Monday, June 6, 2022, Day 12
It rained on and off all night. I didn't manage to get out of my sleeping bag until late. The damp, cold weather made starting the day difficult. It was hard to light a fire. When the first cup of hot coffee finally warmed my hands and the sun broke through the clouds, my optimism returned. "Today is going to be a good day!" I told myself.
That day, a route decision had to be made. I wanted to head towards the Allanwater River. One route led north via Stump Lake. The other option was to follow the eastern arm of Gault Lake and reach Termite Lake (Allanwater River) via a portage. On the water, the wind helped me decide. It was blowing from the northwest, which meant either a headwind or a tailwind – so I chose the second option. I really liked this part of Gault Lake. The portage was easy to find. It led through marshy terrain, and at the end, alder bushes and a heavy downpour awaited me. With the onset of rain, the wind also shifted; it was now blowing from the north. So I had to paddle against the wind once again.
The next narrow passage would likely be a fun ride with high waves at the end. Even as I paddled closer, I realized I'd have to take the flooded portage. The waves were simply too high, the force of the water too strong for me to venture in. The portage was short, but landing in the knee-deep water was awkward. A fallen tree was very helpful here, as I could use it for support.
Big waves...
...
too powerful for me to run...
The backwater, visible here on the right in the picture, flowed very strongly, creating a very powerful upstream current
After portaging I had to exert myself considerably to make headway downstream. At the next narrow section, I was able to stay in the canoe but took some water from the high waves. When the river then flowed through a channel, I was practically swept through. I would have liked to have looked at the pictographs there, but the strong current combined with a headwind prevented me from doing so. Besides, it would have been difficult to land the canoe safely among the boulders on the bank.
No sooner had I reached calmer waters than thunder heralded an approaching storm. I paddled quickly to a good campsite. The storm mercifully waited until the tarp was up. The heavy downpour was short-lived, but unfortunately, strong wind and a light rain continued. That's why I decided to set up camp, even though it was only a little after 3 p.m. After the tent was up I treated myself to a coffee break.
Between breaks in the rain, I repeatedly cast a line. Unfortunately, without success. The campsite is probably frequently used. A huge fire pit and makeshift benches suggested as much. There was hardly any firewood lying around nearby, so collecting it was quite a chore.
As usual, I sent Lindsey, the outfitter's employee, a message with a simple "Okay". She replied by advising me to approach the next rapids very, very carefully.
Sensitive readers might want to skip the following excerpt from my diary....
While chopping wood in a kneeling position, the axe slipped and struck my right knee. Blood immediately gushed from the deep wound. I pulled off my trousers and, bleeding heavily, hobbled on one leg to the tarp where the first-aid kit was. The bleeding was hard to stop, so I applied a tight pressure bandage. When I loosened it, it bled again. At least it wasn't spurting; I probably hadn't damaged an artery. Before I could reapply the bandage, I felt dizzy. Just before I passed out, I got off the tarp, lay down on the rocky ground, and elevated my good leg.
It was drizzling. My blood pressure stabilized. I hopped back under the tarp and applied another pressure bandage. After a while, I loosened it. The bleeding had almost stopped.
The cut was only about three and a half centimeters long, but deep. I didn't have any sewing supplies with me, so after applying plenty of disinfectant spray, I used Steri-Strips. The adhesive strips held well, so I covered them with a bandage.
Finally, I could put on my spare pants. I washed out the bloody pants because I didn't want to attract any bears.
I relit the fire. To my surprise, my stomach growled. I should probably eat something. Sausages in a wrap sounded just right. Soon, water was boiling for a warming coffee.
While I was drinking the coffee, I felt something running down my right lower leg. The wound was bleeding again.
I fainted once more. Light rain woke me up again. The whole procedure repeated itself: clean the wound, apply a plaster, cover it, bandage it, and so on. This time without the risk of fainting.
It was already after midnight when the wound was finally treated, and I went into the tent with my leg stretched out.
What a day!
Tuesday, June 7, 2022, Day 13
Contrary to expectations, I slept well. I didn't leave the tent until around 8:00 a.m. I sent Lindsey a message about my mishap ("I'm an idiot, yesterday evening I cut myself with an axe") and that I needed to take at least one rest day. She reminded me of the possibility of being picked up by a plane, provided there was at least 1.5 kilometers of open water for takeoff and landing. Until then, the thought of abandoning the canoe trip hadn't even crossed my mind. "Giving up is definitely out of the question now! Let's wait and see how things develop," I thought.
I sent Lindsey a message telling her not to worry and that everything would turn out okay.
I tried to keep my right knee as stiff as possible to protect the wound. I planned to remove the bandage in the evening and examine it.
The day was spent gathering firewood, fishing, eating, reading, and so on. I took everything slowly; my mobility was limited by the injury anyway.
About 170 meters away from camp, I found a perfect "thunderbeam". It was lying across the ground, at just the right height so I could keep my right leg straight while doing business. There was sufficiently deep, soft soil underneath to dig a hole. Thank you, Mother Nature, for this excellent open-air toilet!
The weather was very changeable, ranging from sunshine to downpours, wind, calm, etc. typical Wabakimi.
In the afternoon I caught a pike, just suitable for a meal. Only then did I realize that I would have trouble filleting it because of the leg. That's why it was released.
For dinner, I prepared a hearty meal. Peter gave me several portions of dehydrated minced meat with tomato sauce. I added two handfuls of rice and enjoyed dinner.
I was a little nervous as I removed the bandage from the wound. It looked fine, no signs of infection, and the edges of the wound seemed to be well sealed by the Steri-Strip. In fact, I had cut a thigh muscle right above the knee joint. Luckily, the knee joint itself wasn't affected!
The wound looks good!
I was afraid that the wound would reopen with normal leg strain. That was the deciding factor in scheduling another rest day. I didn't want to tempt fate. The pain was bearable, but I still took ibuprofen. I was counting on its anti-inflammatory effect.
After sunset, I retreated to my tent to escape the biting insects.
