Very dense smoke August 3 at 06:53 as I prepare to leave camp 18. Visibility is almost nil. Even though only going about one kilometre to the next portage I must use map and compass where it would normally not be required.
The upper end of the first portage, 80 metres long but up a steep hill. Going down in the spring was much easier. The trail is dry now, unlike the small overflow rivulet running along the path then. The tall grass hides the trail until I carry some loads.
The view back to the top of the short portage at the upper end of this small unnamed lake. Surrounded by burned forest, it will be a few years until beavers return to maintain the dam.
Heading up the little lake, narrow so no need for map and compass.
The upper end of the 300 metre portage to Besnard Lake at the bottom of a steep hill. When I get to Besnard Lake and stop for lunch I see new smoke puffing up in multiple spots through the dense layer of smoke blown in from who knows where. There is obviously still active fire along Besnard Lake from the Pisew fire of June. I was planning on camping on a nearby island but now decide against it.
Ripening lingonberries along the trail, locally called cranberries, quite tasty.
August 4, paddling up Besnard Lake after spending the night at old camp 1's small island spared from the widespread Pisew wildfire, smoke still quite thick. The day before I travelled 22 kilometres including two portages (80, 300 metres).
August 4 as I near my June launch site the sun breaks through and smoke clears considerably so that when I land at 12:00 to load my vehicle I can doff the mask. Thank you to Kelly, Sara and Chalk who allowed me to park all summer, a safe and secure spot. The road east past Pinehouse is closed due to fire. Heading west, by 16:00 I reach an inn for the night's stay in Prince Albert after a 145 kilometre drive.
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Summary:
Smoke and visibility is the worst so far, requiring navigation with map and compass, wearing mask daytime plus while sleeping. No sunshine, sweat soaked bedding and clothes remain damp, not drying at all. Discover how to know when mask used for smoke needs to be changed. There are still hot spots puffing up smoke along Besnard Lake. One area I pass has been burned for the second time in a few years, decimating young regrowth just getting established, boding poorly for recovery. A long hard day on August 3, 22 kilometres to camp 19 (old camp 1) including two portages (80, 300 metres) through the thickest smoke ever. The next and last canoeing day I travel 14 kilometres, smoke clearing enough to doff mask as I reach my vehicle. A big thanks to Kelly, Sara and Chalk for providing a safe and secure place to park my vehicle. The road west is closed because of fire but luckily I can drive east to stay in a Prince Albert hotel for the night, passing through areas burned this year. August 5 I make the long drive home to a welcome supper, talking well into the evening to catch up with Jeanette. A special thanks to Jeanette for supporting me from home base.
Afterword summary:
Follow-up about smoke exposure, use of neck exercises. Distance canoed. Fish caught. Revisions for 2026 grub menu. Details of wildfires around me on all sides that brought smoke no matter the wind direction. Fire ban dates.
August 3 Sunday:
Up at 04:30, dark because of smoke. From my journal: "Bedsheet very damp. Clothes all damp! Aie! Still wearing mask that I wore all last night. After leaving tent I can't see very far at all! No sun visible. Clothes didn't dry even a little bit after being sweat soaked yesterday! During the night I heard the tree tops moving but looks like the wind just brought more smoke." I eat breakfast before leaving as there is no good spot to stop on the short distance to the next portage. I check for satellite phone messages from Jeanette: 'OK here. Fire bans [where I am now south of Churchill River]. No fires 4u [meaning I cannot have a campfire]. Heat smoke warnings. Hwys maybe closed.' Even though only about one kilometre to the portage visibility is almost nil so I use map and compass. The first portage is a short 80 metres but up a steep hill and I am soon sweat soaked again adding even more to yesterday's damp clothes. At the top of the trail it looks like someone or more likely some animal went over the main dam so that is where I load and launch the canoe. Making my way up the small unnamed lake I do not need the compass because the lake is quite narrow. Soon landing at the second 300 metre portage there is a short steep hill but from the top it is downhill, definitely easier than the spring trip, especially for pulling the canoe. From my journal: "At one point realize am having too much trouble getting air through the mask, having to suck too hard especially when carrying a heavy load. I figured out many portages ago that I can't breathe as I normally do when working really hard while wearing a mask. Instead of breathing in and out through my nose as I normally do I must breathe out through my mouth plus if extra heavy exertion in through my mouth as well. Breathing out through my mouth also helps prevent fogging the lens if I must wear sunglasses. Now I