08:52, July 23 ready to leave camp 5. The pump for the water sprinklers which ran all night drones faithfully away on the dock.
Paddling down the lake I am not sure if there is smoke at the horizons. I cannot see any smoke from the area where the firefighters worked.
Four pelicans high overhead, majestic in flight, ungainly at rest.
Approaching the rapids at the lake outlet. The 300 metre portage starts nearby along the shore to the right.
Below are the main areas of the trail requiring clearing (before and after).
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I load the canoe from the stern on the shallow spongy wet shoreline pushing the canoe out a bit farther with each addition to make sure it is not grounded too heavily.
Looking back at the lower end of the portage through the dense patchwork of reeds with just enough water to allow poling hard to get through.
The view down the small unnamed lake towards the next outlet and second portage.
Approaching the rapids that lead to waterfalls below.
After pulling in to shore upstream and walking inland on soggy ground I determine that I can probably land 40 metres farther downstream just above and to the left of the rapids. While ashore I place a birchbark cylinder on an overhanging branch to mark where I should land.
Having emptied the canoe I carry my first load through two portage areas that need clearing. Lowering packs at the third spot I pull out the required tools (Silky saw, Felco® pruners and Estwing® all-steel axe).
Below: After clearing one obstructed location I walk back to do likewise at the two others.
Below: Next I proceed farther down the trail to open up the rest of the path.
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The falls at the lower end of the portage.
The loaded canoe is pointing towards the next camp at the small island about ½ km away.
Camp 6 is reached after travelling five km including two portages (300, 140 metres) requiring one hour of clearing each.
July 24, canoe loaded to paddle to the falls for fishing.
The roar of the falls is evident even at camp. There are two waterfalls flowing around the small island between.
A gull has met its demise on the nearby mainland where I stop to pick up some stair-step moss on which to lay fish in the canoe.
Two 17" walleye for supper caught in two casts from the canoe below the falls. The catching is almost anticlimactic to the whole process of getting ready and paddling here.
Where I land on the island to fillet the fish I note what at first glance looks like ancient tracks embedded in the rock ... until the wet prints from my boots dry in the sun. Or maybe they were from the 'little people' that Cree lore says live here.
Weather turns to a promise of showers all day July 26 followed by very welcome rain late evening then most of the day on July 27.
Strong wind provides relief from bugs but requires placing the canoe as a barrier behind and under the Tarp shelter. This setup works well to buffer against the wind but also to shield from the heavy wind-blown rain. To keep the Tarp from blowing upwards I tie the bottom to a long heavy log.
July 28 after the heavy rain when the sun comes out so do the bugs. Horseflies annoyingly gather under the Tarp shelter. Wasps attack the flies like fighter planes. It is amazing to watch their expertise in bringing down prey stabbing with the sharp stinger then cutting off wings and legs to make it easier to carry away the much larger body to feed their larvae. Sometimes it takes a few tries for the wasp to be successfully airborne. This one in the photo killed a wasp beside me while I was aliquoting grub on the white tarp used as a tablecloth. Not all awesome animal encounters are of the large kind.
My usual pucker stitch using waxed dental floss to close a hole in jeans. I sew from the outside surface so the inner side will be smooth against skin.
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Summary:
Although originally planning on staying another day I leave camp 5 with sprinklers still wetting the cabin whose roof has developed leaks. Hot conditions reaching 31°C make me sweat-soaked most of the time. Finally get a one day reprieve of cooling rainfall. Excellent walleye fishing especially at the falls. Bugs are much less bothersome not requiring head net and less use of Bug Tent. Strong winds force me to place canoe behind and under the Tarp shelter the bottom side of which must be tied down to a heavy log. Several wasp encounters as they dive on horseflies, kill and dismember them then carry off to feed their larvae; not all awesome animal encounters are of the large kind. Camp 6 is reached after travelling five km including two portages (300, 140 metres) requiring one hour of clearing each.
