Sturdee Cove to Willow River, Pukaskwa NP: Daily miles 30.0, Total miles 645.1
No moose last night, but it did get very cold – almost down to freezing. I woke up at one point and the thermometer on my watch read 35.7 degrees F. The day dawned with a mix of sun and fog but I wasn’t there to greet it. I slept in until after 9 am and the last of the fog was burning off when I climbed out of the tent. The paddling was amazing when we hit the water with almost no wind and glass calm water. The miles flew by almost effortlessly with some of the best scenery I have seen up here. Today’s joyfulness nearly erased the strife of the last few weeks. We ate lunch on the sand beach at the mouth of the Pic River and then headed to register at the headquarters of Pukaskwa National Park. It was a pain to register since their system isn’t really designed for someone just passing through and it was a little pricey at 70 dollars for 3 days in the backcountry. As we left the park office the wind and waves picked up and the joyfulness of the mornings paddle turned to utilitarianism. We paddled along looking for a campsite but found only rock cliffs. I was getting really tired after a long day with little rest and was getting really hungry. Eventually we found a little spot tucked up in a tiny cove, completely protected by giant rocks that stand at it’s mouth. It was a a little tough landing but the site is worth it. It is one of the coolest places we have camped. We hurried to eat some dinner, Lipton Alfredo with precooked bacon, and climbed around the rocks taking some pictures before heading for the tent at about 9PM. I am really tired but happy to get a nice day and cover some miles after weeks of bad weather and crummy attitudes. I hope we get more days like today but the weather forecast is calling for five days of wind and rain. Seems about right.
