Triplogs / Triplog#75 / Day 2 / Day 3
January 30 - Day 3 - Day-trip to Robitaille Lake
Jeffrey walks on Wilkins Lake during sunrise
It was around 6:30 am when Mike got us up, he didn't want to miss the trip to Breezy Lake. After some coffee, it was decided we would go down to the lake and wait for the sun to rise. It was dead calm, there was no wind and the sky was clear. It was very cold, the temperature my digital thermometer recorded was -29.6°C. I believe the actual temperature was much colder. We puttered around on the lake ice for fifteen minutes waiting for the sun to rise. Even in the very cold weather it was a fun activity to do and Mike was so happy to be there that he made a happy face in the snow-covered ice. At long last the sun came up and I could actually feel it's warmth, so could the lake for after a few minutes the lake started to talk again, the heat of the sun causing the ice to expand and crack. We walked around for another half hour enjoying the sun, then headed back to camp, time for breakfast. Mike cooked up some bacon and we had bacon sandwiches with coffee for breakfast.
Mike makes a happy face on Wilkins Lake
Mike continued his creative snow endevours with a snow-angel
By 9:15 am we had loaded up the sled with our snowshoes and Mike threw on a daypack. We headed straight across the lake to the portage to Breezy Lake. As we started off, we heard a very large crack echo in the air, it struck like lightning as the sound of thunder would travel down a lake. A few minutes later we came across a large fresh crack in the ice that seemed to run hundreds of meters. It was a little unnerving, but when you realize this is normal you get used to it, and I felt around my neck to make sure my ice picks were still there, they were and I felt reassured. I wouldn't want to fall into the water, it would be death for sure, but at least with ice picks, I'd have a fighting chance of getting myself out of the water. We all had ice-picks, safety first!
The boys await sunrise in -30°C temperatures
By 9:55 am we arrived at the signed portage of 1435m to Breezy Lake. I decided then that I needed to use the thunderbox located there. So I trudged off in the deep snow to the back of the campsite, while the boys explored the fire-pit area. At the thunderbox, there was a blue food barrel packed in the snow right in front of the thunderbox, I kicked at the barrel a couple of times to loosen it from the snow. Finally I was able to move the barrel. I headed back to the fire-pit and showed my find to the boys. We examined the barrel and Mike discovered bear teeth marks in the barrel as well as claw marks, and other smaller holes from rodents chewing on the barrel's exterior. Mike opened up the barrel and pulled out the contents, a broken fishing rod, flashlight, rain gear, a bottle of instant coffee, a bowl, and all kinds of junk. All of this was covered with mouse droppings, as the contents had obviously been gone over by several rodents. Mike packed the barrel back up and we placed it next to the fire-pit. I wouldn't want to be around it when thaw time came, but we didn't want to haul it back to Toronto either, as it would thaw out in the van.
Mike cooks bacon outside in -30°C temperatures
Mike toasts our english muffins for breakfast
We started our trek along the snow covered trail which climbed for a bit at the beginning, and soon we noticed a high ridge to the North that the trail skirted for some length, the land rose on the South side too, so we were crossing a small valley, eventually we crossed a logging road and continued on into the forest. By 11:00 am we arrived onto Breezy lake where we noticed some otter tracks along the lake shore. The snow was deeper on Breezy Lake, but was easy to trek through on snowshoes. We walked over to the lone campsite on the lake. The site itself sits high above the lake surface, but it appeared to be a small site, I was thinking that in fact it would be a buggy site, with very little sun exposure…it might be a great campsite in a hot summer but not really good for much else.
Mike stands at a fresh crack in the ice on Wilkins Lake
We continued on rounding the point that the campsite was on, heading down to the South end of the lake where we found more tracks, this time they seemed to be moose tracks and a few older wolf tracks too. I couldn't find the portage sign to Robitaille Lake but did spot the trail, which Mike confirmed as I looked around to make sure there was no other trail nearby. It wouldn't do to head down an unknown trail, although with the snow we could easily follow our tracks back. It wasn't even noon yet, so I convinced Mike that we should make the trek to Robitaille Lake, after all Breezy was boring, "C'mon, it's only 600+m". Mike relented and we headed to Robitaille. I love it when spur of the moment trips happen!
