TO NEMISCAU Could be a good half day... 5 or more hours moving -- JULY 25

82 -- Small Big River Rapids Below Campsite................................83A -- Nemiscau

Run the runoff from the falls down the right shore

Paddle a short calm stretch.

R. shoot 1 mile of small, big river rapids, run right most all the way down.

The two trickiest parts are where you must go around two rocky points coming out from the right shore. The first point we hugged close in to the right shore, the second (near the end of the rapid) we had to cut out to right of center to avoid rocks below the point. Fairly easy. (2 rapids marked on 4-1s) Can easily stop on either point to scout. #82

C.S. on right in back of gravel beach at foot of rapid.

Follow N shore through muskeg islands as much as possible. Parts of this shore burned.

C.S...

1. Possible in poplar and birch stand on right after muskeg islands.
2. Possible on east end of small peninsula heading SW (on north shore) about 2 miles before you cross the north arm of Nemisceau.
3. C.S. on sand beach ? mile above village in a cove, beach faces south (no wood).

Nemiscau Post deserted in ’71? Used to be home to 160 Indians. Now buildings still standing but no one around. Wood non-existent near post. Raspberries very abundant, and some blueberries!

A SW wind brought mist and light rain most all day. Switched to a N wind in early afternoon. Shot a mile of ‘little, big river rapids” and then straight paddling to Nemiscau- an Indian village of about 160 that was deserted a few years ago because the Bay Post (store) closed (side motive to remove the Indians from the area so they wouldn’t be in the way of the Hydo-electric Project). Very depressing place, a ghost town now. No one here. However there were raspberry bushes all over and we plan to have raspberry pie tonight and raspberry bannock tomorrow. Blueberries also plentiful and they will end up in something! Oh, yesterday the last 2 canoes in ‘river order’ saw a huge black bear across from a 30 yard portage around a small falls. I had already shot around the corner of the rapid below though and missed it. We saw a few more otter today. This rain and wetness is really getting to me. It’s be OK if it would pour like a mother and then later that day or the next clear up, but it’s the same old wetness every day. Plus our tent is having problems and when it’s raining we get wet in places.

Later: the fresh hot raspberry pie was the greatest. Tomorrow morning we’ll have a blueberry bannock and tomorrow night finish up the berries with a raspberry bannock. The north wind is making it the worst weather- (cold, windy and raining). The sound reminds me of a sleet storm in winter.