Glad to see you are back and safe.
MagicPaddler

Quote:

Like you, my trip was not without its challenges.  The most challenging of which was a strained/torn muscle along the right side of my back.  This was one of the reasons that I made an abrupt turn-around in my route.  I'd originally planned to make it as far as Rostoul Lake with potential side trips to Hammerhead and/or Gammon-Royd.  In fact, I'd packed a "welcome" banner to place at the Royd portage to welcome Kingfisher and Jimbo to a more challenging part of their route in July.

The back problem was a consequence of doing a "save."  Between Glenn and Hansen are a couple of portages and a chute.  I've negotiated chutes in Quetico and a couple in WCPP without real problems, but after I had committed to run the chute I approached a point where the water dropped at least a foot and was swirling ... custom made point for a dumping.  Luckily, there was a flat rock outcropping on the right side of the chute that looked like I could land on and then lower my canoe below the troublesome point in the chute.  This would have been a relatively simple procedure in a tandem, but something of a challenge in a solo.  I did manage to get my canoe up on the "shelf" enough that I could step out into about 6 inches of water.  However, as I exited the canoe the current grabbed the backend of my boat and started to swing it over the lip of the flow.  With right hand, I grabbed a knob of rock and with left hand got a hand hold on my canoe.  After what seemed like a couple of minutes of struggle, I managed to get the canoe successfully anchored to the rock shelf.  Getting the fully loaded canoe over the rock slab was not that big of a deal since there a couple of pieces of beaver wood conveniently located there to act as roller bearings.  Soon, I was off and seeking a pictograph known to be on Hansen.  It wasn't until later, when I retired for the evening that I realized that the muscle was in a knot (enough of one that I could feel it sliding over a rib a time or two) and a set-up action produced severe pain.

Thus, this physical inconvenience plus the volume of water coming down the chute (and the "step up" in the chute) percipitated my decision to evaluate alternatives for my exit, but clearly suggested that going deeper into the park would NOT be in my best interests.

I'll cover the details of my "extraction" in a daily report to come.

dd

So Doc... Was that campsite big enough for two small tents? Will be going there in July heading then down to Elephant Head and Paull.

Day 2: Tuesday, June 8th

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After a restful first night, I’m up at 6:00 and quickly set to preparing my standard breakfast (oatmeal and coffee) and doing a camp break down for what I anticipate to be a longish day of travel.  My objective is Mexican Hat Lake, which is over 10 miles and 13 portages away.  I’m fully prepared to stop at Jake Lake (roughly the half-way point) and repeat the sequence of stops used in my trip last year, when I was traveling in the opposite direction.  

By 7:30 camp is cleared and I off on my day’s journey.  My first stop is within sight of my campsite – a short portage to one of a string of no-name lakes until I reach East Lunch Lake.  This first portage goes smoothly and I’m quickly across and paddling a short stretch to the next portage.  Again, the portage is a quick and simple up and over, although this portage is a bit damper than the first.  Paddling on into the third in this sequence of small no name lakes, I obviously began to day dream rather than focus on my paddling activities.  I paddled up to a notch that looked like a paddle thru, but I find that I actually have to step out and pull my canoe over a few submerged rocks.  (I vaguely remember doing this same activity at this spot on last year’s trip.)  

As I paddle on, I know I should keep the shore to the right as I proceed on toward East Lunch Lake.  What I don’t realize is that in doing so, I simply paddled around a small island and right back to the portage I just left.  As I approach the landing, I question myself … this looks VERY familiar.  Then I step out and inspect the area around the landing.  Sure enough, I can pick out my own rather unique footprint tread.  It’s a real “head scratch” moment, as I check my GPS and confirm that I am indeed back at the portage I just left.  Back in my canoe, it’s only a couple of minutes until I’m back at the spot of my navigation error; I look in the direction I paddled last and then glance to the right.  It is only then that it occurs to me what I had done … paddled around a small island rather than taking the round to the left of the island that then lead on to the next portage.  Error corrected, I vow to “keep my head in the game” from now on.

As I paddle on, it doesn’t take long to reach the point of entering East Lunch Lake.  As I approach the portage, I immediately spot a couple (man and wife; father and daughter?) bringing their gear across from the East Lunch side of the portage.  As I approach, they wave me forward and return over the short portage to retrieve the balance of their gear.  The approach here means a bit of wading to actually reach the portage through some shallows.  The bottom is good, but there are enough boulders that it makes paddling through somewhat difficult.  As I wade up to the take-out, the couple drop their canoe in the water and we strike up a conversation.  They are from La Cross, Wisconsin and have been up on Mexican Hat Lake for several days.  They have seen a couple of groups passing through, but have had the lake to themselves for the better part of a week.  They are headed to Red Lake, having had their fill of walleye fishing and were in search of some sizable pike.  They also mentioned that they had dropped their GPS somewhere along their route from Mexican Hat and asked me to keep an eye out for it.  

We wrapped up our conversation as they finished loading their canoe and began to pull away.  We each wished the other a good trip as they proceeded on.  I then began the unloading my gear in preparation for the short portage into Lunch Lake.  However, I’d not proceeded over 30 feet when a miss-step had me sliding down the side of a slab of granite.  Of course the canoe came down, but unfortunately, it the gunwale slammed to the rock face, only being cushioned by my middle finger.  My immediate response was that my middle finger very definitely felt like I had jammed it.  It did remain swollen and stiff for about 3 more days.  However, once I got to my feet, I also realized that I had ripped a hole in the right knee of my pants.  I quick check revealed a nice strawberry on the knee itself.  

I vowed from that moment to proceed on all future portages with extreme caution.  Here, in two days, I’d sustained a needless injury because of lack of attention.   (My vow must have worked because I had no other falls or significant slips on portages for the remainder of the trip.  But unfortunately, you can still manage to cause yourself grief when NOT on a portage.)

I had no sooner finished the portage when the skies began to show signs of cutting loose.  I quickly crawled into my rain gear before more than a few sprinkles came down.   I guess I’m destined to not pass through East Lunch Lake without seeing it in the rain (which was the same experience I had last year).  It is now 9:30 and the rain wouldn’t cease until 4:00am the next day.  As I paddle across East Lunch, the rain intensifies.  I’ll see squall line after squall like all day interspersed with drizzle and mist.  The route through East Lunch is a pleasant winding path through relatively narrow waters.  In fact, today’s entire trip is through mostly what would be referred to as “small water”  … small lakes and channels.

