Sunday, September 27, 2009 There is a twist to this mornings weather as intermittent rain showers put a damper on breakfast. This was to be a layover day so Ted assembles our homemade reflector oven and bakes biscuits as I get the gravy mix started. After cleanup we explore the campsite area and try a little fishing on the lee side of the penninsula. This midlake campsite is a nice one with a large, flat canoe landing out front. It is fairly open around the fire grate area, but has just enough trees to get a tarp up. There is a large, flat tent pad back in the woods that has room for a couple of decent sized tents. Being one of only two sites on a large, hard to reach lake, I think it would be a great site for a quiet summer basecamp. We retreat to the tarp to avoid the rain and listen to the weather radio to see how long this rain will last today. We discover that the showers may linger, but worse, 40 to 50 mph winds are predicted for late tonight and through tomorrow. A very quick decision is made to break camp and head for Long Island Lake. If not, we will be windbound here through tomorrow and will be way behind on our route, plus, we need a more protected site. Camp is ripped down, packed up and we hit the water at 12:30. The ever growing west wind blows us quickly east to our portage, the 320 rodder to Kiskadinna. As expected, this portage looks like it doesn't see much traffic. It is narrow, rocky and overgrown at the start before climbing to the ridgetop where it levels off. The big blow of 1999 must have hit this hilltop hard. There are only small trees up here with lots of brush and large areas of tall grass. Eventually we drop down through a large valley littered with a few moose bones, cross a small creek, and take a break overlooking a small unnamed lake. It has been too muggy to wear our raingear in the light drizzle but as soon as we finish a snack, we notice that the nagging precipitation is sinking in a little and the temps are dropping. We didn't realize this while grunting through this portage. The break is over and we squeeze down through a steep, narrow, rocky canyon, cross a boulder garden, pass another small lake and finally come to a creek valley and the log strewn portage landing on Kiskadinna. It has taken us two hours to leap frog across this portage and the weather is still deteriorating. So we put on raingear and make the short paddle across Kiskadinna.
We now have to psych up again for the 190 rod portage down to Muskeg Lake. I was here in June and I assure Ted that the worst part for us will be downhill. If you have never done "the wall" portage, I don't suggest trying it before or after the mile long portage to Davis. On we go through Muskeg Lake and the pretty little paddle through Muskeg Creek before hitting the large beaver dam at the start of the portage to Long Island. The wind is shifting to the North as we paddle into it and head for the island site on the East end of Long Island Lake. There is a decent landing out of the wind just below the site. It has taken us five hours to travel a little over four miles and we are happy to get out of the wind and water and set up camp. This is a nice camp on the tip of this island and we hope it will provide sanctuary for the next 36 hours. The firegrate area is nice, but is ignored by us as it sits on the point exposed to the wind. The tent is set back towards the trees behind a knoll and a grove of small pines. We angle the tarp low and right over the tent to deflect wind and rain. I use all the tie outs and we secure it to any and everything in sight. As we take a break to survey the rest of camp, we realize the temps are dropping and we are damp, tired and maybe on the verge of a slight case of hypothermia. It was a hard day to dress proper and the weather is catching up with us. A change of clothes and a hot cup of soup is just the ticket to give us the needed boost to finish off camp and prepare for the gusty night ahead. With camp set, some sausage is browned and thrown onto some sauce covered tortillas with cheese and we enjoy some BW pizzas. Sleep comes easily but I am jolted awake by the sudden, loud howl of the first big blast as it arrives.