Woke moderately early to a partly to mostly sunny day. It rained a bit overnight though. We had just two miles to Kinga Lake and the group made the decision to portage to a large grove of trees that ringed this end of the lake (which we could see from our campsite) and then make another decision as to paddle the rest of the way to the lake or bushwhack through the trees.

The portage to the trees was about a mile, maybe a little more, with everyone making two trips. We portaged along the ridge where the steep slope rising from the river leveled out to a much more gentle gradient up to the top of the hill. It seemed almost like a plateau that rose gently upwards. Though this “plateau” did not seem large, it sported an amazing number of small, briskly flowing drainage streams no more than a foot wide. These little drainage streams were not difficult to traverse portaging, but there was a stream every 20-30yards. Where was all the water coming from?!

When we reached the trees, we decided to put the boats in the water and see how the river treated us. Nobody wanted to bushwhack through the trees as they were very, very thick and a portage would have been incredibly difficult.

As it turned out, we were able to easily paddle the whole way to Kinga Lake except for about 10feet at the very beginning and two, even shorter sections just at the end where the river emptied into the lake. We had reached Kinga Lake and the Maguse Watershed System. We stopped for a big TL of bannock and mashed toes with noodles and pudding for desert.

The group was pretty tired from the long day yesterday and the significant portage this morning so we decided we would not paddle to much this afternoon and make it an early day into camp.

During TL, the skies clouded up and the temperature dropped noticeably and we bundled up. The sandy point where we had TL was in view of an old abandoned cabin. In the sand we found lots of animal tracks including caribou, rabbit and even bear.

After TL we paddled about three more miles and made camp on a rocky point across the lake from and old Hudson’s Bay Company village. After we got camp set up we paddled over to check it out. The little settlement consisted of 5 building and a shack. There was also and old missionaries cabin about 200 yards away up the hill behind the settlement. There were a lot of 55-gallon drums around, some empty, some full. We also found two human graves. Only one of the abandoned buildings could have been remotely considered clean. Inside we found notes from other people who had passed through. The latest date we found was 1986. On one of the walls was a piece of paper where people had signed their name, so I signed mine and dated it August 5th, 1990.

After looking about the settlement known as “Paddlei” a bit longer, we got back in our canoes and headed back across the lake to our campsite.

Our campsite was at the bottom of a large, rocky ridge so I decided to go and walk it. Dave went too and found a box up on one of the hills that had a human skull inside. Today is the first time we’ve seen any sign of human death. It was an eerie thought to think that you are in an area where at least three humans have lost their lives. It gives a sense of just how rugged, desolate and dangerous this region is.

I walked up to the top of the highest ridge and found a large cairn. From this point I could see out over the entire area. I could see a whole lot of water! The desolate tundra and rocky terrain made for a stark, yet beautiful view. Just standing there and feeling the wind blow around me was fantastic.

I descended back down the ridge to camp and found numerous little burrows of the arctic ground squirrel. The Inuit name for the ground squirrel is the sik-sik after the sound the little animals make. We’ve seen a fair amount of ground squirrel evidence the last few days and a considerable number of Canadian geese too. Today was the first day in several that we have not seen a caribou.

Today was also cause for a small celebration. Kinga Lake is part of the Maguse River system. The Maguse River flows east from here, all the way to Hudson Bay. From past trip logs we know that the river is easy with straight-forward rapids with only one portage around some nice falls. We should reach the Bay in seven days and barring any storms on the Bay, we should be in Eskimo Point in Eight days. The trip is beginning to near its end, which is both nice and a bit sad.

Today was the 21st day we have not seen anyone.

Day 37

Woke pretty late today to an overcast sky, but there was a clear breakline in the clouds to the northeast. The wind was blowing lightly from the east, the direction we were headed. For breakfast we had cornbread and applesauce and were underway quickly.

We had a fair amount of river paddling today with many marked set of rapids. As we paddled, we found that the marked sets were usually easily runable and made good time with the fast current.

We had TL on Henninga Lake after 11 miles and lots of rapids, all runable. We ate on top of a big outcropping of granite. Unfortunately, the clear sky to the northeast was moving away from us so the overcast skies were here to stay. During TL the wind died and the bugs came out so eating was done with headnets on.

After TL we had about 4 miles to a long 10-12 mile section of river. The 4 miles were partly on wide lazy river and partly on lake. Once into the long section of river, after only a mile or so, we came upon a river that was definitely not runable. The water first went over a 4-foot ledge then went over a series of smaller ledges and into a narrow chute. The rapid was very powerful and easily the biggest rapid we have seen on this trip yet. We portaged river-left!

After this rapid we paddled about another mile and came to another, even bigger rapid. The rapid may have been bigger, but it was almost runable as the obstacles were fewer and there were no spots where one could get into serious trouble. But being in the middle of nowhere, the risk was too great. The problem was that there was no place to portage so we had to line the canoes and then 8-man lift the canoes a ways at the bottom. That was a real pain.

