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High Temp.
36 F
Low Temp.
25 F
Wind
Calm
Miles Traveled
11
Hours Traveling
5
New Snow 0
Inch
(since last update)
People
Seen 2
(since last update)
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Tuesday, March 18th 8 PM The Lake Winnipeg Narrows
| It seems that Spring has finally arrived on Lake Winnipeg.
The temperatures are rising, the days are getting longer, the snow
is beginning to melt, and heavy coats, hats, and gloves seem like
a thing of the past. |
Click on photo to enlarge
Dave and Lichen are excited to be back in the rocky Canadian Shield
of Lake Winnipeg's western shore. Can you tell what type of rock
the cliffs are? Post you answer on the Message
Board. |
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Click on photo to enlarge
Saylix gets his paws checked for ice during a rest-stop.
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Even though the temperature has been above
freezing for the past two days, the ice is still safe to travel on.
With at least 3-4 feet of solid ice, it won't be until late April
or May that Lake Winnipeg's ice is completely gone.
The thawing snow has made for very fast skiing conditions and easy
travel. In the morning, the snow is hard and icy, and softens throughout
as the sun beats down. Yet, the thawing process of Lake Winnipeg poses
a new set of problems. |
Saylix and Lichen aren't as enthusiastic about the warmer
temperatures as their human companions. They are at risk of overheating,
and so we've started taking more rest stops. The dogs are appreciative
of the frequent rests (we don't complain about them either), and use
the breaks to roll around in the snow. We also have to feed them more
water, making sure the dogs
remain properly hydrated.
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The pressure ridges have also changed because of the
thaw. The huge sheets of ice have begun to move, creating slushy pools
at their base. The past few cracks have had large sections of open
water, causing us to travel along the pressure ridges until we can
find a safe place to cross.
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| Today we stopped in at Princess Harbor. We went up to
the cluster of buildings, and couldn't find anyone around. As we were
getting ready to head back out onto the lake, Myrtle and Frank, two
Princess Harbor's six residents came out to greet us. They had been
out cutting firewood. Both in their mid-70s, Frank and Myrtle were
as spry as most folks half their age. They invited us in for coffee,
which turned into a lunch of moose meat and potato dumplings. |
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While we ate, we found out that Princess
Harbor had once been home to almost 100 people, but since commercial
fishing has become harder to make a living, most residents have moved.
Today, Princess Harbor remains in comfortable isolation, and is one
of the most beautiful places we've been on Lake Winnipeg. |
As directed by our last week's caste your vote we stopped a little early
today and explored the islands south of Bloodvein Bay. We encountered
wolf,
fox,
and otter
tracks, but were not able to stir up any critters. We will be traveling
through small islands for the next few days and we will keep our eyes
pealed for animals.
The Wilderness Classroom Organization
4605 Grand Ave.
Western Springs, IL 60558
(630) 204-0420
info@wildernessclassroom.com
All content copyright (c) The Wilderness Classroom, 2002. All
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