Rivière du Lièvre Day Four

Day 4—Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Toughest day, flat-water Lac Pine, rain, together ran Class IV rapid, Class IV ledge, bushwhacked campsite.

Seems like there is always a tough day and this was it. Lots of flat lake paddling and relentless rain. No rain jacket is 100 percent but fortunately the rain was not cold. Come midday and we are looking for anywhere we could have our hot soup lunch out of the heavy rain and wind. As if answering a prayer, we come across a fishing/hunting camp. If anyone was there we would have asked if we could just shelter for 20 minutes on the screened porch. But no one was about and fortunately the porch was unlocked. Thank you, thank you.

Somewhat fortified, we paddled Lac Pine, which was interesting with many islands. We checked the grasses to make sure we were going with the flow of the water. Ran the rapids at the bridge fine and then started a Class II, III, IV succession of rapids ending with a ledge that came up so fast we had to take it. Scouted and sucessfully ran a Class IV ledge that at first looked impossible but with planning proved a hoot. Checked out the “grand campsite,” (as termed by others at 280 km) and didn’t find it grand at all except that it could accommodate many tents. Poor fireplace. It was still raining so we decided to go a mile and a half to another campsite that was supposed to be at the end of the island on the left. Never found a sign of it. But, en route we did see two bull moose. Wonderful peaceful creatures that let us get close since we were so quiet. Also interrupted a beaver who had pulled a fresh branch to the lodge.

Came to a Class III ledge and started looking for anywhere to camp, briefly considered a sandbar in the rapids but them came across an abandoned site, all overgrown with moss and shrubs but with the vestige of a fire ring. Didn’t really like it but could not get back upstream past the ledge to reexamine where we might have missed the other site. Quickly set up tent on the bushwacked site and cooked on camp stoves, eating on the rocks because there was no place else. Tent was on very lumpy ground but tried to situate bodies to accommodate. A worn-down tree stump makes a pillow if you are tired enough. Rained hard that night but at least we were dry. In the morning we found an inch of water in the drinking cups.