Lakes / Rivers Traveled:
Misehkow River
Albany River
Travel Time: 9:54
Distance: 12.4 miles / 20.0 km
It got cool out again last night, but not as cool as the night before. I told Dave last night when he woke up to holler at me. I wouldn’t be able to hear him moving around in his tent because of the rushing water next to our campsite.
I pulled my head out of my sleeping bag at 06:30 am. It was starting to get getting light out. Dave hollered to me at 06:45 am. He was still in his tent when he yelled.
Everything is all wet. I’ve been wet everyday except day 3 when we were able to stop early to dry things.
My light weight wool shirt was still damp, but on it goes. Things looked promising today with the blue skies.
I needed to change out my water filter today. Dave cooked up another breakfast. This time it was eggs and summer sausage.
I wonder what was in store for us today. We have cut all but one portage trail that we needed to walk.
Today will be the start of another yellow notebook with no plastic bag.
We got on the water at 09:24 am and approaching the first set of rapids ten minutes later. After determining we could run them we ran a line 1/3 from river right.
We got out at the second set of rapids at 10:37 am.We went to one side and then the other. We got close to shore on river right then cut some alders to land the canoe. (UTM # 27 ) With the high water we needed to land upstream from where the normal portage was located. I walked the portage past two set of rapids. We couldn’t run the second one because of a 3 foot ledge.
At 12:15 pm we had finally cut our way across this section carrying one pack, but now we needed to get all the other gear across. It was 258 meters long and we were only able to use about 50 meters of the old portage.
Dave had a heck of a time getting the canoe across this portage. This portage wasn’t cut to the standards of our previous ones. Maybe the “excitement” of cutting portages are over.
We got all our gear across at 1:56 pm. (UTM #28). It was time for lunch here when Dave got done carrying his stuff at 2 pm. Lunch was peanut bitter and jelly, gorp and an energy bar.
It was very warm in the bush while cutting this last portage. The skies are now starting to cloud up. The bugs were once again in full force. My arms, neck and other exposed skin are all bitten up. The small little flies take a bite drawing blood and causing little red bumps.The bugs have been extremely bad except when the temperature drops, but they are right back once it warms back up.
I was feeling beat after cutting our way across this portage. The high water is making this trip much more difficult than it would normally be. We were done with lunch at 2:27 pm. We need to cut some more alder because we can’t get the canoe in the water. We should be done in 10 to 15 minutes.
One more swift prior to getting to three large stretches of fast water before the Albany. Prior to the first section of fast water I got out on river left and scouted the area. I needed to walk quite a a distance to check it all out. We bobbed all the way to the Albany. Use caution here in high water.
Once on the Albany River we paddled downstream to the north looking for a campsite. We found one on the second island. (UTM #29)
The sun wasn’t out but when we put up our tents they dried out along with our other stuff that was placed out.
Dave started a fire and we made a pot of coffee and once it was ready we each had a mocha to celebrate getting through the Misehkow.
For dinner we had tortellini and olive oil.
It sprinkled on and off while at the campsite. Dave went to his tent early. I stayed out and put some more wood on the fire while writing in my journal, but I needed to go in my tent once it began to sprinkle harder. I was inside at 9:30 pm.
Once the wind died down the bugs were back. I’m safe from the bugs, but it’s hot inside the tent.
My hands are sore from all the small cuts I’ve received while cutting the portage trails. The 21 inch Corona professional pruning saw has been a lifesaver in cutting the trails.
Well, it’s 10:16 pm time to go to sleep.
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