Marshall Lake 2015

[LF_tripper]

Whew! Just a little more dehydrating and the food barrel is ready. Just a little more packing and the gear is set to go. M wondered last night why I was so jittery. "Only a week to go! I'm not done prepping!" "Umm, you've got 2 weeks to go. You're way early." Wow. How did that happen? Now I've got all our bags packed, and no place to go...yet. It sure is nice to be early for a change. There have been years when we've been packing the night before. That's when I overlook and forget the little things like duct tape, bug spray, a food item, and one year...my clothes.

Forgetting clothes is probably pretty funny now. Reminds me of the time 3 of us went on a 5 day trip and after travelling about 6 hours the first day we decided it was time for a snack only to discover that I had forgot the food. The other 2 guys had enough food so we would be ok if we ate fish every day so we kept going. I have yet to live that one down. I laugh about it now

 

[Odyssey]

Safe travels everyone.
Last minute packing again this morning before a noon departure means we're travelling heavy. sheesh.
Tonight I'll pull out my fishing stuff and try to make sense of it.
one more sleep

 

[Mihun09]

About to hit the road, just need to clean out an eavestrough... had 4" of rain last night and listened to the sump pump running all night long. Taking our time today and with Thunderstorms forecast for our stop over in Ignace, I might set the tent up, put all the gear in it and sleep in the truck.

 

[Robin]

Got an early start, made record time, even the border crossing was a breeze. Stopped at the old camp in Cobden, Ontario for old times sake. The place is still in great shape, but vacant as usual, 300 acres, a mile of lake front, boy, if it where mine I'd never leave....my first vacation there was 60 years ago this week, spent some time thinking of the old timers who are long gone now, and how much the place helped me (and my children) learn how to really enjoy life.

Got back on Highway 17 and raced everyone west bound, got a room in Mattawa, Ontario, going to take a walk down to the Ottawa River.

Looking forward to the trip!

 

[Mihun09]

Home safe today. Good trip. I have 186 photo's to edit taken over about a week. Trip report to follow. Good thing I have the next week off. Robin is out on Marshall Lake again, he went back out yesterday morning for 4 days or so.

Karin

 

[Odyssey]

Stopped off 2 nights with son and family before finishing the drive home. The beer is cold, the grandkids are unruly, and the tripping memories are still fresh. Perfect.
I have a trip report to work on. Looked over our photos. We spent too many times over the the past week just "being in the moment" with camera in lap, instead of recording the moment with camera in hand. We spent the entire 10 hour drive from Geraldton to N Bay smiling, watching the distance thunder storms play across the sky, and mumbling "wow". Every few miles we'd look at each other and whisper "wow". Wow what a trip.
Stopped off in Hearst for new cam lock straps for the canoe. Muuuch better than the ratchet straps I had. While there had a hungry trucker's breakfast at the truck stop. Just as I was getting up from the table, they brought out freshly baked pies for the display cabinet. Darn. I shoulda saved room for pie.
Another stop in Temagami because M was having withdrawal symptoms…she has these cravings for french fries after a trip. What do others crave after a trip? The little chip stand on the left hand as you're coming down the hill heading south is good. I know, cause a young mother with hubby and kids in tow stood waiting for their order said to me "Best chips in town! The poutine is the best too!!" I considered myself schooled, so I ordered the poutine. Oh, btw, when they ask "curds or shredded?' never go for the shredded cheese. Ya gotta do it up right with cheese curds. Weird thing is, when we walked across the road to the LCBO (liquor store) for some craft beer and white wine for our evening later on, we were lost in reverie in the air conditioned aisle…when M and I both snapped out of it I was holding a case of Bud Lite and she had a bottle of Bailey's in her arms?? When M and I both finally resumed our slow ride south we agreed, we may never be the same again after this trip. These changes are something we embrace and welcome. Thank you to memaquay for spoiling us, getting us through this trip in one piece, and opening up country we'd never have seen otherwise. Thank you to Mrs memaquay for her gorgeous vivacity and raucous laughter…and unending generosity, like her husband. Imagine if you will, after a final rugged punishing portage, followed by a hot blistering paddle down the last stretch of river, followed by a long gravel road finally ending in their drive way…to be greeted by a vision of French Canadienne joie de vivre strolling down the drive with an arm load of ice cold beers!! "Welome back gang!!" she said. We felt welcome indeed.

ps
I went out today with son and grandkids to wet our lines and while- away a few happy hours. I lost my lucky lure under the Hwy 11 bridge in Marten River today. dang!