Finally, I reach the Lunch Lake portage.  I can tell my energy is beginning to flag a bit, so I throw down a few handfuls of GORP before hoisting my load for the portage.  The portage goes without incident and I soon paddling across the somewhat more expansive Lunch Lake.  The winds are mostly light and variable, so being on a larger chunk of water really makes no difference in terms of managing windy conditions.  But shortly, I’m back in more channel-like conditions.  I know that I have two more portages to go before reaching Jake Lake, a stop-over point on last year’s trip.  I’m thinking I’ll knock these two off and have lunch.  

I do reach Jake Lake around 12:15, but my energy level is still good so I decide to push on.  There are three portages in the next set before I hit something more like a lake.  Maybe I’ll do lunch after I take those three.  As I paddle across Jake, I’m quickly to the point of last year’s campsite.  My group occupied a west-side campsite, while Kingfisher’s group occupied one just across the narrows on the east side.  (Also a portage crew occupied one of the campsites just north of us.)  These memories passed through my mind as I continued in a generally northerly direction.  Soon, I began a northwest swing around a couple of islands before reaching the first portage in the 3-portage set.  The portage was relatively quick, so I’m soon over and reloaded in preparation for portage #2.

At this point, I did something that I can only classify as STUPID.  As I approached the second portage, I looked down the “stream” and it looked easily manageable.  It was not particularly swift and the grade to the next flat water section seemed to be an extremely gentle, flat decline.  And it was … that is until you reached the flat water section again, where the water dropped about a foot into 3 standing waves (none of which was visible from the top).  Needless to say, I dumped!  It wasn’t so much that I wasn’t set up correctly to take on the waves, it’s just that a Prism is relative round and with tend to roll like a log if you lean the wrong way at the wrong time, which I obviously did.

Well, the good news is … although I’m in the water and swimming to shore pulling my canoe full of water  … all of the gear is still inside (at least at this point).  It takes a minute of two to get close enough to the edge of the outflow that I can stand.  However, at this point, my food pack manages to free itself and head downstream.  I have no choice but to bail as quickly as possible, remount my canoe and chase my food downstream.  Bailing goes quickly after a few seconds to locate and unlash my bailing bucket, but I’m soon off in hot pursuit.  The last time I’d seen my food pack, it was riding high and merrily following the flow downstream and was, by now, out of sight.  I had little concern about catching my runaway grub because the third portage was still some distance away.  I did have some concern about the pack sinking, although the pack itself was supposedly waterproof.  The mental picture I painted for myself at this point was loosing my food on Day 2 of a 10 day trip – OUCH!  However, as I rounded the first little bend in the stream, all my fears were allayed as I spotted my food pack snagged against a slightly submerged stone.  I quickly paddled up and hoisted my runaway into the canoe.

I counted my blessings as a proceeded to paddle on toward the next portage.  Then I started a bit of reflection.  There were so many ways that this could have turned out badly, I didn’t care to enumerate them.  However, I made another vow … when it says portage, you PORTAGE!  I did not break this vow for the remainder of the trip.  (But then there is always the unexpected, but that’s later in the story.)

As I pulled up to the next portage and unloaded, I was immediately aware that all of my packs were now decidedly heavier than when last lifted.  Kitchen pack … heavier!  Gear pack … heavier!  Food pack … heavier!  Fishing gear pack … heavier!  Although many of these packs were “waterproof” they turned out to be more like “water resistant.”  In fact, when I finally arrived at my campsite for the evening, I’d find only 2 completely dry items … sleeping bag and tent.  Everything else was either saturated or at least damp.  The good news in the food pack is that everything was wrapped in plastic. So even though there was a small amount of water penetration, all the actual food items were dry.
I finished this portage with a heavier burden than before and I could tell that my energy level was beginning to drop a little.  I’d also probably exhausted the adrenaline “high” of my swimming adventure.  So I stopped and actually ate lunch.  After a brief rest following my meal, I was off again.  However, this time, my energy level hasn’t rebounded as before.  I’m getting tired and the exertion of extra energy of my capsizing hasn’t helped that situation.  I have three more portages before I’m at Mexican Hat Lake.  Surely I can manage three more portages.  Yes, the final one is longish, but it’s mostly downhill.  There aren’t really any decent campsites in the area, anyway, so I decide to press on … just not get into a hurry and/or do anything stupid.  

It doesn’t take long to reach the next portage.  I’m also grateful that all my portage length estimates that I’ve marked on my map so far are OVER estimated, some by as much as 50 percent.  The upcoming portage is no exception.  I’m quickly across -- one down and two to go.  The next portage is also a quickie, not much more than a long pull over, but I still have to unload and load before proceeding.  As I do so, I am again and again reminded … my packs are heavier-- two down and one to go!

Soon, I’m approaching the last portage of the day, but I’m a bit confused.  Last year, I remember launching from a flat rock section on the WEST side of the stream running down to the rapids at the Mexican Hat Lake end.  Yet, as I inspect my map, it is clearly marked to the EAST side of the stream.  I distinctly remember one section on this portage where you have to cross from the west to the east side of the stream what fording some rather swift water.  Perhaps the EAST side starting point is a remedy to avoid that problematic ford.  As I get closer, my questions of “which side” evaporate.  I can clearly a streamer of red flagging tape marking a spot on the EAST side.  As I get even closer, I also see a cleared area for landing and some evidence of recent “brush-back” activity.

I’ve soon unloaded and decide to start down with my canoe and back load first (which is the reverse of what I’ve done for much of the trip to date).  It’s the heavier load and with my energy waning, I want to get it out of the way so I know I can finish this one off before I’m exhausted.  As I start out, I quickly step off of a dry platform into a swampy area.  It’s only a few steps across, but then I have to check the next direction.  It’s a bit of an S-turn to the left, but I can see that I’m being lead in the direction of a shallow stream perhaps 15 feet across.  I step down into the stream and my foot sinks perhaps 4-5 inches in the bottom.  I repeat another step and get about the same depression, a couple more steps and my right leg disappears in a hole to my crotch.  So, with my gear pack on my back and canoe overhead, the only extraction that seems to work is to drop the canoe, heave myself out and then drag the canoe to the other side and re-hoist.  This I manage with a little difficulty, but at least I’m across with no further bottomless pits “discovered.”  

As I proceed along, it doesn’t take long to reach the spot where the “former” trail crosses the stream.  And, yes, it still looks like it could be a bit tricky crossing with the load I’m currently carrying.  I’m glad that I do not have to make that decision this year.  The carry down to Mexican Hat Lake is on the order of 80 rods and is mostly downhill, yet it seems endless.  I know it’s just a matter of being tired.  After all, its late afternoon and this is portage number 13!  One more factor is more readily apparent when I near the end of the portage of much of the portage trail is over slabs of granite.  It has been raining all day and this stuff is slippery.  When I finally reach the end of the portage, I don’t even try to place my canoe on or near the water.  There is a rounded slab of granite here and one miss-step and you’ll be in the water.  I drop my canoe a few yards back on some duff where it won’t slide forward and return for my last carry of the day.

