Day Three
I awake at first light, 6 a.m. , I always find it curious as to how much easier it is for me to get an early start out in the bush as to the much later starts when I find it difficult sometimes having to force myself out of bed at home. Out of the tent, I follow the normal routine, pack up, then oatmeal and coffee on a sitting rock looking over the lake at another beautiful, peaceful day and not another single soul anywhere to be seen. “How do I ever leave?” often enters my thoughts on mornings such as this, absolutely perfect in every way. I force myself to load up my gear, clean up the site as if no one was ever here, push off from shore, lower my shades the sun is already so bright and eastward I head straight into the light. I cast out my lucky lure from the prior night, hoping for an early morning bite before I leave this gem of a lake. No luck so far as I move into some narrows, shallow water forces me to retrieve my Panther Martin (lure). A marshy wetland now greets me as I leave the lake. It’s a beautiful spot filled with water fowl, otters and an orchestra of nature calls, hoping for a moose spotting I silently paddle until the portage. No moose so far, too bad, but you never know what et is to happen onto the quick, maybe 200m trail into the next remarkable lake.
Being surprised on these trips is always such a treat for me and when this short portage follows a small waterfall it just brings that inner kid excitement out of me and I’m mesmerized by the sight, sound and smell that it provides it’s just magical. I force myself away from the falls and continue on my way into Misty Lake, where I’ll be spending this night. So, for me a short distance to travel and a bit of a rest day. This lake is much more popular and soon I spy many canoes out enjoying the late morning calm conditions and sun. My aim is for an island site on the northwest part of the lake and luckily enough one of the three sites is available and it’s perfect for a solo traveller. Up on to shore I go, unpack my gear, set up camp and get some lunch the usual meat and cheese wrap. Warm enough to swim and in need of a wash I plunge into the cool early fall water, waking me up and clean as I’m going to get I spend the day reading, writing and exploring the lake from end to end. This lake has much more colour yellows, orange, and red leaves circle the perimeter of it. After taking in the day and a late evening paddle I light a small campfire and watch the sun set on a quiet, relaxing and uneventful day. Slipping into my tent under a blanket of stars above, thinking what wonders the next day while bring.
Day Four
Off early on the morning of day four, knowing it will be a decent travel day about 15km involving 5 portages, two of them being close to a kilometre each. The first of those long ones greets only ten minutes down the lake, it’s an easy take-out as I go from Misty Lake to Little Misty Lake 980m later I’m on the other side of the portage it was a little hilly, but the cool morning air helps and makes the carry much more comfortable. Pushing off from shore again this lake is more like a wide river that eventually leads to the Petawawa river and headed upstream, luckily the current is almost non-existent and I easily make my way forward. Keeping an eye to my left the entire time looking for what could be a difficult trail to find to the next lake, given the low water conditions. Eventually coming around a bend I spy a yellow marker indicating the portage, after running the canoe up as far as I could on the muddy, boggy bank I have to hop, skip and jump to a log to keep from sinking in the muck. After a bit of a struggle dragging the canoe to where I could unload it I made my way down probably the worst of the portages I encountered during this trip, full of hills, bogs and slippery rocks. In a strange, weird way making the journey that much more enjoyable.
The trail leads to an unnamed pond and from there a couple lift overs on a small creek and I was back on Moccasin lake, where I spent my first night. After a pit stop on a familiar campsite for a quick bite to eat I was on my way back the way I came and after two small lakes and two more portages, one 120m the other 550m my destination lake was in front of me. Jubilee Lake is also a small with six campsites and after checking a few out I ended up on the most southern site, not far from next mornings portage. The day had turned overcast and with the feeling of rain in the air I quickly set up my tent as well my tarp, in case the bad weather prevailed. These sites closer to access point can prove difficult to find wood as many are well used during the summer months, so I ventured deep in the bush just in order to find enough dead fall to have a small fire. With trout season over I switch over to target bass, I know this lake has some. After dinner I head out to fish, trolling the entire body water not one single hit, heavy fishing pressure is also an occurrence in these lakes. Darkness approaches again around 7p.m., I light my last fire of the trip and stare upon a clear, but cooler night, stars of abundance light up the sky, “It’s hard to believe this may be my last trip this year.” I think to myself. After an hour of gazing the fire dies down and once again I retreat to my second home, my tent and a good book to finish off the night.
Day Five
Last morning and again I rise early, this time on purpose, I know my access lake (Rain) will be windy today and I’ve being caught in strong winds on this body of water before. It’s a clear, crisp morning you can feel fall in the air. I pack my gear quickly, but take 10 to enjoy my last oatmeal breakfast with coffee. A sound in the air catches my attention, “Is that a loon?” And I hear it again, no it’s a wolves howl and I can hear it again this time being answered by a member of the pack, amazing, too bad my mic was on the fritz! This continues on as I finish my meal, “How lucky am I to be here right now hearing this before I have to leave?” runs though my head. With a touch of sadness I load up and leave my last site. I paddle southward once again under clear skies, but even now I can feel a breeze building a 550m portage brings me into Sawyer Lake, the breeze building stronger and I know now what’s waiting for me ahead. Another 350m portage and I’m back on Rain Lake. After clearing the leeward side of an island the wind drives into me, headwinds used to upset me and while it’s not that fun I bear down and drive straight into this wind, it’s all about the journey the good and the difficult. What trip wouldn’t be complete without a real challenge ahead, five kilometres into the gusts, I’m still smiling not because it doesn’t hurt. It’s because for now my body can still keep up although I can’t lie shoulders, wrist and elbow scream buried back in my mind I know one day my disease will prevent me from this physical challenge, but not today as I smile and round the bend to the dock where the trip started five seemingly short days ago. I take one last look down the lake where I came, remembering to take those mental pictures with me, as it will be a long winter and in six months things can change. But, already on the drive out plans materialize in my thoughts of next seasons trips. Cancer hates plans for the future, tough shit I think the mind is curious thing it can trap us and hold plans back, fear the future if you let it overcoming this is hard. I do my best to control it, remembering what I told myself, one day at a time. Before I realize it I will be out sitting once again under the starts.
Thanks for following along and waiting for so long to end this travel blog, some other important topics did come into play. I will attach the full YouTube video I made of this trip below and hope you consider subscribing to both the channel and the blog, along with like and comments. Feel free to share as not everyone is fortunate enough to see Canadian wilderness at it’s finest. I hope you all enjoy. Cheers, Steve
Cancer Won't Run My Life 
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