Nut Point, Lac La Ronge - Island in Diefenbaker Bay, Lac La Ronge
Distance 35 km [50 km]
Up soon after 6am, breakfast and first pack up. Loaded the canoe on the water and fitted the spray cover, it is very comfortable and will certainly make it much easier to keep everything dry – a real plus. I suspect it will slow the loading and unloading for a while till we get use to it.
Installing the new spray cover before departing Nut Point
We made excellent progress across Lac La Ronge, there was no wind and only a light rain. The plan was to try and reach the first portage some 40 km away but were not concerned if we didn’t make it. Remained cloudy all day and got very humid in the afternoon. The afternoon was spent paddling over longish [5 km] stretches of open water. I felt unbelievably tired, I guess a hang over from being sick on the Thames Path, several times in the afternoon we stopped and I slept in the canoe [power napped ] for about 15 minutes each time. We started looking for a camp spot about 4.30 pm but Lac La Ronge lived up to its reputation of being difficult to find camping spots on. By 5.30 pm we had made it to Diefenbaker Bay only a few kilometres short of the first portage but the sky was very threatening and the search getting more desperate finally we found a spot on a tiny island – not ideal but adequate.
Camp on small island in Diefenbaker Bay, Lac La Ronge
Just as we reached the shore the heavens opened in a downpour and as we struggled to unload with the cover for the first time, everything that had remained dry all day got soaked. It is difficult to to manage the canoe when the small thwarts at either end are covered. The rain eased while we were putting up the tent and organising a meal. Very frustrating, no “table” rock so had to put everything on the wet ground, welcome to basic camping. We were in bed by 9pm both very tired – it rained solidly all night.