Monday, August 09, 2010
There has been more rain last night but the rain flys on the hammocks do their job flawlessly. This morning is clear and hot. I cook big pancakes one at a time over the open fire and the boys cover them with maple syrup before wolfing them down. By the time I eat, the coffee is ready and we start to plan the day. Ethan wants to climb the 105 foot cliff we passed back west on this lake. This should give me a pretty good fishing opportunity as well. Patrick has brought an electronic reader full of books (like a Kindle) and he opts to stay back to read and help Max guard the camp.
So Ethan and I paddle out with a 10 mph wind at our backs until he spots some submerged boulders just inches below the surface and we have some fun taking photos.
Once we get moving again, we alternate paddling with firing lures near shore before the wind blows us too far off course. When we cross south to the cliff, it seems even bigger and makes me wonder if I am doing the right thing letting him climb it. I paddle all around the water at the base of the cliff, using the portable depth finder to make sure there are no surprises hiding below the surface just in case he slips. Afterward, I make him swim the area as a final precaution. With all that work, Ethan decides he might as well do a little cliff jumping! So he scales the cliff like a spider for 30 feet or so and...
After a couple of jumps, Ethan grabs his climbing gear and begins to scale the cliff with the intent to rappel down. He doesn't like the moss that covers much of the rock surface since it makes climbing more dangerous. It doesn't affect the rappelling though which he has threatened to teach to Patrick and myself. I am going to have find something quite a bit smaller than this to learn on.
There is also a pretty nice view of Winchell from the top of the cliff. You can just see me in the canoe on the bottom left. I don't catch many fish but I can't remember a better morning.
We paddle back against the wind towards camp and notice new neighbors have taken advantage of the warm weather by swimming from the rocks in front of their sites. After a lunch of mac and cheese, we pull out the maps for a little route planning. Tomorrow we plan to see what we can find north of Winchell by visiting Gaskin and then moving west. With that settled, we take a cue from our neighbors and spend the rest of the day swimming, reading and relaxing while Max chases his tennis ball and defends us from chipmunks.
For dinner we have another Bear Creek soup - this time Cream of Broccoli with some foil packed chicken and powdered milk added - and it is delicious. The boys hit the hammocks early while Max and I spend a quiet night by the fire. Clouds have moved in again so there are no stars but it is otherwise a beautiful night. Max doesn't like his pup tent, preferring to sleep on the ground under one of the hammocks and I am going to let him - don't tell his mother. One cigar and a couple of glasses of wine later and I climb into the hammock myself.