The trip didn't work out so well. It was planned to be 4 nights, 5 days roughly with my going up the Rabbit River into Cole Lake and back out. The forecast wasn't horrible but not too enticing with the possibility of 3 days rain and overnight temperatures possibly as low as 7c (44f). Despite my best efforts there was no way in heck I was going to be able to pack light. Everything we own is bulky. Bulky is heavy too. So it actually worked out to two packs and the 60L barrel. Christine usually does the cooking/menu for our trips so I asked her to set mine up, which required the larger barrel.
Sunday morning I drove up to the Rabbit River, stuffed the 14 foot Chestnut with gear and started upstream into the wind on a River I have never been on before. Within a half hour both shoulders were clicking and clacking away although no real muscle pain yet, just noisy. I worked my way upriver, past the first portage and through the windy river sections, by the time I reached the second port, I knew my shoulders weren't going to get me to Cole Lake that day. I should have checked the time as I felt it was later than actual, but at that point I turned around and headed back down to the first wide point in the River with the intention of camping there.
I got back down there and actually set up camp, despite the over active imagination running wild and my mild psychosis starting to dig in. I sat and watched the weather and almost had myself talked into staying one night, but after awhile I packed up again and headed back to the truck, having failed miserably on my first solo attempt. I have no problem on the water, it is when I get on land I get the willies.
It wasn't a total waste of time, I did get to see 3 moose that morning and have about a 10km paddle and met some nice people along the way.
Once back home 13 hours after I had left (it is 202km one way to the River), Christine was at first not very supportive, but she grew up in the woods whereas I grew up in Southern Ontario (Toronto) and she doesn't have all my mental health issues either.
However, since she had approval from her doctor for small trips, nothing more than 24 hours away from medical help, she decided to get me back out in the bush before I packed it in entirely forever, which is where my mind was at Sunday evening.
Wednesday morning we were once again headed to the Rabbit River, this time with the kevlar Mattawa and a altered trip plan. Just off the main river is a side river with a lake, no portaging required and we headed in there for an over nighter. We arrived on the 5th straight day of an east wind (anglers will know what that is about), paddled about 3km from the parking area and set up on a nice point at the far end of the lake adjacent to the inflow creek.
We paddled up that creek exploring and found a nice little but deep lake above a small beaver dam. The fish weren't biting under the hot sun and east wind but it was pretty cool exploring and trying to find the creek inflow up there.
Most of the day was spent lounging and the evening fishing, we did catch small Pike and Pickerel but the lunkers were hiding. As night approached I started getting the usual nervousness, but Melatonin allowed me a good nights sleep, and the Grandfathers were looking over us as well after Christine had made an offering to them earlier.
Thursday morning we slept in, packed up slowly and explored and fished our way out, with yet another day of east wind.
In the time I had to think about it on those two days, I really need to suck it up and not allow my issues to keep me from getting out into the Wilderness. I will see about getting back on my meds and plan another solo trip for later this Summer, likely just an overnight trip to that same river again.
Some photo's...
