Fishgut's Increditable Quetico Adventure
by fishguts
Trip Type:
Paddling Canoe
Entry Date:
07/06/2005
Entry Point:
Quetico
Exit Point:
Quetico
Number of Days:
11
Group Size:
3
Day 3 of 11
Friday, July 08, 2005
We got up early and had a great breakfast of bacon, pancakes and the last 3 real eggs. Then we cleaned up the dishes and camp and packed up and headed east to Wicksteed.
First came the 35-rod portage that we had gone over on the day before, then past our lunch island. The wind was blowing more today so we hugged the shoreline. When we rounded the big point, the wind was really blowing, so we dodged in and out behind islands to cross the lake. We really pulled together in that wind and we made it across and down to the 45 rod portage to Darkey Lake, which we single portaged.
So here we are on Darkey Lake. It’s kinda warm & humid with a steady wind from the south. We have a nice class 5 campsite(The Best), on the north end of the lake. We set up camp…The tent, rain fly, and food pack roped up in a tree. Thomas and I took the canoe back towards the portage to fish and find firewood.
We struck out…no fish biting and no good firewood. The wind was a factor, making it hard to fish and maneuver the canoe. So back to camp we went, to take a rest and see if the wind quiets.
We hope to go down Darkey and see the pictographs, but it will be difficult with this wind from the south.
We took a nap and made dinner…mashed potatoes “Family style chicken”, more like chicken gravy, plump green beans and vanilla moose with ***tart***raspberries…yummy!
After we finished dinner and did the dishes, we hung the food packs and headed down to the south end of Darkey to see the pictographs…the wind that had been a strong breeze all afternoon finally dropped to a light breeze. It was still a long paddle (4 mile there and back!!!). Our Souris River Kevlar canoe does glide thur the water and when all 3 of us paddle we move right along!
At first we couldn’t find the pictographs. We had gone too far, so we checked each rock face that we came to. Finally we found them. They were on a huge 100-foot granite rock face. Some pictographs were just above the water line. Others were about 5 feet up. There were 2 moose with white hearts, also a spirit symbol and a man with a gun with a bullet coming out of the gun. There were strike ///////// marks and a handprint. Pretty impressive! We were all glad we made the effort to go the distance and see the artwork.
We fished a bit while heading back north to camp. Thomas caught a couple of small Smallmouth Bass and one good-sized Northern. We paddled back to camp as the sun was going down. We were pooped and went to bed.
We got up early and had a great breakfast of bacon, pancakes and the last 3 real eggs. Then we cleaned up the dishes and camp and packed up and headed east to Wicksteed.
First came the 35-rod portage that we had gone over on the day before, then past our lunch island. The wind was blowing more today so we hugged the shoreline. When we rounded the big point, the wind was really blowing, so we dodged in and out behind islands to cross the lake. We really pulled together in that wind and we made it across and down to the 45 rod portage to Darkey Lake, which we single portaged.
So here we are on Darkey Lake. It’s kinda warm & humid with a steady wind from the south. We have a nice class 5 campsite(The Best), on the north end of the lake. We set up camp…The tent, rain fly, and food pack roped up in a tree. Thomas and I took the canoe back towards the portage to fish and find firewood.
We struck out…no fish biting and no good firewood. The wind was a factor, making it hard to fish and maneuver the canoe. So back to camp we went, to take a rest and see if the wind quiets.
We hope to go down Darkey and see the pictographs, but it will be difficult with this wind from the south.
We took a nap and made dinner…mashed potatoes “Family style chicken”, more like chicken gravy, plump green beans and vanilla moose with ***tart***raspberries…yummy!
After we finished dinner and did the dishes, we hung the food packs and headed down to the south end of Darkey to see the pictographs…the wind that had been a strong breeze all afternoon finally dropped to a light breeze. It was still a long paddle (4 mile there and back!!!). Our Souris River Kevlar canoe does glide thur the water and when all 3 of us paddle we move right along!
At first we couldn’t find the pictographs. We had gone too far, so we checked each rock face that we came to. Finally we found them. They were on a huge 100-foot granite rock face. Some pictographs were just above the water line. Others were about 5 feet up. There were 2 moose with white hearts, also a spirit symbol and a man with a gun with a bullet coming out of the gun. There were strike ///////// marks and a handprint. Pretty impressive! We were all glad we made the effort to go the distance and see the artwork.
We fished a bit while heading back north to camp. Thomas caught a couple of small Smallmouth Bass and one good-sized Northern. We paddled back to camp as the sun was going down. We were pooped and went to bed.
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