Day 14 (July 19)
Weather bound: Rain drizzle mixed with strong cold gusty winds….temperature has dropped to 5C this morning, feels much colder with winds even inside the tundra tunnel, with our down jackets on. Unappealing to paddle. Since we’ve had no rest days since starting the trip, we decide this would be a good excuse for a layover day, to relax and tend to a few minor gear repairs. Spend some time fooling with more elaborate lunch of potato dumplings with salami pieces boiled in vegetable soup. What a production and glad for simpler day to day grub! The luxury of an afternoon nap calls and we all indulge. Later we stroll around in gortex – find a tiny paper wasp nest about the size of a lemon suspended 2” from the ground on a willow branch. Walking downstream, we follow the high banks and meandering animal trails thru dead tree stumps and open spruce forest. More dried up bear scat and caribou pellets. A large inland pond inland entices us onward but nothing moves except wind tossed branches.
