First Quetico Trip... The Epic Journey
by hexnymph
Trip Type:
Paddling Canoe
Entry Date:
05/28/2004
Entry & Exit Point:
Moose Lake (EP 25)
Number of Days:
8
Group Size:
8
Day 4 of 8
Tuesday, June 01, 2004
Camel Lake to Shortcut stream to Veron Lake, Delahey Lake, Conmee Lake first southeast bay.
Day 4 we got to an early start breaking down camp. The sky still appeared to threaten rain but it wasn’t raining yet. Early in the morning, just as I was getting up, two of the group members ventured on to check out a possible alternative rout off of Camel. Instead of taking the long portage down to Veron, we decided the stream to the east might be an option to travel by way of bushwack. About the time camp was broken down and people were fed the two scouts returned and gave it the thumbs up… they saw an existing “trail”.
We made our way to the start of the stream which we were determined to follow and unloaded the canoes right next to a cool little shoot/falls/waterslide where the stream entered the lake. At the beginning of the bushwack the “trail” wasn’t all that bad especially after the first three canoes had all ready cleared out a pretty good path. This stream proved to be a nice alternative to the portage because there was a lot of canoeable water and all the portages were short and relatively easy for bushwhacking terms. We might have even seen some wildlife as we slid through the swamp had we been able to bushwack a little quieter but that wasn’t the case… by far! Although it took a little more time than the portage would have, I’d take that rout again in a heartbeat. By the time we made it through the worst of it the clouds had broken and the sun was starting to shine. We were all ready for some sunshine by that point!
Once through the stream and down onto Veron the bite was on as one of the other boats pulled in a smallmouth. We started casting then and caught ourselves lunch within a matter of minutes with some hot smallmouth action. I was using a jointed black and gold rapala that’s about 4 inches long. We paddled down into Veron a short distance till we found a good rocky outcropping on an island and had lunch, made water, and dressed for sun. We then packed up the canoes and headed over to Delahey. Just as we were getting to the portage we saw a canoe, which is the first we saw for day 4.
Then we paddled across Delahey to our doom… known as the Conmee Death march (to us) which is a grueling set of 195 rod, then 290 rod, and a 141 rod portages… with a couple puddles in between. About halfway across the portage the group stopped and took a break to eat an orange. It was a much needed stop and a good chance to pick off the ticks we accumulated. We finished the final leg of the portage and onto an unnamed lake before long. By this time the wind was settled and the water was as smooth as glass. It was so calm, in fact, that it was one of those opportunities to take a picture with such a reflection that you might turn the picture upside down and not know which way was right. I haven’t developed my film so I’m not sure how mine turned out yet. One more 14-rod portage and we were finally on Conmee Lake.
We stopped briefly to rest up on Conmee and fish at the base of the rapids but the bite was slow and only a couple of pike were caught…. and released. We started to paddle down the lake in hopes to find the perfect site but when we reached the island we thought would be good, it was all ready occupied by some others… that’s 2 canoes spotted for this day… so we headed south. Another day of exhaustion was upon us. One thing I have to get used to are the campsites in Quetico are not usually marked on the maps so you’ve got to find them. As we searched we passed a couple small sites that didn’t look like we could find a flat spot for four tents so paddled on. At the end of the day with little daylight left, patience wearing thin, and hunger pressing us to find a spot… we reached another point were some of us were not the happiest of campers… At the same time, with the sun setting on the bay we were in, the rocks on shore reflected a brilliant white glow and the glass calm water with perfect reflections making it hard to distinguish any detail on the shore, even more powerful were the lavender colored clouds spread across a sky with a blue to orange sky backdrop… I didn’t really have a care in the world…. I reached my Zen. I can’t believe it took me 4 days to melt a years worth of stress, but at this very point it all washed away.
We managed to find a camp shortly there after that suited whatever people needed to call it a camp, setup the tents, ate some Conmee Lake soup, and enjoyed the calm of the night. This night the full, or close enough to it, moon was beaming down on us enough to cause noticeable shadows. This was also the first night that it was calm enough to hear the sounds of the night…. Loons, frogs, etc…. I slept well that night.
