Lower landing at next portage after paddling one km from camp 2. Behind the canoe can be seen the rapids exiting the falls.
A snowshoe hare sunning itself greets me at the landing.
The long series of falls that must be portaged (on the right hand side). This aerial photo was taken before the forest fire of 2010 that swept along the falls; it illustrates the steep up and down climb. There are rapids and falls at the upper end and rapids at the lower not shown in this photograph.
At the top end of the 1700 metre trail ready to paddle 500 metres to the next portage. The tall dark green trees at the upper left are on the island spared by the 2010 wildfire. Rapids flow down both sides of the island.
Looking upstream above the last set of falls after portaging 300 metres on the island which bisects the current.
The view downstream from the island past upper falls on the left and those on the right.
Camp 3 near the top end of the island. So close to the falls it proves to be windy and noisy. The underlying thin layer of moss will prove to be soggy if there is much rain.
The relocated camp 3 midway between the ends of the island in a more sheltered spot.
RIP. A natural very heavy headstone-like rock beside the canvas Tent, hopefully not an omen. I had to move it to make enough space for the Tent.
The moved camp is closer to a fresh water source.
June 10 very smoky, hazy orange tinted sun.
**********************
Summary:
Difficulty portaging canoe, ending up dragging it half the distance. A strenuous steep 1700 metre portage along a series of falls after canoeing one km from camp 2, then paddling 500 metres to an island to portage 300 metres to camp 3. Cold supper in tent after the portage. Relocate the camp to a more sheltered location on the island that is quieter and less breezy. In a bit of a funk about smoke and my energy level, but encouraging text from Jeanette cheers me up. Afterthought about my comments on age and effects of long-COVID.
June 7:
Up by 03:00 at camp 2, it is cold so put on two shirts (light and heavy). A fire this morning sure feels good. Last night I filled in most of the firepit just leaving a small central area that can be closed in using a big stick. After Tent and all gear are packed, breakfast is eaten sitting on the Kitchen Barrel close to the fire. At 07:15 I land at the portage and send a SPOT™ message. There is a big snowshoe hare, all brown now, basking in the sun on a little knoll nearby. On my first carry I take the usual gear in case the trail needs any more clearing. It has been a few days since checking and in the past have seen trees fall down even the next day. The trail is quite steep in places going up and down so that the walk seems uphill both ways. Just before leaving camp I suddenly get a bad lower right leg cramp that remains most of the day making moving that leg painful; I now tend to use the left leg dominantly going up and down hills and drops, of which there are many. Fortunately by the end of portaging the ache improves. From my journal: "As I walk I wonder about some turns where the canoe may get stuck amongst trees. In hindsight I should have trimmed these sections. I was too optimistic when I checked the trail a few days ago; it's been a year since portaging such trails and maybe I'm a bit out of practice. But I think it'll probably be okay." Unloading at the top end of the path I start using the LifeStraw®; I need to drink lots of water after each carry. The beaver that greeted me the day I checked the portage is a good reminder to only drink potable water, filtered or boiled; I do not want a repeat of giardiasis that cut one trip short a few years ago. Being sick anytime is not pleasant but more so in the bush. There are no clouds and the sunshine is quite hot. I soon get sweat-soaked so on the return walk I wear my hat loosely and carry gloves and handkerchief to hopefully dry a bit. I pull the tail of my shirt over the waist pack which makes me chuckle as I am sure I look pregnant. Every time I walk in one location a small shorebird runs cheeping across and along the trail, luring me away from her nest which must be nearby. From my journal: "With the heaviest loads I carry the spare paddle to lean on as required. It is really a necessity for steadying as I ascend or descend the many steep places. The last load is the canoe ... which soon proves I should have carried it first while fresh. Won't make that mistake