also know when to change the mask if using against particulate matter like smoke, ie, when I can't get enough air, in this case intensified under the physical stress of portaging. (Of course if wearing a mask against infectious material the mask should be changed more frequently as the outside of the mask gets contaminated.)" The water at the shore of Besnard Lake is more shallow than ever with a soft deep muddy bottom that I hope I do not have to step into. From my journal: "Luckily near shore there is a large flattish boulder just under the water surface. After loading the barely floating canoe, shoved out as far as possible without getting water over boot tops, I shinny across the gear to the boulder. Stepping onto the rock I successfully push off. Yay!" As I move on up Besnard Lake I make good time with a strong tailwind. I stop for a well earned lunch and rest after about one kilometre. This is in the bay, narrow near the outlet. While eating as I sit looking across the bay through the thick smoke, I spot new whiter smoke puffing up in two locations beside the far shore! These must be hot spots from the Pisew fire which advanced all the way from the road in early June. I had thought to camp at one of the islands just a short distance up the bay close to the far shore. However the still active fire nearby persuades me otherwise, plus it would be good to take advantage of the strong tailwind. Heading out I pay close attention with map and compass to my bearings through the smoke as the lake widens. When passing the long slender isle at the narrows I confirm that it has been burned a second time, the first time a few years ago. Young regrowth just getting established has been decimated! Stopping for a second lunch it is obvious that the ground cover and humus has been burned even more and deeper, not boding well for recovery. I have seen places burned multiple times that have become wasteland with very little slow regrowth because it is mostly bare rock. From my journal: "Slog onwards, one stroke per second, stroke after stroke up the ever widening lake. Getting weary!"
Finally I make it to old camp 1 which becomes new and probably final camp 19. Unloading enough to set up tent I toss gear inside and light a mosquito coil. After finishing unloading and storing canoe and gear, I eat supper of double servings of cashews, peanut butter, protein bars and LifeStraw® water. In bed by 20:30, like so many of the past few nights wearing a mask, I do not sleep well. A long hard day, 22 kilometres to camp 19 (old camp 1) including two portages (80, 300 metres) through the thickest smoke ever.
August 4:
Strong east wind continues, still smoky as I arise by 04:30, still wearing a mask. I stop for breakfast on the shore of a large island in Besnard Lake. Continuing I face a headwind for awhile. Passing by large and small islands I reach my start point by 12:00 when I activate the SPOT™ device. Today I have travelled 14 kilometres making good time with a tailwind. Smoke has cleared enough to remove mask, and the sun makes an appearance. Unloading the canoe for the last time I pack the van. Saying thanks and goodbye to hosts Kelly and Chalk for providing a safe and secure place to park my vehicle, I am informed that the road west past Pinehouse is closed, the route taken when arriving in June. Thankfully the road east through Prince Albert, that was closed in June, is currently open. As I drive I pass through the start of the large Pisew fire, many burned areas. Once turning south I go through two areas of active fire where firefighters are controlling it. There are at least twenty helicopters used against the fire parked at a staging area beside the highway. Later I go through the burned area at Weyakwin, the second time in recent years it has burned. Moving on south I drive through several instances of very heavy rain, requiring windshield wipers at the fastest level. Where were you when I needed?
Arriving in Prince Albert by 16:00 I drive straight to my preferred hotel, fingers crossed for a room which I give thanks for getting. I send another SPOT™ message to my contacts. After buzzing off my beard and having a hot shower I enjoy a restaurant supper. Laying down in bed I am not sleepy although quite weary so read a book of short stories finally sleeping for about two hours.
August 5:
Up at 06:20 I go for breakfast and leave by 07:30. Although intolerant of caffeine, I stop at Rosetown Tim Horton's for an extra large double double coffee and a muffin with lots of butter. I enjoy and can tolerate infrequent coffee if taken with double cream and sugar plus food; it keeps me awake past my usual bedtime. It is either that or stop to have a nap. Home by 16:00 and glad to be so, Jeanette has supper waiting and we talk well into the evening catching up. This year I am home before our fifty-third anniversary and Jeanette's birthday. A special thanks to Jeanette for supporting me from home base (monitoring fire conditions and providing details via satellite phone, monitoring and paying my travel expenses, serving as emergency contact for evacuation if necessary, and most of all acceptance of my going wandering for extended periods and the preparation for it).
