All set to leave camp 1 on May 30 at 05:54, smoke hanging over the lake.
Thick coat of tree pollen on the lake surface.
Breakfast stop near the outlet of the lake.
Approaching the lake exit into a creek.
Heading down the long meandering creek about one km straight distance but much farther with all the loops. There are many shallow spots but I manage to make my way without having to get out of the canoe to wade.
The next lake, obvious smoke at the horizons.
At the next campsite a male spruce grouse (identified by the red eye comb). For the duration of my stay he makes his presence known twice a day by the distinctive heavy-winged sound of flying from tree to tree and ground to feed.
When I first paddle up to shore, I see a black bear running away. I am not happy about the welcoming committee but then he probably is not happy to see me either. Momentarily thinking of moving on to another site, I realize that it is just chance to have glimpsed the bear. I would have tied the barrels up anyway but perhaps the knots are double-checked this time.
Low water levels at the shallow shore where I build a stone dock of sorts to make it possible to fetch water without getting boots wet. It also makes for easier loading of the canoe. Note that while away from camp I take the in-use barrel with me. (Ironically years ago before I used barrels, in case a bear visited camp, I took a food pack in the canoe while cutting a portage; I pulled the canoe on shore and placed gear underneath where a mother bear and her cubs ransacked the food.)
On June 1, I paddle one km to check the next portage. At the upper end of the 1700 metre trail I clear thick brush to make it passable. Black flies force me to wear headnet. Most of the trail has been somewhat cleared since the last time I was here in 2019 so I think there is no need to trim it further.
A beaver greets me at the upper end of the portage.
Tarp shelter and warm fire are welcome in the presence of rainfall. There is a pile of birchbark tinder and kindling under the Tarp to keep dry.
Baking bannock in front of the fire.
Lunch menu of protein bar, almonds, cheese and vitamins. This year I am using "Daryl's Cinnamon Honey" bars.
The Daryl's Bars are a Canadian product (which also ship to the USA). Unlike many competitor products in the 20g protein range they contain no artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners and have a healthy low sodium content; Daryl's Bars also have a good selection of bars containing no cocoa or chocolate. I am intolerant of the caffeine in cocoa or chocolate; another reason to avoid chocolate-coated bars is that they tend to melt, as do those containing caramel. Daryl's Bars are a good find, as I am no longer able to source large quantities of any American made bars. I selected the Daryl's Bars Cinnamon Honey bar because it reportedly should be the most stable for long duration at room temperature; I have tested all the non-cocoa non-chocolate bars and find them equally tasty and nutritious. By the end of the 12 week trip I am happy not only with taste but with their stability. A special thanks to John Murray of Daryl's Bars for his advice on bar selection and assistance in placing a large order. https://darylsbars.com/
Pants and boots are wet from rain-soaked underbrush. I adopt the fashion sense of comic Martin Short's Ed Grimley character to hasten drying of pant legs near the fire. Hat and leather mitts are also wet from fetching firewood; just do not dry too close to the fire.
A pile of stacked firewood.
A red squirrel's large midden of spruce cone leavings. The forest fire of 2010 missed this peninsula, leaving a good campsite intact.
A hot shower on June 3. I am not ready to brave the very cold water for bathing yet.
Rain stops and a bit of sunshine allows hanging bedding to air.
Continued rain makes me move the nylon tent to free the space for canvas Tent. The bottom photo is of the tent moved and partly staked out to dry when the rain chooses to stop.
Gear transferred to Tarp shelter in order to move the tent.
The canvas Tent and stove allow me to be more comfortable and to dry clothes.
With gear stored now in canvas Tent, I use the Tarp shelter to saw stovewood.
The canvas Tent window cover was fiddly to roll up when opening for fresh air. The cover is now sewed permanently at the top, much easier to use.
Thanks to Jeff and staff at Calgary Tent & Awning Ltd for the adjustment. https://calgarytent.com/
During the storms, rainwater accumulated on top of the two grub barrels stored outside. Why does one lid have very little water the next day? The barrels appear undisturbed and did not leak. My theory is that some animal drank the water.
