Day 10: Wednesday, June 16th
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The plan today was to make an early start of it. So, I was up by 6:00. There wasn’t a huge amount of work to do to get ready to move, with much of the gear already packed up and positioned near my canoe. So with a quick breakfast and tent breakdown, I was on the water by 7:00.
Today, the weather was about typical for each of my mornings on this trip. The sky was broken clouds and the temperature was in the low 50’s. The breeze, what there was of it, was very light as I slid down the lake on the nearly glass-like surface. The first portage took a minute or so to locate. The park planning map marks this portage as being about 125 meters (25 rods) and located at the end of the south shoreline. It would probably be a stretch to make this a 25 rod portage … it probably wasn’t even 20. In addition, it started near the small stream connecting it to the last of Hjlarmar Lakes. As I marched along the portage, for the first time I was aware of the presence of mosquitoes that demonstrated any interest in my bare skin. So, before completing the portage, I was in search of my deet … the FIRST time on this entire trip that I felt any need for bug repellant. The next portage put me on Onnie Lake. Again, this is a short portage that presents no problems. But like many of the portages on the trip, it was damp in spots.
Onnie Lake is listed as an entry point. However, I still have three more portages to go before I’m at the parking lot. This entire day of paddling is technically NOT inside WCPP, but provides a connecting access avenue. As I paddled the lake, I skirted by a number of island, many of which supposedly provide a campsite opportunity (for Canadians!). It would have been nice to have camped here, thus providing a “short” hop out to the parking lot. However, it is what it is and at least I’d shorted my exit my staying on Hjlarmar rather than eastern Telescope.
As I pulled in to the portage that exited Onnie Lake, I rechecked my map. The upcoming portage is easily the longest of my trip. The park map lists it at 625 meters (125 rods), but in conversations with the park staff they suggest that it is more like 825 meters (165 rods). I suspect the truth is somewhere in between. Yet the challenge of the “Bactrian” portage is not the length. Out of the portage, it is up-up-up for maybe 40 rods, then down-down-down to a small stream that must forded. Of course, one must be prepared for slippery conditions anytime you cross a stream …. This one was no different and, even though the stream is probably not 10 feet across, it still had a reasonably good flow as you stepped off into 4-6 inches of water. Once the stream has been surmounted, then is up-up-up (for maybe 25 rods) and then down-down-down to the put-in. This “two-humper” is a definite work out, but most of the trail has reasonably good footing.
Once back in the water, it’s only a short paddle to an extended pull-over length portage. Unfortunately, the water level didn’t afford the pull-over, so another unload/load sequence was necessary before paddling in the last (no-name) lake could commence. This portage is listed as 300 meters (60 rods). It felt more like 80 rods, but then it could be at it was the LAST portage and I was just anxious to reach the parking lot. This portage is again a bit of uphill/downhill (one hump) and before long you reach an extensive board walk. I’d estimate its length at perhaps 100 yards, as it snakes it way over lowlands of muskeg and swamp. This board walk appears to be brand new. I can only imagine the struggle it would be to traverse this ground without the boardwalk. So, the end of the portage is an easy stroll that ends just short of the parking lot for the Onnie EP.
By 11:15, I’ve completed the portages for the trip and begin to pack up for the hour and a half drive back to Red Lake. The load-up goes without a hitch until I’m actually finished. After doing a tie-down of the aft end of my canoe, I did a backwards hop of the tailgate of my pickup, lost my balance and wound up flat on my back. I guess, I’d not tried to inflict injury to my body in several days and it was about time! Fortunately, my pratfall was into loose sand and I was fortunate not to have any spectators. So, I hopped up in a manner that would suggest “I planned to do that” and was soon on my way.
Postlude:
The drive back to Red Lake was long, slow, but uneventful. I made it back to town around 1:30. My first stop was to gas up and find a place to repair my flat tire. I didn’t want to get back on the road with no spare. After filling my tank, I asked the young lady assisting me if they could fix a flat. She answered in the affirmative, but also indicted that the folks that would do that were at lunch. So, I decided to drop off my tire and grab some lunch myself.
After downing a very tasty hamburger, fries and chocolate malt, I returned to the gas station. They had not yet gotten to my tire repair, so as I waited it wasn’t long before a familiar face came walking through the door. It was Dan, the shuttle driver who had delivered me to Leano Lake at the beginning of my trip. As we chatted, he mentioned that Albert and Kelly had expressed interest about my well-being and that he (Dan) had made a repeat trip to Leano … this time he didn’t miss the turn off!
By 2:30, with my tire repaired, I was on Highway 105 headed south for my evening stopover in Kenora. About 45 minutes into my trip, as I topped a hill, I noticed a car parked on the right shoulder of the road … its occupant standing near the center strip in my lane. As I got closer, I could tell that the person was wearing a uniform and was a member of local law enforcement. He motioned for me to stop, and I remember thinking “what is this all about.” I rolled down my window and the pointed down the road in front of me. I could see a flare in the middle of my lane as he described the dimensions of the sink hole in my lane (which measured approximately 5 feet wide by 4 feet deep). I thanked him for the heads up and I proceeded down the road, swinging into the empty on-coming lake to get around the obstructions. I was grateful for his presence and was glad that I hadn’t been plowing down the road in the dark only to find a sinkhole in my path.
The remainder of my drive to Kenora seemed long, but was uneventful. I suppose it seemed long because a hot shower and a good meal awaited me there; always a nice way to finish off a canoe trip!
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