DAY NINE

July 10th, Tuesday, 1002 hours

McIntyre Lake, still at the campsite on southeast side of the island GPS Location: N 48 degrees 14.985’, W 091 degrees 36.722’, Elevation 1318’

Lakes Traveled: McIntyre Lake

Lay-Over Day / No travel

This morning I heard it start to rain sometime around 0400 hours. It was just a little rain at first. I nodded off again, and I think it stopped raining altogether, but then it started back up.

I was ready to get up at 0522 hours, so I began to do my lower back stretches while wondering if the rain would stop by the time I was done. I could hear the wind blowing harder and it began to rain harder, as well. When I looked out of the tent I saw that the wind had switched to the southeast. The wind was blowing up some waves in the distance.

I’m not that affected by the wind here on this campsite as I would be to the south past the point which is directly to the south of me.

This is day 9 for me. I have at most, 2 ½ to 3 days, travel time left. Figuring if I had to lay over a day it wouldn’t be a big deal, since I’m a couple days ahead of schedule. Although I don’t like lay-over days, since I always like to be on the move, but I may not have a choice today.

It kept raining so I just stayed in my tent until around 0830 hours, then I got out made some breakfast and coffee.

The wind was still blowing strong and I could see white caps on the lake south of me. I could hear the roar of the wind blowing through the red pine trees on this island. Again, it’s such an eerie sound to listen to.

I was wondering what the guys on the northwest campsite were up to and what their plans were. Are they base camping, moving on to Brent Lake or what.

There were four canoes heading south past the island at 0935 hours just after I had finished breakfast. When I saw them, I started thinking I should be moving today, also.

I watch them as they pass by. There is the lead canoe that was a ways ahead of the middle two canoes and last canoe is further back yet. I see the first canoe go south pass the point and I loose sight of them. I go back about my business. A short time later I caught the sound of a voice being carried by the wind so I got my binoculars.

I look to the point and I see where the last three canoes are gathered on the lee side. I see the whitecaps on the lake just past the point. After about 5 to 10 minutes, these three canoes decide to paddle on toward the rougher water around the point. I don’t know for sure if this is the same group I saw yesterday as everyone had full rain gear on, but the canoes were positioned the same way as yesterday.

I think the wind might be slowing down as I see fewer whitecaps in the distance and the sound of the wind blowing through the trees is not as loud. There still are some strong gusts.

There are a couple things that are preventing me from packing up and moving today besides the wind situation. If I traveled today I would only go to the south end of Sarah Lake, as there are several rough portages starting with the first one after Sarah Lake. My plan was once I start those portages to keep going until I was done with them, there are approximately 9 portages and what I’ve heard they a very rugged. I really don’t want to do the portages in the rain or shortly after a rain, if possible, since they will be even more treacherous. The other reason is that I’m heading to Sarah Lake which is one of the entry points for Quetico. I don’t know how busy this lake will be and if there would be any campsites available. If there weren’t any campsites I didn’t want to start those portages. Far as I know there might not be anyone on the lake, but I don’t know and why leave a good campsite for the unknown. I might just be compounding my problem only to gain about 6 miles which is at most two hours paddling time.

1032 hours: The sun is trying to peek out of the clouds, but it’s still dark to the southeast. I keep looking at the waves and wonder how big they really are. There’s a difference of breaking camp and then realizing that it was a mistake and then having to continue on in the rougher water, if it was even possible. I have a hard sitting still when I travel by myself. I keep thinking I need to be on the move. I may have said that already.

Oh, well! I’m going to stop writing for now and look at my maps again, after that, I’m finally going to read some of the book that I brought and have been hauling over every portage. The book is, Quetico Provincial Park, An Illustrated History, by Shirley Peruniak. I thought I would have time to read it on this trip, but it hasn’t worked out that way. I’ve been putting in some long hours paddling, writing in my journal and getting up early in the morning. I just haven’t felt like reading because I haven’t had the time. The time now is 1038 hours.

I just pulled off my white long sleeve top and noticed that my white short sleeved t-shirt is now a tan color.

