West Shore Lower Markham Lake - Island North End Nicholson Lake
Distance 35km [556km]
Portage 0 [12]
Very Fast Water 0 [29]
Rapids 0[19]
We woke to a mirror like Markham Lake.
This boded well for a good days paddling as we hoped to make it all the way up Markham and on to the river outlet at the north end of Nicholson Lake. The mosquitoes, black flies and ‘no-see’ems’ were in plague proportions and we were under siege throughout breaking camp, eating breakfast and even out on the water for much of the paddle. Otherwise it was a perfect cloudless day with no wind. It is magic paddling when the lake is like a huge mirror, it is almost impossible to see where the sky meets the water at the horizon and you feel like you could paddle off the edge of the world. It is a surreal experience.
Heading north on Markham Lake, on sunny days the solar panels are out, recharging the lithium storage battery
View looking north on Nicholson Lake
Despite the build-up of cloud, the surface winds remained calm into the early afternoon as we paddled north on Nicholson Lake
We made excellent time and were in Nicholson Lake by lunch time. After lunch the clouds started rolling in and when we were within four of five kilometres of our goal at the river exit a sudden wind sprang up and the mirror surface of the lake became covered in white caps. We were concerned that we were about to get engulfed in a squall so as we were only a kilometre from the top of the last island we made for shore. Though only mid-afternoon we elected not to tempt the weather gods and set up camp. For the first time on the trip we broke out the wet weather gear. The squall didn’t eventuate but it was reassuring to be on land.
Camp on large island, northern Nicholson Lake