On June 1, Don drove north to Canada accompanied with Barbara Anderson and her boyfriend (now husband) Andrew Nickerson.
It was a nice cool day as we drove to Sidney, Montana to spend our first night. The next day was again cool and partly cloudy as we drove to Brabant, having no problems crossing the border. We were up by 7:30 AM and had breakfast in the restaurant and we on our way north by 8:45AM. It was another nice cool day and we arrived at the landing at 11 AM. There was very little wind and surprisingly few mosquitoes. The truck had been packed to achieve maximum capacity but this meant that all the small loose items had to be collected and bagged for portaging. This made the portage take a lot more time and we were not ready to leave until 6:33 PM. My GPS showed that our train of three boats was making 6.6 to 6.9 miles per hour and that got us to the island at 10:20PM. Gear most susceptible to damage by rain was moved to the cabin and the remaining “hard” stuff was left on the beach covered with tarps. Don got to bed at 11:45 PM.
It rained our first night but it was just cloudy when we got up at 6 AM. Don’s body seemed to have slept but his mine spent the night trying to organize and prioritize all the tasks that needed to be done. Hunger tends to make you favor those things that will provide a good meal. We started with cereal but planned to have a “real” breakfast later on in the morning when things were more organized. Good Luck!!
Eventually the crypt was emptied, with Barbara being the one to volunteer to lift all the containers up to the main floor. Eventually, the mountain off boxes, buckets and plastic storage cartons grew to the point that the floor disappeared and it was increasingly difficult to find a spot for the next container or to navigate about the cabin. The under cabinet hidden storage was also emptied.
Tools and building supplies were moved to the mudroom and it too soon became a hopeless jumble of boxes, cans, loose tools and supplies. By noon, enough food was arranged on the above counter shelf and under counter cabinets to attempt to prepare a decent breakfast. The pancakes were delicious, but of course, by that time any food prepared in any manner would have tasted great. Barbara had claimed that she normally ate more than Andrew. He disagreed. After that meal, where Andrew downed 4 large cakes and 4 eggs, Don had no doubt which one would consume the most food.
About 7PM Don tried to call Betty on the radiophone. Both channel 2 and 11 were busy, so Don waited and tried again and again to find an empty channel. He listened in a bit. “I will call you Monday, honey”, said the man. “I don’t think I can wait that long” responded the woman. The other channel was more mundane, “We had rain last night. The motor on the big boat won’t start and we are waiting for a new starter to be flown in.”. Later, both channels are “open” and I try channel 11. Press the “Transmit” button. Hold it down and count, one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three, one thousand four, one thousand five.. Release the button. Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, click. “These damn operators never answer the phone when I try to make a call”, I complain. “Last year, we had the lake fill up with smoke one day, I became concerned and wanted to call Southend to talk with the Fire Control Officer to access the fire danger to my island. “The operators never would answer the phone that day, no matter how many times I tried, and I tried a lot. The system stops ringing the operator after 10 rings if no one pick up, so you then have to start the whole procedure over again. Considering the equipment problems we had that year, we couldn’t be sure the problem was the equipment no functioning properly or the operators just were not answering the phone. I never did get to make my emergency phone call that day, all I could do was hope that the smoke was from a distant fire and that it posed no threat to us.
The next day I acquired the operator right away. “Why were the phones not being answered yesterday?”, I inquired with a heavy sour note in my voice. “There was so much smoke in the area yesterday, that people were not answering their phones, so we stopped answering too”, she replied. You can only imagine what my response was.
Again I press the “Transmit” key, holding it down for the count to 5 seconds. Ring, ring, ring, ring, “Saktel Mobile Operator, this is Susan. How may I help you, over”. It was a very loud and crisp signal. “This is Kane Lake, JR3-3380. I would like to call the USA, area code 303-499-7753. The call is for Betty, please charge the mobile, over”, I said, using the prescribed format for making a phone call. “Thank you, I am ringing”, she said. Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, click. “You have reached the home of Betty and Don Bunker. We are sorry we are unable to answer your call at this time. If you would like to leave a message, please do so after the tone. Pause. Tone, “Betty, this is Don. Sorry I missed you. We got to the island Thursday evening about 10:30. Everything is fine. The trip was perfect in every way. No problems. Please call the moms and let them know everyone is OK. I will call Saturday. I love you. Good Bye”, a said rather crestfallen that I didn’t get to talk directly with Betty.
