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Paul and I started out from the Lower Dam at 7 pm Monday. A returning canoer has let us know that at least sites 6 and 10 were filled and as we started out and passed 2 and 3 they also were filled. As we rounded the bay and looked across to 5 which appeared empty, I made the decision to camp at five rather than keep going. I'd never been into Bog River before and wasn't sure about timing to the uppper sites. Better safe than sorry. We were unloading within 45 minutes after leaving the dam and set up quickly. The picture below is the first night relaxing before the mosquitos attacked. It was way too hot for a fire. I tried Ultrathon on my legs, which worked, and a bug shirt for my torso, which worked, but forgot to put Ultrathon on my insteps. Big mistake as the next day wondered where about a dozen bites per foot came from. Oh well. I was awake throughout the night due to the heat and humidity but was rewarded with watching the moon rise throughout the wee hours and then from about 4 am on the sky lighten ever so slowly, and the mist rising. At 5 am I got up and took some morning photos. I'll put a 5 am shot from inside the tent in the next post.
Tuesday we went for a 5 1/2 hour leisurely paddle up the river and lollygagged around checking out the birds, bog and sites as far as #12. I had fun marking waypoints of all the sites in case I ever go in again later in the evening. The Uppper Dam site is in full bloom with flowers from Low's. A very nice surprise when you portage and Paul had fun exploring the stone foundations.
On the return down the river we stopped at the picnic area between sites 11 and 12 for an nice swim of 1 1/2 hours. We did the shorts and tank top bit. Water was warm if you swam or floated. If you let your legs hang down about 3 feet then you hit the really cold water. After about an hour a snake swam by abut 6 inches from my face. I let out an eek and went back about a foot giving him some room. Paul thought this very funny and went into some antics mocking my reaction, not realizing there really was a snake swimming with us. I pointed out that our friend was real, now about 10 feet away, and he hooted, yelled and ran for shore. A true Gary reaction. He doesn't mind them on land, but oh boy , don't put one in the water with him! Back to swimming when our new friend crossed the river. Paul's excitement wasn't over though. I was telling him about leeches all the while he is lounging on the river bottom near the shore and what is on his arm? Oh yes, I got to pick one off him. Ok, that ended swimming and put us back in the canoe for more paddling.
Great blue herons, a family of brant, warblers ever so tame at the site, many other birds, a beaver in the morning, very fresh bear scat on the access road, one snake, one leech, thousands of deer flies and horse flies, multitudes of mosquitos at night.
We had our fire last night, helping with the bugs. Thunderstorms circled around us for an hour or two last night before it finally started to rain on us. I could see lightning over by the lower dam and the wind was howling in the trees just over the ridge and raining on 6, but we were spared the worst of it, sitting in our little sheltered spot.
What did I forget? Sunblock-I'm lobster red. And I should have looked urban and brought my little popup screen cube for the bugs at night. I might not have looked cool but I would have been a heck of a lot more comfortable in there than sweating it out in the tent. It only weighs a few pounds and would have been so worth it to throw in on top of the camp chairs. The camp chairs are new and these recline. Later I put our thermarests on them and it was VERY comfortable.
We left mid morning today, Paul accommodated me by circling through the water lilies in the wind so I could try and get some photos. A quick stop for gas and yucko burgers in the Forge and I had him back for work at 2:45. I'm still amazed that I could wake up in such a beautiful area and be back here all in one day. Culture shock.
Tuesday we went for a 5 1/2 hour leisurely paddle up the river and lollygagged around checking out the birds, bog and sites as far as #12. I had fun marking waypoints of all the sites in case I ever go in again later in the evening. The Uppper Dam site is in full bloom with flowers from Low's. A very nice surprise when you portage and Paul had fun exploring the stone foundations.
On the return down the river we stopped at the picnic area between sites 11 and 12 for an nice swim of 1 1/2 hours. We did the shorts and tank top bit. Water was warm if you swam or floated. If you let your legs hang down about 3 feet then you hit the really cold water. After about an hour a snake swam by abut 6 inches from my face. I let out an eek and went back about a foot giving him some room. Paul thought this very funny and went into some antics mocking my reaction, not realizing there really was a snake swimming with us. I pointed out that our friend was real, now about 10 feet away, and he hooted, yelled and ran for shore. A true Gary reaction. He doesn't mind them on land, but oh boy , don't put one in the water with him! Back to swimming when our new friend crossed the river. Paul's excitement wasn't over though. I was telling him about leeches all the while he is lounging on the river bottom near the shore and what is on his arm? Oh yes, I got to pick one off him. Ok, that ended swimming and put us back in the canoe for more paddling.
Great blue herons, a family of brant, warblers ever so tame at the site, many other birds, a beaver in the morning, very fresh bear scat on the access road, one snake, one leech, thousands of deer flies and horse flies, multitudes of mosquitos at night.
We had our fire last night, helping with the bugs. Thunderstorms circled around us for an hour or two last night before it finally started to rain on us. I could see lightning over by the lower dam and the wind was howling in the trees just over the ridge and raining on 6, but we were spared the worst of it, sitting in our little sheltered spot.
What did I forget? Sunblock-I'm lobster red. And I should have looked urban and brought my little popup screen cube for the bugs at night. I might not have looked cool but I would have been a heck of a lot more comfortable in there than sweating it out in the tent. It only weighs a few pounds and would have been so worth it to throw in on top of the camp chairs. The camp chairs are new and these recline. Later I put our thermarests on them and it was VERY comfortable.
We left mid morning today, Paul accommodated me by circling through the water lilies in the wind so I could try and get some photos. A quick stop for gas and yucko burgers in the Forge and I had him back for work at 2:45. I'm still amazed that I could wake up in such a beautiful area and be back here all in one day. Culture shock.
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