Thursday, August 2, 2007 + Sunrise this morning was spectacular! The Robbins Island campsite lends itself to a stellar view of the sun rising over Thunder Point, some two and a half miles to the east.

After breakfast we break camp and head out east on Knife, pass to the right of Thunder Point and head down the South Arm. This was one harrowing day of paddling…high winds (which I find out upon return had gusts up to 33mph and sustained max. winds of 24 mph) and huge, rolling, breaking waves make for some interesting moments. Despite the wind being at our backs, it was still a very tense paddle for the some seven and a half miles to our next campsite just past Eddy Falls.

We overshot the campsite landing and had to turn back into the wind and while broadside to that west wind we were nearly swamped on two different occasions. But after a much adrenaline-aided effort, we turned and then dug our way back to the campsite landing…the first one just to the east of where Eddy Falls empties into the South Arm. The campsite sits up on a rocky point and offers a tremendous few down the length of beautiful blue waters of the South Arm. That is, unlike the Robbins Island campsite, an abundance of firewood.

Needless to say we were windbound for the rest of the day and night but did manage to wet a few lines from shore…spending the rest of the day reading, siesta, gathering firewood and playing some cribbage. The wind never let up throughout the rest of the day and night. I began to be concerned because I sure didn’t want to even think about having to paddle back into the teeth of that wind. Tonight the sky was absolutely stellar. A late moonrise preserved a black sky that afforded us a tremendous view of the Milky Way’s brilliance. We also saw many shooting stars and satellites. The night was concluded with more cribbage and cigars and a good night’s rest followed.