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In late August 1939, shortly after my mother turned 30, she went with her then boyfriend, Ellis, on a ten day canoe trip starting at Bear Island in Lake Temagami. Here is her journal from that trip, in honor of her on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of that trip. She had mentioned this trip, in the mid-1970s after I had spent three weeks in Algonquin, but she could not remember where she had gone. I found this account of the trip, shortly after she died in 2005 at the age of 95.
Transcribed verbatim. Handwritten Trip Log by Priscilla A. Dean, August 1939 – year determined by day of the week and date. Confirmed that there was a full moon on August 28, 1939.
1. Fri. Aug. 18 Fair
Met Ellis North Bay
Train to Timagami [sic]
Steamer to Bear Island
Hudson Bay Post
Lunch at “Tea Room”
Settlement mostly Indian
? Eskimo mixture
Exploration of Island
Up to lookout tower
Marvelous view of island studded lake
Willets & Jarrell arrived very sunburned
Restocking of supplies
Set out for four mile paddle to night camp. Snake Island. Small wooded island. Good campsite. Good sleeping. Fish for supper fresh caught
2. Sat. Aug. 19 Fair
Swim, breakfast w/ fish, broke camp.
Paddled 15 miles into Diamond Lake for second camp. Short portage, two loads each. Fishing along way. Island wooded – bluff on one side. Beautiful. Fish for supper. Wore shorts & sunburned badly. Lost lure & went diving for it. Retrieved.
3. Sun. Aug. 20 Overcast & raining
Through into Lady Evelyn Lake via small rapid. Caught in down pour in morning. Made camp as soon as possible. Tent leaked like a sieve. Everything sodden & dripping. Spent day, reading & sleeping. Stopped raining toward evening. First night sleeping in tent w/ five other people. Many dead trees standing in flooded area.
4. Mon. Aug. 21 Threatening & Showers
Washed clothes. Went fishing with Ellis. Pretty good fishing. Loons very interesting & quite unafraid. Swim under water for amazing distances. Cry to hear selves. Got instructions in how to handle a paddle & controlling a canoe. Caught snags as well as fish. Almost lost lure. Ellis went swimming for it. Retrieved. Back to camp.
5. Tues Aug. 22 Clear
Ten mile paddle to island at mouth of Matlainapila (sp.?) river. Made camp. Paddled up to dam for view. Amazing little store with pop & candy for sale. Back to camp. Fishing. Fair luck. Slept under stars w/ E. Aurora during night. No color but very active.
6. Wed. Aug. 23 Clear
Back down Lady Evelyn 8 mi. Very windy & quite rough. Ate lunch on small island waiting for wind to abate so crossing large bay would be reasonably safe. Crossed in afternoon. Camped on small island in bay at mouth of Sucker gut. Fishing fair.
7. Thurs. Aug. 24 Overcast & raining
Started out for Maple Mountain (2000 ft) over portage into Emily lake by winding stream into Stanley. Found many blueberries in ascent. Got caught in fairly severe thunderstorm. Last part of ascent almost perpendicular. Perfectly marvelous view. Invited into rangers hut to dry out & eat lunch. Top of mountain loaded with huge luscious blueberries. Picked a grape basketful. Marvelous fishing in Stanley & Emily Lake, particularly Stanley
8. Fri. Aug. 25 Fair
Broke camp. Followed down Sucker Gut doing considerable fishing with poor luck. Into Willow Island lake taking 3 portages into Diamond lake again past our second campsite toward the west where camp was made a little over halfway up the lake toward Wakimika. Perfectly swell big island. Fish chowder & open dish blueberry pie for supper. Slept on steep bluff commanding a delightful view & a advancing moon.
9. Sat. Aug. 26 Clear
E & I fooled around camp fishing & swimming for a while. Proceeded into Wakimika Lake over two protages, into Lake Obabika via a winding but very lovely stream. Not much luck fishing. Enough for supper obtained. Camped halfway down Obabika at very poor campsite. Island too small. Good hard [?] bed & wonderful moon.
10. Sun. Aug 27 Clear
Fishing down Obakika, one portage into Emerald, the length of Emerald, over two portages into Devil Lake where we made camp on a fair camp site but the only available one. Caught first lake trout which was full of large roe. Meat slightly pink. Poor fishing day
11. Mon. Aug 28 Clear
Three portages into Turtle Lake from Devil through Turtle into head of Gull Lake where I caught my first bass. Caught three in all. Grand fishing. Spent afternoon in Gull fishing with only fair success. Lost our lure which is the only reason we did spend until dusk there in spite of an expressed wish for getting to camp before sun down. Two portages into Skunk lake where camp was made. Rain threatened so slept in tent. Good camp site. Started eating up food. Full moon.
12. Tues. Aug 29
Awakened by rain but soon cleared. Had a late but very plentiful meal in an endeavor to eat all loose food & perishable [sic]. E & I fooled around fishing for a while. One portage into Timagami [sic]. Fishing continued. Caught by severe wind and rain storm coming across open bay. Back to Bear Island, dry clothes & steamer back to Timagami [sic].
Large dinner at Hotel in Timagami [sic]. No fish but very smooth beer. To North Bay after bidding E with his box of fish farewell.
Overnight camp at N.B.
Wed. Aug. 30
From North Bay to Pembroke 132 miles for breakfast then to Burlington a distance of almost 460 miles. Through Ottawa & Montreal. Rode 8 hrs in rumble seat. Overnight cabins.
Thurs. Aug. 31
Back to Boston
Canoe mileage about [ends here]
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