Muskox Creek to 6km West of Hoarfrost River
Distance: 20km – [cumulative total 379 km]
InReach: Day 20 Rain over night & into the morning so late start Camped on beach yesterday & tonight Lots moose tracks but yet to see one J&K
Camp: 62.855°N 109.380°W
The wind sprung up overnight and just as we were getting up at 6am it started raining heavily. We had breakfast but didn’t pack up until later when the sky lightened and the wind dropped sufficiently for us to think it likely we would get away. We were on the water by 11.30 am into a crosswind and stopping about an hour for a shore lunch. It remained overcast but the wind didn’t really trouble us and we made reasonable progress. Stopped about 4.15 pm a short day but we had done twenty kilometres and didn’t want to arrive at Olesens in the evening, they were about an hours paddle away. The Olesen’s are something of an institution and you don’t pass without dropping in. They have lived on Great Slave for twenty seven years running a business flying into the north and taking people on dog sled adventures. Dave also writes novels using the northern local as a starting point and Kristen is a photographer, furthermore they supply passing canoeists with information and extra food if necessary.
Our camp site was good, a flat sandy beach with a mossy area for the tent. Pretty much all of the shore line we passed today was burnt about four years ago and showed little sign of recovery. The evening was sunny but the black flies and mosquitoes were out in force.
Luch stop with Great Slave Lake in canoe friendly conditions, hot soup at lunch was a daily and much appreciated treat
The Labrador Tea was now out in flower everywhere