Day 6: 08-15-08 Friday

Lakes / Rivers: Wabakimi Lake, River Bay and Kenoji Lake

Distance: 19.75 km (12.3 miles)

Portages: 4

Swifts paddled: 3

Time: 6:35

I went out of the tent around 0155 am and the lake was still like glass. The moon was shining in my eyes while I was lying in the tent. I looked at the stars. I could barely make out the Little Dipper because of the brightness of the moon. I was standing outside without any shoes and noticed that it was very warm out. It was a very nice evening o sit outside, but I needed to get back in the tent to get some more sleep.

The sounds of the waves lapping up on the rock shore woke me up around 0320 am. Pete’s tent is set up close to the water so I could hear the sound of the waves.

Pete asked me if that was my alarm that just went off at 0525 am. Pete said he was going to get up in twenty minutes, but he got right up instead. I pack up my gear after he got out of the tent.

When I walked into the woods this morning there was a noticeable difference in the temperature in the woods compared to the area around our tent close to the water. The wind was coming out of the SW.

Dave cooked a Sturdiwheat hot cereal with some pineapple. The pineapple sure added flavor to the cereal.

We began our day on the water at 0758 am. We paddled down a ways down River Bay and checked out a couple campsites. The first one was a 3x2 and the second one was a 1x2.

We noticed that no one had used these two campsites or the one we were camped on last night for some time.

If anyone is going to paddle this park I would say the ideal number of paddlers would be four, because of the limited number of campsites and the limited number of tent areas.

Dave expressed his concerns for the next four portages. If they haven’t been cleared in a while we could be in a tough time getting through them. It’s possible there could be a lot of blow downs.

1st Portage: On river left. Good landing at the start. Length: 892 meters. The portage was muddy in spots with some logs placed in the mud. The end of the portage was very muddy.

2nd Portage: The first swift was on river left, and then we eddied out on the left. The second swift was run about one third out from river left. The portage was left of the rapids. I thought I counted 308 steps, but it’s possible it was 208. There was an old blaze on a dead standing Jack Pine, but I couldn’t see the blaze from the water.

3rd Portage: Ran the swift on river right then moved to river left for the portage. This portage was very rugged and was 362 meters long. I never saw a blaze for this portage, but I did find some orange flagging once I found the opening for the portage. There was lots of trail cleaning done on this trail and the flagging must have been left by the portage crew. It really would have been a tough to get across the portage without the additional work done on this trail.

4th Portage: was just before Kenoji Lake. There are two portages to choose from and they each take you to different areas. The one we took today was before the shorter one. This portage was very hard to see. It was just a small opening behind some low growing vegetation along the shore. There was some orange flagging, but once the flagging is gone it would be very hard to find this one. Pete and I paddled up closer to it and confirmed it was in fact the portage. Dave was through this area last year and he couldn’t find this portage. This portage goes to the NW and terminates in a bay to the west of the where the river comes out into Kenoji Lake.

This was an old portage based upon some old logs scattered on the ground that were sawn many years ago, but the portage appears to recently been open up again. The length was 381 meters.
The best I can do to describe the location of this portage is it’s located in an area with a couple dead standing cedar trees approximately 50 meters before the river goes around a bend to the left.

This portage is cut through the deciduous undergrowth. It won’t take long for the portage to be over growth again. The vegetation was already encroaching on the trail.

Again, Dave was aware of this portage last year and he couldn’t find it. Dave took the other shorter portage that is located further downstream. Dave said he had to run the swift on river right then ferry back across to the left to get to the portage. Dave also saw a half of an aluminum canoe that was sticking up out of the rapids. Earlier this year Dave spoke to some other paddlers who were on their way north to the Albany River. They said they didn't see the half torn apart aluminum canoe. They told Dave they were too busy bailing out their canoe to notice. This group did run the rapids in a Kevlar canoe.

Once we were all across the portage we paddled to the NE into Kenoji Lake to an island where were had lunch at 0110 am. We were back on the water at 0131 am after having a Pita sandwich with cheese, gorp and a box of raisins.

While we were having lunch on the lee side of the island we saw two motorboats that came from the NW from the direction where an outpost camp is located. I know the first boat had two guys who had their backs turned to us when we rounded the north point of the island. I don't think they ever saw us as they continued fishing.

The wind was blowing from the NW and the wind was kicking up the biggest waves we've encountered so far on this trip. We angled into the wind until we got to the NW corner of Kenoji Lake where the river narrows.

While paddling northwest we past a couple of campsites, but didn't stop to check them out. The first one was possibly a campsite was on an island in Kenoji, but with the waves as big as they were we continued on past it. The second campsite was in the narrows of the river and then north of it was an outpost camp.

We paddled on until 0244 pm when we stopped at our campsite. As usual everyone began doing something to set up camp for the evening.

A fire was started and coffee was put on to perk.

Dave and I each got out our own map sets. I gave Dave the information that I've been writing down on today's campsite locations and conditions, portage distances and outpost locations. We then put this information on our maps.

Dave has camped at this site in the past and he knew there was an Ontario Crown Lands survey monument placed in the exposed rock at our campsite. Dave located it and I took some photos.

Here is what the information stamped in the head of it:

P NO
112
1154.20
1925

0536 pm: We need fish for dinner tonight and for lunch tomorrow, so Pete and Dave went fishing. We'll have some for breakfast if they catch enough. Dick stayed back at camp, while I wrote in my journal.

Dick has been having problems with walking the portages on this trip and today he was having more of a problem on today's longer, tougher portages. He was lagging way behind. We had to wait a long time at the end of the portages for him.

I over heard Dave say to Dick that he could barely walk as Dick walked past him. Dick told Dave he sprained his knee a couple days ago.

Dave is from a paddling family. Both his grandfather and father were paddlers in Minnesota, so Dave grew up doing wilderness trips. Dave is very knowledgeable in this area as he has been coming here since the 1980's.

Dave told me that he used to see more canoes in this area before it was a park that he's seen in recent years. Dave has spoke to other people about his observation and they all say there were more canoes years ago.

Dave has been our primary cook and he’s very good at it. He sure enjoys cooking over a fire.

0813 pm: Pete is having his last cigarette of the trip. Dave wanted me to document it so we can go back and see when Pete's behavior changes.

Earlier, Dave and Pete came back from fishing. Pete caught a nice size walleye. Pete cut it up and Dave mixed it in with his Dirty Rice dish that we had for dinner.

0825 pm: Dick and I are going to do the dishes while Dave and Pete go back out fishing for 45 minutes. When they come back Dave is going to cook an Apple Crisp dessert.

Our campsite faces east and to the south. The site has had a nice breeze coming through the site and we haven't had to deal with any hot sun that’s over in the west.