Village Squire, 1979-12, Page 33wrapped in waterproof tarpaulins and
carefully lashed to toboggans to be pulled
along by the snowshoers.
It was somehow a stirring sight to see a
line of men, women and loaded toboggans
trekking down a wilderness lake in
northern Ontario. Heavy snow started
falling, blotting out the tree -lined
Lakeshore. The only sound was the soft
swish of the webs and the hiss of the laden
toboggans.
On the second lake. a man roared up
riding a snowmobile and pulled up to ask a
few questions as to who we were and if
such a strange assemblage belonged in his
time. He seemed unusually wary as if he
expected us to fade into the snow -filled air
and confirm his suspicions that we were
actually ghosts from a bygone age.
Lunch consisted of pre -packed sandwich-
es and a big pot of hot tea brewed over a
hasty fire. We were sheltered among
evergreen trees at the end of a scenic
portage trail and the snow was at least a
metre deep. We arrived at our planned
campsite on Whitewater Lake at mid-after-
noon and proceeded to set up camp.
Tasks assigned to one or more
wintertime nomads were digging out tent
sites, cutting tent poles and firewood,
digging out a cooking area and finally
setting up the tents, assembling the stoves
and storing firewood for the night and at
the cooking area. All work had to be done
on snowshoes as the deep snow made
moving around on ordinary footwear
almost impossible. Later, when the packed
snow had a chance to crystalize, the camp
trails would bear the weight of a walker in
boots.
The fine efforts of the novice bush cook
were duly appreciated and after conveying
our compliments to the chef, we turned in
early...you sleep deep after a long day on
the trail.
The agenda for the next two days called
for exploratory trips to nearby lakes while
studying tracks and other signs of wildlife
that reveal the presence and activities of a
boreal ecology in wintertime. At least four
such outings were planned for the next
three days before breaking camp and
heading back to base.
My participation in the outing ended
when a Lakeland Services bush plane from
Temagami dropped down early the
following morning to pick me up. A few
hasty handshakes and we were winging our
way back to civilization over snow -blanket-
ed lakes and forest. The Headwaters'
winter program is a rugged but thoroughly
enjoyable experience. While Headwaters'
winter courses gain in popularity, it is their
long established summer canoe -tripping
program that is the better known. Their
base location on Anamanipissing Lake is
truly the geographical headwaters of some
of the finest wilderness canoeing rivers in
eastern Canada. The basic wilderness
study program (15 days) for 13 to 16 year
olds in conjunction with the advanced (18
days) sessions offer a complete introduct-
ion to wilderness canoe travel. '
Trips on such framed white water rivers
as the Dumoine and Missinaibi require 24
to 28 days and are regarded as the
complete wilderness experience.
For complete details on this unique all
season camp and outfitting service for
wilderness oriented interests and activities
contact Headwaters, P.O. Box 288P,
Temagami, Ontario, POH 2H0.
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December 1979. Village Squire 31