Last Call Of The Wild

Well, I'm back again. I spent the last 9 days camping in Algonquin with the guys. Since Tyrone is headed back to BC next week, we decided that we wanted to do a rather ambitious trip, canoeing and portaging to a different site each night. I've done many trips like that before and the guys have always said they wanted to try it. So we planed to go up Canoe Lake to Potter Lake, going up Potter Cr. Which was in itself a arduous task. Most of the river was passable, but there were stages where we had to literally walk the river dragging the canoes with us, over tree falls and rapids. There was one point where the river went through a marsh and we got ate alive by the mosquitoes, ticks and spiders, it was hellish, but in the end enjoyable because we got to test ourselves in harsh conditions.

After that, instead of taking the more direct route, we made a detour to Timberwolf Lake, there by avoiding two long portages. Timberwolf, was such a beautiful spot to camp on, we made our camp on an island, and I am telling you I have never had a more peaceful sleep. The lake was so calm it was like the island was resting on a mirror. We stood out on the rocks at night and the stars were perfectly reflected on the lake, so that you couldn't tell what was real. It felt as if we were no longer on earth, but adrift among the heavens, never have I seen such a night.

We then made our way along Misty Lake (which has a significance all its own, but I'll tell that another time) to Rosebary Lake. This was one of the most difficult stage of the trip, because some of the portages were grown in, and we had to literally cut our way through bush so thick that you couldn't see though. At one point the brush had grown right to the level of the water creating an almost impassable barrier. Still though we pushed through, getting out of the canoe, and crawling through the underbrush. All of us was scourged by the branches and thorns, we all had cuts on our back from passing through, but in the end we made it. We didn't arrive to our camp sit till after the sun went down, and we were so tired that all we did was set up the tent, and eat a cup full of cold oatmeal and lake water before falling asleep. I hadn't even opened up my sleeping bag, I just used it as a pillow. Man were we sore the next morning.

From here we were able to get on to the Nipissing River, which was our goal. We spent a couple of days here, preparing for the decent down Allen Rapids. Shooting them was a harrowing experience. At first we were a little nervous about attempting them, Well I'll be honest, I was scared, but sometimes you just have to jump in feet first and damn the consequences. It was worth it. It was tough but we made it, and it was an experience of a life time. We camped that night at to top of High Falls. There is something eerie yet soothing about going to sleep listening to the hushed roar of water going over the falls. After that was the leisurely trip back, through Burntroot Lake, Lake La Muir, Big Trout Lake, and finally Burnt Island.

All in all it was an amazing trip, and we all had a great time. However, it was kind of sad in a way. Tyrone is headed back to BC, and then to where ever his wandering life leads him, although he says we will all keep in touch, we all realize that this may be the last time we see him for years and years. It is a shame, but I know Tyrone and he never stays for long in a particular area, and he never looks back, it is an interesting life, but one in which I could never live, or fully understand for that matter. J is moving this Sept to work out east for a year. Chances are he will come back and move out for good. We are very close, and I know we will stay close forever, visiting each other, calling and what not, but it just wont be the same. And although none of us have mentioned it, A will probably get married to Kay in a year or so, and no matter what people say that does change people, having a family does take away from the time you used to spend on your friends. So in a way this may probably be the last camping trip with the guys. It is unfortunate but I guess we can't fight time. In the end it is just one more sign telling me to move on. I never wanted these times to end, but at least it ended fittingly. If this is it, at least we went out with a bang.