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~ October 27th – 31st 2016
~ Day 1: Put in by Camp Wanipitei
Temagami – land of the deepwater people and home to some of Canada’s last virgin white and red pine. At the end of October this year and with a long, hot season behind us, Squall staff headed up for a 5 day old-fashioned canoe trip. We were starting to forget what barrels and canoe packs were all about.
To soften the time of year, we brought along a canvas tent and wood stove for the sub-zero nights. The early darkness was no problem with the crackle of a hot camp stove and hot rum. Bringing along that tent and stove made the entire adventure all the more memorable. There is nothing finer than being able to dry out every night and tell a few tall tales.
~ Diamond Lake Pictographs
One of our goals was to get into the famous Wakimika Triangle and the old growth pine. I recalled an old saying from my youth: “when you think yourself a big man – go into the forest and stand before a pine – and tell that pine what a big man you are” Well….I did that on this trip, and the pine just stared back as the wind murmured through it’s upper branches. I think it was basically telling me to get lost. I got the message.
We were struck by the utter simplicity of canoe travel, where packing up is a matter of filling up oversized packs and throwing them into a waiting canoe, bobbing on the water in the morning light. Packing sea kayaks is a much more involved and time-consuming chore – one we were happy not to have on a cold, damp morning.