Andrew got the aluminum extension ladder from under the cabin. It is a bit awkward to handle through the front door and around the turn into the front room through the mudroom and finding the right spot to angle it up through the log rafters. Andrew had no problem doing all this with his 23-year-old muscles. Barbara and Andrew had earlier today brought the 55-gallon stove and stove pipes up to the cabin from the lower cache. Now we had to get it properly installed. “Someone has numbered the pipes 1 – 7, how thoughtful” I joked. “Now I wonder if #1 is on the bottom or on the top?” The pipe adapter going through the roof required a female pipe to fit into it, as did the outlet from the stove. So it seemed logical that the shortened #7 pipe, with both ends being female, it most go on top. We assembled half the pipes and balanced them on the stove. A guide wire ring was loosely put around the top pipe. I fitted the remaining pipes together and attached the top to the male adapter at the roof. Andrew tilted the bottom stack off to one side as I did the bottom of the top stack. Eventually we were able to line them up and by straitening out the pipes to a vertical position, the last slip joint was made. The guide wires were attached to the anchor screws and the tall stovepipe assemble was quite acceptably vertical.
We had enough wood in the cabin left over from last year to get a welcome fire going. “You know Barbara, your expectation that this ex-scoutmaster will get the fire started with only one match puts an awful lot of pressure on me”. “You can do it Don, don’t you think so Andrew?” Andrew agrees. “You guys don’t understand the physiological damage that I could suffer if one match is not enough” I said as I continued spitting the wood into even smaller pieces. I knew this had to be a one-match fire.
Don relaxes. Note the green generator covered hut on the deck outside behind Don.
The view toward the landing from the “crow’s nest”.
Top of Wilson Rapids at very low water. The “Honey Hole” is on the other side of the rapids to the right.
The water front beach at dancing Loon Island. Note the large overturned Lund Pike boat, now leaking and not in service.
Loons swimming in front of our beach.
Don is caught in the bear trap.
Sunset from the beach with smoke in the air, a very common thing.
It doesn’t get any more beautiful than this!!
Carroll and Don discuss the interesting way they got to the island. Don had called Brabant to find out if Carroll’s party had arrived per the plan. He was shocked to hear that they were in the Harbor Inn in LaRonge, having had transmission trouble a few miles north of LaRonge on the gravel road. They managed to get back to LaRonge and were contemplating their options. Don contacted them by phone and volunteered to pick them up in LaRonge. They arranged to have their truck trailered to Prince Albert for repair. On June 19 Don hauled their trailer and all their gear north to the landing and they had a typical portage and boat trip to the island
Jack Schneider and Don. It was Jacks Suburban that had developed transmission problems due to over heating.
Carroll and Don. We managed to have a very good time on the island, here Don enjoys a big breakfast.
Carroll’s other son Kirk and his nephew, Mike Fisk were also along on this trip. Here they are on the point above the “Honey Hole”. Most years, all these rocks are underwater.
Our 210 gallon water tank near the top of the island. The pipe leading up to the tank has been punctured by bears, especially down by the lake where the pipe is 1 ½” black PVC. A sample of their work is hanging in the cabin, showing how besides the Mama bear, her cub also tried to bite through the pipe. Why they like to chew on plastics of all types (like Chlorox bottles or gasoline jugs) is unknown.
Back side of the cabin from the trail up to the water tank and crow’s nest. On June 27 Don and Barbara drove Carroll and his party to LaRonge where we all spent the night at the Harbor Inn. Next day we drove to Prince Albert to pick up their repaired Suburban. Barbara and Don bought fresh supplies and returned to the island to find the Andrew was OK. We left the island for Boulder on July 6.
Fire in LaRonge. Most all the local fire fighters were out of town fighting fires in Alberta when this fire caught everyone by surprise. Don got these pictures from Mr. Robertson at his store. No people were hurt and all property was saved but it was a close call.
This is the fuel depot just off the highway on the west side.
A garden hose or a bucket brigade wouldn’t help much.
A lot of old growth timber was lost.
From near the center of town looking west.
