The Challenge of the Portage
by Tony Baroni (continued from page 1)
The pipe had been a problem the first night. After I had made the portage from Sawbill Lake I realized that, alas, I had left it in the truck. This was an awful thing to forget - I rarely smoke a pipe, but on a camping trip it is indispensable - is warmth gives me comfort and is taste and aroma give me pleasure, it wards off the bugs and becomes a part of my being. After supper, I had paddled all the way back to the truck for it. Actually, I didn't paddle all the way, a quarter mile portage-was involved also. That was on top of the two miles each way. I had to get organized.
It takes me awhile to get organized on a wilderness trip. There are certain things to be relearned each time I go out. Packing is an art or science that I still have not mastered to my satisfaction. Where do I pack my cup? Rain gear should be on top; first aid gear should be on top; map and compass should be on top. What should be on top? The first thing I go for is probably my journal, or my pipe. Well, they should go on top. I had a brand new pack for this trip. It had separate compartments and a zip off day pack; I hoped it would help me get organized. With five compartments, five different things could be on top. My goal this year was to accomplish my portages with only one trip, to have everything in the pack save paddles and PFD, put the pack on my back, pick up the canoe and make a portage in one trip; a noble goal - the single portage.
I remember well my very first portage on a wilderness trip. Algonquin Park - Smoke Lake to Ragged Lake: 240 meters. I went back and forth four times first with the canoe, then the pack, then a trip with camera equipment, life vest, and paddles, lastly my fishing gear and canteen and probably some other odds and ends that weren't packed. If that wasn't enough, another paddler with a group crossing the portage in the other direction was nice enough to carry my sneakers for me, as I had put hiking boots on to make the portage but didn't bother to put the sneaks into my pack. Very unorganized.
I was tempted to try to carry everything on a single portage yesterday. I picked the canoe up and set it in the crotch of a tree. Spare paddle and bailing bucket were tied in, PFD was put on. I put the pack on my back and crawled under the canoe. Then I heard others coming toward me on the portage trail. I got out from underneath and reconsidered. I didn't want anyone watching my antics if this didn't work out and I tipped over onto the ground.
"Are you all right? Are you hurt? Here let us help you. Oh look how many pieces your canoe smashed into. Is that what they call smithereens? How could you be so stupid as to try to carry all that stuff at once? Etc, etc."
I was getting close to actually doing it; I was considerably more organized with a few year's experience. Planning little things, like the sequence of steps for making breakfast and breaking camp quickly became more natural and a part of the fun for me. I thought of some of these things as I executed each of the steps necessary to get me on the water before sun up. But a glitch occurred during breakfast. It involved one of those fears that a lone wilderness camper worries about: an attack by a dangerous animal.