On my return trip, I travel at what seems like a snail’s pace.  This is partly because I’m tired, partly to conserve energy and partly just to be careful in these wet conditions.  When I finally reach the bottomless pit stream section, I carefully test each step as I go across.  This time, my track is just a little to one side of what seems to be the center of the trail.  I find no sink holes here, although I’ll have to be careful of a bit more submerged brush in the water.  Back to my remaining packs, everything is strapped down and ready to travel.  I cautiously approach the problem area in the stream, but this time cross without incident.  This load is lighter and I’m in much less agony and I trod down the trail to Mexican Hat for the final time.

Once I arrive at the end of the portage, I have to derive a strategy for launching over the rock surface.  I finally decide that the safest approach would be to move toward one end of the rock, where there is a small patch of turf.  At least that spot should provide the best footing available.  I move all my gear to that point and then the canoe.  It’s a bit of a hassle, but ultimately all the gear is loaded and I cautiously lower myself into the canoe as well.  FINISHED!

Now, all that is left is a relatively easy paddle westward on the lake.  I have two campsites in mind for my destination (and layover day tomorrow).  My first choice will be the campsite my group occupied last year … tucked back into the trees somewhat back from the end of a long peninsula.  This is a large site, but its open, I’ll take it.  My other option is a descent site just a bit further on, on the south side of the lake.  It is an OK site, but the landing isn’t quite as nice.  As I approach the preferred site, it is difficult to decide whether or not it is occupied.  The rain and haze make peering back into the woods a bit difficult until I’m nearly there.  However, I soon determine that no one is home.  It is 4:30 as I pull up and unload.  This will be home for today and tomorrow.

Since the rain is continuing, the first order of business is to erect the rain fly.  I quickly spot a suitable area which can also serve as the kitchen and set about the task of pitching the fly.  It is soon up so I can begin to extricate the contents of individual packs.  Next step is to pitch the tent.  I make the decision to initially pitch the tent under the rain fly.   It’s either that or pitch it in the rain and wind up getting the interior of the tent at least damp.  I quickly erect the tent under the fly and then move it as a complete unit to my selected tent pad several feet away.  (You just got to love those free standing tents on occasions like this.)

It is only at this stage that I deduce that the only other completely dry item in my possession is my sleeping bag and the reverse side of my sleeping pad.  I carefully move each of these two items into the tent to maintain their dry status.  My continued inspection clearly indicates that all other clothing items are from drenched to damp.  So, there is no need to consider changing into dry clothes … there aren’t any.  This means that I will have been continually wet from my “dunking” right up to turning in to bed.  Well, not my first choice, but at least the minimal breeze and overcast hasn’t driven the temperature down to a chilling level.  
As I begin to inspect other components of my gear, I spread a few items out and wring out others so at least some minimal drying activity can begin.  Yet, it is clear that nothing will be dry until tomorrow when I can hopefully hang things on clothes lines to dry.  So, my attention then turns to dinner.  Something quick and hot is in order.  Chicken with Fettuccini noodles should do the job.  With wet stoves, it takes a bit of doing to get one cranked up.  But before long, water is boiling vigorously and the meal preparation kicks into high gear.

As I sit to consume my dinner, I appreciate the inner warmth it produces.  It helps to ward off any chill and with the injection of food, I can feel my energy level beginning to rebound.  Maybe this isn’t the best meal I’ve had in a while, but it comes pretty close to being the most welcomed.

After dinner, I make quick work of dinner clean-up.  I confirm that the canoe is safely tucked in and lashed down and I pull as many items toward the center of my rain fly as I can manage … just in case of a complete deluge over night.  It’s still a bit early, but by 9:00 I make the decision to turn in.  As my level of activity around camp drops, I can also feel a little bit of a chill start to set in due to less physical activity.  I carefully slide into my tent in small stages, pealing wet layers of clothes and placing them either under my tent rain fly or along the interior edge of the tent to make sure nothing wet comes in contact with my bedding.  Finally, I slip into the tent and zip it shut with only skivvies and tee shirt remaining.  These are also wet, so I strip to the buff before sliding into my sleeping bag.  In a relatively few minutes, the chills are gone and I can begin to feel a bit of warmth returning to my body.  
It’s been quite a day!  However, I’ve been very lucky in many ways.  However, at this moment I cannot help marvel that the only items that are dry at this moment are the two most essential to have a descent nights sleep … a dry sleeping bag and a dry tent!  I can only imagine how uncomfortable this night would be if these two items had not escaped the dunking.  But I don’t imagine for too long before I drift off to a welcomed night of peaceful sleep.

Next:  Day 3 (Layover):  Time for a spot of fishing and drying of gear.

I'm anxiously awaiting to read what day 3 and the rest of the days will bring.

"....fresh walleye in the middle of the wilderness.  It just doesn’t get any better that that!


That's for darn sure!

solotripper wrote on Jun 28^th, 2010 at 7:25pm:

Oh, the "blood-letting" is not over yet.  Days 4 and 5 also had their challenges!  Even when your "head is in the game" things can still jump up and bite you.

dd

DD,

I've really enjoyed reading your report thus far. The details you provide such as what you were thinking at the time are really great, really brings the trip to life and what it was like to be you at the time. Glad you made it back OK! I'm going to have to keep a lot of your rules in mind when I solo!! Looking forward to reading more, the pictures are great too!

Day 5: Friday, June 11th (Part I)

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This morning, I’m up around 6:30.  I’m still aware of by back issues as I set up and get dressed.  This takes a bit longer than normal because the process is not exactly as I’d normally employ.  But soon, I’m out to greet the day.  At this hour, the temperature is in the mid-50’s and it is overcast and breezy.

I set about doing the morning chores (breakfast, clean-up, camp brake down), and as I proceed, I take note that by back is not nearly as painful when in an upright position.  So, after my initial struggle to get dressed, much of the remainder of the morning prep goes pretty much as normal.  Yet, it is approaching 8:30 by the time I’m ready to depart.

I’ve made the decision to paddle back to the private lodge and see if I can raise anyone.  This is a good sized place and I imagine that there might even be a permanent staff member there that might know the area pretty well.  As I pass the point on the peninsula where my campsite resides, I get a better assessment of the windy conditions.  The breeze that was at my back yesterday is now in my face, and somewhat stronger.  It’s not white capping yet, but that could occur at any time.  So, I cross to the eastern shore and use as much natural cover as there is to provide a wind break.  I’m surprised as I paddle, that I take little notice of by back issues.  So, thus far, it’s looking like I’m not going to have to cut my trip short.  However, it seems prudent at this stage to take the least physically stressful exit possible and hope the back behaves.

