August 21, 2021 - Car camping in the wild

It isn't the trip we had planned, but that's ok, as long as we are able to get our August trip in. We were supposed to have gone to Keji for two nights last weekend, but we decided to cancel that trip last minute. Canceling a trip is not something we like to do, especially when it is a reserved trip, but it seemed necessary. You see, three weeks ago we were out in the woods scouting some hunting locations for the upcoming deer season. We have one particular spot we are trying to develop early where we have a feeder set up and went to refill. We always bring the dogs with us anytime we can when we are in the woods, and this time was no different. Ana was having a blast running through the woods. She would run the trail ahead if us as fast as she could, and go out of sight. And the next thing we know she is running up from behind us only to do it again. She is full of energy, and these walks in the woods are a great way to burn some of it off. When we got to the location of the feeder, we began the work to refill it while Ana is still enjoying her run. Once we are done Ana is standing next to us and we see blood on her back leg. Blood is never a good thing to see, especially in the outdoors. We took a closer look and sure enough, somehow she managed to get a pretty significant gash just above her back heel. It is a good three quarters of an inch long and clear though all the skin. We don't have much time to look at it and she is off running around again. Apparently it doesn't hurt! We were planning to check out a few more deer sites, but decided we need to get her home and cleaned up.

Anas wound

Given this happened on a Saturday, the vet was not available to take a look. There is no amount of bleeding and she seems to be able to walk on it no problem, so we clean it out and bandage her up. It isn't until Monday morning as we are changing her bandage that we notice the tendon to her toe is severed as well. Unfortunately, it is also Natal Day, so the vet is not open. To be on the safe side, we call the emergency number and speak to the on call vet and explained everything. She advised us to keep here bandaged up and bring her in Tuesday morning to have a look. Fast forward twenty four hours and the vet advises against surgery to reattach it as it would be major surgery which is not guaranteed to work, and given that it is only a tendon to her little toe, it is unlikely she would ever know the difference. This is good news as we don't want to put her through any more pain than is needed, and quite frankly, don't want to spend several thousand dollars on a surgery that might or might not work and wont improve her quality of life. The vet just stiches and bandages her up and we got out only costing a few hundred dollars but have on sad looking Ana on our hands.

One Sad Pupper

So all of that leads us to today. We are heading out for a car camping trip on some crown land. We figure car camping is the best option as this will be her first real freedom to run around since her injury, and if need be we will be able to pack up and leave in a hurry. We scoped this particular spot out a couple months ago while looking for some other access points into the Tobeatic Wilderness Area. It is about a ninety minute drive, but it is worth it. The campsite is nested into a beautiful old stand of pine trees just off the road on the banks of the Mersey River. There is a bridge that crosses the river but it is gated as it is just on the boundary of the Tobeatic where no motorized vehicles are allowed. Perhaps we will bring the mountain bikes back sometime to explore the rest of the road.

Old logging bridge into the Tobeatic

Since this is a car camping trip, we threw caution to the wind while packing. If we even thought we would want it, we threw it in back of the truck. Looking at our campsite, one might think there are ten people staying the night. For me, I thought it would be a good opportunity to test out some gear I have not used in a while. First we have a 10x10 metal frame shelter. You know the ones. You see them dotting the farmers markets and craft fairs. That is set up over the tail gate of the truck to provide a bit of an outdoor kitchen space. We also have our two hammocks set up, our two man tent for the dogs to sleep in incase it rains, and a tarp with a built in screen. It is fun every once in a while to get the less used gear out and set it up, even if you don't need it. Car camping is a perfect time to do just that. Our campsite comes complete with an outhouse and a very well built firepit, although the outhouse has seen better days, and its use would be questionable at best.

Car camping deluxe campsite

This trip is all about taking it easy and relaxing. Letting the dogs stretch their legs, and burn off some of that pent up energy. We did bring the fishing rods with us as well in hopes of pulling some pickerel out of the river. It turns out Ana is fascinated with fishing. I am not entirely sure if she just thinks throwing the lure out and bringing it back in is some demented form of fetch, or if she is excited to see a fish flop out of the water. Either way, she is very interested and engaged in the whole process. But alas, the fish don't seem to be interested in what we are offering. So the focus must turn now from fish food to our food.

