06-Oct-2002 -- This was our second attempt at this confluence. After
examining our problems from the first visit, our thinking
was to try in the autumn, once the leaves had fallen. This
point on its own made bagging this so much easier.
We had an early morning and were able to arrive at the
starting point by noon. Having a quick chat with the land
owner, he was able to tell us of a path that was up farther
than we had gone on our last trip. He didn't think it would
take us to where we wanted but it was close enough to
check out.
The path (an old horse trail) started northeast of the
confluence, leading directly south before swinging east
and on to parts unknown. We did follow it for a while but
had to back track. From here, the bushwhacking started.
This time it was a lot easier, due to the fact one could
see more than 10 feet in front of him (no leaves). This allowed us
to more accurately choose the clearest path and avoid the
greatest tangles. It also helped in that our GPS was
getting much stronger signals to follow. We did have the
occasional loss of signal but this was no problem. Our compass
came into play much more here, with shooting bearings that it
made life much more manageable.
Another advantage of no leaves was being able to pick out
animal trails more readily. These were a great help in
getting through the brush while avoiding numerous scratches.
We used these almost every chance we could.
If one should consider coming around here, be prepared for
damp feet and bring lots of film. The country is really great
with numerous birds around and plenty of signs of other
wildlife. Our hilite of the day was spotting a black bear.
All in all, it was 1 hour 45 min in and, after a small detour
around another beaver dam, 2 hours out. We had our pix and
were on our way to supper and a warm drink.