As it approaches 9:30, I can now make out the shapes of the buildings at the private lodge.  I also note a motor boat with two occupants heading in a west-northwest direction from the lodge.  As I continue to paddle, I watch then and it appears that they stop in the location of buoy I’d see the day before.  After a momentary pause, they continued their journey toward the south end of the lake and before I reach the boat dock at the lodge, they disappear up the chute area.

After I land at the lodge, I get out and immediately hail the camp.  “Hello, anybody home!”  No response.  Yet the place is composed of a number of buildings, some cabins and what appears to be a cook-house/gathering area with a screened-in front porch.  I hail again.  No response.  Finally, I walk up the hill to the cook house, hail again; knock on the door and finding it unlocked, step inside.  No one home!  So if there are more than the two individuals in the motor boat in the area, they must have set off early on whatever fishing adventure they had planned.

As I walk back toward the boat dock, I casually scan back in the woods, but see no evidence of a trail leading in the direction of the chute.  I finally reach the dock and just about that time, the motor boat re-appears from the chute area.   They don’t’ seem to have any deliberate direction until I reach the end of the dock, where they obviously spot me and/or my red PFD.  In a couple of minutes, they are within talking distance and I make give my initial “Hello!”  As they come parallel to the dock and kill the engine, I assist in bringing the boat to a stop and we begin to talk.

We each introduce our selves.  I find out that Paul (who is driving the boat) and Gary (the passenger), are from Iowa, and are part owners of the lodge along with a group of others, several of whom (eight, I believe) had departed the previous day when they had arrived.  They were expecting the balance of their party to come in late tomorrow.  As they polished off the beers they were holding, they added to be building collection of cans in the bottom of the boat.  Perhaps this should have given me pause, but who knows.  If I had a beer, maybe I’d be chunking it down before 10:00 am!    

As I introduced myself, they wondered if I was the solo paddler they had seen cross the lake the previous day.  I acknowledged that I was and that I was wondering about the possibility of there being a trail somewhere in the woods that could get me back up the chute beyond the spot where I’d nearly lost it yesterday.  They indicated that they were not aware of any trail.  I followed with my dilemma of not likely being able to paddle against the current and they acknowledge that from the visit they had just made that my assessment was probably correct.  In fact, in other years they had managed to maneuver their motor boat over that spot and proceed up to an area adjacent to the next group of falls, where they put wheels on their boat and dragged it across to the next pool.  They were going to forego this option for this trip.  In further discussion, I questioned how canoeist managed to get up the chute under such conditions and the pair related to watching them navigate up the right (south) side of the flow using eddies and back flows to make progress and then cutting to the left (north) side to land at the rock where I’d pulled over yesterday.  From there, canoeist seemed to trek through the woods beyond the swift water to put in.  

That this explanation seemed plausible, yet I still remember the sweepers on the left (north) side just beyond the right-to-left transition point and I surely didn’t want to get tangled in that mess.   But before I could process the information any further, Paul pops up and says “How about we tow you up to the rock?   We can get up there and drop you off to make the walk in the woods.”  Wow!  What a deal!  So, I as graciously as possible, thank them for their kind offer.  Paul comes back with “that’s why it is always nice to have other people around … they can always help out when the time comes.”  Truer words were never spoken.

Paul then comments that he will need to get out of his shoes and put on some boots to do this operation with dry feet.  So, while Paul goes in search of a change in footwear, Gary and I continue to talk.  He steps out of the boat and we talk as we walk toward one of the cabins.  Seems this establishment was originally owned by members of the mob from the 1930’s.  They had the native peoples of the area construct the original lodge and run it for a while.  Then a few years passed and the mob brought in outside help to run the lodge.  This so enraged the native peoples that they burned the lodge to the ground.  As Gary was explaining, he pointed to a vintage photograph on the wall of his cabin.  It was a group picture and the original lodge was in the background.

As we continued to talk and make our way back to the dock, Paul returned in his boots.  Soon, my bow was tethered to the rear of their boat sporting a 9.9 HP motor.  Not much motor, but then it was more than adequate to move the motor boat around this lake.  During the short tow to the beginning of the chute, we continued to talk over the hum of the motor.  I asked how long they had been coming here.  The response was something like 10 years.  They asked about what I’d been doing on the lake and I related that I’d wanted to see the pictographs.  They had heard that there were pictographs on the lake but had never seen them.  

Within minutes we reach the outflow of the chute, where it is necessary to negotiate a left-hand turn.  As the motor boat reaches the flow, its progress is slowed a bit; but since I the drag coefficient is less on my canoe, I continue to slide past the rear of the tow boat.  Paul sees this happen and responds “Hold on!”  He cranks the throttle open a bit and the tow boat move forward.  However, as soon as this happens it snaps the front of my canoe to the left.  I thought, “Yeah.  Hold on is right!”  From here we proceed without difficulty along the right side of the outflow.  I’m thinking, “Well, it’s not as bad as I thought.  Maybe I could have paddled since is more like a back water section. “We soon reach the point where we have to maneuver to the left bank.  As Paul edges into the swift water, then begins to drift back.  We almost touch, before he yells “Hold on!“ again and gets back into the throttle.  By this time, I’ve drifted nearly parallel to the flow.  I remember thinking, “This could end badly.”  And almost that quick, the tension is back on the rope with a snap and my canoe rolls like a log!  

Luckily, the water is not as deep as anticipated, so I can touch bottom.  Since my canoe is still tethered to the tow boat, it’s not going anywhere.  So manhandling it to the left bank is not particularly difficult.  Soon, I’m standing in water between waist and knee deep.  I notice the only escapee this time is my kitchen pack (pots, pans, stove, etc.) .  Since I’m now in a secure location between a couple of the sweepers, I tell Paul and Gary that one of my packs broke away.  They immediately untie and head down stream to fetch it.  I’m only vaguely aware of their return because I’m bailing like crazy.  Just about the time I get my canoe near empty, I can hear some movement in the woods.  I look up and see Paul followed by Gary.  They have tied up at the rock landing and have worked their way back to my position.  Paul says to heave the packs up and one-by-one, each pack is lifted out of the canoe and finds a place on dry land.  The canoe is secured then I join my packs.  Both Paul and Gary look a little sheepish about the recent events, but my only comment was “Things will happen.” and “The water was much warmer than I expected.”

