Monday Aug 23 Pancake Bay

 Driving off to "The Big One".

A busy start to the trip, I have to bring the cousins to the airport while everyone at home has to finish loading the van, hunt for any last minute or nearly forgotten items, check on the chickens, etc. But finally we are on the road ready for THE BIG ONE. We have two days of driving planned followed by 13 days and then two days back again. This might be our last big trip as a family if Nathan is working too much in future summers. So we wanted to make this trip a biggie. We've never tried this big remote parks, as they are sooo far away. Now we shall.

We were going to camp in Quetico, but due to wildfires we were told a week(or two?) before we headed out that our trip was cancelled. Our big trip cancelled!! The staff calling promised to help us find an alternative trip--I was impressed by their efforts to help us out of this problem! We narrowed our options down, and went with Wabakimi instead! Wabakimi is supposedly even more remote than Quetico. And we have to pay extra because there are no maps available with routes....unless you befriend (and pay) an outfitter who can find the perfect route for you (and rent you canoes and satellite phones etc) and drop you off and pick you up again. Sounds interesting, and it sure beats no trip at all, so we are up for it!

As usual the driving is very intense. Four hours (sometimes if we are lucky only three) of steady driving. Then a gas station and bathroom break. We have to race through the bathrooms and not take to long...try to get everyone done in ten minutes if you can!

But stretch those legs while you can! We are going an eight hour drive today. But we have to stop in Sault St. Marie before 6 pm. Because I bought a waterproof backpack online...and there were none in the GTA. So I bought one in a store on our way to our destination. But we had to try and get there before the store closed. It's not like they will be open until 9pm like in Toronto.

We picked up our pack quickly and easily. About a ten minute delay over all as it was a 5 minute detour. Just got it before closing! And then we stopped a little further on at Pancake Bay, for the night.

Setting up camp is a lot easier when everybody chips in. I was in charge of cooking dinner while everyone else set up camp.

Everyone went exploring after dinner and I ended up doing dishes. Remind me to pack a "sink" of sorts and soap and a scrub brush...we are car camping, so I really should have some of the conveniences of car camping. It would have saved me a lot of time and grief! It's not like we need to pack it into the bush later. :p