Absolutely stunning sunset out the front door of my tent on Helen last night. That site is a real winner. Other sites on Helen are decent as well. Took a detour over to Ishmael Lake to check on sites. Hardly used at all. Saw two ravens flying really close together, one kept wheeling onto its back seemingly trying to get at the underside of the other. Snapped a shot of a heron nest while on Ishmael as well.
About halfway to the unnamed pond on the Helen-Nellie portage I heard some crashing through the brush, thought it was the Warden muscling his way through a particularly overgrown section of the trail. A little further up the trail came across two old school types (canvas everything) who we had seen twice the day before on Baie Fine and McGregor Bay. Turns out they were using a 15 year old map that showed a portage running from the creek N of Helen, around the unnamed and finally joining up with the existing trail to Nellie; f***ing crazy bastards.
Took two breaks on that portage, one to show those old bushwackers what's what on the new map, and the second because I needed it. Nellie Lake is as stunning as ever. Had to charge two people for camping off site and for not having a permit, pricey mistake. The two bushwackers were last seen heading due east, past the last campsite and straight down the lake. Maybe their map shows a campsite or, heaven forbid, another ludicrous portage?! Didn't feel like giving chase, they were moving at a fairly good clip and halfway down the lake by the time we spotted them.
Notch Creek portage was a bitch to me today, didn't slip or anything but had to rest three times, shoulders were killing me by the end. Checking permits on the site immediately East of the portage on Murray, found out that there's an unmantained and unmarked trail that runs from the portage to the site. The people staying there knew about it and had left their canoe on Nellie, smart.
Followed three playful and very curious otters down Murray until they disappeared into an old beaver lodge, thought that was pretty cool, not to mention resourceful. Cardinal flowers on Howry Creek, very nice. A surprisingly tough portage to Cat Lake. Swim upon arrival at the Ranger Cabin which is absolutely surrounded by sweet peas. Also had the satisfaction of beating the other work crew here.
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