After this rapids we paddled about another mile and began to hear the rumble of lots of water losing altitude quickly. This “rapid” turned out to be a waterfall of about 20 feet. The waterfall was at the head of a little canyon (this time with sheer rock sides). We decided to camp on the plateau next to the cliff walls as it was getting late and we were tired.

I really felt like getting away from the group tonight and spending some time alone do I decided to skip dinner and go fishing! Going off on my own let me not thing of the group, relax, and have some fun by myself. Even if it meant I was going to be really hungry later! The fishing was pretty good too. I did not fish for long, but I managed to catch four graylings, 3 of which were over 2lbs, and one lake trout that went about 5lbs.

It was getting dark when I walked back to camp. It was a little frightening even! It was almost a surreal feeling. It was so desolate, so wild and remote.

When I got back into camp I took care of some gear and headed into the tent. We got a little rain last and night and it drizzled a bit when we were setting up the tents. Maybe we’ll get a little more precipitation tonight?

We are now below 200feet in elevation. This morning we were at 2310 feet above sea level. Today was the 22nd day we have not seen any other people.

Day 38

Woke late this morning after some rain during the night. Last night was the first night I have ever had a nightmare on the trail. I vaguely remember the nightmare, human skeletons popping head first out of the ground, even right under the tent. The guys said I sat straight up in my sleeping bag just screaming, but I don’t remember that. Dave said it took a bit to get me calmed back down and lie back down. No recollection of that at all.

The weather this morning was of another typical arctic low-pressure system: overcast, drizzly, with wind from the northeast. We portaged the rest of the way past the thundering falls and little canyon after a breakfast of hashbrowns and eggs.

Once in the water, we soon came upon a rapid that we decided to run. At the time I was paddling in the bow with Chris. I am more comfortable in the stern and he is more comfortable in the bow, so we switched places for running the whitewater. The rapid was short and would have been straight-forward except for the good sized whirlpool river-right at the end. Chirs and I started down the left side. Because we had the whitewater skirts on the canoes, I opted to bash through a couple of small back-rollers in order to leave us in a better position for the remainder of the rapid. Immediately after the back-rollers we hit the first two or three big standing waves and then eddied out river left. Easy. Could not have drawn it up better in a whitewater instruction book!

The Maguse River flows almost due east. Unlike the big hills of a few days ago, the river seems as though it flows through a plain, as the terrain is pan-flat. The river has cut its own small valley, flowing 30 feet or so below the level of the surround plain. The problem we’ve run into however, is that that the strong winds we are facing on the water, are blowing straight west, directly into our faces. The wind is so strong that even going downstream progress is slow. The wind-whipped waves were actually traveling upstream! Boat control with the current and winds was tough and incredibly tiring as the wind pushed against you and the canoe, while the current pushed against the blade of your paddle. Those opposing forces were hard to handle. My arms would tire quickly.

We finally gave into to our aching arms and backs and headed to shore to wait it out a while and eat. We climbed up onto the flat plain above the river and were surprised to find that the wind was just a gentle breeze up above! The east-west river valley was acting like a wind-tunnel for the easterly wind. As Chris said, it would be the perfect place to test aerodynamics for new cars!

We were able to scrounge up enough wood so we got a fire going and we cooked up some potato pancakes and then baked some chocolate brownies. Yum!

The fire served another purpose in warming us up too. The weather was rather rugged: overcast, windy, drizzly and a temperature in the mid to upper 40s. But by the time we had finished the brownies, the wind had let up, the drizzling had stopped, and the temperature had seemed to climb into the 50s.

After our break we completed two more portages before the next lake. The portages were both around rapids and were quite treacherous as the rock was wet, slippery and sharp.

Once on the next lake, we paddled a while longer and then stopped for TL on one of a cluster of small rocky islands. After TL, the plan was to paddle about 5 miles and then portage across a very narrow section of a peninsula of the lake that would ultimately save about 6 miles of paddling. However, with the overcast skies, we had lost track of the time and not long after getting back on the water we sensed we were starting to lose light. So we stopped to set up camp before darkness fell.

As Chris and I were setting up a tent it started to feel a rain drop or two. We finished getting the tent set up and our gear stowed just in time before it really started raining. This was a pretty strong rain, harder than any rain we’ve had for a long time. Hopefully it will get it out of its system and clear out before tomorrow.

It is starting to sink in that we are getting closer and closer to the end of the trip. I think more often now of being at home with my family.

Today was the 23rd day we have not seen any other people.

Day 39

Woke late to a cold and windy day. The skies were still overcast but not rain-laden. I did not feel so great this morning and felt particularly bad right after breakfast. Nothing like paddling on an upset stomach, ugh.

We were underway broadside into a strong northeast wind. We paddled about 2 miles to where we intended to portage the peninsula. The portage was short and easy, up over and down a small esker.

On the other side of the peninsula we were again broadside to the wind, but this time we were no on a bigger section of the lake and more exposed to the wind and resulting waves. I was paddling in the stern and big John was up in the bow. John outweighs me by about 65 pounds and the strong wind really tried to take control of the back of the canoe. It was all I could do to keep the boat on course when I pulled a muscle in my back. We stopped for a bit right in the middle of the bay to see if I could stretch it out, but after paddling a short bit further we had to switch positions, the pain was just too great.

