Day 10 - September 16

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Temagami Houseboat Trip - 2018

Today: Foggy, Low Clouds - Later Sunny, Warm.

Leg 7 - Day 10
East Arm Cross Lake to West Side of Lake Temagami
(16 miles) (Click to Enlarge)

The day started at 3 am! It sounded like possible rain and there was a heavy mist and the wind had switched to the east.  Reluctantly, I got up to switch the stern guy line from the starboard to port side given the wind change.  I was afraid the wind would build and it would get worse. Better to fix it now and prevent worse problems later!  

After I finished, I read a chapter in my book to try to bet back to sleep, but it was not easy. I slept uneasily the rest of the night.  Got up to a dreary foggy morning.  After study, reading, and breakfast it was almost 10:30 AM before I got away from shore.

Loons loved the early morning fog.
(Click to Enlarge)

Then it seemed like the great houseboat migration! I saw 3 of 4 houseboats from the party I spotted yesterday leave ahead of me, going the same direction.  I followed them then another boat came behind me.  We worked our way out through the narrow channels into the main lake.  

An alternative to Leisure Island Houseboats with a roof top deck. Inbound to Cross Lake.
(Click to Enlarge)

Video: Channel from Cross Lake to Lake Temagami

My goal was one of two sites on the S.E. side of the South Arm of Temagami.  The last boat followed me all the way so I thought he may be trying to beat me to the site since he was slightly faster.  However, it was a false alarm, since he was taking the boat back to its island base nearby. 

A lighted marker for night and day navigation.  I would not recommend night
travel for any visitor to this area.  Too many rocks and reefs!
(Click to Enlarge)

In the end it did not matter!  Both boat sites in this area were a no go, the first was too shallow, the second too bushy and I just could not approach close enough to drop the gang plank.  Two down maybe three times is a charm? 

I'm listening to my second audio book of the trip (Brad Thor’s, Full Black).  Keeps my mind off the failure of finding a satisfactory place to roost for the night!

I headed NW toward an island group that on the lake map indicated a camp site on the west shore bay, however, on Jeff’s maps there was no such site shown.  So, which is it?  While I struck out!  Got there and there was nothing to be found.  So I turned around a third time and by now it is 2:30 pm and I am hungry, so I make myself a snack underway and decide to head to my Portage Bay site that I know is good. 

However, after working through the island group (near Kabekwabika Island) I observed a site off to the west on an island that Jeff’s maps describes as a “very” small site!  I figure, why not, try one more time, it was not far off the track. I get there, and it is a good site, steep enough I don’t need to use the gangway plank and can just step ashore.  As Jeff's Maps described, it is a very small island indeed!  

This is pretty much it!  Looking SE. Very small island with little space for camping.
(Click to Enlarge)

Looking the opposite direction to the NW. 
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Previous visitors left some firewood so with what I had on board, and the extra here, I plan to have a real fire later on. It was warm, and I felt sticky so I put on my suit and jumped in for a quick swim. I feel much better after the swim!

Tonight will be my first wood fire of the trip.
(Click to Enlarge)

Afterward, I took the drone kit up the hill, along with my chair, and made several flights around the island.  I really have to work with the proper lens filter due to the stark contrast with the sun shining off a lot of objects and over exposing them. It will take some time, but I will get better!  No issues with the flights once I figured out I had left the controller in “Sport Mode” from the flights back at the Cross Lake Dam, which disallows use of the “Intelligent Flight Modes” I was trying to use!

Video: Drone footage of the "Little Island" in west Lake Temagami

After flying for almost an hour, I put the potato on the grill to bake.  Steak tonight with potato, coleslaw, roll and red wine.  Should be great! Water temp is fine and I will likely go again later, like last night. Feels good to get into bed after a quick swim especially when it is this warm.  Close to 80 today.

No gangway necessary, but when a storm hit this proved to be a real problem!
(Click to Enlarge)

After a great grilled tenderloin steak, I washed dishes and went up to get a fire going.  I wanted to get some coals established before it got late.  Then I went back to take a shower instead of a swim since I hadn’t taken a shower in a couple days.  Had to set up the shelter and get the hot water heater rig going, but it did not take long. I felt much better after.  A good shampoo and soaping up was needed!  

Geese heading out with the incoming storm front.
(Click to Enlarge)

I put together my fireside kit, BT speakers, binoculars, camera, gimbal, phone, tripod, wine, and chocolates, put them all in a bag and went ashore.  Stoked the fire, took some motion lapses with the tripod and gimbal, and a few camera shots as well.

Video: Around the fire on Little Island - West Lake Temagami shore

Just a great balmy evening with a half moon in the sky and a very open site to see the stars.  Listened to John Gorka Pandora Channel on my mini BT speakers and stoked the fire until the moon set and nothing but coals were left.  Plenty of wood for another fire!