Wollaston Community - Morin Island, Wollaston Lake
Distance 14 km [573 km ]
After a sunny day it rained for most of the night. Come morning we had to decide should we pack up everything before shopping in Wollaston and hope the weather would allow us to continue from there or get to Wollaston early and return to pack up. We were both feeling the need to get going so skipped breakfast, packed up and were on the water by 7.45am and waiting at the store by 8.30am. We chose not to tie up at the town jetty but put the canoe out of sight so we could both go to the store. We had a short wait for the store to open after the computers were reset by Saskatoon. This time we completed our shop though I am bemused by what we are going to eat for out main meal each day as I couldn’t buy the usual items, I wasn’t even able to get Macaroni and Cheese, this would have to be a first for a northern community store. Back to the canoe, baked goods for breakfast, yum and paddling by 10.30am.
We set out in fine weather with our first goal being a small island across a 5 km stretch. Before we reached it we could see a storm brewing and had to make for the nearest beach and wait an hour for it to blow over.
Stop on small un-named island south of Morin Island for lunch and an assessment of the deteriorating weather
We set off again but this time we had only gone a few kilometres when a classic squall line appeared directly ahead and moving towards us. We could see a beach on an island we had not long passed so we turned and paddled like fury to make it to land before the squall caught us. It was amazing, one minute we were paddling on flat water with virtually no wind then just as we made the beach all hell broke loose. We were barely out of the canoe and you could hear the wind roaring like a train, the waves reached surf proportions, the temperature dropped and there was hail and rain blowing almost sideways. We were very lucky to have made the beach as conditions had turned very dangerous within minutes.
Approaching squall line, you could hear it coming like a distant freight train
Beach on Morin Island where we sheltered from the squall, after a while it became obvious we were here for the night
We spent the next three hours waiting for reasonable paddling conditions and during that time two other thunder cells passed over though neither with the ferocity of the squall which had forced us to take shelter. About 5pm we decided to camp where we were. After setting up camp I made a reasonable attempt to sort and pack all the purchases we had made at Wollaston. We then had the traditional shopping day meal of hot dogs.
We have not made many kilometres today however it was good to restock and start on our way across Wollaston which has many long, open stretches. The storms had cleared but there was a red smoky sun, the storm must have started a fire in our neighbourhood.
Kate does her traditional post resupply food re-sort, Morin Island