Wilderness Canoeing in Canada

Cabin in McLeod Bay

Icebound: Cumulative total remains at 218 km

InReach: Day 9 No change in the ice We continued sorting and reorganising food and gear Kate practising using the InReach All well J&K

Camp: 62.611°N 111.520°W

The ice had moved overnight, when we awoke the bay immediately in front of the cabin was one large ice raft. The area where I stood to wash myself and my hair yesterday was choked with ice. We spent the morning catching up on a million small jobs. I practised using the InReach and sending messages and now feel more confident that I could use it in an emergency. John organised the fishing gear for the emergency kit, we took photos of the ice and I caught up with the washing. The ice pushed by the wind was moving quickly in a westerly direction toward Plummer’s Fishing Camp but it was hard to tell just what was happening with the ice further out. I naively felt optimistic that we will get away in a few days John however is very pessimistic about our chances and the reality is he is far more knowledgeable than I am. Reviewing the available data we have certainly struck an unusually late break up. John also spent some time fiddling with the short wave radio so we were able to listen the Radio NZ this evening.

As for wild life there are a pair of romantic squirrels chasing each other all around the cabin. This evening John saw a nuthatch and a pair of North American Robins just outside and feeding on insects over the ice and of course there are the very friendly mozzies, lots and lots of those.