DAY TWO – Sunday
September 30, 2012 – 10.5 miles
I woke in the morning to
hear Clayton getting dressed. It had cooled off overnight and I lay in my warm
sleeping back for a little while longer, then got dressed and packed up the
inside of the tent (stuffing sleeping bags into their pouches and deflating and
rolling up our air-mattresses. Clayton already had the stove going to make
coffee. I joined him as he was pumping water to make milk for the coffee and
the oatmeal. I told him to make just enough for the oatmeal and when he asked
why I surprised him with a small bottle of Sangster’s Rum Cream I’d filled the
previous morning before we left the city. We had some coffee, which tasted
quite luxurious compared to our usual camp coffee, started the oatmeal, and
while it sat cooling took down the tent and packed it up. We sat sharing the
oatmeal in comfortable silence. There were some geese on the lake and Clayton
thought he spotted some gulls down the lake with his binoculars. After
breakfast we quickly washed up the dishes and packed the bags. The canoe was
easily loaded up and we were on the lake by 10:00 and started our day-two
paddle.
The previous evening we’d noticed another point of land
about half a mile away that looked like it might be a possible campsite. We
decided since it was on our way that we’d check it out in case we ever decided
to come back this way. The point could definitely hold a tent but the area
wasn’t as big or as flat as where we had camped.
As we made our way to the portage the white things that
Clayton thought were gulls we found were actually buoys (bleach bottles) tied
down marking low water and rocky areas. We remembered that we didn’t have a
bailer (oops!) and saw that one of the markers was actually two bottles tied
together. We “borrowed” one of the two bottles to make a bailer for our canoe. J Two minutes later we
were at the portage. This one was very short and we were able to take the
heavier items down in one trip and just pick up the canoe with the rest of the
gear for the second trip. It was amazing to see how many fishing boats and
motors were stored at these points –money just sitting there. We also saw the
skeletal remains of an old wooden boat from many days gone by.
The next lake, Violet Lake, was very pretty with all the
fall colours. Our route led us down into a narrows and our map indicated that
there were rapids at this point. We approached it and all we could see were
rocks due to the low water. Thinking there might be an alternate route that
wouldn’t involve portaging we paddled into an adjacent bay. Nothing. So we went
back, prepared to portage the canoe over the rocks. To our surprise and delight
we found that there was a small winding channel connecting the two narrow parts
of the lake and we were able to pull the canoe through using our paddles and
moving slowly. There was another narrows a ways up but it was a lot wider and
deeper and we had no problem just paddling through, keeping an eye out for
rocks. 
Just before we headed into Eagle Lake’s Trout Hole 2 we
stopped for a bite to eat on a sunny shore.
Heading into the lake it began to get windier and choppier.
Unfortunately the wind was against us (isn’t that usually the case?) We had to
dig deep and just paddle to get through the next section. There was little
talking as we concentrated on getting to the lee parts of islands and points
coming up.
As we rounded the last point I could see the creek opening
where it spilled into Eagle from Teggau Lake. I had been looking forward to
this part of the canoe trip, and introducing Clayton to an amazing, beautiful
lake bordered by towering red and white pines and sheer rock faces. As we made
our way up the slow flowing creek it didn’t look quite like I had remembered.
The fire that had come through a few years back was more extensive than it
looked. The entire portage on both sides was full of burned and charred tree
trunks. The last time I’d paddled up that creek it was almost like paddling
into a dark tunnel of forest rising up on both sides. I felt completely exposed
this time.
The creek was much lower than the last time I was there, and
I just attributed this to the low lake levels we’d seen elsewhere on our trip.
But as we rounded one corner of the creek we could see what looked like the
water line at eye level. As we got closer we could see a beaver had built a dam
right across the creek. Since it wasn’t very high, and beavers build sturdy and
robust dams, we were able to paddle up to it, step onto the dam and pull the
canoe up and over – even fully loaded with gear. Above the dam the creek was as
high as I’ve ever seen it but it was still flowing slower than normal. The
water here was also unnaturally clear. Eagle Lake is usually kind of murky and
you can’t see much beyond three feet down. The creek was nearly crystal clear
and we could see every blade of grass and beaver-chewed stick that lay on the
bottom.
We arrived at the bottom of the portage hopeful that the
fire hadn’t made its way much further but as we walked the trail to Teggau it
was apparent the fire had burned right up into the surrounding forest. Putting
in and then paddling up through the narrows before the main lake was sad. Fire
had ravaged most of the shorelines and as far back as you could see to the
south. The north face had fared a little better, but this was the side with the
sheer rock cliffs and we couldn’t see over them. I pointed out one potential
campsite I had used years before but it was pretty much decimated from the
fire. We decided to keep going to option number two, at the mouth of the
narrows across from the rock cliffs, normally a spectacular view. This was no
better and in fact was worse. The entire south-eastern shore looked like a
post-apocalyptic world, devoid of trees or any other greenery. To make matters
even more difficult the south wind was pushing the water into the rock face and
it was bouncing back making the waves unpredictable and not unlike being in a
washing machine. We pulled the canoe up as soon as we could and scouted out
anywhere that may be used for a campsite. It was quickly evident that we were
not going to find anything suitable on the big lake so we carefully made our
way back to the narrows and into calmer waters.
We checked out each small bay and finally ended up back at
option one. As far as campsites went it was technically ideal, with a large
flat area on which to set up the tent, a flat rocky area to cook dinner and a
fire pit already made. Aesthetically it was a barren and charred moonscape, but
it would have to do. It was going on 4:00 and we didn’t have time to portage
back down and search for another spot. So we set up the tent and then sat on
the sunny rocks and read and journalled for a little while. I looked over at one point to see
my husband fast asleep on the rock. Once
again we had a quick dip and air-dried before getting dressed and starting
dinner over a glass of wine. We cooked up some pasta with herb&garlic sauce
and a freeze-dried Hawaiian chicken with pineapple rice. The dehydrated meals
are light-weight, water-proof and actually quite tasty. They have come a long
way. The one thing I really missed, especially when setting up camp, and
there’s no reason we couldn’t have brought some along, is beer. A couple of six
packs wouldn’t have added much weight, and it would have been cooled quite
nicely in the fall waters. Next time!
After dinner I checked to see if we had any cell service and
once more was totally surprised to find one bar although I did have to walk
around a bit to find it. I reassured Mom again that we were safe and enjoying
ourselves immensely. Then Clay foraged for wood and got a blazing fire going while
I struggled to get a line over an old tree so we could hang our food bags.
We had another night with a clear sky and full moon. It rose
over the ridge behind our tent, silhouetting the skeletal remains of burnt
pines. It was so bright and beautiful and lit up our entire little bay. I lay
down on the rock to enjoy the night sky and watched the moon illuminate a thin
band of clouds that were drifting by overhead. They seemed to move very
quickly, which was odd because there was nary a breeze in our bay that evening.
I realized it wasn’t clouds that were moving but the Northern Lights. I have
seen some spectacular displays of northern lights before but usually in the winter
on a clear and cold -35 degree night. But I’ve rarely seen then so vibrant and
active. The lights were skipping across the night sky, changing colours as fast
as I could name them and radiating out in all directions from a central point
in the sky like a massive multi-pointed star. It was truly amazing to watch.
The weather up to this point had cooperated wonderfully. I went to sleep hoping the trend would continue.
