TO END OF LINK, Half Day, 5 1/2 Hours moving ... JULY 26

Swift at second narrows as you swing west between two little parallel islands and the mainland.

Cut across the base of peninsula on map pointing out to the NE with a bulbous point (actually an island), then follow right shore around peninsula into the Link (western most channel of the Rupert out of Nemiscau). Old surveyor site on right just before:

R/P Just as Link leaves Nemiscau. Shallow and arcs to the right. (’70 and Clay ran down the center dodging rocks) We took 300 yard Portage. Small grassy landing about 200 yds after the stream leaves the bay- about 100 yds before the end of the bay. Crosses many surveyor cuts.

Paddle 3-400 yds.

P 400 yes on left with a small Indian C.S. and a Hydro sign at the beginning -- a grassy landing about 150 yards before river arcs left to a falls. (Lunch site at end of P).

Paddle 4 miles deep and winding.

R Shallow (a few hundred yards above this a burn starts on the left shore). Ran on the right side (A portage is available on right around this ’72, ‘in ’70 ran center ).

R As river swings to right, shallow with rock dodging. We ran down left of center, just left of a ledge coming out from the right shore, about half way down, and out the bottom, rock dodging in the center. (’72 took portage 50 yds on right on small clay landing through a burn. Terrible unloading spot.)

C.S. in metal hut across river (N shore) from the end of the link.

Woke up this morning to the coldest weather yet and the misty fog was still in. By the time we got off the campsite the visibility had decreased to about 300 yds. So, for the first hour or two I had to go strictly buy compass up Lac Nemiscau (rather large!), with no land visible in any direction for most all of the time. The old trusty compass pulled through again, and I didn’t get lost or go off in the wrong direction, wrong bay, etc.! Easy day. The wind switched to out of the west and it cleared up by the time we got to the campsite before lunch -- the first day we’ve had to dry stuff in at least 7 days! Finally. Only one week to go and 5 more trouble spots, one of them tomorrow. Yikes! Oh, we’re sleeping in a metal shack with a wood stove -- ah the life! Actually, I like the ground better than this plywood floor. Cookies baking in the oven and raspberry bannock! Yum!

Later: Spice cookies -- great raspberry bannock, great yeast cinnamon breakfast rolls in the making for tomorrow morning. Yes we have definitely been eating well the last couple days! The sprinkles and clouds have returned. This wood stove is great -- takes almost no wood and it works great!