Mike walks along the snow-crusted ice of Wilkins Lake
The portage to Breezy Lake
Although the trek to Robtiaille Lake was shorter in distance, it was tougher in some respects, it had much more elevation changes(especially coming back). After a short climb, it seemed like we were going downhill forever, all the way to the lake. The return hike would be good exercise to help keep one warm. By 11: 35 am we arrived on Robitaille Lake. The lake was much larger than Breezy Lake and had a more interesting shape to it, with a large point coming into the lake from the North end. We decided to head South, and look for the campsite around the bend, to get out of the North wind and have lunch. By 11:45 am we arrived at a low maintainence campsite that looked like a bomb had hit it.
The was a large clearing but in the surrounding bush lots of trees had been blown down, the campsite thunderbox was partially buried under several fallen trees and Mike had to clear away the obstruction in order to use it. While Mike was busy, Jeffrey and I gathered firewood, and prepared the fire in the snow-covered firepit. Mike returned with an arm load of firewood also and pretty soon we had a nice fire going. No campsite grill could be found, however Mike had packed a portable grill and soon we had some cheese filled sausages cooking over flames. Mike served us some cherry whiskey which tasted like boozy "Lola's", an ice treat from the '70's & '80's. This went down well, as did the sausages. During our hour and a half visit to the campsite it began to cloud over, and then the sun disappeared. it looked like a weather system was moving in. We refreshed ourselves with water, extinguished the fire, and set off on our return trip to camp on Wilkins Lake.
Blue barrel full of junk
The lone campsite on Breezy Lake
It was 1:45 pm when we arrived at the trailhead, and the portage back to Breezy was virtually all uphill, it was quite a workout and the lunch we had just consumed sure helped to fuel me as we made our way up the snow covered trail. In twenty minutes we were back on Breezy Lake, and by 3:05 pm we were back on Wilkins Lake. It had taken us just a little over ninety minutes to get back to our lake, not bad.
Animals tracks on a rock outcropping on Robitaille Lake
Since we had some time, we visited another campsite on the lake along the south shore, that had a small islet next to it. It was quite spacious and had moose tracks going through the campsite as well, again it was a campsite that sat high above the lake surface. Here, we removed our snowshoes and we were able to freely walk around on the ice in our boots.
Heading back to Breezy Lake from Robitaille Lake
By 4:00 pm we were back at camp, firing up the stove. We had enough firewood left over that we didn't have to gather or chop up anymore, so into the tent we went! We spent the next two hours thawing out and heating the chilli for dinner that night. Occasional jaunts outdoors revealed that it was warmer out, not like the bone-numbing -30°C of the night before, but it still was cold outside, around -20°C. After dinner we heard wolves calling from inside out tent, now that was a wintertime treat. Mike had tried calling for wolves the night before but got no response, now with us sharing a few drinks and laughs in our hot tent, I suddenly heard the distant howl, follow by a chorus of howls and yips as a pack of wolves began calling through night air. It was really creepy and at the same time awe inspiring to hear.
Jeffrey & Mike arrive at a campsite on Robitaille Lake
Mike gets a fire going on Robitaille Lake
It was during this time that Jeffrey was in a feeding frenzy, feeding the stove that is. Jeffrey fed the stove so much wood and that with the damper open, the stove pipe turned red hot and soon Mike ran outside complaining it was like a sauna in the tent. Mike was right though, it was +5°C at my feet, and +30°C at head level. I soaked it in, but yeah it was too much. No problem though, open the tent flaps and let the air conditioning in! I told Jeffrey, "Don't you dare say you're sorry for generating too much heat!". "If Mike wants to cool off he can go roll around in the snow like a dog if he wants to!" Heh heh, fun times for sure. During the night Jeffrey got up again and fed the stove, and at one point I woke up to find the stove cold, but I was too comfortable and warm in my sleeping bag to move, the temperature was -11°C inside the tent, outside it was -19°C.