********************** AFTERWORD **********************
July 30, early morning before arriving camp 18.
August 11, at home after trimming beard and getting a haircut.
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Follow-up about smoke exposure during the canoe season and use of neck exercises:
The use of the 'BREATHE™ Flat Fold N95 Particulate Mask with Earloops' (a Canadian made product) played a major role in providing protection against smoke inhalation. Without it I would not have been able to function.
Also imperative was use of 'HYLO® GEL Eye Drops' coupled with eye exercises.
I prophylactically used a prescription 'Symbicort® Turbuhaler®' inhaler (corticosteroid and bronchodilator) which probably also contributed to better breathing. On getting home I discontinued use of the inhaler with no apparent breathing issues. In the past I have had to temporarily use the inhaler for chronic cough when home after canoeing with smoke exposure while not using a mask.
Typically I would get neck ache and stiffness caused by paddling, often requiring use of an anti-inflammatory with associated side effects. This year I performed neck exercises once or often twice or more per day, resulting in very little discomfort associated with canoeing.
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Totals (distance canoed, number of fish caught):
Total distance canoed:
290 km including 17 portages (distance 4,400 metres), running or wading 18 rapids (distance 3,160 metres).
Number of fish caught for evening meals:
28 (8 walleye, 20 pike).
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Grub Menu for 2026:
Daily menu of food supplies has been revised. The most significant changes planned for 2026 involve the bannock recipe (again!) and fish meal preparation.
For 2025 I had reverted to previous premixed bannock menus with butter plus shortening and added quick rolled oats, white wheat bran and salt. However with hot conditions the butter still melted in the premix so for 2026 no butter will be added, just double shortening. As revised for 2025 the labile ingredients will continue to be stored individually and added in the field to each bannock (currants, ground flax seed, seed mixture).
I have decided to discontinue use of shortening and the Dutch oven for frying fish. Instead I will pack extra ingredients for fish chowder. Fish chowder is tasty, easier and quicker to make, requiring less equipment.
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Listed below are forest wildfires most directly affecting my 2025 canoe season in Central Saskatchewan, causing smoke to appear no matter the wind direction. These fires led to highways being closed and to the burning of structures and outfitting camps, plus evacuation of communities.
Information from Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA).
https://www.saskpublicsafety.ca/emergencies-and-response/active-incidents
1 hectare = 100 square metres
100 hectares = 1 square km
At trip start and to the east:
25LA-PISEW, human caused, 249,757 hectares, start 2025-05-21, out 2025-09-11, values burned. This fire resulted in burning of some buildings and evacuation of Hall Lake and La Ronge.
To the north:
25LA-MCTAVISH, lightning strike, 28,137 hectares, start 2025-06-27, out 2025-08-19, values burned. This fire was directly in my path, causing my first retreat.
25LA-JAYSMITH, lightning strike, 183,630 hectares, start 2025-05-20, out 2025-09-03
To the west (resulting in evacuations in Pinehouse, Beauval, Patuanak, La Plonge and others):
25LX-SANTO, lightning strike, 32,605 hectares, start 2025-06-02, out 2025-08-19, values burned
25LX-KNEE, lightning strike, 25,986 hectares, start 2025-05-26, out 2025-10-25
25LX-MUSKEG (25LX-DORE merged with 25LX-MUSKEG), lightning strike, 355,578 hectares, start 2025-06-28, out 2025-10-24, values burned
25LX-TRAIL, human caused arson, 65,352 hectares, start 2025-07-08, out 2025-10-20
To the south:
25WY-HAWK, lightning strike, 112,306 hectares, start 2025-06-30, out 2025-09-26
25WY-DITCH02, human caused arson, 190,380 hectares, start 2025-05-26, out 2025-09-23
25LF-SHOE, human caused, 609,440 hectares, start 2025-05-07, out 2025-08-23
There were also other smaller fires near all the above areas, plus larger fires in other parts of the province with more evacuations, indeed in most other provinces and territories. In total across Saskatchewan there were more than 500 fires razing almost 3 million hectares, over 400 structures burned, more than 10,000 people evacuated.
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Fire bans Saskatchewan 2025:
May 8 - June 10 all of provincial forest
June 11 ?-? August 13 provincial forest south of Churchill River
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