot cleared for the canvas Tent which I do not utilize now but probably will on my return. The poles for the Tent are propped against a nearby tree.
The closest location of soil for under and in the stove requires clearing a trail to the exposed roots of a fallen spruce tree.
The view from camp on June 24 and 25.
Rainbow on June 25 at 18:56, hopefully a good sign.
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Summary:
A long hard day of paddling against a strong headwind, covering 24 km before finding a good campsite, weary and very ready to stop after checking many possible campsites and taking less direct routes in the lee of shorelines. Fell poles, find a source of soil and clear a spot for the canvas Tent for use on my return trip.
June 23:
Up at 03:00 to an orange-red sunrise, very cloudy, moderate headwind, not good signs, especially the red sunrise, but I decide to leave anyway. Nothing is prepacked except the tools. I leave at 05:50 without breakfast. Already I have to paddle out of my way to avoid the wind to get to the leeward shore. All day is like that, paddling out of the direct route to cope with the headwind which becomes strong. I see two bald eagles, several mallards, mergansers, loons, a red-necked grebe and hear a warbler as I paddle along shorelines. When I hit the big lake proper, the wind is really against me. Wanting to eat breakfast, I stop at a small point where there is a group of buildings in disrepair and surrounded by junk and garbage. From my journal: "Had thought to eat breakfast here, but no way! What a mess! Couldn't pay me to stay here even for a short while." I can see there is no way to paddle down the lake along the several islands where I had planned to go as there is no shelter from the wind across the open one km stretch to the first isle. Already thinking I may be windbound but determined not to stop here I cross against the waves and swells to check out a nearby island, then two more with no luck. Reaching the shelter of the leeward shore, I stop at two different "cabins" (houses) which would serve as campsites but there is fresh bear scat (the reason I do not want to stop at messy sites) so I decide to continue on with the mindset of reaching a small island where I camped in 2018. At a fourth cabin I take a break for breakfast at 10:10. The site is reached by a steep long run of steps up the bank. Some of the stretches exposed to wind make for difficult tiring paddling, but I finally reach the target isle. However, with big trees broken all over the campsite, I barely recognize it. I stop anyway but it is difficult landing with the high water level and getting up the steep shore. Aie! I am now on the windward side of the island so paddle to another isle, battling the wind until I reach its lee shore. There is a fly-in fishing camp where I stop with the possibility of camping, but I see evidence that there are guests or workers here so I move on, stopping at several spots with no luck. I "know" there is another island where I camped previously much farther on, though my predictions so far have been unreliable. Finally I reach the target island and the campsite is in good shape. Yay! It is 17:15, having made better time than expected even with the strong headwind plus the extra distance avoiding the worst and checking about 10 different possible campsites. I have travelled 24 km, including the six extra km.
I have had no lunch today, afraid to stop very long in case the wind got even worse, or the overcast sky would lead to rain. Giving thanks for no rain today and for safe landing at a good location, I unload the canoe and start camp setup. Nylon tent up with gear stored, I will lay out sleep gear at bedtime. I know there is at least one mosquito in the tent so light a mosquito coil later, well before bedtime. The old location of the fireplace is under water, so I make a new one that is inland and better sheltered. Standing in the smoke to shoo blackflies feels good. While water is on to boil, I erect the Tarp shelter and get supper of macaroni and cheese ready. Mosquitoes bothersome, I eat in the Bug Tent. In bed by 20:15, weary and tired, I give thanks again for no rain and a good campsite; the wind, paucity of campsites and the failed site were bad enough without rain. With some padding of a tarp and the Rubber Pack positioned beside my feet to keep me in place, the bed is comfortable and I sleep well though I wake up with leg cramps because I did not drink enough water today.
June 24:
From my journal: "Up by 06:30, slept really well. Impressed. Just need to tire myself out and abuse my right shoulder paddling all day." It rains on and off all morning but by noon there is a heavy downpour. For breakfast I eat the usual food plus yesterday's lunch. Today's lunch is eaten in the Bug Tent beneath the Tarp shelter to escape mosquitoes. My lower jeans are wet from brushing against undergrowth when I fetch firewood; I also scout out a location for the canvas Tent. By midafternoon the rain stops, I stoke the fire and sit as close as possible to dry my jeans. The wind is cool at 12°C so I wear both long shirts. My back to the wind is cold and my front too hot from the fire, so I occasionally stand to warm near the fire and dry all round. I do several puzzles, napping in the chair. Mosquitoes disappear so I pack the Bug Tent. Rain falls again at supper. Early evening I take the chair to the tent to read and continue doing more puzzles and read some Reader's Digest. One mosquito comes into the tent with me; hopefully it is the only one.
June 25:
I had thought to move on today but thick grey clouds and 10°C temperature easily change my mind. Fortunately my jeans and shirts are dry after the time spent at the fireplace yesterday. When I scrape away the ashes in the fireplace I notice charred birch roots so I move the stones up the slope in front of the Tarp shelter that appears to be on rock covered by a thin layer of moss. I douse the old fireplace well; the fire never had a chance yet to burn the roots badly. From my journal: "Lunch in front of the new fireplace one metre from the Tarp shelter. Boots loosened, hat off, life is good! I stupidly try breaking a branch mostly using my right arm and it hurt lots! Aie! It's my dominant arm so I tend to use it without thinking. Good in one sense as paddling mostly on the left side of the canoe, my left arm pulls more of the weight of the water. The top right hand stays more stationary." After lunch I clear an area for the canvas Tent and fell required poles which I stand at a nearby tree. I find a good source of soil for under and in the stove and clear a trail to the spot. The Tent site is 80 metres from the fireplace and another 80 metres to the exposed soil at an overturned tree root. I am pleased to find soil relatively close; I had visions of wandering all over the isle to find some. Temperature rises to 15°C and the wind makes it feel cooler but it shoos away the mosquitoes. Adding more wood to the fire, I don my hat and the second heavy shirt. There has been no rain today yet but at 15:15 I am just about to doff clothes for a hot shower when a heavy downpour starts. Under the shelter I aliquot next week's grub into the Kitchen Barrel. At the end of the first four weeks, the Food Pack is now empty, all food in the three barrels. The rain stopped by 15:45, I have a shower ... yay! Supper is different than usual, finishing breakfast and lunch grub that I have somehow not used so that I can catch one less fish this week. Having already asked for no rain if possible until I reach next camp, better yet until camp is set up, I prepack to speed up leaving tomorrow. When I head to the tent for bed the sky looks ominous but hopefully a good sign is a rainbow appearing through the dark clouds.