Lunch was awesome. In fact, I can honestly say that with the weather and the lack of insects, all our breaks and meals were pretty awesome. Sunny and 75 is a nice country tune, but even better when experienced in person on the trail!
The hiking was now beginning to get a little more challenging. The trail was starting to become more out on the open, which meant more rock outcrops and rock cairn “inukshuks” to follow. At first, you might think smooth open rock would be easier to hike, and at times you’d be correct, but the elevation gain and loss for hours was very wearing on us, especially those of us with 45lb plus on our backs. I’m not going to name any names. As difficult as this section was between Playter and Oiseau, it is like my favourite! I love the sheer variety of terrain and the beauty of the views. The scrambling around the rocks on the lakeshore provide stunning views, while the beaches are equally impressive. There are sections that you would describe more as moderate rock scrambling than hiking, and would be torturous in the rain.
It was important to stay hydrated and to take breaks as needed during this arduous stretch of topography. At many points along the trail after lunch our memory of this section eludes us, as we fade in and out of consciousness! I figure I drank over 10L of water on this day, and I still had a thumping headache by 8:00pm when we reached the site. Heat exhaustion (a little bit) was a distinct possibility by this point.
The boys did very well. I am still hugely impressed at their ability to go 25k on day 2 with 45lbs on their backs. If anyone knows of a Sherpa outfit who is hiring, I can send in their resumes. KD and PRs Sherpa Services. KDPR-SS. That’s either an am radio station west of the Mississippi or one hell of a Sherpa service.
Making up for the lost 6k on day one and adding it to an already full day 2 proved enormous. I think we all knew leading up to night 2, that although we may have been able to push on, the likelihood of making future campsites or even in maintaining our pace was unlikely. The weight lost per day from the packs was not significant enough to really lighten the load. When we finally arrived at our campsite, thanks to the kayakers who pointed us in the right direction and saved us from even further stumbling, there wasn’t a lot left in the tank. PR wouldn’t even build a fire. It was boil in a bags and off to bed. We had just accomplished the near impossible. Hiking over 25km of very diverse and challenging terrain on Canada’s toughest trail! We would remember this point on the journey that’s for sure.
Photo: KD proudly displaying his 78lbs of food that he never ate.
The consensus was that we would head back tomorrow. More so, we would break up the 25k we just shredded into two days on the return. That should make for an earlier night tomorrow and give the bodies a chance to recharge. Perhaps PR might even build us a fire! But remember, this is Pukaskwa and anything could happen…
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