Saturday, June 28, 2008 Prairie portage- Side Lake

We set out for the 8-mile tow across Moose Lake to the Canadian Prairie Portage Ranger Station at 6:30am. The rain had been coming down steady for a day now. The wind was strong from the Northwest, and we were going to get our moneys worth out of this tow.

We were alone waiting when they opened, got permits, licenses and fees taken care of, fully geared up for rain and we were on our way.

The big waters of Bayley Bay welcomed us with wind and waves that would have made sensible people have second thoughts.

If we were to hold Coarse, the portside bow would take a beating all the way across the lake, we had to be careful not to let the wind turn us broadside. Out in the open water it became clear the canoe was too light up front. Every wave lifted the front of the canoe up so it would crash down into the next wave with a slam, Laura and the lighter gear were towards the front of the canoe and it needed to be balanced out, but this was not the place. We had to ride this one out. Bayley Bay made a good test for what lied ahead would surely be worse, the crossing of North Bay, after that we would be home free for the day.

We arrived more prepared for North Bay, which has been known on occasion to leave people wind bound. With the heavier packs to the front would be fine. Two years ago when shopping for a new canoe, with safety in mind I sized up to the slightly heavier Champlain, which was designed for these conditions. It worked out well; the big waves hit the canoe and just threw up a spray while we cut right through made it across, a real accomplishment in progress. The next challenge would be a portage going into Side Lake named “heart stop hill”, steep, loose rocks and no doubt mud, on a day like today.

A couple foot-long sub sandwiches from last nights visit to Sub-way were sounding pretty good.

As we drew nearer to the shore the waves were smaller, we decided this was place to enjoy some lunch. All the portages up to here were mosquito mayhem, during short a bathroom break I got bitten, uh yea, there. It wasn’t pleasant.

Isabella Lake was connected to North Bay by a stream, a shortcut avoiding 2 portages if it was passable. Water levels were high so it worked out. Returning this way would be easier going with the current.

It had been basically been raining all day when we got to a jagged rock hill that needed to be climbed on portage after Isabella.

This is where we ran into a group of 6 from Kentucky, we heard them coming way before we could see them, bang, bang, bang. I had to laugh when I saw one of them just dragging his canoe over the rocks and wearing combat boots. Here’s a guy that had been morally broken by the wilderness experience, I thought. We stopped and chatted for a while, the one that looked like he knew what he was doing boasted 23 years experience here, a member of the quite-journey forum. He warned of the heart-stop hill portage ahead in these conditions would not be wise, and offered an alternate route into the north end of Side Lake. Good advise that we heeded.

It was raining hard by the time we got into Side Lake., it was getting cold, and we were soaked. We would set up camp and call it a day here. It was good progress for a day. We got the Noah tarp set up, and some hot soup going, beef barley. Never better!

With nothing but soaked wood, getting a fire going was almost impossible. Nearly an hour later, smoke and steam was about it, the rain dripping off my hat undid my work. I had an emergency fire starter kit, but only one, last year I carried for over a week and never needed it, today was the day. It was a free give away from the ‘Canoe-Copia’ festival, a tea light size candle in a paper pill cup, paper was mixed in with the wax. I nestled it under my soaked tinderbox and crossed my fingers. Smoke and steam poured out for what seemed like another hour when it finally went ablaze. Only a moral victory though; it was raining so hard, getting near it to warm up meant getting more wet. We retreated for an early night into the tent where it was warm and dry. The rain continued all through the night, and so did the fire.