06:40 August 8, just before leaving camp 8, cloudy but smoky too, hard to tell how much smoke is mixed with cloud. Mist rises from the lake in the distance.
06:45, moving past camp 8 island on the left.
06:50, heading into the channel down the lake, smoke still very evident especially at horizons but strong smell and stinging my eyes. Should really have worn mask.
07:29, farther down the lake there is a clear bright blue patch in the sky that I instantly exclaim as "a blue hole in space" that persists for quite some time as I continue on.
Stopping at an old cabin site that has been trashed with all kinds of litter, bottles and cans brought in for parties, the cabin broken into, door open, items large and small strewn all over inside and out. I state "And to think I thought I might camp here. Aie!" Now glad that I stopped where I did for camp 8.
Another location several km farther on that I had flagged as a backup campsite. However there are thousands of ripe blueberries across the entire peninsula, a bear's grocery store so I decide to move on.
Continuing down a long channel bordered by steep rock cliffs that would be interesting to explore sometime.
Approaching the large island of campsite 9.
I make a nicely walled-off fireplace to use the grill.
This site is exposed to winds so I erect the Tarp shelter facing away from shore, canoe under and behind the Tarp. Bedding hangs on Tarp support rope.
August 9 midday, clothes hang on line while I bathe. I sit in the chair to dry feet before pulling on clothes. It takes good technique to keep clothes off the ground while pulling on one leg of undershorts and jeans, then sock before slipping on that boot, followed by a repeat for the other side. Some locations I dress similarly but standing, good practice for balancing on one foot, although I have to pull on both boots temporarily to keep socks clean.
Bathing area where I sweep aside the surface layer of green algae slime growing profusely in the hot temperatures. Fetching water for drinking and cooking illustrates that the algae is not just on the surface.
The tent is well sheltered in a copse of spruce trees.
Barrels tied to spruce trees, bells attached even though too far from tent for me to hear.
Pinned on line to air are pajamas (long underwear, undershorts, socks, all polyester), fleece pillowcases, down jacket, yesterday's damp heavy socks all usually hanging in the tent to dry during the day. Damp bath towel. I am pleased with switching this year to polyester pajamas as they do not retain body moisture like cotton. Down jacket is stuffed in one pillowcase, inflatable pillow in another to provide two pillows. The third pillowcase holds the Clothes Bag which I lay behind the head of the bed to keep pillows in place. As in many photos this season the wildfire smoke is evident, especially noticeable shrouding the bush at the horizon.
Bathroom spots marked with branches.
07:49 August 9, 19" walleye, two 18" pike.
07:09 August 10, two 17" walleye. I hold up the dorsal fins to illustrate the sharp needle-like spines on the front fin which hurt if you get poked.
18:00 August 11, two walleye frying in Crisco® shortening in aluminum Dutch oven ... mmm good.
A field of fireweed in a large open area. No problem picking enough flowers for salad. I walk into the patch to see that the stalks are as tall as I while bees busily collect pollen. N95 mask is temporarily tucked in shirt pocket. The shirt collar is buttoned to help protect against bugs especially blackflies that crawl under clothes. The result of a blackfly bite is seen through my beard.
An active wasp nest atypically on the ground in a patch of short brush. Looking like it might be damaged, I wonder if a bear got a rude surprise.
There are many small toads at most campsites this August. An American toad, unlike a frog it has brown dry skin, hops instead of leaps.
Also common for a week or so is this flying insect, a chironomid (nonbiting midge, lake fly). It is about one cm long with a narrow body striped with horizontal lines, six legs, wings folded at sides while at rest, two broad feathery feelers at head. While flying the body points downward.
This insect also becomes common now. The grey body is about five cm long with antennae as long as the body. It is Monochamus notatus (northeastern pine sawyer, notable sawyer) (a species of longhorn beetle or sawyer beetle). They fly with a loud whirring noise of wings landing haphazardly, especially annoying if settling on me clinging stubbornly to hair or clothing. I pick or brush them off but often they crawl right back at me even from a distance. They do not bite but have had one pinch me with its mandibles. The larvae only attack dead or dying coniferous trees. Google Lens makes for easy identification or confirmation; just copy the photo into the Google Lens interface in a web browser.
