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Index of Subjects Thank you for sharing your trip, Andrew. It was a delight to read. It has been quite a few years since I and my family regularly took long May weekend trips into the Tobeatic. (We had to trade our before-children wood and canvas Chesnut for 2 fibreglass canoes and carry patch kits for those rocky rivers in Shelburne and Queens counties.) Your note brings back great memories. I went back the Indian Fields road on Monday, 2nd June, from the "airport" and wish the protected area could be extended. The "cottage country" from Shelburne and Welshtown is growing rapidly in that direction. Lake Deception now has a cottage settlement road more than half way around the lake. Access to the shores of Horseshoe Lake and Clamshell Lake by vehicle is blocked off with boulders, and the lane in is barely passable. A great trip is to put in at Clamshell and go through the chain of lakes (Clamshell, Horseshoe, Black, Russia, Auger, Long and Barclay to the Clyde River ( taking out at Cobscootch Falls). Because it was not the week end, I saw no other vehicle or person all day, but many, many birds and plants. Lots of bear scat, but no encounter. I have just bought the 100th anniversary edition of Albert Bigelow Paine's The Tent Dwellers ( Nimbus) and look forward to a re-read. Cheers, Joan Andrew Steeves wrote: > 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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