7/27, Saturday
Lay abed thinking about getting up but wondering if I did how long a wait till others arise. When I finally exit the tent Peter is there to say "finally some life! We have biscuits &eggs almost ready." Breakfast excellent: feel full.
| Inventory food - looks like it will last @ current rate. Pack canoes and finally start on river. Been eager to canoe since landing. Hiking has been interesting but also felt like a delay. Been looking down stream past 5 days, curious about what is there for us. First trial runs in the canoes they seemed wildly unstable. When we first get in the loaded canoe (R & I) it still seems likely to tip. River still at flood. Progress fast. Can make good progress just coasting w/ current - at least till wind comes up and then must paddle to stay in fast flowing section of river. Weather is partly cloudy with light drizzle. Hardly ideal but not really uncomfortable either. I wonder aloud to Richard if we will look back on this as a good day or as a bad day. Lunch on gravel bar - toasted bagels. Temperature drop in afternoon, wind picks up, rain begins. Stop for trail mix on desolate gravel bar. Rain changes to ice. We paddle around next bend and choose to camp. Board with this travel log. Pete's paddle broke today. Blade slipped off and sunk in the muddy water. Later in the scramble to get dinner going Andrew tripped. getting up he smelt gas and found that my fuel bottle had been punctured. A 1/2 inch tear near the bottom. Who would have thought. Can't run the stove with out the bottle. Good thing we brought 2 stoves. Fresh bread for dinner. The bread is indescribably good. Eating it is like an extended orgasm. I decide to dedicate my life to eating fresh bread in remote places. Noodles & sauce for dinner - rather low - cal. Sky clears a bit in the evening and our spirits rise. Andrew and I tent together. |
  
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7/28, Sunday
| Late start - 1:45 on river. Cold. If weather does not improve I'll have to go to Caribbean this winter. Sun low, clouds low, light rain. Good progress. Lunch of toasted bagels on gravel bar. ... Several rapids. In one A & P take a wave over the bow & we call it a day. Camp on gravel bar. I strip down in bug tent. Good to see & feel my body again. Soup & rice & butterscotch pudding for desert. |
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7/29, Monday
| Rain all last night. Pete and Andrew go fish in a nearby lake @ 7AM. We have not been able to catch any fish in the river because it is loaded with silt and the fish can't see the lures. We hope to have better success in the clear lake. Success: Pete returns with a big fish. We breakfast on 5 pancakes, split. The we prepare the fish for cooking but leave it in the pan for latter. We make this a rest day. Play cards in the tent. More rain. Watch to make sure no wild animals grab our fish. When we finally cook it - YUM. Incredibly good. Lots of calories here. More rain and rising water threatens the gravel bar. We know because Pete always puts out stones to mark the water level. Through the afternoon the water has risen to cover several stones and does not seem to be slowing down. Take to canoes @ 5:30 PM. Dinner on a gravel bar. [must be 10:30 or so but does not feel like it. See foot prints from another party in the wet sand.] Camp at midnight on high bluff. We are near exit of the Noatak headwaters. |
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7/30, Tuesday
Slept till noon. My capacity for sleep surprises me. Join folks for slim breakfast of oatmeal. Andrew & I hike S to side valley. Wet going. The socks I so laborously dried over the past days are now wet again. Knee hurts. And I'm low on Energy. Stop for lunch before shoulder of ridge. I turn back and find I'm happy to be alone.
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Afternoon the intermittent showers stop and things begin to dry. Dine on Pasta & Sauce + sauted puff balls & corn bread w/ blue berries. Full for once. Stomach shrinking.
Clears in evening. R and I take pictures till sun slides behind mountain @11:45. Maybe this good weather will hold.
7/31, Wednesday
Clear skys promise easy going. On river by 10:15. Sunlit scenery is new treat.
River is highest ever canoed. may rapids w/ larger waves - always working. Stop on bar for bar beside HUGE overfall w/ easy bypass.
2 bends latter I stay left in ripples to avoid HUGE waves in main channel. Water is shallow with rocks which could tip the canoe. Rather like going through a land mine. Finally through the shallows I relax. We hit the main current, spin, tip, and go over. We are caught in a big whirlpool. Richard and I ride opposite ends of the canoe, spinning slowly around. I'm not scared but uncertain how I am going to get the boat load of gear out of the the rapids and to the shore.
Try to paddle but the canoe sinks beneath me. Meanwhile, I'm trying to keep hold on my paddle, the spare paddle which was not tied down, and my sit pad. Fortunately, everything else in the canoe is tied to the canoe. Finally we are released and float down river. No bottom here and we can't swim the canoe to shore. Cold. Yell to Andrew to paddle out from shore and pull us in.
On shore: Cold. Camera and all clothing in day day pack got wet. Set up the bug tent and lunch on hot Ramen while clothing dries in the sun. Richard is reluctant but we get back on river.
Now I'm shy and take extreme caution, which I decide includes letting Peter and Andrew go ahead. 5 minutes latter Peter and Andrew paddle their boat right into the one hole in a large flat section of the river above some rapids. They were too intent on the rapids and didn't see the hole. Over they go.
When R and I catch up two of them are jogging along next to their canoe moving it toward shore. Andrew looks back and says: "We decided to walk for a while."
Another 1.5 hours to dry then back on the river.
Next big rapid appears. We pull up to gravel bar to inspect what is below us. Then I notice the bar would make a great camp site. 8 hours on the river - little progress - intimidated. We camp.
Unpacking I notice I've left my pile jacket at our lunch stop. Nothing to it but to go back and get it. Hike back after dinner. Nice country but 3 hours of fast walking tire me out. Feet wet and blistering.
