August 1, 2013
We get a nice start today and paddle for 5 hours making 30 kms and stop near the White Gravel River. Weather was good, fog in the morning but it burned off. We get out of our boats about every 1 ½ hours to stretch and eat. We had some sheltered paddling and the open water was only about 1’ waves along with the swells. I sighted some Bohemian Waxwings, Black/White w/yellow breast warblers, and some other tiny light yellow breast warblers around our pit stops.

There’s a mix of campsites along the coastal hiking trail and some only paddlers can reach. They all have at least a thunder box. Some of the hiking campsites have bear boxes. The park's got a nice map done by Chrismar similar to the one for Quetico and that’s all you really need to use for the park section of the trip.

We hiked up to the old light house a checked out the view.

August 3, 2013
The wind picked up before morning light. We got as far as we could without going around a bad point. Short day so far. The campsite we stopped at had wolf tracks (4 claws) on the beach. Chantal was sure they were bear tracks so we left. Returned to a cobble beach we’d passed that had the only raised pit in the park. It was a decent spot to rest while waiting for the wind to die, and check out the old pit. But the winds seemed to only get stronger. After waiting till late in the day we decide to camp on the cobble beach. We’ll have some long days coming. The wind’s been in our backs. We’re about midway on our trip and going back would be against the wind.

Wow Jim.....sounds like a good time. Superior paddling is definitely an interesting choice. The hiking trail is certainly an added bonus......nice to be able to go for a lengthy hike after sitting in the boat all day.

So what about the fishing potentials. See any weedbeds in the bays?  Did the guide mention anything?

August 5, 2013
We get a good start but it only takes an hour and we can feel the wind & waves building. We’re trying to put some distance in, so not much stopping to explore. We get around Point Isacor, one of the obstacles we were worried about. It wasn’t bad-bad, but not a great place to stay either. We stop at a crummy little bay for a break, long rocky shoreline today and not many options for stopping. Chantal isn’t feeling good today, bad cramps. She’s done, won’t eat. But every little bit she does eat seems to perk her up and it’s “lets go”. Post trip we found out she needed some surgery. Hope she’s doing better.

Today the waves are a bit to our side and quartering in front of us. Martha’s had two weeks of tripping without any “Zen” paddling. There seems to be a challenge everyday. With Chantal not up to top form, the troops are ready to be done. We make it to the Dog River and its expansive camping area. We all take advantage of the relative warmth of the river water for a bath. Bruce is able to get a cell signal and calls to make arrangements for an early pickup tomorrow.

We meet Carl camping nearby. He’s tripping in a SeaWind canoe. So I chat him up about the pros and cons. He can carry more gear but there’s no self rescue if he flips like kayaks can. He also said he switches to a kayak paddle in following seas so he can react faster to broaching on a wave, since he never knows which way it’ll turn after his rudder lifts out of the water. The SeaWind can be hooked up tandem to another SeaWind like a catamaran, but Carl’s paddling solo. So tomorrow when we leave he’ll be waiting for better weather. No hurry, he’s done this before.