Once again, ribeye is on the menu for supper, except this time we are going to try something a little different, cooking it "caveman style" right one the coals. It takes a while to get a good bed if hardwood burnt down, but once done, we have a beautiful scorching hot base of coals to cook work with. The steak has already been seasoned and has risen to room temperature, two things that are a prerequisite for any steak cooking activity. A quick and gentle blow of the coals removes any settled ash and then on go the steaks. I know the coals are super hot as I can't hold my hand above them for any amount of time. My assumption is that with that much heat, it will only take a minute or so on each side. The first flip is a success, with only a few large coals stuck to the steak. Nothing that can't be easily brushed off. The same happens for the second side, a quick flick of the coals and we have a clean cooked steak. I usually aim for a medium rare steak, but I will admit, this could have used another minute or two on each side as it is definitely rare, but it still tastes great! The coals give is a bit if a smoky favour which adds to the over all taste profile. This is something it will definitely be doing again.

Tonight is an almost full moon, and as it begins to rise the skies light up bright. It is amazing how much natural light the moon gives off when you are in away from all the light pollution of towns and cities. It is easy to see without a flashlight. The moon shining over the flowing water of the Mersey River is a beautiful sight.

Moonlight Over the Mersey River

We stay up until 11pm enjoying the moonlit forest with the river gently flowing only feet away. The night is calm and quiet until close to 2am when I am startled awake buy a very load thud! It for sure was the sound of a tree or very large branch falling to the ground. The question is did it fall on its own or did it have a little help from a forest friend passing by? The moon light does allow me to look around without the aid of a light, but the best way to spot a critter in the dark is always from the reflection if its eyes. A quick scan with my headlamp and I don't see anything gazing back at me. The dogs are still fast asleep. Surely if anything was close to camp they would have detected it.

The fear of wildlife coming through camp is probably one of the things that is hardest to get over when camping in the backcountry, and it is something that can really only be overcome with time and experience. I know several years ago when I first got back into wilderness camping, the hardest thing for me to do was to fall asleep at night. I would find myself laying in my tent or hammock just listening to every little sound anticipating being visited by a bear or coyote in the darkness. There were nights when I didn't really fall asleep until the sun began to lighten the sky. Even though I know animal encounters are a very rare occurrence at camp, it is just one of those things that is hard to shake. Nowadays, it does not bother me at all, and I am able to fall asleep very quickly at night. This is a part of Backcountry Evolution that I am certain everyone has dealt with when they first begin wild camping, but it can be overcome with time and experience in the wilderness.

It turns out the top of an old rotting hardwood broke off through the night and fell a good fifty feet into trail connecting this campsite with another. The event happened only a hundred feet away or so, which is a good reminder to always check your campsite for widow makers. This is what we call branches overhead which could break lose in a wind or are just not looking too sturdy on their own. The last thing anyone wants is to have a tree fall on them during the night, so remember, always look up before you set up camp!

One would think being present when a tree falls in the forest without any wind would be a rare occurrence, but this is the second time it has happened to me. A few years ago I was at Mason's cabin in Keji in the morning when the forest was perfectly still. I was cooking breakfast when a large hardwood decided it had enough and toppled over only a few hundred feet from the cabin. It is a bit of an eerie feeling when it happens, but neat to witness at the same time. The question still remains however, if I were not there to hear it, would it have a made a sound?

We do breakfast sandwiches this morning over the fire. Just a simple bacon, egg and cheese between two pieces of bread. It is always a good breakfast meal when weight is not a factor.

Camp Breakfast Sandwiches

We have done a little bit of exploring while we have been here, and one unexpected find is the river bank is packed with wild cranberries. They are not ripe yet but within the next month or so I think we will be coming back to get a small harvest. There are thousands of them all along the shore. I have often heard about people finding them but have never come across them in the wild myself. We are going to have to look up some good recipes for them. If you have any, please leave them in the comments below.

Wild Cranberries

We have everything packed up by noon but sit around and enjoy the campsite for another hour before heading out. This trip was a good change of pace for us. Just a chance to relax and soak in the surroundings. That is good because our next one is going to a hard one. We plan to head into the Tobeatic for 5 days with what we expect will be rough paddling and even rougher portages. I have no doubt the beauty of the area will make it all worth it.