Low water levels allow me to walk along the lake shore to catch a pike in deeper water.
An illustration of the strength of a black bear that broke open an old woodpecker nest in this pine tree, probably to get at ants.
The yellow murky water is a collection of tree pollen on the lake surface brought in by wind and waves.
Cloudy rain-bearing skies on different days during my stay at camp 2.
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Summary:
Canoe down a long shallow creek to the next lake without having to wade. Just before landing at camp 2 a bear runs into the bush but I decide to stay anyway. A long day of paddling 26 km. One three km winter portage proves to not have been cleared since a 2010 forest fire; next trail is good. Spruce grouse accompanies me during my stay. Rainfall over seven days delays moving on and leads to burning lots of firewood before setting up canvas Tent and wood stove. Frustratingly still have some effects of long-COVID. Canoe one km to clear the next portage which fortunately does not require much work. Catch first pike of the trip for supper chowder. The switch to Canadian made Daryl's protein bars proves to be an excellent choice. However another change to some lower sodium food, although healthier, proves to be less tasty and unpopular.
May 30:
Up by 03:15 (even though 03:00 alarm was accidentally shut off). By 05:50 I am leaving after carrying gear 50 metres to the lakeshore. Forest fire smoke hangs over the water. It is very cloudy, with light rain for one km of travel. The lake surface is covered with tree pollen mostly from spruce and pine trees. Stopping for breakfast on a sandy beach, I sit on a boulder to eat. Moving on a short distance to the lake outlet, I enter the small rapids of the emptying creek. Thinking I will likely have to wade I have placed wading gear at the top of my pack. However I manage to make my way down the continuously winding waterway without having to exit the canoe. It scrapes bottom twice on rocks where the creek widens; the canoe grounds once when I misjudge the correct channel but manage to push back to deeper water. After leaving the creek to enter the next large long lake I stop after three km for a stretch and bathroom break. I almost ground in shallow water over a deceiving sand bar that juts far out into the lake; it would be ironic if now I needed wading gear. Luckily there is a quartering tailwind so make good time, stopping for lunch at noon. There are three potential portages to take me towards the target river I wish to ascend. Before checking the first location which is a three km winter portage I stop at two nearby potential campsites. The first site is possible but because of the 2010 fire not sheltered very well. The next spot is unsuitable; there I stumble on a spruce grouse nest, scaring the female off a clutch of eggs, making her lure me away by faking a broken wing. From my journal: "I tell her 'Sorry! I won't hurt you or your eggs.' I make a big detour through the bush so she can ignore me." Next I paddle up a small creek mouth where the winter portage should be. However, it obviously has not been cleared or used since the forest fire and is undiscernible in thick brush. I will only use it if I have to and would need to cut a new trail which I am not anxious to do for up to three km. I think about landing to explore to see if any of the trail survived farther inland but decline to do so. Moving on I make my way to a campsite on a peninsula spared from forest fire. Just as I near shore I spot a black bear running into the bush close to shore. Weary after a long day of paddling I really want to stop. From my journal: "I momentarily debate whether to land ... but go where?! Figure if I hadn't spotted the bear, wouldn't have known about it. So landing it is." Time is 17:15 when I start the "SPOT™ Satellite GPS Messenger" to notify contacts of my location. I have travelled 26 km (24 km plus two extra km checking the winter portage and two possible campsites), farther than the 16 km I consider a good day of flat water paddling. Taking my gun I check the area the bear ran from; there is no evidence of food it might have been eating. Hopefully the bear will not be back again. Camp set up, I almost forgo raising the Tarp shelter, but will regret not doing so if it rains tonight. It is nice to have a dry spot to eat near the fireplace with some stored tinder and kindling. Forgoing a campfire I eat a cold meal. After supper I take a walk around the main part of the peninsula finding no evidence of the bear. By 20:30 I am in bed. A spruce grouse flies nearby from tree to tree or ground, feeding as I fall asleep.