Camel Lake to Shortcut stream to Veron Lake, Delahey Lake, Conmee Lake first southeast bay.
Day 4 we got to an early start breaking down camp. The sky still appeared to threaten rain but it wasn’t raining yet. Early in the morning, just as I was getting up, two of the group members ventured on to check out a possible alternative rout off of Camel. Instead of taking the long portage down to Veron, we decided the stream to the east might be an option to travel by way of bushwack. About the time camp was broken down and people were fed the two scouts returned and gave it the thumbs up… they saw an existing “trail”.
We made our way to the start of the stream which we were determined to follow and unloaded the canoes right next to a cool little shoot/falls/waterslide where the stream entered the lake. At the beginning of the bushwack the “trail” wasn’t all that bad especially after the first three canoes had all ready cleared out a pretty good path. This stream proved to be a nice alternative to the portage because there was a lot of canoeable water and all the portages were short and relatively easy for bushwhacking terms. We might have even seen some wildlife as we slid through the swamp had we been able to bushwack a little quieter but that wasn’t the case… by far! Although it took a little more time than the portage would have, I’d take that rout again in a heartbeat. By the time we made it through the worst of it the clouds had broken and the sun was starting to shine. We were all ready for some sunshine by that point!
Once through the stream and down onto Veron the bite was on as one of the other boats pulled in a smallmouth. We started casting then and caught ourselves lunch within a matter of minutes with some hot smallmouth action. I was using a jointed black and gold rapala that’s about 4 inches long. We paddled down into Veron a short distance till we found a good rocky outcropping on an island and had lunch, made water, and dressed for sun. We then packed up the canoes and headed over to Delahey. Just as we were getting to the portage we saw a canoe, which is the first we saw for day 4.
Then we paddled across Delahey to our doom… known as the Conmee Death march (to us) which is a grueling set of 195 rod, then 290 rod, and a 141 rod portages… with a couple puddles in between. About halfway across the portage the group stopped and took a break to eat an orange. It was a much needed stop and a good chance to pick off the ticks we accumulated. We finished the final leg of the portage and onto an unnamed lake before long. By this time the wind was settled and the water was as smooth as glass. It was so calm, in fact, that it was one of those opportunities to take a picture with such a reflection that you might turn the picture upside down and not know which way was right. I haven’t developed my film so I’m not sure how mine turned out yet. One more 14-rod portage and we were finally on Conmee Lake.
We stopped briefly to rest up on Conmee and fish at the base of the rapids but the bite was slow and only a couple of pike were caught…. and released. We started to paddle down the lake in hopes to find the perfect site but when we reached the island we thought would be good, it was all ready occupied by some others… that’s 2 canoes spotted for this day… so we headed south. Another day of exhaustion was upon us. One thing I have to get used to are the campsites in Quetico are not usually marked on the maps so you’ve got to find them. As we searched we passed a couple small sites that didn’t look like we could find a flat spot for four tents so paddled on. At the end of the day with little daylight left, patience wearing thin, and hunger pressing us to find a spot… we reached another point were some of us were not the happiest of campers… At the same time, with the sun setting on the bay we were in, the rocks on shore reflected a brilliant white glow and the glass calm water with perfect reflections making it hard to distinguish any detail on the shore, even more powerful were the lavender colored clouds spread across a sky with a blue to orange sky backdrop… I didn’t really have a care in the world…. I reached my Zen. I can’t believe it took me 4 days to melt a years worth of stress, but at this very point it all washed away.
We managed to find a camp shortly there after that suited whatever people needed to call it a camp, setup the tents, ate some Conmee Lake soup, and enjoyed the calm of the night. This night the full, or close enough to it, moon was beaming down on us enough to cause noticeable shadows. This was also the first night that it was calm enough to hear the sounds of the night…. Loons, frogs, etc…. I slept well that night.
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