2 lakes, 1 portage

The wind blew all night and we had a rain shower just as we were waking up. Decided to break camp anyway, and I fixed a hot breakfast. We were on the water at 8:30 and paddled the length of the long, narrow lake in strong wind gusts from the east and rain/mist off and on. Portaged back to Jock Mock Bay, still thinking of crossing Brule Lake. In the bay it was very challenging paddling, with large waves, whitecaps, and big swells evident out in the main lake. As we reached the point I "lost it" and told Neil I could not make the lake crossing (probably wise.) [In reality I remember distinctly shouting out: "I am NOT ready to die on this lake!!] We went back into the bay.

The first campsite was taken, but the second was vacant, so we made an incredibly wet and windy camp in a beautiful site on a small point. This would have been lovely on another day, but today, with an eastern exposure it wasn't ideal for refuge from a "Nor'Easter"! Still, "any port in a storm" isn't just a phrase when you need to get out of the weather.

We put up the tent quickly and crawled in. The wind became much worse after we stopped, and made us thankful that we weren't out in the middle of the big lake! The tent blew and puffed in the gusts, and there was some challenge in keeping things dry, but we managed nicely. This was a discouraging point in the trip for me, and I surely was hoping and praying for a change for the better soon, weatherwise!

The lake that was so sparkling and inviting two days ago had become a gray monster, with the waves crashing on the shore and the wind blowing and blowing. [There was just no way with my film camera to really show how threatening this lake looked.] We were glad for our small shelter, and we cooked again in the tent. Sort of cramped, but in this wind it was probably the only way to cook at all.

I would like to see this site again in nice weather. It has a large open area that looks almost "landscaped", and a beautiful view of the bay. There will be lots of blueberries later on.