again on a long portage! Already tired, have to hoist it three times to finally get it overhead. About the half way point going up a steep hill the canoe gets stuck in trees and have to put it down. Aie! Pull it farther up the hill to a levelish spot and try to raise with no luck. Aie! I pull the canoe the rest of the way, some on bare rock making me wince. Luckily most of the pull is over Labrador tea or small brush beside the path. Hauling the canoe is tough. I rest occasionally, sitting on the bow, nodding off to jerk awake in a few moments." Canoe loaded, I paddle upstream in slow water to the island at the head of the falls to camp. There are two other portages bypassing the island but there are not likely any good sheltered campsites in the bay above the falls since the forest fire of 2010. I am definitely ready to stop for the day and those trails would probably need clearing. The island is not ideal as a campsite either, being noisy and windy in such close proximity to rapids and falls but also the island is rock overlaid with a thin layer of moss which can be soggy in rainy weather. Trying to get upstream from the head of the island could be difficult if there was high water, not a problem this year. Landing on the island I walk the 300 metres to the upper end only having to throw a few limbs and small trees off the trail. The fireplace near the top of the island does not appear to have been used since my trip in 2002. Returning to the lower landing, I tie two barrels to trees and park the canoe with some gear underneath. Weary I am only going to carry three loads to camp today. I have travelled a relatively short distance of 2-1/2 km, including a strenuous steep 1700 metre portage along a series of falls after paddling one km from camp 2, then 500 metres to an island to portage 300 metres to camp 3. I continue drinking lots of LifeStraw® water both at the landing and at camp. Blackflies are bothersome, worse because I am sweating; I could wear the headnet but then would be even more sweaty so I just keep brushing them away. To set up the tent all pegs must be anchored with stones on the shallow moss over rock. After erecting the Tarp shelter, I get in the tent. I am hot and sweaty so undress completely. I had eaten lunch half way through portaging on the long trail. Now I have a cold supper in the tent in the company of some blackflies which stay in the ridge trying to get back outside. Unless there are a lot of blackflies in the tent they tend to leave me alone. Usually I would have started a smoky fire to shoo them away before entering the tent but I did not want to take the extra time. In bed by 21:05, tired and weary, I already have some leg cramps but not too bad; thank heavens I drank so much water throughout the day. Starting naked on the bed sheet, I am soon in pyjamas in the fleece shell and then sleeping bag most of the cold 8°C night.
June 8:
There is wildfire smoke smell on first arising. Breakfast includes fresh bannock while I sit in front of a warming fire. Midday temperature is 20°C but unlike yesterday there is some cloud which clears by late afternoon. At lunch by the fire I fall asleep with a mouthful of food! From my journal: "Based on my energy level on the long portage yesterday, I may still have lingering effects of long-COVID. That and possibly age! Not sure if I'm up to ascending the target river. Will see. Trees only 'might' be getting tall enough for campsites, otherwise would depend on surviving pockets of bush. The 2010 wildfire was devastating so decent sites might be hard to find." When I walk to the lower landing to fetch some gear I notice there is fireweed under the canoe to which I add some rose petals and bunchberry bracts for supper. Just before supper I have a hot shower in the presence of a cool 16°C breeze, towel dry quickly and dress in two shirts and a neck bandana to warm up. The campsite is sparsely treed, too exposed to the nearby rapids and uppermost falls. Earlier I scouted out a more sheltered campsite 100 metres inland along the portage trail. The new area has more protecting bush, is quieter farther away from the upper falls but closer to a supply of drinking water. After supper in preparation to move to a better location tomorrow, I clear new spots for the Tarp shelter, fireplace and either tent. In bed by 20:30 in pyjamas right away and soon in the sleeping bag, the clear sky makes for a cool 10°C night.