Aerial water bombers from the local airport dropped water. These planes can fly low over the water and drag a pipe line and scoop into the water and refill their water tanks while skimming along the surface of the lake. Don, Barbara and Andrew left the island to return to Boulder on July 6, driving through the night. Andrew’s Mom was so happy to see him back home alive, she must have thought he was in significant danger on the trip.
Don stands next to a replica York boat in a Prince Albert park. He, Betty, Shirley and Josh Hancock leave Boulder for Canada on July 16. We drive both the truck and Betty’s new Honda, which she, Shirley and Josh will return to Boulder in. Josh had planned to be gone all summer on a trip with high school friends to Alaska, but when one of the “Klutsy” boys managed to spill hot boiling water onto his front side, the trip was cut short. They were cross country skiing on a glacier and had to carry their friend out because he was suffering from a severe scald burn on his genitalia and was immobilized. Josh was back in Boulder in time to join Don on this midsummer trip to Canada.
The York boat plaque tells how these vessels carried 8000 pounds on long journeys to and from the Hudson’s Bay. Several boat crews of 6 to 8 for each boat would be used to line or carry the boats through or over portages.
We spent one night on the way up at this cabin on Wadin Bay on Lake LaRonge. The bay was named after a Swiss fur trader that was murdered by an American fur trader named Peter Pond, an original partner in the Northwest Company. He beat the rap in a trial in Montreal for the lack of witnesses able to travel by canoe the 1400 miles. After another murder, Peter was kicked out of the company and sent packing back to the USA.
The next day, we drove to Stanley Mission. This is a view across the Churchill River to the famous Stanley Mission church built around 1848 by Hudson’s Bay carpenters stranded at the community. Later, the town moved to the other side of the river. The church is now used only at holidays and for weddings.
We visited with Gord Hardlott and he gave us a great tour of the area, including their historic church.
Don and Gord stand at the front door of the church.
Don and Gord are shown here in front of Gords split level house. He is a Councilor for his Indian Band, an elected position that is equivalent to being on the city council, where the city is made up of 7 different towns. Somewhere in the past, an Indian Agent decided it would be more efficient to join several physically separated bands into a single band for administrative purposes. A single chief is elected from all the bands. This elected group administers law and regulations on the seven reserves as well as running the groups commercial activities conducted by their Kitsaki Corporation. They are working to get the Band split up to improve “local control”.
Part of Gord’s tour was a boat ride on the Churchill River to see pertroglyphs and a surprise ride down the Churchill Rapids. We were cruising adjacent to a stone cliff when as we passes the end of the cliff, Gord made a hard right turn as the river swirled to the right of the cliff. Within a boat length or two, we were going down a shut of water through the rapids. Gord did not tell us what was going to happen, he just enjoyed our surprised and frightened looks. The trip back up through the rapids was actually more un-nerving because we could see it coming. Gord loves a good joke.
Don adjust the vehicle loads at the Osprey Air base on Otter Lake. We left Betty’s Honda there for their return trip to Boulder. Betty, Shirley and Josh will fly from the island on the same plane that will bring Jim’s and David’s families to Dancing Loon Island on August 1. Note the black PVC pipe that will be used to replaced the bear broken water pipe. The night was spent at Brabant.
Don and Josh at the portage going in on July 19. Betty and Shirley especially loved having Josh along. He would not let the women carry anything and was the consummate helper, even on the trip back to Colorado.
Later that week, we met Gord and James McKinnzie, camped next to the Campbell River entrance to Spalding Lake. They were moose hunting as usual.
Don, Josh and Shirley on a nature hike at Esker Lake.
It is blue berry picking time.
Betty is “suited-up” with mosquito proof clothing for picking blue berries.
It was discovered that the logs Don had been saving to saw into siding had been ruined by bugs living under the bark. Those logs should have been de-barked immediately after bringing them to the island. Don learned this lesson the hard way, so new logs had to be collected and the barked pealed when green. Later, they will be sawed to produce rounded surface slabs about 1 ½” thick to be used for vertical siding throughout the cabin both inside and out.
Don does some of his laundry the old fashion way.
Betty helps hang out the washing to dry on our make-shift clothes line.
Betty avoids the mosquitoes by reading down at the beach where the bug-free breeze comes off the lake.