06:23 August 9, two common loons, as I head out to go fishing, mist rising from the lake around them, heavy smoke at horizons.
Several terns wheeling above the lake surface as they dive into the water to catch small fish.
05:31 August 9 sunrise, mist rising over the lake, thick smoke at horizon and above.
07:49 August 9, the bay one km from camp where I find a sweet spot to catch walleye. Clear blue sky, smoke at horizons.
08:41 August 9, heading back to camp from fishing, distinctive altocumulus clouds overhead.
August 10, thick smoke with red ball of sun. Wear N95 mask all morning.
August 11, repeat of yesterday's thick smoke and red sun. Wear N95 mask midmorning to midafternoon.
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Summary:
Wildfire smoke every day. Thick smoke prompts wearing N95 mask for several hours each of two days. Two possible campsites prove unsuitable, one because of garbage, the other full of ripe blueberries, a bear's grocery store. Find a walleye sweet spot. Beautiful meadow vista of pink fireweed flowers. New prolific hatches of small toads and two insects (chironomid and pine sawyer).
August 8:
Arising at 04:00 the day starts smoky through midmorning the sky full of dark forbidding clouds. Smoke is more evident at horizons but affects breathing and stings eyes. At a plywood shack cabin on a small island I stop for breakfast. From my journal: "The door has been broken open and items scattered far and wide, certainly not all damage done by bears. And to think I thought to stay here instead of campsite 8. What a mess. Many beer cans and broken bottles. A shame." Raining a bit I don rainsuit to wear while paddling but it never rains again. At a peninsula jutting into narrows I stop to check for a possible campsite. However the area has thousands of ripe, albeit small, blueberries, a bear's grocery store. I would have liked to stay here for probable good walleye fishing but do not think it a good idea so decide to continue paddling. Along the way I see several soaring bald eagles, kingfishers and small shorebirds flitting along shorelines, a junco, at least six northern flickers perhaps all from one family as I paddle close by some bush. This years ducks are flying already. Moving on I stop early at 11:10 for campsite 9 on a large island. The Tarp underside was heavy with dew this morning so got dirty when taking down; I spread it wet side up, rivulets of water running off as I wipe with a sponge. Soon drying, thinking it might rain, I set up the Tarp shelter. The site is exposed so I erect the Tarp facing away from the lake. Later I move canoe underneath and behind Tarp for even more wind protection. Afternoon sees lots of blue sky and grey-bottomed cumulus. From my journal: "Thought to have a bath but the wind discourages me. Younger self thinks we should take canoe out to fish for supper; need two more fish meals this week but the wind is too strong." Nights have been cool and damp lately so I hang bedding over both ends of the Tarp support rope. Eating supper of protein bar, hot water, oriental noodles mixed with sardines and Parmesan cheese, wearing two shirts I sit by the warming fire. Even though 20°C, the northerly wind is quite cool but thankfully no sign of smoke now. In bed by 20:30 come morning I am snuggled completely inside the sleeping bag. Camp 9 is 11 km from the previous site, six km above the outlet of the lake.
