Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Whew! This was quite a day! I was up around 5:10am, packed everything up and was on the water by 6:20am. I ate my cold soaked oatmeal in the canoe since the wind was blowing in the correct direction. Glad I started so early because the day turned very hot and sunny. I wish I had kept my journal handy during the travel hours to keep track of the numerous portages, but this is what I remember.

The first few portages were easy to find, were flat and had fantastic landings. I believe it was the 4th one had an up and a down. I also had a couple beaver dams to pull over. As the day progressed, I was extremely thankful that I travel light because it was a LOT of in & out of the canoe. Another bright side was it gave me a lot of opportunity to work on my efficiency transitioning at the start and finish of each portage. How few movements could get me out and moving?

After the initial portages, the landings started getting rougher and were harder to spot in the burn area. When I reached the 9th portage, I could not find a landing. I searched both sides of the river and even got out to walk the rocky shore in an attempt to locate it. Finally, I just lined the short section of rapids. I figured maybe that is what everybody had been doing. But then I couldn't find the 10th portage either and these rapids were much longer, shallower, and tough to navigate the boat from the shoreline. I searched and searched the shore for signs of a landing or path.

Self-doubt crept in. When you travel with a group, you have other brains to consult and compare notes. But solo, you have no one with whom to double check your decisions. Many solo travelers get into trouble when things go wrong and they fall into a pattern of confirmation bias where they are unable to recognize a problem and keep making their surroundings fit their expectation. So I stopped and thought through my options and what I knew and didn't know very carefully. First, I was on a river so chances of having taken a wrong turn were unlikely but not impossible. Could I have turned onto a "go nowhere" side creek? I studied the map and couldn't find any serious contenders for a wrong turn. Second, I was in a location where I still had a choice to go back upstream and just return to Perent Lake. I needed to be careful that I didn't travel too far into the "unknown" that I might lose that option.

After careful review of the map and carefully comparing compass readings with the shape of the pool in the river, I was as certain as I could be that I was exactly where I should be and it was the portages that were either marked wrong or were hidden by the burn area regrowth. I also determined that the next pool had a very unique shape and a bend north in the river. I set a rule for myself that if it didn't match the map, I would force myself to turn around and abort my trip. So I lined the more difficult stretch of river and was relieved that the pool matched the map exactly. AND I easily found the next portage precisely where it was marked. I still have no idea what happened to those other 2 portages. I even searched for the downstream landings to no avail. I was too tired to worry anymore about it and was just relieved that I had not made any navigation errors.

In Boga Lake, I forgot there was a 16 rod portage that bypasses Azure so I ended up lining another rapids. It looked like site #1921 might be active again, but I didn't stop to confirm. I made it to Isabella Lake by 11:30am. I passed 2 canoes as they were returning to site #2320 and stopped to chat when one woman asked about my canoe. They had explored the lake and said site #1922 looked decent, but they never found any of the others. I wasn't stopping in Isabella so I pushed on and knocked off the 28 rod and 20 rod portages easily. I saw a fire grate at site #1928 so it is active again.

I was feeling good and really cruising. I thought I could just keep going and try to get free of the burn area today, but then I messed up finding the start of the 126 rod portage. I stopped too early and followed a fake, dead end path. So make note that to find the correct path, you need to go past the first rocky shoal and then past a bay. The correct portage will be REALLY obvious and is a lovely path.

Temps had really climbed during the afternoon and I was getting overheated. I tripped on the flat path and realized I was also getting very tired so stopping at Rice Lake would be the smart choice. After my first solo trip where I took a bad fall and injured a knee, I have become much more cautious about over extending myself. On a solo trip, I am especially careful to avoid injury.

Took a bit of searching to find the site #1938 because it was further along than my Voyageur map indicated. I really didn't want to stay there because the sun was really beating down and there was no shade. I downed a recovery drink and took a swim which made me feel a lot better. I considered continuing but decided to be prudent for safety reasons. I pitched my tent next to the massive boulder in a way that the shade would start to creep over me.

Normally, I am an extensive planner. I get as much joy planning the details of a trip as in taking the trip, but this trip had been different. I had struggled to find the motivation to plan it. My meals had come together at the last minute by scavenging through my camping cupboard and included leftovers from past trips or meals I purchased on a whim to test out. I didn't make my normal list of gear item weights and didn't plan out caloric intake like normal. I had just tossed stuff into my pack haphazardly based off memory and instinct. It seemed to fit my mood since quitting my job...half motivated to accomplish some neglected tasks and half "I don't give a f***". My spark feels dim and I'm hoping this trip will fan the flames a bit. My friend, Nan, said she just slept for months after she made a similar exit from the same employer. The MR150 canoe marathon earlier this month had provided some motivation, but when it was over I had to balance recovery with not becoming a total blob. Not sure I succeeded in avoiding blobness.

Upon reflection, it does feel good to be on this trip. I have to THINK. I have to stay aware of my safety, my location, my hydration and nutrition, my goals, my frustrations. There is no support crew to help me make decisions or to look out for me. It is just me. I can't afford to be mindless or lethargic.

Summer solstice today. The light does not want to leave the sky. Little black flies came out and sound like raindrops bouncing off the tent. A damselfly flew under the tent flap and munched a fly that was taking a rest break. Then, the damselfly artfully hovered down and under the bottom lip and zoomed off. Dragonflies put on an aerial show at sunset. It finally cooled off a bit and I drifted off to sleep.

Travel time: 6:20am-2:40pm (8.3 hours) Distance: 15 miles (15 portages) Places: Perent Lake, Perent River, Boga Lake, Azure Lake, Isabella Lake, Isabella River, Rice Lake