As I leave for Wabakimi today:
fire ban

I usually don't make a fire except if cold and wet. Let's hope for those conditions soon.

Hope you have a great trip! Hopefully we get some rain and enough of it soon!

One of the other FOW members was just up on the Allenwater. His daughter is in the whitewater rapids riders class with me.

My son and a friend of his are heading into the Quetico next Thursday for 16 days. He’s getting 1st trip with my brand new canoe!

Ryan

Have a good trip! I don't mind a fire ban, would be more worried about an actual fire.

What is surprising to me is how fast the map has changed. On June 1 most of the park was moderate with a big section of low risk around the Little Caribou entry. Now much of the southern part is high risk, and two fires have started since yesterday. One of them east of Elf Lake near Smoothrock is just north of where Jillpine told me she would be paddling. Hope it stays small and doesn’t hamper her trip!

That fire, 6.5 hectares or about 13 acres is just north of the very little used North Route from Smoothrock Lake to Elf Lake. Our Wabakimi Project team (Phil Cotton, Portage 99 and I) worked for a week to get through to the pond just before Elf coming in from Smoothrock. Previous to us, the last two parties to travel through there passed by in the late 80's early 90's, travelling Elf to Smoothrock. I think the area is a caribou breeding/calving area, but at the time we went through, August 2010, the then Park Superintendent told his portage clearing crew not to do that route. Asked why not, he replied, "Nobody goes through there, why bother."

goatroti: "That fire, 6.5 hectares or about 13 acres is just north of the very little used North Route from Smoothrock Lake to Elf Lake. Our Wabakimi Project team (Phil Cotton, Portage 99 and I) worked for a week to get through to the pond just before Elf coming in from Smoothrock. Previous to us, the last two parties to travel through there passed by in the late 80's early 90's, travelling Elf to Smoothrock. I think the area is a caribou breeding/calving area, but at the time we went through, August 2010, the then Park Superintendent told his portage clearing crew not to do that route. Asked why not, he replied, "Nobody goes through there, why bother.""

Goat, you are an absolute treasure. I love your posts of your work to clear and sustain these routes.

I did not realize there was a northern route into Elf from SRL. You're saying "no one goes there" makes me want to go there.

Winds in the area are going to be mild but erratic. Let's hope that fire stays small.

The group of WP vets that just came out about a week ago reported very bad mosquito conditions, if anyone is interested or cares. Late - May early June so no real surprise I guess.

Fires did impact our planned route but did not impact the bird counts we were doing for the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas. We successfully performed 28 recorded counts (target was 25), and also documented fresh and winter caribou scat; unfortunately some was where clear cut logging operations are starting for pulpwood.
Mosquito and deer flies were heavy; they feed the breeding bird population, so they were celebrated, not despised. We manage them with bug jackets, head nets, and very early bed times, as we were up by 4:30am most mornings for the dawn chorus.

Hoping to join a Montcrief group this week so I can obtain more Atlas counts, but watching fire activity in that very area.

I was unable to participate in Phil Cotton’s Wabakimi Project, as I had neither time nor money when it was active. I’m very appreciative of the clearing and mapping done by so many volunteers and leaders in this magnificent park. Thank you.

Our group is planning on taking the southern route from smoothrock to elf in August. Praying for rain.