May 31:
Sleeping in until 06:30, it is cloudy, cool and still raining, having rained steadily all night. With smoke constantly visible at horizons, I give thanks for the rain. Thank goodness last evening I erected the Tarp shelter and stored some kindling, otherwise the ground under would be soaking wet. To fetch water I build a stone dock to step on so I only get boot soles wet. After digging a firepit I boil water for breakfast. The little birchbark there is near camp is damp and fails to light well so I use Vaseline®-coated cotton balls to start a fire with split kindling. Under the Tarp shelter I stretch a clothesline to hang damp gear including rain jacket while I eat. By noon rain appears to have stopped. It is calm with some white cumulus in a blue sky, smoky at horizons. I fetch lots more firewood plus spruce boughs to provide a clean floor for the Tarp shelter and the front of the tent. While fetching wood a male spruce grouse watches me, bravely sitting on the ground, not running or flying away. After putting up a long clothesline in a sunny spot I hang bedding and heavy shirt. With the bedding safely back in tent I hang my clothes but just before standing under the shower it starts to rain again so I move all to the Tarp shelter. A hot shower sure feels good; I dress under the Tarp. Mosquitoes have been few but by evening they become bothersome after supper while I am doing a puzzle in the shelter. On the bed sheet by 20:15 I am sweaty and weary, soon falling asleep without doing any more puzzles as I intended. After supper and through bedtime I have an irregular heartbeat, probably still the effect of long-COVID ... aie!
June 1:
Up by 03:30, it is very cloudy, 16°C, with thunder accompanying a brief rain shower. After breakfast, I paddle one km across the lake to the next portage. The canoe is loaded with some gear to clear the trail (Kitchen Barrel, Rubber Pack, Tool Bag, medium tarp, gun, bailer, sponge, PFD, two paddles). Gear remaining in canoe covered with the tarp, I leave the canoe in the water tied to shore; I know a bear has no compunctions about entering water but I hope it is somewhat of a deterrent. I am going to check the 1700 metre portage trail that climbs past the series of falls, taking with me the gun and Tool Bag (containing saw, pruners, leather mitts, rain jacket, LifeStraw®). The trail was burned in the 2010 fire. I last used the portage in 2019 but it has been cleared since then and I think most of it is okay. Near the upper end I cut out thick brush with the pruners in two 20 metre long spots. A beaver greets me at the top with a loud slap of his tail. Along the trail I pick supper salad of fresh fireweed shoots. By 09:25 back in camp, it starts to rain but only light intermittent showers. Glad to have risen early, I give thanks for no rain while clearing the portage. For lunch I bake the first bannock of the trip at the fire; the three bannocks eaten so far were baked at home. Even though temperature rises to 18°C, it is completely overcast and the breeze is cool. Thinking about moving on tomorrow and whether I should prepack I decide to stay another day. I am no judge of weather until after it has occurred. I sure do not want to do the long portage in the rain. Mosquitoes are quite bothersome as I sit beneath the Tarp shelter to do a puzzle so I head to the tent early. Frustratingly, my heartbeat has been irregular since supper.
