04:59 June 28 at vortex island camp 7, fog through the river mouth past the eagle nest.
Beautiful sunrise through lifting fog.
07:15 on the way to next camp, in the distance can be seen the island in the narrows near old camp 6, my "good" campsite. Yesterday's revolving storm finally convinced me to leave without exploring up the river. My younger self is only objecting a little bit.
07:36 approaching camp 8 (old camp 6).
June 29, view from camp 8 across the lake (06:12 and bottom photo 09:59).
My moss fridge for storing fish fillets until suppertime. The crossed sticks are to help let me know if an animal has tampered with the fish.
Dead coals cleaned out of fireplace over the time camped here.
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Summary:
Officially leaving vortex island, I return once again to the first camp on this lake, my "good" campsite; decide to stay here to figure out where I want to go next. Fishing is good from shore, pike still feeding on mayflies. Heavy rain all night on the second day cancels plans to leave, reinforcing my decision to have quit vortex island. Very hot weather makes inactivity and bathing in the lake welcome.
June 28:
From my journal: "Awake early lying in bed still thinking about going up the river to check the rapids. Went to bed thinking about it too. Up by 04:30 I finally decide to forgo the river. Had said if we have more bad weather at vortex island not staying. At one point actually had said even before yesterday wouldn't even camp here again! Even younger self doesn't put up much of an argument. Am officially leaving vortex island." Not really sure where I want to go next I pack after draining pots without a fire to dry them. I paddle to old camp 7 only three km away, my "good" campsite. After unloading some gear I have breakfast. Intending to eat in some shade at the canvas Tent site landing, I change my mind because of bothersome blackflies; smoke from a fire shoos them away so I can eat in peace nearby. Seeing fish still feasting on mayflies I assemble the fishing rod to catch a pike from shore; its stomach is full of the insects. It takes about 20 casts to find the sweet spot but nice not having to take out the canoe. After cleaning the fish right away, I put more wood on the fire to boil water in all three pots. Deciding to stay here to figure out where I want to go next, I erect the canvas Tent and light a mosquito coil. Falling asleep while I eat lunch at 12:00 the sky is mostly clear, light wind, quite warm at 26°C, smoke visible at all horizons. With a favourable breeze I can hear a small creek running in the distance across the lake, though probably just runoff after the heavy rains. After lunch I finish more chores (firewood, erect Tarp shelter and clothesline, spruce boughs for Tent, tie two barrels). Old spruce boughs die quickly but something I have not paid attention to before is that pine branches cut on my first camp here are still green good for shading the barrels. Sunshine so warm I have a wonderful bath in the lake. The only safe bathing spot on the rocky lake bottom amongst boulders is mid-thigh deep so have to squat and duck. Supper of sauteed fried pike hits the spot, just not as good with salt-free spices, though I am begrudgingly getting more used to the lack of taste, or more likely just hungrier. Too hot exacerbated by drinking hot water I take shirt off, bugs now absent.
June 29:
Lucky to catch a pike early morning, I am glad again not to have to use the canoe. It is already quite warm at 24°C at 08:30 breakfast. Before lunch I have a very nice and needed bath in the lake. The sky is clear, light wind switched from north to south, a hot 27°C, soon rising to 32°C. I have to continually move to catch shade in front of the Tarp as the sun tracks across the sky. Falling asleep doing puzzles I am trying to exert myself as little as possible, glad to have chores done before lunch. It would sure be nice to have some big shadier trees. I appreciate when a cloud temporarily blocks the sun or when there is a bit of breeze. Late supper is pike chowder at 18:00, temperature cooled to 26°C feels much better. I have lost track of how many puzzles done today. Prepacked I am planning to move on tomorrow. To bed lying on sheet, much later I get into the fleece shell in pyjamas. Rainfall starts before midnight and rains all night.
June 30:
Up to alarm at 03:00 I arise to check the weather; very overcast, red sky in east, still raining I go back to bed. I mutter to myself that I am glad not to be at vortex island. When I get up rain has stopped, lots of fish are surfacing so first thing I catch pike for supper. As I eat fresh bannock, a squirrel chatters behind me, just the second time I think since I have camped here. Two loons call from the lake; a greater yellowlegs makes its crazy ambulance siren-like call. As usual a gray jay visits once a day, the mate in the distance; we talk to each other, he in soft murmuring chatter as I ask how his day is going and how his mate is doing. Later a crow caws for a while nearby but moves on fairly quickly so do not think there is a bear or wolf; there would have been more than one crow. Crows and ravens will keep up quite a racket if they spot one of the predators, partly because downed prey is a source of food. While collecting firewood blackflies are bothersome so I restart a fire. By midday temperature rises to 31°C, clear but smoke at all horizons; I am sweating doing little, drinking lots of LifeStraw® water. From my journal: "Sitting in the shade. Amazed at the variety of insect life at my feet, spiders and other bugs of all sizes, some tiny, none very big, all shapes and colours (bright red, yellow, green)." By bedtime at 20:00 it is much cooler at 25°C. I have prepacked once more so hopefully do not have to unpack all over again tomorrow morning.