Smoke on the Water, Loons in the Wind
by prettypaddle
Trip Type:
Paddling Canoe
Entry Date:
08/09/2005
Entry & Exit Point:
Moose Lake (EP 25)
Number of Days:
6
Group Size:
2
Discuss Trip:
View Discussion Thread (9 messages)
Part 4 of 8
Day 3 - Thursday, August 11, 2005
Spice Lake - Ogishkemuncie Lake - Kingfisher Lake - Jasper Lake – Alpine Lake – Red Rock Lake – Alpine Lake
We are being so lazy this trip! The sun has long since risen by the time we roll out of the tent and our paddle-late-into-the-day-to-find-a-campsite-because-we-got-a-late-start-because-we-were-tired-after-paddling-late-into-the-day-to-find-a-campsite routine seems to be firmly entrenched. Either Eric's rubbing off on me or I'm finally starting to relax because instead of breaking camp and getting an earlier start, we… go swimming! The sun’s up and warm and we have the beautiful little lake to ourselves, so we take advantage of the inviting water.
Before noon we’re on the water headed for Red Rock Lake. It’s a quiet, hazy day with a taste of smoke in the air. In a narrow part of a lake we paddle beside a protective mother loon and her very inquisitive chick. They do a little dance on the water with the baby loon swimming out from behind its mother to see us saying “cheep cheep cheep” and the mother swimming in front so that she’s between us and her baby.
While having lunch by a little waterfall between Jasper and Alpine, two ranger ladies come up to warn us about the fires and to tell us that all the campsites on the east side of Red Rock are closed. They give us a skeptical look when we say that we’d planned to camp on that lake. Again they warn us to stay away from the fire, any campsites on the east side of the lake, and from the fire planes. With all the warnings, we’re beginning to question the wisdom of camping there, but decide it won’t hurt to look.
Hoses, connected to pumps in the lake, are laid out along the length of the portage between Alpine and Red Rock and sprinklers are attached to the trees. A sign is posted at the end of the portage cautioning visitors about the fires.
Warnings from rangers and caution signs tied to trees, sprinklers laid out along the portage, and smoke billowing out across the lake… Are we really thinking of camping here? Maybe, maybe not, but we sure want to get a closer look. We head for the first campsite on the western shore of the lake to check it out.
It’s an awe inspiring sight -- the whole eastern shore is smoldering and the bays are filled with smoke. Occasionally a tree (balsam, we assume) bursts into crackling flame. It must be deafening up close. A water bomber appears, dumps its load on the southern side of the fire, flies over us and circles back to Seagull to refill and return. It all just seems so surreal.
When the wind starts blowing the smoke in our direction, we decide that entrusting our lives to changeable weather and the U.S. Forest Service probably wouldn’t make for a very restful night. So it’s back over the sprinkler portage to Alpine.
All in all a good decision. Alpine is much quieter, far less smoky, and we don’t feel as likely to be burned to a crisp by morning. Still though, we have a plan worked out incase we need to evacuate in the middle of the night. It was worth coming back to Alpine for the added peace of mind but also for the view from the throne at our campsite! It’s up a steep path way up on the top of a hill and looks down through the trees to the lake. It starts to sprinkle so we turn in early and listen for the crackle of any approaching flames.
Spice Lake - Ogishkemuncie Lake - Kingfisher Lake - Jasper Lake – Alpine Lake – Red Rock Lake – Alpine Lake
We are being so lazy this trip! The sun has long since risen by the time we roll out of the tent and our paddle-late-into-the-day-to-find-a-campsite-because-we-got-a-late-start-because-we-were-tired-after-paddling-late-into-the-day-to-find-a-campsite routine seems to be firmly entrenched. Either Eric's rubbing off on me or I'm finally starting to relax because instead of breaking camp and getting an earlier start, we… go swimming! The sun’s up and warm and we have the beautiful little lake to ourselves, so we take advantage of the inviting water.
Before noon we’re on the water headed for Red Rock Lake. It’s a quiet, hazy day with a taste of smoke in the air. In a narrow part of a lake we paddle beside a protective mother loon and her very inquisitive chick. They do a little dance on the water with the baby loon swimming out from behind its mother to see us saying “cheep cheep cheep” and the mother swimming in front so that she’s between us and her baby.
While having lunch by a little waterfall between Jasper and Alpine, two ranger ladies come up to warn us about the fires and to tell us that all the campsites on the east side of Red Rock are closed. They give us a skeptical look when we say that we’d planned to camp on that lake. Again they warn us to stay away from the fire, any campsites on the east side of the lake, and from the fire planes. With all the warnings, we’re beginning to question the wisdom of camping there, but decide it won’t hurt to look.
Hoses, connected to pumps in the lake, are laid out along the length of the portage between Alpine and Red Rock and sprinklers are attached to the trees. A sign is posted at the end of the portage cautioning visitors about the fires.
Warnings from rangers and caution signs tied to trees, sprinklers laid out along the portage, and smoke billowing out across the lake… Are we really thinking of camping here? Maybe, maybe not, but we sure want to get a closer look. We head for the first campsite on the western shore of the lake to check it out.
It’s an awe inspiring sight -- the whole eastern shore is smoldering and the bays are filled with smoke. Occasionally a tree (balsam, we assume) bursts into crackling flame. It must be deafening up close. A water bomber appears, dumps its load on the southern side of the fire, flies over us and circles back to Seagull to refill and return. It all just seems so surreal.
When the wind starts blowing the smoke in our direction, we decide that entrusting our lives to changeable weather and the U.S. Forest Service probably wouldn’t make for a very restful night. So it’s back over the sprinkler portage to Alpine.
All in all a good decision. Alpine is much quieter, far less smoky, and we don’t feel as likely to be burned to a crisp by morning. Still though, we have a plan worked out incase we need to evacuate in the middle of the night. It was worth coming back to Alpine for the added peace of mind but also for the view from the throne at our campsite! It’s up a steep path way up on the top of a hill and looks down through the trees to the lake. It starts to sprinkle so we turn in early and listen for the crackle of any approaching flames.
Donate - BWCA.com