04:35 July 7 sunrise through smoke haze.
Looking back at 'Michael's Island' as I leave camp 6.
Approaching the narrows at the north end of the lake.
The narrows used to be passable by motorboat let alone canoe. Now the water is very shallow, the bottom layered with rocks beneath the reeds, mainly horsetail. After trying two spots to paddle through I remove clothes below the waist, don sandals and step in the water. With much effort, the canoe grounding on the stones, I finally manage to make it through the 30 metre distance, more stress to the hull's coating.
Heading to the far shore where a creek empties into another lake.
It is difficult to back in but I get close enough over the stones and submerged branches to be able to step into shallow water and onto shore. First I dry my feet with handkerchief to get dressed again in the canoe. The duct tape covers a loose toe nail that is slowly being replaced with new nail after dropping a log on it last season. That is a poorly recommended way to find out how slow toenails grow.
Where I unload the gear is next to a bear trail, oldish bear scat on the ground in several places, I suspect a mother with cubs.
The well shaded creek runs through the dense bush alongside which is the portage. I give thanks for not having to clear the 150 metre trail, just throwing off a few branches and small trees.
After carrying all the gear and loading the canoe I eat breakfast. Blackflies are bothersome, hence the small fire to shoo them away.
The fire well extinguished, the canoe with Tarp covered load is set to go. With dark foreboding clouds, it has looked like rain since soon after leaving camp. I hope the channel into the lake is navigable.
Yay, success, I move down the winding channel into the lake. A couple of turns are sharp and require some jockeying back and forth to get around.
There is a strong tailwind pushing me along the lake.
The wind is my ally until reaching the next portage. Before arriving I had thought of setting up camp elsewhere. Finally I say 'POI' let's go to the next portage to take advantage of the time saved by the wind's push. I investigate landing farther up or down shore but there is no sheltered spot to dock. So I manage to land directly at the portage. Crawling out on hands and knees, tying the two painters to trees on shore, I have to be very careful not to slip on the wave splashed rock shore.
I can grab some gear directly to yank off, others I hook with the paddle to pull close enough to hoist onto shore, a good reason to have a T-shaped handle. Normally I can step to and from the canoe after backing into shore to carry off or tie up sideways to lift off packs and barrels. With the wind pushing up strong waves there is no safe way to get into the canoe and then back on shore. Note the Tarp thrown up on shore unfolded indicates the urgency in unloading before wind gets worse.
Once most gear is unloaded there only remains the two heavy barrels. The canoe is now not well weighted so is bobbing up and down in the waves and banging against shore, taking on some water. No longer safe to try to grab the barrels, I pull the canoe onto the rock shore breathing a sigh of relief. After all unloaded I give thanks both for the wind bringing me here so quickly but also for safely letting me land and unload.
The wind so strong I definitely have to use chin and neck straps to keep hat from blowing away.
After carrying the first load a short way I have to set down to start clearing the 220 metre trail. It takes one hour to saw and throw off the many down spruce trees.
At the upper end I push the canoe out into the river directly at the end of the portage. However the water proves to be too shallow to even float the empty canoe.
Hoping not to have to carry gear out into the river to the canoe I clear an extension to the side past where the gear was dropped. Resting on many down logs in the water, even though at first glance it looks as bad as the first spot, the trees and branches act as a slipway. The canoe is easy to load and then shove off. The last photo shows some of the slipway after pushing off into the river.
After checking a small island and two locations on mainland I backtrack to a peninsula, an 'almost' island that from a distance I had declined. It proves to be a previously used campsite and the best available. The tent sits on an unlevel spot but I hope it will be good enough with a tarp and clothes bags to prop up the bed edge.
The area for the Tarp shelter is right beside the tent. With no trees behind to anchor the Tarp I manhandle three boulders into place. To protect the rope the axe head is used to round off one sharp rock edge and a small stick shields another edge.
I build a fireplace near shore. Beside it is a good place to dock the canoe, here loaded to go fishing on July 5.
