Friday, June 23, 2023

I let myself sleep in today and woke around 6am. On the water by 7 with cloudy weather that threatened rain. The wind was from the N and NE but the rain never materialized. Clouds ebbed and flowed with the sun peeking out for a bit. The smoke from Canadian wildfires was thick today. Lake 4 and the western end of Hudson were pretty full but the people thinned out a lot by the time I reached Insula. This was my first time through these lakes and I found the view along the portage from Hudson to Insula to be very beautiful though scary to think about the wildfire that created such scenic views.

I met a couple groups headed out and an Outward Bound group on day 17 of 28, but I never met a soul on a portage. Seems most people were just base camped rather than traveling. I stopped to chat with a delightful couple from Duluth who were fishing the stretch of the Kawishiwi R. just after Lake Insula. They come every year and base camp on Alice in order to fish for 2 weeks.

It has been really delightful to follow so much of the Kawishiwi River on this trip. I have a much better understanding of its wandering watershed now. The portage from the Kawishiwi R. to Malberg lake has gotten a lot worse. I paddled across the western beaver pond mid portage and then waded the eastern beaver pond (which I don't even think existed the last time I was here 2 years ago). Big pain! However, the ponds were teeming with tadpoles and lots of baby frogs were at the west end of the portage so some good comes from the beavers' engineering projects.

I camped at the same site #1056 on Malberg I used 2 years ago for my Louse River solo. Seemed like the only other people on the lake were occupying the 2 western most sites. I considered pushing all the way out tonight but common sense prevailed. I would've reached the takeout late on a Friday night, faced the 2.5 mile hike back to the car, and would most likely have nowhere to camp. It would have been unsafe to drive all the way home. Better to stop and give my body a chance to do some recovery muscle building.

My middle back (between the shoulder blades) has really been bugging me after I stop for the day. Laying and stretching on the rocks has helped. So after I stretched and snacked today, I rolled over on the rocks to take a nap. Thunder rumbled in the sky just as soon as I closed my eyes. The storm never hit me, but I used it as an excuse to tidy up around camp and get dinner in me. I had planned for a week long trip but was going to finish the route after only 4 nights so I didn't bother cooking tonight. I just wolfed down some of my extra granola.

I spent some time planning my food and nutrition for the upcoming Voyageur Border Route Challenge. Tentative ideas: Wake up = almonds and choco covered coffee beans. Breakfast on the water = smoothie. 2nd breakfast = Skep's trail mix (macadamia nuts, dried cherries, almond M&M's). Lunch = salami, cheese, energy bar. Snack = recovery drink, M&M's and almonds. Dinner = oatmeal with nuts finishing off with chocolate pudding. My plan is to have all non-cook foods so I don't bother with the added gear weight.

Reflecting on this trip, one of the most interesting things has been transitioning in and out of the burn area vs. non-burn area. Yesterday, I really noticed the smell of the trees as I re-entered the non-burn area. The scent of pines and cedars was very distinct.

With the early stop today, I spent time on a little experiment writing flash fiction or micro fiction...in other words writing a story in as few words as possible. This is a rough draft of one attempt:

Sign up, they'd said. Seemed sage advice. As the youngest of seven, not many opportunities abounded. Small and stocky stature made him the ideal voyageur. They'd neglected to mention the bloodsuckers. At the strike of dusk, winged devils descended to torture body and soul. A cacophony of high-pitched hums and constant pinprick bites. Huddled wretched and sweaty under wool, he dreamed restlessly of the blessed release paddling brings each morn.

Travel time: 7:00am-3:00pm (8 hours) Distance: 22 miles (9 portages) Places: Lake Three, Lake Four, Hudson Lake, Insula Lake, Kawishiwi River, Alice Lake, River Lake, Malberg Lake