 

[Mihun09]

No worries Brad, I'll send you another one.

 

[Iskweo]

Hahaha....I LIVE for chip trucks. I grabbed a tub full yesterday in Vermillion. The nice fresh cut kind. Yummmmms. We have also developed an affinity for the famous Safeway lumberjack sub. A massive slab of bread meat and cheese that lasts pretty much all day for two people. For $10. Can't beat it.

We stopped in Dryden for the night and wouldnt you know it, there was a gun show there the next morning. Perfect. Pizza, beer, golf on TV, and a gun show. It was like being on vacation.

I have to echo Brads sentiments about the hospitality we have received from Rob and Irene. They are wonderful people and went well beyond mere friendship. They made us feel like family.

I also have to say that I really enjoyed having Miranda along with us. It was nice to have another woman in camp. It changes the dynamic of the group really nicely. And she was a trooper, slugging her way along.

It was a physically demanding trip in a lot of ways and there was a lot of adaptation due to water levels and weather but we got 'er done and had a great time doing it. Really wild country, much more so than WCPP or Atikaki. The Marshall Lake crossing was a wild ride and a good indicator of what was to come. Especially since Robin had a stringer full by the time he got to camp.

Christy

 

[Odyssey]

I'm almost done playing with photos. It's incredibly hard to doctor them to remove blurry fingers in every other photo my wife took. She holds a camera like she's gripping a fastball...ready to throw "a heater". I shouldn't complain. She took some beauties too. Speaking of doctoring (improving) photos, does anyone know how I can make my tiddler pickerel resemble the whoppers everyone else caught? It tasted dang good though.

 

[Mihun09]

Speaking of doctoring (improving) photos, does anyone know how I can make my tiddler pickerel resemble the whoppers everyone else caught? It tasted dang good though.

Actually, yes, there is a way, but it has to be done when you catch it. Hold it straight out in your arm towards the camera, at full reach with your arm out of view so the fish is having a close up. It makes the fish appear larger than it actually is. You'd be amazed how many people actually do this.

You know, just because I only got a couple of mosquito bites in Ontario doesn't mean I need two dozen in one day back in "Toba.

 

[Odyssey]

Check out the beautiful piece of folk art Mihun gave to my wife and I.
It's carved and painted by her very own talented hands. Cool eh?

Thanks Karin. It's priceless.

 

[Mihun09]

So that is what folk art is...

I made one for the house here a couple years ago, these ones are version 2.0 with a separate paddle made from cherry and specific to the paddler the piece was made for. Mem got a sugar island blade, Robin an ottertail, etc. Both Mem's and Robins are solo's set up specifically how they paddle and work perfectly in the wind, but B&M's was the first tandem I had done and wouldn't you know it, unless the wind is 70kmh it just goes broadside to the wind, very much like the Wenonah we borrowed did on the trip. Odd how it works in all scales.

 

[Odyssey]

So that is what folk art is...

but B&M's was the first tandem I had done and wouldn't you know it, unless the wind is 70kmh it just goes broadside to the wind

aah, so you've seen us paddle before Ha!

This beauty will never see the weather outdoors. It's hung from the ceiling in our rec room, where everyone will see it, kinda like a mobile. M and I did a lot of talking about where to show it off, so it's location may change.
Don't be put off by my imperfect description of folk art, I'm not very knowledgable, but very appreciative and grateful. I have a number of original pieces of art in our home. All local artists whose works don't command high high prices, but to me they're priceless for their beauty and their voice. Your work fits in perfectly. It "speaks" to me.

(I swear I can hear the bow paddler saying "rock at 12 o'clock Brad)

 

[Mihun09]

It is funny (odd) that I've never looked at them as art. I see a functional piece to put outside for wind direction, which is where the first one is out on the boathouse here. If they are art, I need to do better. Perhaps on Rev 3 I can do just that. Everything was going well until I had to draw people. Ha ha. I should stick to drawing animals. I lucked out on Mem's too since I was just grabbing old bits of shelving to cut them out of and not even thinking of wood grain until after I had yours and Robins painted and luck would have it that it worked for his stripper, albeit wavy wide boards. Then I painted the inside red 'cause he does that and he paints the new one green.

I also could only find one picture of you and Miranda to go from and you both had the same colour clothing on, which didn't help much. Just put it up on your shed so you can see a canoe in the cold of Winter out blowing in the wind.