Views of the peninsula's surroundings.
The water around the peninsula is quite shallow. For fishing I take the canoe out to the main river course. The upper photo looks downstream, the other upstream in the northerly direction I plan to take when moving on.
Returning to camp after successful fishing. The peninsula extends behind camp across bush and muskeg.
The first of the trip, two walleye (15", 18") serve up an excellent supper on July 5.
A 25" pike on July 6.
Pieces of nylon fish line in Ziploc® bag. These are short sections cut when attaching or removing the lure's leader. They are then stored with the fishing gear to be burned later, much better than simply discarding them on the ground!
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Summary:
Low water levels again impact travel. A strong tailwind all day both a blessing and a curse; it pushes me quickly down a lake but then makes for more difficult and dangerous conditions to dock and unload. Second portage has many down trees requiring one hour to clear. Glad to find a decent location for camp 7 on an 'almost' island. Have to use boulders to anchor base of Tarp shelter on bare rock. Find good fishing in river, catching my first walleye this season. Camp is in a beautiful scenic river valley. Wear mask one entire day. Jeanette's satellite text provides bad news about wildfire in the region. Distance travelled 11 kilometres including two portages (150, 220 metres) and one 30 metre haul/wade over rocks.
July 4:
Before the 03:30 alarm I am up and leaving in good time within 2½ hours. I give thanks for a strong wind all day providing the first really helpful tailwind so far. At narrows the shallows stops the canoe because of underwater boulders. After backing up and segueing twice I am finally stuck for good. I take off all clothes below waist and wearing sandals step into the water to pull the canoe ahead and sideways, lifting, grunting finally getting through the 30 metre section. Paddling on I am greeted by six loons dancing across the water laughing in their own way during their playtime; I chuckle along with them. At the creek outlet I turn the canoe and back close into shore after two attempts to get past stones and logs. After drying my feet with handkerchief I dress again. On my first carry I find a clear portage only breaking off a few branches on the way back ... yay! There is lots of bear scat, though not recent. Wearing head net, gloves and wristlets against bothersome blackflies I portage everything. After starting a small smoky fire to shoo blackflies I eat an undisturbed breakfast. The sky looking more and more cloudy I continue on aided by the strong wind.
From my journal: "Because of the strength of the wind consider stopping to camp at a less exposed landing but don't want to give up on making such fast progress. So paddle all way to end of the lake. Canoe past direct access to portage looking for a safer spot to land. Then back upwind along shore where there's an indentation but too steep to unload and still being hit by wind anyway. Paddle back to the usual landing. A bit dangerous both docking and unloading with the waves banging canoe against rock shore. Scramble out of canoe on hands and knees while keeping hold of gunwale. Waves have made rock shore wet and slippery. Tie upwind painter to the end of a spruce branch, other rope to the trunk of a down tree. Manage to fish some gear towards me with T-handle of paddle to remove from canoe being very careful not to slip or fall into water. Toss gear up the shore at trail start, the large Tarp far enough not to blow away. Remaining are the last two barrels with no option to hoist them out. No way want to get back in canoe because waves are really jostling it now that mostly unloaded. The only way to enter canoe would be to rig a rope to shore as a line to then hoist myself out of canoe. Instead I untie downwind painter and pull canoe up on rock shore with two heavy barrels inside. Tie canoe again and unload. Big sigh of relief ... success! Yay! Give thanks for safe trip." As I write this I realize how fast one makes decisions in a somewhat dangerous situation, how many options flash through your mind before and during actions taken.