1045 hours: I heard a voice. There are three canoes coming past the island from the north. Now I see four. They have no gear and it appears they are fishing. A closer look with the binoculars and this is the group that’s camped on the other end of the island. The waves can’t be too bad for the C-2’s. It appears they are in an area where the waves should be larger than any where else on the lake. I see one of the canoes from this group paddling closer to the other shore where he isn’t being affected as much from the wind.

It’s getting dark again to the south. Sure looks like rain. I hope it’s going somewhere other than my direction. I see three of the canoes paddling into the wind now. I’m beginning to see more whitecaps.

1106 hours: There was a very strong gust of wind that went through the campsite making a very loud roar.

I looked at my maps earlier and tomorrow I have the option of two different routes. Once I get to Isabella Lake I can either go north on Isabella Lake to the Isabella Creek or from Isabella Lake and head southeast toward Point Lake. Once I get to either Isabella Lake or Point Lake then I’ll make the decision on if I will continue on further. I don’t know how bad the portages will be so I have no idea what time it will be when I get to those points.

1218 hours: I’ve been in my tent over an hour because it has been raining. The rain has been coming down hard and steady. Only now does it seem like it might be letting up some.

1402 hours: It rained for almost two hours. I got out of the tent when I heard a noise. I saw one of the guys from the other campsite paddling by my campsite. I later spoke to him and his name is Bill B. He works for the fire department in Dayton, Ohio. He told me that he was listening to his weather radio and there’s a cold front coming and the temperatures are going to drop. He mentioned temperatures in the 40’s tonight with a 30 % chance of rain tomorrow.

Bill told me the next portage was short, but very steep. I asked him about the one just a short distance south of that one, but he told me it went somewhere other than Sarah Lake. Bill admitted another member of his group is the navigator. I don’t believe they are aware of the second portage just to the south of “The Wall” or the “Hill” that is longer, but easier than the steep portage. I figure I’m a canoeist, not a rock climber so I will be going to the longer, 60 rod portage, instead of “The Wall” where the rocks will be very slippery from the rain.

Bill said the portage from Sarah Lake is long. I’ve seen one name for this portage as “Heart Stop Hill”. Sure sounds like I’ll have a full day tomorrow.

When I got out of the tent there was only a light wind and it had changed directions, it was now coming out of the southwest.

1536 hours: I don’t know what time I had to go back into the tent, because it began raining again. I decided to get out of the tent at 1517 hours. I just got out of my tent when I saw three canoes crossing the bay coming toward my campsite from the south. There were three aluminum canoes with nine people. I’m sure they’re looking for a campsite, but when they saw me they veered off to go around the west side of the island. I walked around to the northeast side of my site and I saw the canoes continue north the same way I came from yesterday. I know there’s another campsite further north, but I never checked it out. These canoes were bobbing in the large waves that were being produced now by the strong northwest wind. There’s a heavy mist in the air and it feels like more rain.

Now it’s mid afternoon, 1542 hours, and now I can say, I’m glad I didn’t have to travel today after all I’ve seen today. I can’t believe this wind. I actually described the wind with some stronger language in my journal.

1601 hours: The wind keeps getting stronger and stronger. The wind is roaring through the trees. I kept getting up and looking out my tent toward the huge waves. I see them crashing on the far shore from me. I don’t think any C-2 would be able to paddle in these conditions now.

I’ve tried lying down to sleep, but I can’t because of the very loud noise from the wind or the drops of rain on the tent.

1633 hours: The wind is still blowing strong. I heard a noise so I got out checking on things. I checked my canoe that’s been tied up, its fine, the cooking area is OK, and I’m not sure what the noise was.

I can feel the temperature is getting cooler. It's time to put on my warm knit hat.

1808 hours: The wind is still blowing strong out of the northwest. It hasn’t let up any. There hasn’t been any major down pours since earlier, but there has been a constant light rain. The wind is something else. It sounds like it winds up and the roar just keeps getting louder and louder.

I think around 1900 hours if the rain doesn’t lighten up any, I’m just going to eat something quick and cold. (I was able to cook a hot meal)

The temperature keeps dropping.

Luckily, my tent is in a pretty good location on the island (southeast part of the island) and the majority of the northwest wind is being blocked otherwise I would need to put some guy lines on my tent. So far only a few erratic gusts have rocked my tent.