The decision is made to bushwhack from here to the point what they referred to as “the nursery.”  I later find out that the nursery is in the area where I’d previously located a rocky area just above the chute.  Paul and I both grab packs and other a couple of other hand-carry items and head out into the woods.  Gary stays with the canoe to make sure it stays put.  (Gary also has knee problems which make some walking difficult).  Paul blazes trail and I follow in his footsteps.  Going isn’t too much of  a problem until we are nearly at the nursery.  Then, it is impossible to circumnavigate the deadfall and we have to crawl over.  Sooner than expected, we are standing on the rocky outcrop.  We unload and head back.  Paul pushes through the woods more quickly than I and reaches Gary.  Before I arrive they each grab an end of my canoe and begin to negotiate the trail we had just completed.  I offered to help, but they said that they could handle my light canoe without difficulty.  So, I cut down to where they had tied up their motor boat and regained my kitchen pack.  I manage to get back to the “trail” more quickly than they move through the woods with my canoe, so I begin to lead.  However, before long I’m crossing a lot more deadfall than we’d encountered on our first pass.  So, I had to stop and back up.  By that time, Paul and Gary had closed the gap and worked their way back to a more useful passage.  A few more zigs and zags ensue, but before long we are again standing where the previous packs have been dropped.

Before they depart, they again offer their apologies for dumping me.  Again, I told them not to worry about it, it just meant that I’d not need a regular bath for a few more days.  Besides, they were a huge help in getting my gear transported to this point beyond the chute.  We shook hands and said our goodbyes and each wished the other the continuation of a good trip.  They were soon off into the woods and out of sight.  Despite the foregoing, I thought to myself, “Well, I’m HERE and much quicker than expected, despite the little mishap.”  

It’s now 10:30.  Before setting out to tackle the first of the two portages that now separated me from Glenn Lake, I decided to take a little break and grab a high-calorie snack.  The first portage I remembered being a bit longer and wetter than the second, and I wanted to insure a good energy level before taking them on.  After a brief break, I was reloaded and paddling the short distance to the longer portage.  After unloading at the portage, I decide not to push my luck any further until I could test my personal condition.  So, for this portage, I decided to triple.  As I work the first load of packs across, I continually observe whether or not my back is going to become an issue.  I’m amazed how well it is doing and only get an occasional twinge, but nothing serious.  The real test will be hoisting the canoe overhead.  That will involve more of a twisting motion.  

After many years of backpacking and putting on packs one arm at a time and having at least one strap twisted or behind me, I finally developed the technique of approaching the pack upside down, putting my arms through both straps, grabbing the back of the pack and in one motion heaving it up and over my head so the straps come neatly to rest on my shoulders.  I’ve always had enough core strength to do this with packs up to at least 65 pounds without a problem.  So, as I said, hoisting the canoe will involve a different kind of motion to get it overhead.

With the second pack load finished, it is now time for the acid test.  With a single motion, I grab, lift, hoist and rotate my canoe overhead.  Yes, there was a small twinge again, but easily in the manageable range.  So, unless my condition worsens, I should be good to go for the rest of the trip.  

At the second portage, I go back to the original strategy of double portaging.    By noon, all of my gear rests on the Glenn Lake side of the portage and now all I have is open water to negotiate for the rest of the day.  I pause, since it is lunch time and continue to snack and load up on liquid.  While the weather is still on the cool side, my body chemistry is such that I can work up a sweat by just thinking about it.  So, I will literally go through at least a half-dozen Nalgene bottles of water during the day (if not more).  

As I gaze down this larger open section of the lake, I’m conscious that the wind will not be an issue.  The wind speed has dropped off, but the clouds are looking more threatening.  I push off in search of the first set of narrows to the east that will point the way to the remainder of my journey.  It’s approaching 1:00 before I reach the narrows, and it begins to rain.  I stop paddling and put on my rain gear with the pants not quite in their proper position, but still covering most of my exposed clothing … still damp of course.  I press on and notice a perceptible current flowing toward me as I paddle the narrows.  It’s nothing spectacular but it clearly indicates that I’ll be traveling against whatever flow exist further ahead.

[continued to Part II]

Day 6:  Saturday, June 12th

Today, I slept in until 8:30.  There is no rush today because it’s a planned layover day.  In addition, I’m not particularly motivated to crawl out of my tent early as the rain that began last evening was only intermittently interrupted from 8:30 pm until the early hours of this morning.  Things are still damp as I exit my tent and my gaze around the lake from my island home indicates that the conditions are foggy and misty.  However, there is only a breath of a breeze and again, all the cloud cover has kept the temperature at a comfortable level for the morning hours.  Yet, with all the moisture in the air, if feels very humid.  These conditions would persist most of most of the day, with the fog/mist being replaced by occasional showers.

Again, this is a planned layover day and for such occasions, I typically plan something different for breakfast.  This morning … pancakes.  However, the first order of business is hot water for coffee and a small container of cool water to receive my orange juice drink powder.  The orange juice goes down pretty quickly, and I continue to sip coffee as I work on the pancakes.  Soon the skillet is hot enough and I begin to pour batter.  My strategy is to consume one-at-a-time, as they come out of the skillet.  This insures that my breakfast will be pleasantly warm (if not hot) with each bite.  Number 1 comes out of the skillet and is slathered with syrup and I immediately pour batter for number 2.  My batter is finally finished when I hit number 4 and with a few sips of coffee to top off my meal, I’m feeling comfortably warm and filled inside.

I do a quick clean-up after breakfast dishes in anticipation of spending much of the rest of the day fishing.  However, by 10:00 the weather is more misty than foggy, so I decide to wait it out a bit longer.  By 10:30, I’ve become impatient with the weather because it looks like it’s not going to change.  So, I crawl into my rain gear, gather my fishing gear and launch my canoe.  Along with my lunch, I also take the preceding day’s dinner leftovers to bury somewhere in the woods away from my camp.  

My island camp is situated roughly in the middle of a bulge in the lake.  My focus today will be getting to know this area in some detail.  I head out to a point not too distance from camp at roughly the 7 o’clock position.  I’ll start there and work clockwise around my island.  I rigged to troll, and as soon as my lure crossed the hump of my first point, I had a walleye on the line.  Pretty descent size, but it’s not quite as large as my keeper on Mexican Hat.  I decide that with other dinner add-on’s this one will be sufficient.  So, on the stringer he goes.  I reverse my course and try the point again.  Sure enough, I tie into another walleye; one more drag through produces one more.  I’ve decided that this is enough and proceed more westerly until I get to the narrows where I’d entered this section of the lake.  Just beyond the narrows I nail another medium-sized walleye.  I double back to run the section again, but get no hits.  

