Camp 1 sits atop a steep hill. Rather than carry the two heavy barrels full of grub to the top I tie them to trees near shore with spruce branches placed over to shield from the sun. I am always a bit nervous about leaving barrels close to water because if a bear did find them they could end up in the lake.
Two common loons greet me each day.
The fireplace sits on bare rock above a three metre high cliff.
The bandana worn as a hat scarf helps fend off bugs.
After trying to eat meals near the fireplace, I retreat to the Bug Tent under the Tarp shelter which shields against the weather. This Tent provides the luxury of stripping off all clothes in the hot humid weather. Need to be organized to place all the required gear (including pee can) inside to avoid having to exit to fetch something forgotten. Note the pile of some of the dead flies and mosquitoes which enter while the door is open as I get inside; a flyswatter is a necessity. (The photo of the Bug Tent is from a later camp.)
A short piece of mosquito coil clears the tent of mosquitoes; a two inch piece takes about half hour to burn before it is safe to enter. Just before entering the tent I do a camper's dance, slapping all around me with my hat. Any mosquitoes or flies that enter with me are dispatched with the flyswatter hopefully before dark. Any that survive into the night make for miserable companions. The coil sits in an empty sardine can well away from any material in the centre of the tent.
The "SPOT™ Satellite GPS Messenger" is used to send my location and an "OK" e-mail to my contacts. I activate it daily, early morning when staying in camp or when I reach a new camp. Note the bite marks when a black bear stole the device soon after I started using it in 2009. Luckily I found it and since then I keep it in sight; it functions well in finding the relay satellites without being in a large open spot.
A salad of fresh alder leaf shoots, spruce buds and alum root seed pods. Note in the photo of alum root the white reindeer lichen swollen with moisture, a sign of recent rain or heavy dew.
********************** REPLACEMENT OR NEW EQUIPMENT **********************
Bear spray holster with hook-and-loop flap closure ("Seattle Sports® Bear Spray Holster 225g").
Much better than the holster used last year that had no closure and was made of inferior material (different product). Note that I have loosely tied the safety clip to the to the bear spray trigger guard with a piece of Kevlar® cord. This is so that if I need to use some of the spray the safety clip can be put back in place. I would only press the trigger in bursts rather than release the entire contents at once so as to have some backup. The manufacturer of the bear spray by rights should have some such fastener in addition to the tight zip tie used to prevent discharge during shipping.
Hunting knife stainless steel with overlap belt sheath ("Grohmann Knives® R1SA1, DHRussell design", Canadian design, Canadian made).
Inflatable pillow ("MEC Deluxe Pillow 5046-842" inflatable, Large 300x485x120mm 168g, compresses to 7”x4” diameter).
An excellent addition to my sleep gear. It can be inflated to any degree preferred.
Boots ("Vasque® St Elias" Full-Grain Leather Gore-Tex Hiking Boot with Velcro sole).
Possibly the best boots I have ever used, not too heavy yet sturdy.
Canteen ("Bambaw 500mL Stainless Steel Water Bottle" with screw-on cap).
An excellent canteen, compact and leakproof.
Gun case canvas ("Airdrie Canvas" custom-made canvas gun case).
Thanks to Airdrie Canvas for this custom made case which replaces my old worn out one. The canvas is sturdy protective material, water-resistant but breathes so there is no condensation.
**********************
Summary:
Preamble discusses planned trip. Weary after the long drive I rest up before moving on. Thank goodness for the Bug Tent, flyswatter and mosquito coils to escape from very bothersome mosquitoes and flies. Hot and humid weather makes me sweat-soaked. Fresh salad ingredients readily available. A list of new and replacement equipment. Distance paddled three km.
Preamble:
Because of the late start in the canoe season my canoe trip is one I have done before in the east central region of Saskatchewan and western Manitoba bordering the Churchill River. In my experience it is rarely travelled by canoeists and I look forward to the solitude and the good walleye fishing it provides.