I hoist the usual first load but soon have to drop it because of down spruce trees. It takes one hour to saw the many down spruce trees, some fairly large. Finally my carry reaches the upper end where I remove lunch and eat part of it on the return walk, continuing to do so after each load, also making sure to drink lots of LifeStraw® water. When I push the canoe into the river at the end of the trail it hits underwater boulders even when out farther. So I clear a few trees for an alternate path about 15 metres to where I have been filling the LifeStraw® bottle. This is in the shallows full of logs and branches that I have been stepping on to refill the bottle. When I push the canoe over them it floats freely, the branches providing a slipway. Yay! Moving on I check three possible camp locations. The first is a small island with most trees blown down, quite exposed, barely a levelish spot for tent. Two other places on mainland have rock shoreline, but steep and no level tent site. From my journal: "Had ignored a little peninsula that is an 'almost' island so paddled back. It has previously served as a campsite and checks out okay. There is only one decent spot for tent, sloping down too much ... but beggars ...!" 16:30 initiate the SPOT™ pleased with having come this far and thankful for a good location. Clouds have been ominous most of the day, raining lightly once on last portage so first priority is getting tent up. To cook supper I create a fireplace, wondering if its location might normally be underwater. In bed by 21:30 I sleep well considering the bed slopes downwards too much but at least it is level side-to-side. By morning 10°C I am in fleece shell inside sleeping bag completely covered. Distance travelled 11 kilometres including two portages (150, 220 metres) and one 30 metre haul/wade over rocks.
July 5:
Fresh bannock for breakfast I eat an entire ¼ piece of bannock, appetite returned in vengeance; for awhile I was eating ⅙ portions of bannock much of the time. Several mosquitoes enter the tent so will light a mosquito coil later. Dead calm with a clear blue sky, mosquitoes are quite bothersome. Among other chores I erect the Tarp shelter, the only suitable place beside the tent facing it. Tying the Tarp requires using large heavy boulders to anchor the bottom, the only option on the bare rock. When rolling one boulder, luckily it splits down the middle so I have two useful pieces and now can carry them. I remark that it is disappointing that previous campers have cut live trees when there is lots of down trees behind camp; live trees are minimal as it is! The water around camp is too shallow to be useful for fishing from shore so take canoe out to the main portion of the river. There are many old down trees along its shore so have to be careful where casting. With just a gentle breeze I drift downstream and catch a good sized walleye escaping because lightly hooked as is their tendency; I have forgotten the need to yank it into the canoe quickly. Then in short order I catch an 18" walleye, followed by a 15". Yay! My first walleye this season. Paddling to the nearest shore with shade I fillet the fish for a supper fry. While heading back to camp I give thanks out loud for a beautiful day, for successful fishing, for a good campsite at an opportune time; after the second portage yesterday I was thinking I might have to head farther upstream to find a site. Lunch is in the Bug Tent in partial shade right at shore's edge near camp. Midafternoon it is 26°C with very grey clouds. The Bug Tent is in the open so I move it under the Tarp shelter then have a wonderful bath. By suppertime the sky has cleared, clouds being pushed to the north. I sit outside in partial shade in front of the tent, mosquitoes disappeared. A full pan of fish ... mmm good! Almost calm, a gorgeous evening, I admire the pretty valley. Looking across to the east side of the river, the steep hill is covered with thick crowded green spruce. Behind me to the west is more steep rock open in places near shore. To the northwest close to the last portage there is vertical quite tall rock. At the north opening of the valley where the river descends I can see a bit of rapids as it opens into the broader area where camp is. At bedtime I place folded tarp and bags under foot of bed which may have helped somewhat, sleeping okay, the shell sufficing in a cool 15°C.
July 6 Sunday:
Arising to light smoke carried on the west breeze, I wear a mask all day. Two satellite texts from Jeanette: "1.Fire McTavish Keith Saturday. Protecting values. Maybe spreading. 2.Many fires sw Pinehouse. Smoke. 165 west closed. Pisew edging NE." (Number 1 is the area I am heading to north of here. Number 2 is west of Besnard Lake. Highway 165 is the gravel road I drove in on. The Pisew fire originated at Besnard Lake.) After lunch I catch a good sized 25" pike after losing another that got off the hook as I was reeling it in. Supper is yummy sauteed fried fish in spiced couscous. To bed after prepacking to move on tomorrow.