Josh’s dog loved to ride in the boat. He was also a very well trained rescue dog. Josh would train with him by hiding a clothing article in the woods and then direct the dog on a wide search of the island and the dog would always find the hidden article. He also found the missing 4th leg of a moose butchered by Indians one fall on the island a couple years earlier, when we had managed to only discover 3 legs the year before.
The Campbell River, above the pool at the end of easy boating up the river.
Betty takes a rest where the Campbell River flows into the pool above the placid serpentine river below these rapids.
Don holds a Northern Pike that had latched onto the Walleye Don was pulling in. So Don caught both fish. This happens perhaps once a year in this lake. Where Don fished in Ontario, this would happen almost daily.
Josh caught a nice one at the “Honey-Hole”.
Josh with a nice walleye back on the island.
Don and Betty at the “Honry-Hole” with a nice stringer of walleye. During this trip, while fishing at this spot, we had a large bald eagle land in a nearby tall spruce tree and watch us fish for several hours, perhaps he was looking for us to throw him an easy catch. We didn’t.
Shirley caught a nice walleye.
Betty and Shirley show how Iowa girls can fish in the rain if that is required.
Betty and Shirley run a very neat kitchen.
Don and Josh are “knifing” log slabs with draw knifes for a new picnic table and benches.
Don is mixing up another batch of pancakes for breakfast.
Shirley camped out in the loft this year, no more tents for us!!
Mat, Janet and Jim inside the chartered float plane bringing their families to Dancing Loon Island.
This is the quick and easy way to get to Dancing Loon Island. You do miss a lot of the ambiance and the island seems not to be near as remote as when you get there by portaging and boat. Don has yet to experience this convenient transportation to Dancing Loon Island (as of 2010)..
Don hates to see Betty, Shirley and Josh leave from the island on August 1 but it is time for the plane to get going. The plane stopped at Hickson Lake on the way back to pick up more people returning to Otter Lake. Betty was able to judge the facilities at that camp and decided she preferred the amenities, like an indoor shower at Dancing Loon Island better than those offered at this other camp. (open air shower)
David and Brittney sit at the newly decorated table Betty and Shirley picked Prince Anne Lace flowers for the occasion.
Jim, Jeff, Don, David and Eric enjoy a game of hearts.
Don demonstrates the water pump at lakes edge.
David and Brittney examine the water tank near the top of the island.
Blue berry muffins!!! This is not easy to do with the crude stove-top collapsible oven. With that contraption the muffins are done right one second and the next they are burning to a crisp. No margin of time for an error
Don is trying to show Jim how to finish off a spindle, but Jim is such a slow learner, it takes a very patient teacher to teach him!!
Jeff, Brittney, David, Eric and Matt are “perched” by the loft railing. They look pretty happy.
David, Brittney and Jeff in the loft, Great hair-do Brittney!!
Blueberries are ready to pick on the Esker portage.
We all went to kick blueberries.
Brittney is doing her share to get e bucket full.
Eric, while not feeling too good does his part at berry picking. Janet told Don she thought the boys, Matt and Eric were a little sick from drinking the lake water. Don thought maybe their stomach problem was from the large tote full of $100 of junk candy the boys had brought along as a food substitute. Not one person has ever become ill from drinking the local water!
Brittney, Jim, Dave and Eric relax on the chairs they took to “Indian Island” for some fun at the extensive beach located there.
Janet and Julie share a little togetherness at the beach. Julie still has her curly hair that grew back after her chemo treatments for the cancer she beat.
Janet points to something at the beach.
Big Dave is ready to dig into the big steak the kids served him. OOPHS, its only PLAY food served on a bucket lid!
Jeff got buried in the sand by Eric, Jim, David and Brittney.
Jeff shows off his sand coating before hitting the water.
Water time!! Jeff and Big Dave seem to be the slowest to get wet.
Julie enjoyed taking Brittney, David and Jeffery on a canoe trip around the island on several occasions.
Grandpa always enjoyed getting a big hug from David!! (He still does!!)
Jeff was the “Smore” Captain of the trip and David got into the swing of it by roasting his own marshmallow.
Brittney looks to be enjoying her “Smore”.
Janet, Eric, Dave and Matt fish at the “Honey-Hole”.
David gets some help with his Northern from Dad, Jim
Brittney seems happy to just watch and make pretty poses for the camera.
Julie caught her share of walleyes.
Brittney kisses the walleye to make the fishing better.
