Solo....that makes sense...but I'm just a slacker by nature...that's why I go alone now.  You'd have thought I'd have learned....but we'll see?


Next AM I was deciding on hanging around another day and see the rest of the lake vs. get out of Dodge.  I decided to beat it and was up at 6AM to grey skies...BUT drizzle and mist were gone and so was the wind.  Mirror flat water.  This was too inviting and I decided I was bugging out down the Redhorse.  Took a lazy breakfast of blueberry cakes and bacon.  Lazy bath and finally was on the water by 8AM.  Was a 45 min paddle up to the "trail" to Deer lake at the NW end of the lake.  As I paddled, the sun slowly came out and by portage time, it was your typical mostly cloudy, some sunny kind of a day.

I started on the N side of the outlet as my McKenzie map shows....I spent 20 minutes up and down and beached 2X checking possible good leads on a "winter trail".  Found none.  Went back to the other side and looked closer....Just to the S of the outlet there appeared to be an opening in the trees.  I checked it out and indeed it was a "trail"....really just a path, overgrown through the woods...makes sense to me now as these are just snowmobile trails for the winter Lake Trout fisherman.  Here's what it looked like....

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And Deer lake mudhole at the other side.....Beaver City would be a good moniker for the Redhorse river and lakes.  Here's the Deer lake side....

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I crossed the lake to the creek....this plsace could be very difficult in the later summer in shallow water...I never grounded...but MANY lengths of river had only inches under my craft.  Pulled over and scooted over 5 dams....entered a "pinch" with steeper walls...a more permanent dam was here with a "sluce-like" structure beyond it...I think to foil the rodents attempts to rebuild it.  I decided to shoot through the 2 foot drop and short whitewater opening....only then did I see the manmade structure...about tipped me in the current and could have been disasterous.  Here's a pic of ther Upper Redhorse (from Thompson to Redhorse lake)....

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If you look at your maps..they might designate "dam" on this section...It turns out that these are long-standing beaver dams at pinches that seem to have "Earthed-in" over the centuries.  They do require a short portage to get around.  Problem is that the downstream side is floating marsh and bog.  Ok with a tandem crew but could be very dangerous alone.  I managed by crawlling from green looking footing to another good footing spot.  I bet I looked like a 260 lb easter bunny.  At one poinht I did go through with a pack on  I was carrying with only 1 shoulder strap for that very reason....as I sunk, I quick dumped the bag and threw my arms out...stopped at my crotch.  Couldn't feel the bottom....took (seemed like)...2 minutes to extricate myself.  That could have been bad....as I saw NO ONE for 6 days.

Further downstream...at a pinch, just before Redhorse, I was floating silently in the current enjoying the glorious sun which had now returned....heard some running water around a bend....just decided to float.  another dam beaver dam was coming into view as I slowly floated the corner.  Must be a chute open as I could hear the water.  As the end of the dam comes into view....it reveals a timber wolf not more than 15 yds from me......out across the river on the far side of the dam....staring intently into the shute.  he had not seen nor heard me.....I flinched as I was getting worried at our rapidly shortening distance between each other.....if I float the shute...he could step right into my craft.  I flinched and he turned, looked me in the eyes......an in an instant did a 180 on that little dam and trotted in an annoyed fashion back to the other side and turned to look at me from the security of the woods.  If I hadn't known what to look for in the trees...I would have paddled right by.  Made me wonder how many I've paddled by already.  I presumed he was waiting for a "beaver-dinner" to come along and try and repair the open-water shute in the dam.

I entered Redhorse about 4 hours after leaving Thompson.  The lake looked wild and saw no developed campsites the whole way N...checked out the bays and islands.  2, maybe 3 marginal spots.  Near the N shore a high cliff looked inviting and as I got closer I could see it was a developed site.....I pulled in, indeed a 5-star site...but it is a developed fish-camp (for the boaters who come upstream from Sandpoint...an easy trip).....I decided I was going to check-in to the "RedHorse Hilton", but I would not be paying for my stay......Here's the Hilton sign......

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A couple of views of Redhorse....looking from the campsite...and again later in the sunny evening.  I thought the site was glorious (you purists would not have liked it)....


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This time I set up my tarp , with my tent...you can see the fishcamp tables which I used.

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Truely a day I remember...a glorious day that is etched in my memory.  Being alone there for 2 days in the sun was reinvigorating!

Thanks for the advice Jim....

and now, the end of the story

That night on Redhorse was cold....thermals on to boot.  at my 3AM break I stumbled out to the cliff...looked up and the view of the sky took my breath away.  I can't remember the last time I've had such a southern clear view.  All the stars were new to me.  Miilky Way ran right down the lake.  Was an incredible sight I'll not soon forget.  Back in the tent I heard the wolves crying to each other not far down the shoreline.  I wonder if they knerw I had invaded their "home"?

Next AM was heavy fog...had a late brunch of blueberry cakes again....along with the last of the bacon.  Spent the afternoon fishing in the lees of the wind...but did poorly.  It was a bluebird day alright.

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Spent the day in deet and headnet...black flies were starting to get nasty.....flies in the ears, mouth, nose....I was worried about the flies...but without the heat....having long-sleeves and headnet was really quite enjoyable....I was not bothered at all.  I would be singing a different tune though, had the temps reached into the 80's.

I meditated all day and began to decide that a 5 day trip is about right for me....I found myself talking outloud as I ran my mumblings through my head.  Thoughts of my home were seeping through.  Caught some small pike but decided to spare their lives.

Supper was garlic mashed...and "dirty rice" and cheescake puddin'.  Stayed up late.  Contemplated paddling down shore to get a view of the sunset but was too lazy.  I layed on the cliff for hours and thought about life....and my paddle out tomorrow.

Thanks Wally. Enjoyed a report from a different part of canoe country.

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I'll be hanging handbills with your face on it from Orr to Ely - "Do NOT divest canoe route information to this man"  Kidding - this is exactly how I get some of my "tips" for crown land north of Atikokan.  There are secrets up there that not even the local Boy Scouts know . . .

Nice report Wally - a little schmaltzy at times but worth the read.  

Good report Wally. Nice to discover something for yourself. I was up in Q during the same time. Same weather different lakes.