June 2:
Up by 06:30, I hang bedding but have to put back in tent when it starts to rain by 08:00, keeping up all day. The rain proves I was right to stay in camp. From my journal: "Eating breakfast at 09:00, killing mosquitoes landing on my knees. I'm not very hungry, even missing the occasional meal so far. Appetite will develop later! Wish mosquitoes would stay under cover outside rather than beneath the Tarp with me. Sure glad I didn't prepack yesterday or leave early today. Would be a miserable long portage, 1700 metres and steep. Some steep rocky places would be more dangerous when wet. Younger self said 'Do it.' Older self replied 'Might be wrong about rain but delaying one day or more not a problem.' Occasionally we do talk to ourselves." Luckily bannock is baked before the rain starts in earnest. Throughout the day I gather firewood, including poles and large standing long dead spruce and pine trees; I saw them in sections and drag to camp for limbing which provides good kindling. Having to add to the fire frequently, no matter how much firewood, the pile seems to disappear too quickly. I sit under Tarp shelter doing some puzzles. I also fell several spruce trees to limb at the fire to place under the Tarp and in front of fireplace. Boots and jeans are damp from the underbrush. Very cloudy, 14°C and damp; the fire feels good. When rain slackens I stand near the fire to help dry my jeans. I wear rain jacket while working outside but get sweaty which dampens my shirt. I tend to only wear rain pants if having to sit in the canoe paddling; activity in the bush and camp tends to damage the pants. It would be nice to have the canvas Tent and stove set up. From my journal: "By suppertime have stood close to fire multiple times as rain permits. Clothes are much drier. Pants dry better when I stand by fire à la Martin Short's Ed Grimley; just need the top-knot. One hurdle when raining is going to the bathroom. There are no big trees with widespread branches to keep me dry. Dig a hole very close to front of Tarp shelter where my Toilet Bag is within reach. Rain has not stopped all day, just slowing sometimes. Definitely not moving on tomorrow. Need to dry out properly. Even younger self would agree. Certainly burned a lot of mostly bigger firewood today." Before bedtime I have a hot water wash which sure feels good.
June 3:
After starting fire to heat water for breakfast, I fetch a bunch more firewood, making my jeans wet again up to the knees and shirt damp from sweat. Weather is very cloudy and foggy, dead calm, 13°C; the high humidity makes it feel warmer. It feels damp in the tent, the sleeping bag even more damp from perspiration and humidity than yesterday. A warbler cheerfully sings nearby, as it has done each morning. A merganser makes a pass overhead several times while I am in tent; I hope she's not thinking of landing on tent or Tarp shelter (which has happened to me before). Bedding hangs outside all day hopefully drying as temperature rises to 21°C, but at least is getting a good airing. After lunch I have a glorious hot shower. Even though weather does not look promising I am planning to leave tomorrow, but do not prepack. My grouse lands in a tree within plain view as it is feeding. Not very hungry, I have a lighter supper than planned, including an alder leaf salad.
June 4:
Waking to heavy rainfall during the night, I turn off the alarm. Every time I wake up I hear rain hitting the tent so stay in bed until 06:30 when I cannot sleep anymore. After procrastinating, I decide to erect the canvas Tent and stove, which I wish I had done a few days ago. I have to move the nylon tent to make room so I pack gear inside the tent before exiting. All the packs are carried to the Tarp shelter, getting damp from the continuous rain in the process. I drag the nylon tent onto a patch of Labrador tea to dry when rain stops. Outside by 07:15, the Tent is up by 09:15 with all the packs carried inside from the Tarp shelter. Hungry, I eat a cold breakfast in the canvas Tent, a bit chilled, pants and boots a lot wet below the rain jacket. Next I fetch the stove from under the canoe. The stove is set up after carrying soil from the firepit for in and under the stove. I now use a four litre canvas pail to carry soil for the stove instead of the 20 litre plastic pail; I no longer bring the pail to do laundry while camping, just changing to a fresh set of clothes half way through the trip. With dry kindling and birch bark from under the Tarp shelter, the stove is soon lit. Once burning well I place the two smaller pots of raw water to boil and close the Tent door after lighting a mosquito coil. While waiting at least 30 minutes for the coil to burn down, I saw stovewood under the Tarp shelter. On return to the Tent, I open the screen window as well as the screen door. Some items on the line over the stove are dry already so I hang the bedding and all my clothes. Next is lunch while sitting unclothed in the back corner, tolerable with door and window screens open as stove goes full blast. My grouse lands close to the Tent; maybe he is checking out this new happening. After lunch, I turn stove damper down and close door and window while I exit to saw more stovewood. The grouse flies several times over at least two hours while I am working. Temperature is 13°C, completely overcast but rain has stopped for the afternoon. However at 17:45 suppertime there is light rainfall. When I go to the lakeshore to pick alder leaves for salad, the far shore is shrouded in heavy fog or drizzle. By 20:40 I am falling asleep doing a puzzle after having a hot washcloth bath. Clothes are mostly dry and I let the stove die for the night. It rains lightly during the night with periodic lightning flashes in the distance. Thankfully no mosquitoes surface in the Tent.
