On the first day, it took time to pack up our stuff and get the raft ready to go on the river. We probably got underway at about 1:00 PM. But, we were on the river!
We had been paddling about an hour or so, when we came around a corner and saw a pack of six wolves on the bank. By the time we had gotten out of the raft and Ron had set up the scope, they were small dots in the hills. (In spite of Ron howling to them.)
After this, I always had my camera with the telephoto lens easily available. Alas — we never saw another mammal. No moose, caribou, wolves, bears, etc., in spite of a myriad of tracks and digging all over the ground we saw.
Ron worked VERY hard. He got up an hour or so before us and started the water boiling and made breakfast. He washed dishes and packed up the equipment in addition to his own stuff. He packed the raft and guided it down the river.
The river was very low, so he frequently had to jump out and guide it through/over the shallows. Occasionally we had to get out as well, but nowhere near as often, and never in deep water.
At lunch he set up the table and filled it with food. He sometimes built a fire, if it was cold (it usually was) and if there was wood on the gravel bar where we stopped.
When we arrived in camp, he set up the cook area and made a fire. He cooked dinner and made dessert for us. (Okay, occasionally dessert was cookies. But sometimes it was cake with blueberries.)
Afterwards, he cleaned everything up and was able to relax.
Everyone enjoyed fishing (except me, but I enjoyed eating fish.)
Our third day was a layover day. Ron, John, and Dave hiked to a lake for lunch, and then fished in a smaller lake on their way back. (I threw out my back that morning, which was really annoying. It slowly got better over the trip, but I didn’t do anything that day but curl up in my sleeping bag and try not to move. I am eternally grateful to John for carrying my very heavy bag to and from my campsite every evening.)
