Little Island Lake

I was finally rewarded with a nice August camping expedition this week. Rysio went ahead of time and set up a nice camp while Sam and I were working the evening shift. We stole away from the Lodge at about 11:00pm under the cover of darkness. We paddled and portaged under a starry sky and traveled through misty wisps, reaching our destination in the early hours of the morning (we estimate about 1:00am). There is something so pleasant about having no idea what time it is for two days. 

We built fires, ate camping food which always tastes delicious (no matter how sparse and improvised the ingredients are), paddled around, read books and went swimming. It was nice to get a little break from the Lodge. It's funny how it can be hard to disentangle from the busy modern world though. The sound of a singing bird reminded me of a cellphone ringing and the crack and pop of fresh pine needles on the fire sounded like bubble wrap being popped in rapid succession. 

I like how this portrait of Rysio turned out, it reminds me of a painting of a warrior or an aristocrat (he'd be the first one with dreadlocks I think). He was very patient with me on our trip, letting me photograph him about a million times. I also had the pleasure of discovering and photographing this little guy: 

Blue Spotted Salamander - Ambystoma laterale

Some lake side flowers were the most colourful aspect of our trip, as it was mostly grey and cloudy while we were away. We were even visited by rain and a thunder and lightning storm while we slept in our tent (I quietly hoped that a tree wouldn't fall on us). At least when everything is damp you don't have to worry about setting any forest fires (there is always a silver lining). 

We had such a great time. It's funny to joke about how people come to relax and vacation where we work, so we have to go deeper into the woods for a relaxing mini vacation. I already miss the peace and quiet of the bush. Even drinking my coffee without cream was kind of fun. I mentioned to Sam that I think camping is about learning how to live with discomfort. Learning to live without and learning to make do. In the end, you can always come home to a hot shower and a soft mattress. 

Happy trails to you, until we meet again!