June 5:
Very cloudy, very humid and damp, dead calm, 15°C, no sign of sun. Start stove to finish drying clothes and to heat water for breakfast and then let the stove die. By noon it is 21°C, calm, some blue sky but very humid making me sweat. Mosquitoes are bothersome so I shoo them away with my hat before entering Tent. Starting the campfire I bake a bannock for lunch. I find several good birch bark cylinders for tinder, pick alder leaf salad, saw more stovewood. By early afternoon there is more sunshine and less humidity, temperature rising to 25°C. The nylon tent fly is dry but the inner tent bottom and the rear vestibule are damp so I move them into better sunshine before packing. Planning to move on tomorrow I pack the stove. Midafternoon I see and hear a thunderstorm with lots of lightning slowly approaching so move everything to the Tent; I had planned to eat outside under the Tarp shelter. Just as I start to take a hot shower heavy rain starts, pouring down to accompany my shower, refreshing indeed. Tonight I finish the last of the hard cheese so will need to start catching four fish meals per week now. By early evening the storm has moved on, thunder still rumbling far in the distance. I had started a large pot of raw water to boil at the campfire which got mostly extinguished by the downpour. Managing to get the fire going again from a few live coals under the covering firewood, another heavy shower extinguishes the fire for good. Now not planning to leave tomorrow, I wonder if putting the stove away was a good idea.
June 6:
At 03:00 just as I think to go outside to check the weather, it rains again. Arising early, after doing usual first morning chores, I decide to go fishing. It is still very cloudy but there is some blue sky, a bit of sunshine and a moderate wind. I make sure to close the canvas Tent door rather than just use screen door; a bear or other animal might stop at a closed door but may not even see the screen. When walking to the lakeshore as I pass the two tethered barrels I notice one has no rainwater on the lid but it was full on the downslope side yesterday. The other barrel's lid is still full of water. I remove the suspect lid to make sure there is no leak into the barrel. The only explanation I can think of is that an animal drank the water (unless a wendigo is playing silly beggars with me). Because I have to untie the rope from the barrel I decide to top up the Kitchen Barrel while the lid is off. I also untie the other barrel to redistribute some grub from one barrel to the other to even their weights. It is doubtful that I will notice much difference in weights after only two weeks ... heavy is still heavy. After assembling fishing rod and gear I walk along the shore casting at a few different places. I will have to be really careful not to get hook snagged on rocks in the shallow water so have to retrieve the lure quickly to prevent sinking to the bottom. Because of low water levels I can walk along the shore quite a distance to the outward facing point of the peninsula. Success ... I catch a 21 inch pike. Casting again the hook does get snagged but manage to retrieve it by moving far along the shore as I release line. From my journal: "Whew! Lucky to get lure back without having to take canoe out. Now I realize I don't need another fish. This one is perfect for a single meal. Early in the trip I'm not hungry like I will be after a few weeks. Only need one more fish this week. Have had hard cheese that I bring at the beginning of the trip so I don't have to fish right away." After filleting the fish on the spot I dice it for supper chowder. Walking back 300 metres to camp I pass a large standing dead pine tree that has an old woodpecker nesting hole. A bear has clawed out several thick pieces of wood beside the hole to get at ants, illustrating how powerful these creatures are. Nearby the lake water is thick with a soupy mix of yellow pollen from pine, spruce and smaller trees like alder. Back at camp I bury the doubled Ziploc® bags of fish in thick moss. Temperature rises to 22°C by midafternoon with some blue sky and sunshine. Flies and mosquitoes are bothersome. By evening heavy cloud takes over. Pike chowder is not as tasty as I am used to; I switched chicken soup base to that with low sodium, no MSG; although healthier I already know that I will switch back to the regular product next year. Nighttime is cold and I soon snuggle into sleeping bag all night.