As the bulge of the lake widens to the northwest, I start to pick up a series of pike.  The first one I tie into probably would run 36 inches.  This is an estimate because, no sooner had I gotten the pike to the surface than he did a run.  Unfortunately, my drag was set a little too tight for 6 pound test so it didn’t take much effort to snap the line.  OK.  There goes my favorite lure … a Yuzuri deep diving silver minnow.  I re-tie and put on another Yuzuri lure, but it’s not a deep diver.  I drag it through the water for a couple of minutes to not effect.  So, I change out to a Rapala Shad Rap.  Before long, I tie into another fish (which also acts like a pike).   This one never reaches the surface before it’s gone with my lure.  I inspect the line and it gives all indications of a knot failure.  Perhaps in my haste to re-tie earlier, I missed a step in the process.  I re-tie again and that episode is not repeated for the remainder of the trip.

As noon approaches, I also find myself at roughly the 12 o’clock position relative to my campsite.  I find a convenient take-out spot and stop for lunch.  Today, I’ll try peanut butter and a new product that I ran across a couple of weeks before my trip started … sandwich rounds.  They are thin round flat breads sliced through the middle.  So, each side is between an eighth and a quarter of an inch thick.  I slap the chunky peanut butter between and chow down.  The rounds have been well protected in my food pack by a small round plastic container the identical diameter of the rounds.  Although I’ve brought two rounds, I find that with some dried apricots, I’m perfectly satisfied.  So, I just lounge a bit before attending to other activities.

Before I continue my fishing adventures, I decide to take my evening leftovers and bury them.  I find a convenient spot, dig a hole and deposit the unwanted food.  After covering, I mark the spot with a couple of crossed sticks on the remote chance someone else might find this spot.  When I return lake-side, I decide to go ahead and fillet my catch.  After a couple of minutes, a significant portion of my evening meal is placed in a plastic zip-lock with a bit of water and placed under my canoe seat.  I chuckle to myself a bit.  Yeah, I’m protecting this food product from the sun … but there is no sun!

I’m back on the water again and continuing my clockwise search.  Not far from my lunch site, I pick up a few more smaller pike but nothing else.  I decide to do a few “W’s” across from the shore toward my campsite and also to a point beyond my campsite to check the depth of the lake.  I’ve been consistently registering depths between 10 and 20 feet as I navigate around the shoreline.  However, the deepest section I detect is approximately 40 feet.  Yes, this might be deep enough to hold a laker, and the lake is supposed to HAVE lakers, but I suspect the deeper sections of the lake were back in the direction of Hansen.  So, I don’t bother to change out my lure for something that could get down really deep.  I continue my fishing rotation, continuing to pick up a pike here and there, but for much of the remainder of the early afternoon, action is not particularly abundant.  I finally close the loop at roughly 3:45 and pass over my beginning point of land one more time, and just like the start, I end will one more smallish walleye.

I head toward camp, lure still in tow and make a loop around my island, but it’s not gaining any attention to any local fish population.  So at 3:45, I decide to park my canoe and start doing a few gathering activities in preparation for a move tomorrow.  I gather up several items that are lying out or still drying under my rain fly.  My timing is good because had I delayed to do this until after dinner, I would have been trying to do it in the rain or wind up with wet gear again.  There isn’t a whole lot to do since I had pulled most of the dried laundry in yesterday, but I have a few pots and pan spread around and some stuff sacks drying.

I killed a little time by playing with a portable AM/FM/SW radio I’d brought along to get weather reports.  I’d brought a small radio on previous trips and wasn’t very satisfied with the reception.  This year’s radio is a bit more up-scale and includes a jack-in wire antenna that is probably 12 feet long in addition to the normal telescoping one.  However, even with an antenna boost, reception on the AM/FM bands is still poor.  I do hit one FM signal that is playing popular music, but I have no interest in that content.  (I later find this station again on my last day out.  It is broadcasting from Kenora and does have a brief weather report at the top of the hour.)  The shortwave bands are more active, but none are detected that are broadcasting weather reports and many are foreign language broadcast.  I do find one station providing international news, which I listen to for a couple of minutes before switching off.

By 5:00 it is time to start preparing dinner.  The prep-time is very short since the bulk of my meal will be composed of seared walleye (again with the Prudhomme seasoning) and couscous (with pine nuts).  I blanch the pine nuts in boiling water for a couple of minutes before adding the couscous.  This dish will be ready quickly, so I’d already fired-up stove #2 to receive the skillet and the first round of fillets were sizzling in the pan before much time had elapsed.  Again, I used the same strategy as before.  I’ll cook a round of fillets and eat them, along with the couscous, as I’m tending to the second round.  And again, this process works out well and even the couscous stays sufficiently warm until all has been consumed.  Yes, that’s right!  I ate it ALL.  I must admit that fish and couscous is one of my favorite meals to fix in the wild.

I relax for a few minutes after dinner and continue to sip on my “iced” tea.  But, as I inspect my surroundings, it again begins to look like the skies could cut loose at any time.  So rather than lounge for an extended period, I decide to take care of business.  

Dinner dishes are quickly cleaned and put out to dry.  I follow this with my daily SPOT transmission (got to let the wife know I’m still alive and kicking).  I also decide that I need to burn a little trash that has been collecting for several days.  So I gather up the burnable items and coax a small fire to life.  There isn’t much burnable wood around that isn’t pretty much soaked, so it’s a bit of a challenge.  However, I ultimately succeed and I pick-out the foil lining of a couple of food pouches that I’ve placed next to the fire to burn off the paper exterior and eliminate food smells.  

I guess I should mention that I grounded my food pack for this entire trip.  This area is further north than Quetico and, for the most part, there are few trees sufficiently large to make for adequate food-pack hanging.  I did much the same on my trip last year to WCPP.  However, unlike last year, one thing is different around camp.  Almost all of my campsites had sufficient dirt over the rocks to accept tent stakes.  Many tent pitching’s from my previous trip required “tying down” the corners and vestibules with rocks.

With all of camp chores completed and my canoe tucked away for the evening, it’s time to lounge again and have an after dinner drink.  I have to hustle this activity along as the rain returned by 8:00, so I decided to turn in a little earlier than normal.  The rain did continue into the night, but again I tend to enjoy the sound of rain on my tent fly.  What I didn’t enjoy was lying down … yep, that back muscle is still reminding me of that episode two days ago.  I down a couple of pain killers again and the rest of the night goes well.