July 23:
From my journal: "Not awake till 05:00, had not planned on leaving nor prepacked. Sprinklers hitting roof every half minute or so, pump on dock making its steady thrum. There are several roof leaks fortunately none affecting me or gear yet. Although originally planning on staying another day, POI [piss on it] ... I'm leaving. Eat breakfast while packing, as usual when travelling to include Parmesan cheese and bacon crumbles. When carrying gear to canoe have to dodge off to the side and time moving past rotating sprinklers. Manage to only get a bit wet." Leave about 09:00. I can hear the steady hum of the pump for two km down the lake until passing a big island. The first portage is 300 metres long and optimistically I carry a load but soon have to set down to saw out a section of a good-sized fallen spruce. The still sharp Silky saw makes short work of the log. Continuing the carry I have to stop a few more times to clear the path, taking one hour in total. Forgetting to leave the barrel harness with the barrels I end up having to make an extra trip back to the lower end to fetch it from its pack ... aie! Sweat-soaked I am not happy with myself for the error. The lower end of the portage is a spongy wet shoreline on a dense patchwork of water plants where I load the canoe from the stern. I push the canoe out a bit farther with each addition to make sure it can still be moved as it floats on the green mass. Fully loaded the canoe is difficult to push out with the spare paddle but I manage to make it into real water thankful that I did not have to exit the canoe. After a quick paddle down the lake I stop on shore to see if I can land farther down for a shorter portage and to avoid clearing as much trail. Walking inland on soggy ground I determine that I can probably land 40 metres downstream just above and to the left of the rapids. To mark the spot I place a birchbark cylinder on an overhanging branch. After one attempt a bit too far downstream I manage to push the canoe back out. I paddle upstream then return to hit the correct spot almost getting hung up on boulders; a few more days and it will probably be too shallow. I carry my first load through two portage areas that need clearing. Lowering packs at the third spot I clear it and then go back to do so in the others. Next I clear the rest of the path to come out just below the falls where I load the canoe. While clearing the trail over a period of one hour I eat lunch and drink lots of LifeStraw® water. As often the case especially when using hand tools I shift the trail to bypass obstructed areas. Moving on I paddle to the island about ½ km down the lake. The waterfalls were loud while working beside them but they are still quite noticeable from a distance. There are remnants of an old cabin beside the falls and I do not envy the occupant living with the noise of the falls so close. Reaching camp 6 at 16:20 I set up the tent but as late as it is do not erect the Tarp shelter or tie the barrels. This is a small isle with very little in the way of natural attractants for a bear to visit from memory, though of course the main attraction is my grub which they can smell from afar. In bed by 21:30, tired and weary. I did hear a helicopter in the distance twice today, probably checking the pump, sprinklers and fire area at the previous camp.
July 24:
Up by 05:00 I wear my heavy shirt to avoid the clammy sweat-soaked light shirt which has dried very little while hanging in the tent all night. First priority is to set up Tarp shelter and clothesline and to tie barrels. I hang up the wet shirt and all bedding to air and dry. After packing the canoe for fishing I paddle to the falls where I eat lunch in some shade on the island. It is not possible to fish in the rapids below the falls from shore but is easy to do using the canoe. In short order two casts yield two 17" walleye. I remark that the catching is almost anticlimactic to the whole process of getting ready and paddling here. Returning to shore I fillet the fish before paddling back to camp where I realize that I left the filleting board at the falls. From my journal: "Aie! A Cree myth says that 'little people' live at the falls. Perhaps they made me forget the board after filleting the fish. I moved it out of my work area to dry in the sun so overlooked it when packing. Hope it's still there when I return." It is a hot 29°C so before a late supper waiting for a bit cooler temperature I have a much needed bath and sit in the Bug Tent with no clothes on catching up on my journal. From my journal: "All my clothes are hanging on the line, boots in Bug Tent. Now I have to brave all the flies to get dressed! Buggers were biting as I bathed." Clear all day the sky has clouded up so I hope it will rain; now I can see smoke at the horizons but cannot smell it. Hot and humid I sleep fitfully, no clothes on all night.
July 25:
Another hot and humid day, 30°C when I check midafternoon, calm conditions too often. It is cloudy with a few sprinkles of rain but nothing of consequence and I repeat my mantra of 'Come on rain' several times during the day. I catch two more walleye at the falls and thankfully retrieve my filleting board. Not very energetic in the heat, I have a bath midafternoon. A pelican and I startle each other at the landing. From my journal: "Haven't had to kill hardly any bugs in Bug Tent here, how different from previous camps! Haven't had to wear head net either." On bed by 20:30, I start with no clothes on, later putting on pajamas. But I wake far too hot and strip down again until morning.