David would not miss an opportunity to improve fishing with a slurpy kiss. This is not child abuse is it??? No, just family tradition!
Jim and Britney pause on the front deck.
Brittney and Jeff practice their favorite pastime, reading, on the front deck.
Janet, Dave, Eric and Don catch a rest on the deck. They left by float plane on August 6. Don boated to the landing on August 8 to pickup his next visitors, Lori Fulkerson, her husband Art, daughter Shawn and son Alex. Lori was the orthopedic surgeon who was caring for Don’s knees at that time. They stayed until August 12 but no photos recorded the trip.
Don returned the Fulkersons to the landing on August 12 and picked up Sabra and David Olsen and returned with them to the island. Sabra is changing shoes at the landing before the portaging starts.
David grew up in Wisconsin and works for the Federal Fish and Wildlife Service and loved the ambiance of our remote location in the northern wilderness.
Cabin Front. The Sasktel mobile phone antenna was mounted on the perlin with a special bracket Don had fabricated. Unfortunately, the phone service continued to deteriorate and Don was motivated to buy a satellite phone the following year.
Roof gutters and downspouts have been installed but much work remains to be done.
The picnic table and benches were finished while Sabra and David were at the island.
The bed for the master bedroom was also finished at this time.
Sabra picks blueberries at Esker Portage where there is an inexhaustible supply.
The walleye fishing was just a little bit better than what is found in Wisconsin.
Reindeer moss with an unidentified flower.
David fishes while Don reaches over the side of the boat to pull in his fish.
Don and his eating size walleye at the “Honey-Hole”. We all left the island for Boulder on August 18. Don was planning to return with Jay later in the fall, so things were only partially shut down but all valuable items were hidden.
Don and Jay left Boulder on September 24 and spent the night at Sidney, Montana. Next day we drove to Brabant and spent the night there. The morning of September 26 we drove to the landing. Here we stopped to watch three moose standing in the road. It was a bull, a cow and a calf. On foot we got a bit closer but then they were gone in a wink.
At the landing we encountered two groups of white moose hunters. One group was leaving and another group were about to set up camp at the head of the portage. This group included Terry Helary and Morris Gabrush (ex mayor of LaRonge). As soon as we could get through the crush of traffic on the 4-wheel track parking area, we drove down to start our portage. Shortly after getting my Suburban down to the portage head and a few things out of the truck, we heard a boat approaching the landing. Shortly, “My Indian”, Joseph Clark appeared coming up the trail. He did not recognize me. He commenced swearing like a boatswain mate because I had the trail blocked and he had fish on ice that had to get past me and into his truck for transport to LaRonge. I silently stared at him and calmly said “Hello Joseph””. (more...)
Don chats with Joseph as his pickup get loaded with fish on ice.
Don is bundled up on the way to the island. It had stopped sleeting and looked to be clearing up.
As we approached the island, the weather was certainly looking better.
Jay and snow on the deck. That night it was a blizzard for a while. Looking out the front window, the snow was so thick we could not see the railing post. I wondered how I would ever get my truck down the 4-wheel trail and up all the steep hills. We had wood stacked almost to the end of the deck. We needed more wood before we left. Even then we were never warm on more than one side at any given time. I knew the high ceiling of the cabin would make heating it difficult but it was really impossible.
Jay could not resist getting a photo from the crows nest. Terry Helary and Morris Gabrush visited us while they were moose hunting. They gave us the lake trout that Joseph had tried to sell us. He had given it to them for free. It had been frozen solid and provided us with some tasty fish since we were nearly skunked because of the weather and the missing fish.
The yellow birch trees knew that winter was coming, even during their Indian Summer. On October 3 we left the island and drove north to see Points North. Don had suggested that we cut our visit short at the island and leave early, about October 5. Jay quickly agreed since it was very cold in the cabin. Later in the week I suggested an even earlier departure. Ok with Jay, you just could not get the place warm. We arrived at Points North as they were locking the gate for the night. Accommodations there are a large group of trailers that have been inter connected. Most importantly, they were warm. We ate in their employed cafeteria and had a chance to talk with one of their pilots about life on the edge of civilization. The next day we went to tour the uranium mine but could not get past the front gate. The mine security officer came out and answered all our questions. The trip back to Boulder was uneventful.