August 9:
Camp 9 on August 9. On arising it is 12°C, clear, calm, no smoke, mist hanging over various sections of the lake. Trolling from the canoe the one km length of the west side of my island I am surprised to see only a rare indentation with reeds where I would stop to fish (for pike). I get to what looks like a bay but surely this must be the south end of the isle? Landing and walking across a narrow area of grass and brush I can see this is in fact the end as I look up the last channel I paddled yesterday. Back in the canoe to try fishing I release a small pike while catching a lot of weeds. Mosquitoes are bothersome while fishing. Paddling farther a surprise, an open channel bordered by tall cattails and other reeds. Heading through the passage I continue to cast with no luck. In the bay on the other side of the island I land two 18" pike but quite light weight. Farther out in open water I cast toward the channel and catch a nice 19" walleye. From my journal: "Aha ... found a sweet spot. Can come back another day on the east side of my island, another one km distance. Landing nearby on a favourable shore with some low bare rock I fillet the fish. Before returning to camp I walk inland from a falling apart beaver lodge up an old trail where they at one time felled trees. I reach a beautiful vista of large meadow painted with hundreds of fireweed in full pink bloom. Rather than collecting salad I eat my daily ration." While paddling throughout the morning I see a few rafts of ducks on the water, at least 20 or more in each; in the mist rising from the lake they look larger at a distance, many likely this year's hatch. On the way back I stop at a small isle, the closest to the big island, the only one of several in the bay I did not check as a campsite. It is about 200 by 50 metres but well treed. After tramping the island I decide it would make a decent campsite and might be more sheltered from wind than camp 9. Back at camp I finish late breakfast of fresh bannock by 11:00. After eating late lunch at 13:40 I have a bath in order to get ahead of the wind if it increases. Now I can see smoke at the horizons. At 17:00, 24°C I start supper of fried then sauteed fish added to couscous, first eating one walleye fillet and the wings as is ... all mmm good, seasoned extra with hunger. From my journal: "18:50, supper done. No hat, no shirt, boots unlaced, no bugs ... haven't been bothered ... amazing! The height of horseflies seems to be over. Get a glimpse of a gray jay, gliding so silently through camp. Dead calm, 19°C. Neck aching constantly, take two naproxen with supper." Behind the trees back of camp towards the setting sun the sky is ruby red through smoke. Tonight is hotter and my morning I only need the fleece shell.
August 10:
Up by 05:00 I paddle the one km to my new walleye sweet spot, catching two with one cast each. After filleting the fish I walk up to the fireweed meadow to eat some of the flowers and to walk into their thick midst to see they are as tall as I. Back at camp mosquitoes and gnats are bothersome as they were while fishing. Two pelicans float past close to shore flying away just as I was about to take a photo as they recognize my camp. At 09:55 breakfast, 19°C, dead calm, thick smoke. Since exiting the tent I have worn my mask except when eating. By 10:20 it is a hot 27°C, mask back on until lunch. Having worn the mask all morning I can still breathe through it okay so do not need to change to a new one yet. Hot and sweaty after doing chores I have a bath before 13:00 lunch. By 14:20 I can feel the smoke affect breathing and don the mask again. At 14:45 it is a calm 30°C and feels it; too hot, I remove the mask. I am constantly drinking water. Temperature gradually decreases to a still hot 27°C at 17:40 supper of fish chowder. I have heard several motorboats as they pass by the south end of my island from Sandy Bay which is about 14 km west on the Churchill River; I wonder how the community is faring being that much closer to the Flanagan fire where I assume this smoke originates. It is still smoky but does not seem to be noticeably affecting breathing without the mask though I know that the microparticles of smoke are the really bad components that get deep into lungs. From my journal: "No hat, no shirt, luckily bugs not bothering me ... as, grinning, I swat a bug on my back. I maybe complained about the strong north wind the other day. Would be nice now. Was thinking of moving on tomorrow. But only been three days. Will wait to see smoke and temperature conditions and Jeanette's Sunday text. By 19:25 temperature feels much cooler, 23°C, but still almost dead calm. Surprisingly still no hat, no shirt; a few mosquitoes but I shoo them away. By 20:00 time for bed; a loon just seconds that."
August 11:
The sun is not visible first thing in the morning because of thick smoke; when I do catch a glimpse it is a ruby red ball. At 09:10 breakfast it is 20°C dead calm, later increasing to a hot 29°C, very humid, overcast with either smoke or cloud or both. Mosquitoes are bothersome since getting up. I bring back two walleye from my sweet spot although it took quite a few casts and I released two small pike and a walleye. Smoke smell strong, poor visibility across the lake, I wear the mask from 10:00 until 13:00, and should have worn earlier.