Once we made it out of the big section of the lake, we got into a more river-like section that had some good current. We were able to make really good time on this section of water. Then we had to turn directly into the teeth of the wind. We paddled about 2 miles like this and then stopped for TL. I was soaked from the waves crashing over the bow of the canoe. The skirt kept the water out of the boat, but it didn’t keep it off of me!

On the hill above the point where we stopped for TL we found a huge caribou rack still attached to a portion of the bleached skull of the animal. The stark white rack was huge, biggest I have ever seen. We decided to take it with us to use as our trip’s commemorative addition to the Trips house back at Manito-Wish. It was a big thing to pack out, but we figured we had minimal portaging left and we would be unlikely to find a better rack, which we had already decided as what we wanted for our addition to the storied wall of the Trips building.

After TL I paddled with Matt, so I was in the stern of the canoe again. But steering the canoe was not nearly as hard because now we were headed straight into the wind as opposed to broadside to it, and the wind seemed to have died a little.

After paddling a few more mile, our river turned more to the southeast while the wind shifted to the north, providing a mostly tailwind. With the wind at our back and the current, we started to move quickly. The solid deck of clouds from the morning had condensed to form small, but strong rain squalls amidst blue sky. Only one squall hit us, and though intense, it didn’t last long.

We paddled about 6 or 7 miles after TL and made camp at the end of a narrow section of the river-like lake. As I was setting up a tent, I noticed the skies were clearing a bit. Hopefully the clouds and rain will clear out and it will be nice and sunny for the next few days.

I didn’t eat dinner tonight as I still felt ill. Instead I went straight to the tent in hopes of getting a good night’s sleep. Today was the 24th day we have not seen any other people. It is also the 15th day in a row.

Day 40

Was awoken early this morning by Matt and John. Matt, John and Greg did not get any sleep last night due to the large amount of cowboy coffee they consumed!

Anyway, I was feeling a bit better this morning. The weather was mostly cloudy with winds from the north-northwest. We had pancakes for breakfast but my appetite had still not returned so I only had one.

This was the earliest start we have had for a while, and it felt good to be on the water so early. We were headed southeast and the wind was increasing at our backs. Progress was quite good. However, our good speed was frequently interrupted by Matt who had diarrhea, bummer.

The wind continued to build, and we tried sailing at one point, but the wind was just too strong and the waves were too big to allow safe handling of the canoes under sail. We were still able to make good progress, though the big wave made being on the water a bit scary at times. Waves, up to four feet high would crash over the sides of the canoes. The paddler in the stern had to be very careful not to let the canoe get turned too far one way or the other, or the waves could easily swamp the boat. I had my hands full in the stern all day long.

In the morning I paddled with Greg. With the two of us, our boat was very light and the wind really blew us around. In the afternoon I paddled with John in the bow, now we were bow heavy and the wind would try to wing the stern around like a wind vane with the bow as the pointer!

We stopped for TL after covering about 15 miles this morning. Folks were tired so we took a little longer TL. The lack of sleep began to take its toll on John in the afternoon as I noticed his paddle strokes lacking a bit of the huge power he usually generates. In fact, when we made camp tonight, he went straight to bed after everything was set up!

We camped on a long narrow island in the middle of a channel. There was a little hill to provide a bit of shelter from the wind for our camp. The sun was still high in the sky when we made camp today. We cooked cheese bannock bread and tomato soup for dinner. For desert we had butterscotch pudding. After that, Dave, Stew and Scot cooked up some has browns!

It looks like we have about 4 more days of paddling to Eskimo Point. After 40 days, the rugged conditions are starting to take their toll on the group, at least physically. Matt, Chris and I have upset stomach. Greg and John both have a cough or cold, while Scott has a staff infection on his hands and Stew probably has a bit of a staff infection on his hands as well. Staff is a bacterial infection and can be quite contagious and in Scot and Stew’s cases, is manifesting itself as sores all over their hands. Scot’s is much worse than Stew’s however. Scot is unable to bend one had at all from the pain, and his other hand he can bend, but only just. We’ve taken to calling Scot Uncle Buncle from all the sores. Stew’s hands have been getting worse, however they look like they won’t get too bad before getting to Eskimo Point. Dave is the only completely healthy one left and he is always very hungry now. His metabolism seemed to just skyrocket about a week ago.

Tomorrow should be the last of the lake paddling until Hudson Bay, and of course, that’s not lake paddling, but ocean paddling! It looks like we have maybe just under 50 miles to the Bay. We are planning to cover that distance in three days, but could probably do it in two if we had to, but we don’t.

If the weather holds as it is, we should have a tailwind in the morning and the current should be very nice in the river. The strong wind of today has died down, but the waves crashing on the shore are still very large. The clouds have burned off giving us a rare day without rain. The dry arctic wind and evening sun made for ideal conditions to dry out clothes and gear.

Today was the 25th day overall, and 16th day in a row we have not seen any other people.