Day 10 - Kawnipi Lake to Kahshahpiwi Lake (Tuesday, August 12)

15.5 miles, 6 portages

I got an early start today in an effort to get a jump on a potentially rainy day. The sun had been out at dawn, but rain clouds had quickly moved in. My string of beautiful weather days had finally come to an end.

The goal today was to see how far I could go up the chain of lakes that form the long, straight waterway known as Kahshahpiwi Creek. My first portage was at the beautiful little falls I had visited yesterday, and it was an easy carry. While walking the trail, however, I had noticed that one of my boots was starting to come apart. The sole in front was separating from the bottom of the boot, leaving my foot exposed. When you consider the beating your feet take when portaging heavy packs over paths of mud, roots and rocks, boots become a critical piece of gear. With over half the trip still to go, I would need to find a sturdy fix for this soon.

At the end of a short paddle Kahshahpiwi Creek narrowed, and after a walk-through, portage, and another walk-through I arrived onto Cairn Lake. The topography of Cairn Lake (and the whole Kahshahpiwi Chain for that matter) was breathtaking. Towering granite cliffs climbed high along the shorelines, and mountain-like islands loomed like castles above the water. Paddling down this imposing lake on this gray and drizzly day felt like being in another world.

At the south end of Cairn Lake a longer, but not particularly tough portage led me into Sark Lake. The wind, which was in my face, picked up noticeably while I made my way down this long and narrow lake. At the other end lay another longish, but also not difficult portage connecting to Keefer Lake. On this trail I passed a group portaging three or four big Champlains. At least one of these huge eighteen foot canoes was being carried by a young kid who was clearly getting a good healthy workout. Still, he flashed me a smile and I could tell he was probably having the time of his life.

On Keefer Lake the wind blew harder, and the now persistent drizzle blew steadily into my face, clouding my glasses. The only other people I saw today were camped on an island in the middle of the lake. As I passed by I saw their tent and thought how nice it would have been to be where they are, dry and out of the wind. I decided to finish crossing Keefer and begin looking for a campsite at the northern end of Kahshahpiwi Lake.

After a short portage out of Keefer I entered the far northern basin of Kahshahpiwi Lake. As I was approaching the first bend across from the portage I spotted something man-made up on shore. In a wilderness setting the straight lines and symmetric angles of man-made things really stick out. As I got closer I could see it was a dock, which seemed odd. It didn't look like some ancient relic from the past, but I could not find anything else nearby, like remnants of an old cabin, that might explain its presence. The occasional discovery of artifacts like this can be fun, and maybe someday I'll be lucky enough to learn this one's history.

I passed on the first campsite I investigated because of concern about widow-makers. Instead, I squeezed through the narrow channel into the main basin of Kahshahpiwi and paddled toward a point on the east side. When I reached the point I discovered there was a small island just off the point that rose up high out of the water. A very secluded, almost hidden bay rested between the island and point, and as I paddled around I saw evidence that a campsite was indeed there somewhere. It wasn't until after I landed on the island and walked to the top that I found the actual site, complete with fire ring, tent pad and lovely view. I had found my next home.

Elevated island campsite on Kahshahpiwi Lake. (click on any image for larger version)

Because it was still drizzling when I arrived, I first set up the tarp before unpacking the rest of camp. Gradually the drizzle stopped, but the wind and clouds remained. While eating dinner I watched an eagle perched at a nearby island search the waters for some food of its own. Then a little mouse, hoping to find some tasty crumbs, started darting in and out among the rocks around the fire ring. As darkness fell the mosquitos came looking for their meal too, but the tent was near, and I outran them.

Route Map, Day 10 (click to enlarge)