REST DAY, July 31/d

Had three great blueberry pancakes and one raspberry- love those berries!! These are 7” across pancakes too! Clay and Bill just came in They’ve been doing really well and only a fish hook in a finger for accidents. It’s so great to see them and see they’re OK. They picked up Rupert too -- he was at the campsite we lost him at. It’s so great to see him again because I know he couldn’t have survived on his own. Yeah Rupert. Evidently he jumped right into their canoe when they landed. Another hot sunny day- great rest day weather. Only 2 more days. It’ll be great to see Rupert House and know we did all those rapids, etc. with an expert’s skill (& luck). It is also going to be sad though, to say goodbye to this beautiful country and scenery for another year, and maybe even a lot longer. I hope not though, I’d hate to spend more than a year away form this beauty.

Clay gave me an old roll of Kodachrome film 20 exposure, so hopefully it is still good and will last me to the end of the trip!

Later: It’s been an uneventful day. I started getting wood for Rupert’s House, filled 7 wannigans 1/2 way. Bill and Clay went on. We’ll camp near each other tomorrow night and go in more or less together the next day. I have so many mixed feelings about this trip coming to a close. It means the end of my major worries, the end of getting cold and wet and having to move on every day, the end of having to deal with a group of 11 people who have to work together or else…. But it also means the end of everything I love so much about tripping and that makes me come back year after year. No more beautiful Rupert and this beautiful land…. I can’t understand how people can even think about damming this river up, or how they can think New York City is the greatest place on earth. Tripping through this area has only strengthened all my feelings and love for the bush. I just hope there will still be some around when my kids start growing up and I hope I can continue tripping and seeing more of this beautiful country because every trip I don’t go on will only be my loss.