June 9:
Breakfast again by the fire on this cool morning. Feeling rested and much refreshed I go to the lower landing to fetch the canoe. Because I was so weary when first landing I had parked the canoe stern first for unloading so have to push it out into the water to turn around. Because there is a steep slope from the river I pull the canoe up above it. Hoisting the canoe in one go shows that it pays to be fresh and to portage the canoe soon after landing. (Typically though the canoe is portaged last so that someone arriving will know which direction you are travelling, but convention be damned.) After carrying the canoe to the upper landing, I move the Tarp shelter to the new campsite which is about 100 metres down the trail. It looks like rain so I want to get the Tarp up on dry ground. After lunch I erect the canvas Tent. There are tall spruce trees nearby which provide Tent poles and spruce boughs. After packing the nylon tent, I use some of its stones to anchor the Tent pegs in the shallow moss overlaying rock. As with the nylon tent the pegs must be angled almost horizontally, leaving half the peg outside the Tent loop, a stone holding it in place. By suppertime the sky has cleared. So much for my weather prediction, but I will use this spot on the return trip in August. Although the Tarp shelter is well protected by trees it faces east to a fairly large open area so it gets good midday sunshine. Just down the portage trail I hang the clothesline where it is fully exposed to the sky so that bedding all gets nicely aired and dry. Temperature only rises to 17°C today, and drops to 6°C by morning while I snuggle in the sleeping bag.
June 10:
Waking at 03:00 to the click of the alarm, it rouses me even though not turned on, or perhaps I wake and then hear it. Back to sleep I have a terrible dream, but do not remember about what, finally getting up at 04:30. I am cold and damp, the dampness perhaps another factor of being beside falls and rapids. Starting a fire in the new fireplace to warm up, I decide to set up the stove to dry everything. The fire will also provide embers to start the stove. A flock of Canada geese fly north really low overhead; I have not heard many yet. There is a scarcity of soil on the island but I can use soil-like material from the old fireplace for inside and under the stove. While the stove dries bedding in the Tent I bake bannock at the fireplace for breakfast at 08:00. From 6°C earlier it has only warmed to 13°C so the fire still feels good. Before lunch I dismantle the old fireplace and fetch the two barrels to tie them to trees near the upper landing. All gear has now been portaged ready to leave tomorrow, weather permitting. From my journal: "[talking out loud ...] 'Planning on moving on tomorrow, if possible could you hold off on rain till I get to a new camp, even better if you could hold off till camp set up. I apologize for asking earlier but then not leaving.' So hope I'm not in weather's bad book after asking for a favour two days ago then not using. I think again about my energy level. Not as good as should be. Could be age-related but COVID infection didn't do me any favours. At least my blood pressure didn't crater [with exercise like happened with COVID]. If age-related, my long portage days may be over. May have to stick to large lakes. The long portage up the falls was tougher than should have been. I have carried the canoe the whole way either direction. Although possibly on second carry? When I return, definitely will have to cut out some tight corners I had trouble getting around ... and take canoe on second carry!" Now 20°C in the shade, considerably warmer in sun, I am sweaty and have a hot shower, a much more sheltered comfortable one than that at the breezy first location. Fed and showered I feel good. After lunch I pack the stove. From my journal: "My younger self tries to persuade older self to also take down canvas Tent and put up nylon tent. I mutter 'Crazy talk' (although had considered leaving nylon tent up yesterday which would have made younger self's argument stronger)." Later I prepack the Kitchen Barrel. By late afternoon supper, 24°C, the sun is orange with forest fire smoke. I am hungry for supper tonight, the first time in the two weeks since starting the trip. At 18:57 I check for messages. There is a text from Jeanette: "OK here. No fires4u. Some west. Maybe smoke. UCP gov." From my journal: "In bed by 20:00 I give thanks and kudos to Jeanette for the message. The 'safe' notice about fires and smoke is very reassuring as I never know if there is a nearby fire or just smoke from distant ones. I was a bit down and that cheered me up; not the government news though. Shower, dry clothes, supper, better campsite, good news ... life is good!" [I voted in an advanced poll for the Alberta provincial election before leaving home. The results were announced while I was in the bush.]
Afterthought:
When reviewing my journal to write the above account, I realized I had forgotten about making the entries about age. Although they may eventually prove to be true I am not ready to give up on portaging yet. I feel 100% now as I did on my return journey in August. I do think that I was still somewhat affected by long-COVID on the portage up the falls.