[NatureNS] Tent Dwelling

Date: Tue, 03 Jun 2008 13:17:32 -0300
From: Cindy Creighton <creighton@eastlink.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
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That was an awesome trip report Andrew and very well written!  Thanks so
much for that.  While I've yet to make it to the Tobeatic, the southern part
of Kejimkujik was always my favorite place to go on backcountry canoe trips.
We used to start our trips at the Eel Weir, taking Portage A (if I remember
correctly) on the way in, and take the Big Hardwood Carry on the way out.
While a very long and tiring 2km portage, the forest and scenery on that
route makes it well worth the aching muscles.  

I have paddled as far as Peskawa Lake and that's when I felt like I was
really in the backcountry.  You still see quite a few people on Peskowesk,
and relaxing naps after a hard day of paddling/portaging are sometimes
rudely interrupted by the banging of paddles on gunwales which takes away
from the secluded "backcountry" feel.  However Peskawa was deserted and I
truly felt "alone in the wilderness" on that lake.

A friend of mine was supposed to do the "Tent Dwellers" canoe route in May -
I'll have to follow up with her to see how the trip went.  About four years
ago that same friend loaned me her copy of the "Tent Dwellers" - what a
fantastic read and I finished the whole book in one night!

Thanks again for the great trip report - and I loved the PS!

Cheers,
Cindy

-----Original Message-----
From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca]
On Behalf Of Andrew Steeves
Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2008 11:51 AM
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Subject: [NatureNS] Tent Dwelling

I thought I'd post to say that I spent last week
in the Tobeatic Wilderness Area. Four of us did a
seven-day wander with all our world on our backs,
lake hopping over the granite barrens below Fifth
Lake Flowage down to Buckshot Lake, and then down
the Shelburne River to the Low Landing on Lake
Rossingnol. Looks to be a pretty healthy ecosystem
up there on the barrens. The spectacular erratics,
eskers and dry bogs unlike any country I've ever
encountered before.

On the wildlife side, we saw ribbon and
red-bellied snakes. Lots of frogs. The most
interesting mammal signs were large cat tracks
(likely bob cat), deer tracks, coyote scat, a
porcupine in a tree overhanging the river,
beavers, otter, and, near Lake Rossignol, a good
long close-up gander at a big black bear. The bear
was on the shore and we were in the canoes, and
that was just fine with everyone involved. The
bear was in no hurry to run away, and as we
drifted past it kept standing up on its hind legs
in the rhodendra to look us over one more time. It
was quite an exciting five minutes.

And the birds! Red-tailed hawks, osprey, barred
owl, and lots of songbirds -- my favorites being
the song sparrows, parula warblers, hermit
thrushes, tree swallows, and little flycatchers
that seemed to be everywhere.

Noteworthy flowers were painted trilliums, star
flowers, lambskill, last year's indian pipe
stalks, violets, white ladyslippers, pitcher
plants. Too many others to mention really. The
heath, lichen and rhodendra were amazing. Nice to
see bigger white pines too, and lots of tamarack
larch and red maple.

Blackflies were light. I never put fly dope on at
any point during the trip and was only bitten a
few times.

We saw no other humans during our entire trip
until we reached the Low Landing. There was,
however, a huge bronze Canadian Heritage River
plaque below the carry at Granite Falls which I
found a little intrusive and ironic, telling me
that where I was was 'important', as if the
evidence before my eyes was not enough. I refused
to read it and moved on.

The carries were long, punishing, and beautiful. I
was using am 85 lb 1970s Chestnut wood & canvas
canoe with a traditional straight centre thwart,
so the longer carries were a bit hard on my neck
and shoulders. A rolled up flannel shirt helped a
little. The need to rest gave me an excuse to put
the canoe down and look around at the rocks,
plants and trees. I dreamed of a lighter boat
during these carries, but I was glad for its
strong oak gunnels, heavy-weight canvas and cedar
ribs when I made a stupid mistake lining the boat
through the rapids below Irving Lake, hung up the
bow, had the stern swing into the current, and in
trying to correct this with the line swamped it
and almost had the force of the river bend the
swamped canoe in two over a rock. For a few
minutes there I thought we'd be walking out to the
woods without it. We frantically pitched the gear
out and freed it quickly. Although I broke a few
ribs (the canoe's, not mine) and warped it out of
shape, the canvas was sound and we were back in
business quickly. Tough old thing. It'll be in the
dry-dock this winter for some top-side repair, I
guess.

Anyway, the Tobeatic is an astonishing place. If
you ever have a chance to get into the heart of
it, do. Don't be afraid of the carries. They are
rough, hard work, but they are easily overcome
with a little determination and mental toughness
and their beauty is a balm you will carry with you
for the rest of your days.

Andrew Steeves
Wolfville, NS

PS -- Nice to be back on the home range. This
morning I canoed on the Gaspereau River head pond
at White Rock, danced with my beaver, checked in
with the phoebes, wished good morning to my
kingfishers, gossiped with the bald eagle and was
snubbed by Mr. & Mrs. Mallard.

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