08-AUG-2006
Day 3 - Tuesday, August 8
I awoke to the sound of a steady rain on my tent on this day. Weather fit for a loon, I'd say. We see common loons every day on each lake we travel on. To hear their distinctive song and read more about this bird, adjust your volume and go to this link
http://www.ns.ec.gc.ca/wildlife/loons/images.html Click on common loon sounds: tremolo, wail, yodel.
We ate a breakfast of french toast and assorted hot drinks as quickly as we could under whatever cover we could find.
08-AUG-2006
Day 3 - Tuesday, August 8
As soon as we were finished eating breakfast, we set to the task of packing up so we could move out. We began paddling by ~9am in a steady rain. We all had our rain gear, and it wasn't cold or windy so I think we all did pretty good--no complaining about the weather. Actually, it wasn't raining very hard, and since it wasn't cold, it wasn't that bad.
08-AUG-2006
Day 3 - Tuesday, August 8
As we looked down the lake in the direction we would be paddling all we could see were very low lying clouds. Patty and I forecasted that the rain would not last very long and that we would have pleasant weather for the duration of the trip. I think we did a pretty good job--after this one rainy day, the rest of the trip was pretty darn good. We had scattered clouds and sunshine most days, and even on the windy days we had a mix of clouds and sunshine. The sunglasses were in use WAY more than the rain gear.
08-AUG-2006
Day 3 - Tuesday, August 8
After paddling for almost two hours we arrived at the trail to Hunter Creek Falls. We got out for a little hike to the foot of the falls. The trail was too dangerous to go any further so this was the best shot I could get. Also, we had an agenda so didn't have much spare time for taking pictures. Saw bear poop on the trail, but no bears. Rain was on and off all day.
08-AUG-2006
Day 3 - Tuesday, August 8
We paddled a while longer--until about 12pm and then stopped for lunch. I was starving! We had a lunch of crackers, cheese, PB, jelly, hummus, sausage, and all the condiments of the previous lunches. I didn't take many photos this day due to the rain, but after lunch we paddled for a couple more hours until we reached our next campsite #21, which is the only group site on that long stretch of Isaac Lake and the only one on that side of the lake.
The flowers/berries in this photo were everywhere along our route. I don't know what they're called but they were very plentiful and, depending on the location, in various stages of development.
08-AUG-2006
Day 3 - Tuesday, August 8
This was our campsite on Day 3 (#21). I am taking the photo from just in front of the outhouse which was at the top of a very steep and slippery trail--you had to be very careful not to slip--especially coming down. The tent pads were all very close and very sandy. It is lightly raining when we arrive so we set our tents up quickly and stow our gear under the rainfly. Cheryl and Merlin finally have the opportunity to use the HUGE tarp Susan and I have been hauling every day. This thing is 30' X 40' and they have a special pole to get the ropes up high enough on the trees. It is nice though to have somewhere to go to get out of the rain, and we do all our "camp" stuff under the tarp--cooking, eating, yakking around the fire. You can see the green metal bear-proof food cache's just to the left of center. We store anything that might have a smell in these sturdy containers as bears can supposedly smell food through a sealed can.
08-AUG-2006
Day 3 - Tuesday, August 8
Looking staight out over Isaac Lake from our campsite.
08-AUG-2006
Day 3 - Tuesday, August 8
We spend most of our time in camp under the big tarp. Thank goodness we have it as the rain really does not let up much. For dinner we have an Indian dish with lentils, tomatoes, garbanzo beans and kale. We also have a salad of red and green cabbage with Ranch dressing and cherry poundcake for dessert. We were supposed to have brought wood from our previous campsite, but since there was no wood there either, that was not possible, but Susan is a good wood finder and we manage something of a fire.
08-AUG-2006
Day 3 - Tuesday, August 8
The fire we were finally able to get going is steadily being smothered by the leftover food and garbage. Cheryl and Merlin take turns fanning the fire until they are satisfied that everything has been burned. If it is food, it MUST be burned to avoid bears scrounging for an easy meal. Any cans must be burned and then crushed and packed out. Patty, Susan, Cheryl and I sit and yak and enjoy the last bit of warmth from the coals while Barry reads a book. All this time it is raining and I notice that the puddle at the bottom of the slippery outhouse slope is significantly bigger than when we first arrived. I am pleased that my rain gear has worked so well--cheap rain pants have kept me dry; raincoat doing its job. The only thing that has failed me is my boots--my right foot in particular is wet--so I hang my socks from the shelf in my tent and hope that they'll dry overnight. The tent is the most amazing thing--with all this rain and varied surfaces I've set it up--and still it remains dry inside. I'm impressed.
08-AUG-2006
Day 3 - Tuesday, August 8
A view in the direction we will be paddling tomorrow. It doesn't look very good but Patty and I have given an optomistic weather forecast for the remainder of the trip. Note: Occasional wilderness interruption by commercial planes flying overhead tells us we haven't totally left civilization behind. Loons call at night and I hear some creature trying to dig at my bags outside my tent. I realized that I left my raincoat draped over the line just under the tarp, and if it gets windy will most likely end up blown off so I get up to go get it. While outside, I finally see something black, tiny and very fast go between a tree and Patty and Barry's tent. It is so quick, I can't even distinguish if it has a tail but am told in the morning it was probably a vole. All I know is it doesn't take long for the creatures to come out after we have gone in our tents for the night.
Day 3 - Tuesday, August 8
Just a few minutes before midnight I wake up and have to make a trip to the outhouse. As I'm returning to my tent, I look across the lake and see the moonlight illuminating the upper ridge and low lying clouds, creating an eerie scene. I grab my camera and small tripod for a long exposure. It is supposed to be a full moon the next night and I'd really like to do some star gazing but we go to bed so early (9pm on average) and it is rarely real dark by then so haven't had the opportunity yet.