Saturday, June 18, 2022, Day 24
After a warm, rainless night, I woke up quite early. The many mosquitoes on the tent's mosquito net were already waiting for their meal. The rising sun and the wisps of fog over the lake contributed to an almost mystical atmosphere.
Misty morning mood
For breakfast I ate the last one of Peter's powerbars. Although there was plenty of firewood, I didn't light a fire. Because of the annoying bugs, I wanted to get going quickly. The bugs accompanied me far out onto the lake. They were truly hungry. Only when the wind picked up – against my direction of travel, of course – did the canoe become bug-free. My destination for the day was one of the campsites at the eastern end of Caribou Bay.
As I paddled towards Caribou Bay, I saw and heard an armada of seven motorboats entering Lonebreast Bay. I was glad they weren't heading in my direction, and to have some peace and quiet again. Because I wanted to take it easy, I took a break at a campsite on a rocky outcrop at the entrance to Caribou Bay. This spot was somewhat exposed to the wind, which is why bugs weren't a nuisance. I lay down to stretch out and enjoyed the warming sun, then dozed off. When I woke up, the saying I had heard from Peter came to mind: A nap is a poor man's pleasure.
Well-rested, I continued paddling against the wind. I had actually hoped to be able to take advantage of the westerly wind that was blowing against me that morning. During my break, the wind seemed to have shifted. After passing a prominent headland with a nice campsite, I spotted a bald eagle perched on a dead pine not far from its nest.
Around 3:00 PM I reached my destination for the day. The first campsite I checked looked very gloomy and damp. Perhaps the other two would be better. As I approached one of them, a furry creature, probably a marten, fled into the woods. Both campsites were partially flooded, so I returned to the first one. On the way, I fished in the current between Funger Lake and Smoothrock Lake. I hoped I could catch a walleye or at least a pike there. They probably weren't hungry; all I caught was a sunken branch.
The campsite was huge. Several flat areas near the shore were flooded or marshy. I found a suitable site for the tent on a slightly elevated spot, set back a bit in the woods. As the weather seemed to be getting worse, I pitched the tent and the tarp went up. To find firewood, I had to go a little further into the woods. It seemed as if this camp was frequently used.
After plenty of coffee and a hot meal, I tried again to catch a fish. In vain. A little later, the sound of an engine approached. A motorboat with two fishermen was heading for the same spots where I had been fishing. The constant noise of their motor nearby bothered me. They, too, seemed to have had no luck. I was glad when they soon left.
As dusk fell, the mosquitoes became a nuisance. Therefore, I retreated to the tent.
Sunday, June 19, 2022, Day 25
It had started raining during the night. I would have gotten up at 6:00 a.m., but the patter of the rain on the tent kept me from doing so. Around 8:00 a.m., my full bladder finally forced me to get up. It was raining from low-hanging, dark gray clouds. Continuous rain. I lost the desire to continue traveling. I prepared myself for another forced rest day.
Most of the day was spent in the shelter of the tarp. I read, drank coffee, hot chocolate, and tea. I boiled the water for it on the stick stove.
Stick stove in action
In the late afternoon, the rain eased off a bit. I took advantage of the increasingly frequent breaks in the rain to gather firewood and go fishing.
Since I didn't catch anything, I had a trekking meal for dinner. I was able to boil the water for it over the fire. At dusk, I caught a pike. It was too big for a second dinner, so it was released. Before going to sleep, I treated myself to a generous portion of rum.
After a warm, rainless night, I woke up quite early. The many mosquitoes on the tent's mosquito net were already waiting for their meal. The rising sun and the wisps of fog over the lake contributed to an almost mystical atmosphere.
Misty morning mood
For breakfast I ate the last one of Peter's powerbars. Although there was plenty of firewood, I didn't light a fire. Because of the annoying bugs, I wanted to get going quickly. The bugs accompanied me far out onto the lake. They were truly hungry. Only when the wind picked up – against my direction of travel, of course – did the canoe become bug-free. My destination for the day was one of the campsites at the eastern end of Caribou Bay.
As I paddled towards Caribou Bay, I saw and heard an armada of seven motorboats entering Lonebreast Bay. I was glad they weren't heading in my direction, and to have some peace and quiet again. Because I wanted to take it easy, I took a break at a campsite on a rocky outcrop at the entrance to Caribou Bay. This spot was somewhat exposed to the wind, which is why bugs weren't a nuisance. I lay down to stretch out and enjoyed the warming sun, then dozed off. When I woke up, the saying I had heard from Peter came to mind: A nap is a poor man's pleasure.
Well-rested, I continued paddling against the wind. I had actually hoped to be able to take advantage of the westerly wind that was blowing against me that morning. During my break, the wind seemed to have shifted. After passing a prominent headland with a nice campsite, I spotted a bald eagle perched on a dead pine not far from its nest.
Around 3:00 PM I reached my destination for the day. The first campsite I checked looked very gloomy and damp. Perhaps the other two would be better. As I approached one of them, a furry creature, probably a marten, fled into the woods. Both campsites were partially flooded, so I returned to the first one. On the way, I fished in the current between Funger Lake and Smoothrock Lake. I hoped I could catch a walleye or at least a pike there. They probably weren't hungry; all I caught was a sunken branch.
The campsite was huge. Several flat areas near the shore were flooded or marshy. I found a suitable site for the tent on a slightly elevated spot, set back a bit in the woods. As the weather seemed to be getting worse, I pitched the tent and the tarp went up. To find firewood, I had to go a little further into the woods. It seemed as if this camp was frequently used.
After plenty of coffee and a hot meal, I tried again to catch a fish. In vain. A little later, the sound of an engine approached. A motorboat with two fishermen was heading for the same spots where I had been fishing. The constant noise of their motor nearby bothered me. They, too, seemed to have had no luck. I was glad when they soon left.
As dusk fell, the mosquitoes became a nuisance. Therefore, I retreated to the tent.
Sunday, June 19, 2022, Day 25
It had started raining during the night. I would have gotten up at 6:00 a.m., but the patter of the rain on the tent kept me from doing so. Around 8:00 a.m., my full bladder finally forced me to get up. It was raining from low-hanging, dark gray clouds. Continuous rain. I lost the desire to continue traveling. I prepared myself for another forced rest day.
Most of the day was spent in the shelter of the tarp. I read, drank coffee, hot chocolate, and tea. I boiled the water for it on the stick stove.
Stick stove in action
In the late afternoon, the rain eased off a bit. I took advantage of the increasingly frequent breaks in the rain to gather firewood and go fishing.
Since I didn't catch anything, I had a trekking meal for dinner. I was able to boil the water for it over the fire. At dusk, I caught a pike. It was too big for a second dinner, so it was released. Before going to sleep, I treated myself to a generous portion of rum.