Oh, I guess I should point out something that I have NOT mention – NO PEOPLE.  Today was my first day of complete solitude on this trip!  Go figure.  I’m in the middle of what should be a major traffic lane and there is no one to be seen.  I’ll take it!!!

Next:  Day 7: A move to Telescope Lake (and MORE PEOPLE)

jimmar wrote on Jul 1^st, 2010 at 11:24am:

Well the idea for me was to see places that were a bit more remote, a change of scenery and seeking out solitude. 

Bottom line ... it is more remote, the scenery is probably better in Quetico and this year solitude was disappointing ... easily as many people as I ever see on a Quetico trip.  In addition, there were sections that didn't seem so remote because of the fly-in traffic and the existence of cabins on some lakes.

All-in-all, I'd say that last year's trip was much more satisfying with respect to my 3-goals.  Don't get me wrong.  Even with the "comedy route" of mishaps I experienced, I still had a good trip!

dd

Thanks DD for taking us along!  I'll have to explore WCPP soon.

Sorry for the delay folks ... I HAD to go spend a couple of weeks in the Colorado mountains!  Hard work, but someone has to do it!

dd

Trip report continues below.

Thoroughly enjoying the trip report. Glad you made it out safe.

Day 9:  Tuesday, June 15th

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I initially stirred shortly after 4:00, when the early risers in the avian community began their morning songs.  I managed to tune out the “entertainment” until 6:15.  Today is a travel day, but it will be a short day in that respect.  I began my pack-up by storing all the contents of my tent in their designated pouches and bags.  In turn, each item was placed by my exit door for easy access when the final break-down and pack-up began.  This was a typical procedure on travel days … no need to re-enter the tent after exiting.  I could easily reach each item and place it directly into a pack without the item ever touching the ground.  So even when packing up wet, almost all of the “tent gear” went into my pack still dry.

I then proceeded to my cooking area to get my “standard” breakfast going.  Much of my cooking gear (e.g., extra stove, fuel, etc.) had already been packed away, so it wasn’t necessary to assemble what I needed for breakfast.  I quickly consumed by oatmeal.  My coffee would be casually as I continued to break camp.  In fact, on most travel days, the coffee cup was the last thing to be packed.  This day was no exception.   However, almost all other kitchen pack items were soon cleaned, stored and set aside for loading.

As I went about my breakdown, I reflected on today’s destination.  During the previous evening, I had debated about stopping on Telescope or pressing on to Hjlarmar.  I’d already visited the eastern end of Telescope and checked out both the available campsite and portage into what is labeled Hjlarmar Lakes—a chain of lakes connected by relatively short portages.  My travel time to the eastern end of the lake seemed almost not worth the effort.  Yet, I didn’t want to get hung up by being wind bound on this island with no prospect of reaching my exit on schedule.  Ultimately, I decided to push on to Hjlarmar.  If the campsite I’d marked from the park database was unusable, I could always back track to the eastern end of Telescope.  However, if the campsite was usable, it would put me perhaps an hour closer to my exit and provide ample opportunity to search out the supposed pictograph site near the campsite on Hjlarmar.  I decided to press on.

Camp breakdown could have gone more quickly, but with a short travel day I was in no hurry.  It looked after all, as though the weather was going to cooperate.  This morning I had broken clouds and a very light breeze from the east.  Travel, was going to be easy if these conditions held.  It was sufficiently warm that I decided to go with a long-sleeved shirt WITHOUT an underneath tee-shirt.  I only needed the long sleeve to ward off potential bugs that I might encounter on the portages or when I reached my destination.  As it turned out, the absence of bugs would continue, so the long-sleeves were rolled up before long.

I departed camp at 8:45 and took the counter-clockwise route around my island.  Yet it wasn’t long before I could again see the cabins on the shore to my north.  I watched the cabins as I paddled by.  There were no sounds and I saw no activity.  So either yesterday’s float plane landing was only doing a check of the camp or the drop-off passengers were not early risers.  In any case, this would be another day when I did not encounter another person.   This was somewhat surprising since I’m clearly on an entry route where I would suspect at least some level of traffic, and yet the only people I’m seeing are part of the fly-in trade for cabin/motor boat visitors.

In less than an hour and a half, I’ve covered the remaining length of Telescope Lake.  I was grateful that I’d not experience any conditions that would have prevented me from traveling (which was true for the entire trip).  As I reached the first portage, I could now easily pull up into shallower water to disembark, due to my clearing activity from the previous day.  However, despite the lack of rain, the portage remained wet.  The paddle over the next section went quickly and I was soon ready for the next portage.  I had a notation on my map that suggested this portage might be skipped if the water was sufficiently high.  I decided to give it a try … this one was AGAINST the small amount of flow.  Everything was going without a problem until I selected the wrong channel and finally had to step out to pull my canoe through a rocky narrow.  Unfortunately, I made the same mistake a second time resulting in the same pull-through requirement; beyond, the section of Hjlarmar Lakes where my next potential campsite was located.

A short paddle put me at the location.  Unfortunately, what appeared to be the best take-out location was pretty much covered by deadfall … at least enough that there was no way for me to reach the shore line take-out ledge and parallel park … and there was a significant drop off into deep water beyond the ledge.  So, I selected a less desirable, brushy spot to park until I could check out the camp.  

It was 11:30 as I walked around the campsite.  The site had not likely been used in years.  There be  shoveled fire ring contained growing weeds and the only open spot that provided a tent pad option was about six inches deep in low shrub growth.  The eastern Telescope site was clearly better; however, this location could be made useful with little effort.  So stay it is.

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Hljarmar campsite cooking area (fire ring up and to the left)
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Hljarmar campsite tent pad area

After my camp set-up and lunch, I made a half-hearted attempt to clear the front of the campsite.  I did remove sufficient deadfall to pull my canoe parallel to the ledge, but I was reluctant to actually have my canoe parked here.  In addition to the deadfall I’d cleared, where were other downed and other leaning deadfall that, with a gust of wind, could come crashing down.  I’d not be coming and going too often here, so I chose to continue to use the less desirable, brushy option.  

The sky continued to exhibit broken clouds.  In addition, the day had warmed considerably, with the temperature running in the mid-70’s.  Yet, there was a cooling breeze which made the day very comfortable.  Perhaps it was the combination of weather conditions, a little exertion to do some brush clearing or perhaps the realization that the end of the trip was near.  For whatever reason, I started to become a bit drowsy.  So I went in search of the pocket-sized, nylon-mesh hammock I often take on backwoods excursions.  I soon found a couple of suitable trees and the hammock lashed up.  It wasn’t an ideal setup because of a hump of rock roughly in the middle of my set-up, but it was only barely touching the hammock and it made for an easy push-off tool.  It must have been comfortable because I napped for nearly an hour, only changing positions when a shaft of sunlight became bothersome on my face.