July 7:
After travelling the last leg of the 1160 km drive I paddle three km to my first campsite by 15:00. When I leave Saskatoon at 05:00 the sun is a ruby red ball in the sky with smoke carried from wildfires in the western provinces. The fire season has again started in early spring. Thanks to Lucie for putting me up in Saskatoon, and to Harvey and Elaine for providing a secure place to park my vehicle while canoeing. The horseflies are thick around the heat of my vehicle anytime I stop, a portent of conditions when I start camping. Passing by five pelicans feeding near some islands it is an easy paddle against a light headwind. I feel good about wielding a paddle again the first time since last season. Hot temperature and exercise makes me sweat and I start drinking LifeStraw® water right away and frequently. Harvey says they had "floods" of rainfall in June and water levels are high, a good thing. Setting up camp I am a bit achy from carrying gear up the steep hill; the long drive has not helped either. Mosquitoes are bad. I set up the Bug Tent to eat and spend the duration of supper in the Tent swatting mosquitoes that entered with me. Not that hungry I eat a cold supper. When I look in the compass mirror there are several dried bloody spots on my face from blackfly bites; I should have at least wore the hat scarf. Not bothering to put up the Tarp shelter I head to the nylon tent by 18:30. I had lit a mosquito coil after setting up the tent and tossing in my sleep gear, but one mosquito enters with me and meets the flyswatter. Putting out sleep gear and loading the gun I don sleep socks and undershorts but too hot and sweaty I take them off and lay unclothed on a bedsheet waking later to pull them on again plus the long underwear "pajamas". This year I am using polyester PJs and socks which will not get damp as cotton does. I am also using a new inflatable pillow (placed in a flannel pillowcase) which proves quite comfortable (along with my usual down sweater stuffed in a flannel pillowcase, both kept in place backed by my spare clothes bag also in a flannel pillowcase). The bedsheet is placed on a fleece shell over down sleeping bag on inflatable 3/4 length Therm-a-Rest® Mattress on a full length 1/8" closed-cell foam pad). For some reason I typically am more comfortable on this camp bed than my bed at home, although I am sure the open air helps.
July 8:
After 10 hours in bed I arise by 06:30, way past my usual seven hours and late for me but I was really weary. The drive was long and tiring; I like arriving but not the driving. It is hot and humid with no breeze, 21°C already at 08:00, mosquitoes bothersome. By 09:15 horseflies are very bad. By noon it is hotter at 26°C and flies large and small are very bothersome. I wear a hat scarf, resisting putting on a head net. After a bath in the lake I feel much better and retreat to the Bug Tent where I remove my clothes. One small fly persists in divebombing my ear; it falls to the flyswatter along with mosquitoes and other flies until I am finally alone. It is impossible to enter the Bug Tent without bugs getting in when they are so thick outside. Still weary from my drive I nap while doing some puzzles. By 17:40 it is still hot with light intermittent rain. A loon calls in the distance from a different lake. Dressing I boil water to reconstitute potato flakes with added chicken soup base, nutritional yeast, Parmesan cheese and ghee. Back in the Bug Tent and undressed again I eat supper of the potatoes, protein bar, cheddar cheese, salad (new alder leaves, spruce tips) and LifeStraw® water. I bring hard cheese for the first week to avoid having to fish right away. The Daryl's Bars protein bars are excellent but I eat them first so other food has a chance to remove the sticky bar from my teeth before flossing and brushing. Heading to the tent by 19:00 I am hot and sweat-soaked just from doing a few chores. The humidity seems to be high with no cooling wind. Planning to do another puzzle instead I lay on the bedsheet to cool off waking later to don PJs. I sleep well; the new inflatable pillow with down sweater pillow above and spare clothes bag behind is comfortable.
July 9:
Uncomfortable conditions again with high humidity and very bothersome mosquitoes and small and large flies. My two loons are near the shore when I have a bath. Red squirrels are chattering and scolding me for invading their woods. A pileated woodpecker interrupts pecking at a tree to voice its loud wuk, wuk, wuk call, yakking for a long time, perhaps near a nest. A small woodpecker is drilling a tree nearby but I cannot get a glimpse of it. Two pelicans paddle past near shore but fly away before I can photograph them. Horseflies are buzzing around me, occasionally banging into the Tarp or Bug Tent. Dozens of mosquitoes loiter on the shady side of the Bug Tent, only temporarily scared off when I bang on the screen from the inside. By lunchtime the humidity has cleared with a light breeze which feels so much better. But by suppertime the air feels very humid again and I am sweating. Planning to move on tomorrow I prepack as much gear as possible (chair, Bug Tent, tools, clothesline, clothespins, Crocs™ sandals, most pots). I used to pack all the pots but now leave boiled water in the large pot until morning in case I need it. Before leaving I will fill the canteen, rinse my eyes and drink as much water as possible. Just prior to bedtime I have another bath good to do when so hot and humid.