July 26:
Up by 06:00, strong wind gusts, one peal of thunder but no rain. By midmorning the moderate wind is keeping bugs away, only a few mosquitoes finding me. There were blackflies when I arose but not now. At lunch, temperature remains stable still at 23°C with clear sky, no humidity and I am comfortable for a change. Several crows land in my trees, making a big racket before leaving, probably objecting to my presence. A beaver just offshore slaps its tail when it realizes I am here. By midafternoon I can smell wildfire smoke brought by the now strong wind; there are whitecaps on the waves. Placing the canoe under and behind the Tarp shelter I remark what a difference it makes. I have to rejig the back of the Tarp with more ropes to tether it lower, also tying it down to a long heavy log. From my journal: "Sitting beneath the shelter, quite cozy now, no hat, bootlaces loose, shirt untucked, very few bugs. I do get a few sandfly bites, the itch with no readily visible sign of bugs a giveaway. Aah ... feels good! Think this is first time my shirt hasn't been sweat damp. A camp day was a good idea (instead of paddling to the falls again)." Getting a bit cool after supper, when I retire to the tent it is the first time in a long while that I am not too hot, though pajamas alone are enough and do not need to get in the fleece shell until early morning. Thankfully finally it rains hard for 15 minutes before midnight and then on and off overnight.
July 27:
Happy birthday to brother Glen. Two loons nearby call repeatedly in their plaintiff voice. Having planned to fish first instead I decide to bake bannock right away as skies still look threatening. While eating breakfast at 07:25 it starts to rain and I move farther under the shelter. From my journal: "Oh ... now raining heavily. Thank goodness for Tarp. Glad I parked canoe underneath and rerigged ropes. Made the right call to bake bannock first. [07:35] Oh man, really pouring heavy. Would be soaked quickly in that. No bath yesterday, perhaps one today." In between rains I manage to go to the bathroom, wash and dry dishes, saw and split more firewood, gather fireweed flowers and seed pods for lunch. I also update journal and do some puzzles. Temperature is a comfortable 17°C. Rain continues on and off all day, sometimes a heavy downpour, sometimes steadily for quite awhile. I am very thankful for the moisture. I never bathe or do any fishing. By 17:00 the rain stops.
July 28:
Up by 06:00, I catch two walleye in two casts from the one fishing spot on camp 6's small island. That is on steep rock shore which now slippery wet I have to be careful not to slide into the lake. To fillet the fish I carry them to the peninsula point where there is some bare rock. Blackflies are bothersome biting hands and lower arms with rolled-up sleeves. It is a bit cool at 15°C in the brisk breeze, the sky greyish from smoke. In the distance at the waterfalls I see a pelican floating to the side of the rapids below the falls doing its own fishing. Everything is quite damp still from the rain. Back at camp I stand in some smoke by the fireplace to shoo the blackflies. A bald eagle flies past towards the falls, perhaps to catch its own fish for breakfast. My two loons call back and forth to each other. A red squirrel scurries away near me. Interestingly I have not noticed any small birds flitting through as I usually do at most campsites. However I watch several wasp encounters as they dive on horseflies, kill and dismember them then carry off to feed their larvae; not all awesome animal encounters are of the large kind. Midafternoon I have a wonderful bath marred only by a few biting flies. The Bug Tent protects me for the remainder of the afternoon. Supper is fried walleye sauteed in ghee then mixed with couscous ... mmm mmm good. On bed by 20:30 I wake in an hour to don pajamas for the best night's sleep in a long time.
July 29:
Arising by 05:30, 15°C but calm and humid, I wear the heavy shirt over light until getting too warm facing the rising sun as I fish. From my journal: "While catching mostly weeds I land a 20" pike. No walleye today; if their group of fish is not passing through, no luck. Screw up one cast too close to shore over some bulrushes. Stuck! Manage to move carefully along the steep shore, ducking under trees, making sure not to fall in. Get past the reeds, pull the line free and yank again to retrieve the lure stuck on a small waterlogged stick. I do carry spare lures and leaders but there is a limit so take pains to recover them if possible. Decide maybe one fish will do but take rod with me when I carry pike to the peninsula point to fillet and cube for supper chowder. Try fishing there, catching even more weeds but finally an 18" pike." At 16:15 in the Bug Tent, no clothes on, it is 29°C. My sweaty clothes all hang on the line while I have a bath, getting several fly bites in the process. I exit the Bug Tent to fetch the jeans to sew a hole in one pant leg. Interestingly bugs do not bother me as much after I am dry and clean of sweat. From my journal: "By 17:10 it is a very hot 31°C ... and feels it! Drinking lots of LifeStraw® water, hopefully enough. 30°C at 18:10, at least going down now ... maybe. Better exit Bug Tent and get dressed to make supper. Only have boots inside. All on line should be dry." I manage to collect the last available salad of fireweed flowers and seed pods, then finish prepacking to move on tomorrow. On bed by 21:00, again hot and sweaty.