After my snooze, I immediately took down the hammock.  No need to have extra gear strung out to pack up tomorrow.  I’d also made the decision not to deploy my cooking fly unless conditions threatened.  So, I took the “minimalist” campsite strategy throughout my stay.  

By 3:00, it was time to do something else.  I had neglected to collect my camp water supply before disembarking and I also wanted to spend some time looking for the pictograph that was supposed to be just a short distance beyond my camp on the north shoreline.  As I paddled down the narrow channel of the lake, inspecting each probable location for a pictograph, I soon performed an “all back full” as I glided past a suspect location.  This pictograph could be easily missed because of its faded condition, but it was clear, mostly by color and shape, that a man’s hand was at work here.  After a close inspection, I was relative sure that the central figure was of a turtle, with perhaps a caribou shape beneath.  There was another shape above the turtle, but it was impossible for me to discern its meaning.  Another oddity with this collection of shapes was that it ran to the rounded edge of the rock and there also appears to be additional (non-descript) marks beyond the rounded edge.  In other words, if you were viewing the pictograph from directly ahead, you could easily miss the additional marks to the left.

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Hljarmar Pictographs

After snapping a few photo’s, I continued to paddle these narrow waters.  The more I paddled, the more this place reminds me of Isabella Lake in Quetico.  It is long and narrow (although the “lakes” are separated by short portages) with more evidence of vertical shoreline that has been typical of the lakes on much of my trip.  And while lakes with these characteristics can feel spooky at times, my feeling on this lake is one of calm and comfort.  No doubt these feelings are assisted by the warmth of the day and the lack of anything like threatening weather.  As I returned to camp, I stopped long enough to re-fill my water bladder.  There was no need to get a full load on this stop.  The water supply would only be needed for dinner and breakfast and none of my upcoming meals were ones requiring a large volume of water.  

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Hljarmar campsite-view to the east
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Hljarmar campsite-view to the west
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Hljarmar campsite-view to the south

Upon reaching my take-out point and parking my canoe, I noticed that one of the clips I used to anchor my spare paddles had come loose.  Since tomorrow promised the most lengthy portages of the trip, I decided that it would not do to leave this problem unattended.  I dropped off the water bladder on my way through the cooking area and proceeded on to my tent area to secure my small bottle of superglue that I almost always travel with.  Today, it will be used to do a clip repair and replacement.  However, the glue is in my medical kit because it is sometimes used to close and seal-up problematic cuts or cracks on my fingers where a bandage is not a practical solution.  It doesn’t take long to do the repair, and while waiting for the glue to dry, I decide that I’ll not likely be using my fishing gear again.  So, I proceed to do my fishing rod break-down and storage.  This will make my load-up quicker tomorrow when I reach the exit.  

I also used this time to look around for other items that were loose and needed to be put away for tomorrow’s travel.  My aim was to hit the ground running tomorrow and make it to the Onnie EP parking lot by noon.  If I could maintain that kind of schedule, I’d be back in Red Lake by 1:30 to 2:00.  That would give my ample time to search out a service station to fill-up, get my flat tire repaired, grab some lunch and make it to Kenora before dark.  (I’d previously made a reservation to stay in Kenora on the night of my exit.)  

Dinner this evening was Teriyaki noodles with re-hydrated chicken.  It is a “quick fix” meal other than the time it takes to re-hydrate the chicken but I have plenty of time for water to work into the chicken chunks before I have to fire up the stove.  The actual cooking time for the noodles is about 15 minutes, with no draining necessary.  This is one of my “go to” meals when I’m looking for something that is quick to fix, but is still very tasty.  This is also a one-pot meal, which means clean-up goes very fast ... even faster on a solo trip because I tend to eat directly from the cooking pan because there is no one else to serve.

As I consumed my dinner, I noticed that overcast had begun to build.  I was concerned about the prospect of a potential rain setting in, making my gear wet and tomorrow’s portages more challenging.  However, the overcast soon abated and there was no rain for the remainder of my trip.  In addition the, winds remained light and variable.

Since dinner, clean-up, and what amount of packing had been completed, I still had some time to kill.  I finally decided to give the radio another try.  On past attempts, I’d only been able to pull in a single station and on my limited amount of listening; I had deduced that it was focused on popular music.  As it turned out, this was again the only station I was able to pull in.  However, I wasn’t as hasty to change to another to try to find another station this time.  I was soon able to deduce that the station was broadcasting from Kenora and they did have a brief weather report at the top and bottom of each hour for a few points between Atikokan and Kenora.  The jest of the report was that there was a chance of showers tomorrow afternoon.  Hopefully that forecast will extend to my travel route to reach a hard-surfaced road … I wouldn’t look forward to doing the dirt/gravel road from the Onnie EP to Red Lake with it raining.

As I prepared to turn in for the evening, I prepositioned as much of my gear as possible to be as close to the canoe as I could get it but still in the protection of a tree overhang just in case it DID decide to rain overnight.  As I entered my tent, I initially took precaution not to hit any of the underlying vegetation in the hopes of avoiding a puncture in the bottom of my tent.  Earlier, I had decided that the prospects of a puncture would be less if I chose NOT to do any cutting and clearing.  This would also allow the vegetation to more easily recover once I had departed.  As it turned out, the springiness of the vegetation was more like a mattress and produce very comfortable sleeping.  And, yes.  I did avoid any punctures!

Next:  Day 10:  On a mission to reach the Onnie EP

DD:

Thanks. Nice tale, well told.

Day 10:  Wednesday, June 16th

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Map:  Day 10 ( (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) to open in a separate window)

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!

Just getting back from partially the same route I'm impressed with your abilities to travel. It took us a whole day to get from Leano to Jake Lake. But partially was due to my son's ability to go very fast solo with a typical bent shaft in my tandem Old Town. After some time I offered him my Kayak paddle... Then he flew. From Jake to Mex Hat was a partial day from that point. We didn't go up Glenn to Hansen due to a late start of the trip. We took Nutria to Amber to Wrist. Then back to Streak down to Aegean... Our back up plan. Only Paull to Leano was kind of a long day, otherwise it was a nice trip. I fell twice with my personal pack with the food pack on top of it, but no damage done. Not sure if I should post a report since most of the route has been covered between your trips this year and last. And I have no idea how you insert pic's like you do...

Ben

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knafelc wrote on Jan 31^st, 2013 at 2:54am:


Ummm, stuff happens. My fault. This should help a little:
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...just read your tagline,db...hopefully, wisom will come with this knowlege