Not a great looking day out there. 14C , overcast and windy.
Mens bowling yesterday pm, M won 3 and lost 3  so all in all a respectable showing.

  Harv, Jerry and Ken all exchanged glances, the same thought in their minds, ‘sounds real easy, but….’

However they said nothing, in half an hour the toboggan was heavily loaded, packs were slung and they started off. Ken volunteered to take the first shift pulling the toboggan.

  The going was reasonably easy, but after experimenting they decided that it was easier walking without snowshoes due to the snow condition.  As they walked their weight on the surface occasionally caused pressure cracks to radiate out in a loud singing noise.  A slight breeze whishing particles of snow around and past occasionally swirled like mini cyclones causing gremlin like figures to rise above the frozen lake.

  They covered the five miles in just under two hours and took a break.  Along the way it had been decided that two pairs of experienced eyes looking for the blazes of the old STL boundary would be better than just one pair, so after resting Harv and Ken headed back down the lake to the point that had been selected as the best place to start from.  The other three headed into the bush towards a small open area that was visible on the aerial photos, it was about a mile distant.

  Jerry said, “We’ll unload and leave the toboggan here so it will be ready to go back with us.”

  “No, no.” said Gordon. “We’ll take it in with us it’ll be faster that way in the end.”

  “I don’t think so, Gordon.” Jerry argued. “We have to break trail with packs on and there are no sides on the thing.”

  “Nonsense.” Was the reply. “You go ahead, Milford next and I’ll tow the stuff.”

  Jerry shrugged, mumbled, “Suit yourself.” Slung his pack on, took a compass shot and headed out.

  They got about a hundred yards from the lake when Gordon called out, “Hey wait, this isn’t working, you guys piled the stuff on so that it sticks out the sides, it’s catching on everything.”

  Jerry smiled, turned and went back to where the toboggan was half tipped and jammed under a windfall.  Nothing more was said, they unloaded everything, stuck the toboggan in the snow and headed on toward the distant opening.  The brushy conditions next to the lake eventually gave way to a mixed stand of spruce and balsam and they made good progress in spite of their packs.  Jerry’s compassing proved accurate and within an hour were selecting a tent site on the edge of the swamp that was the opening that they had selected.

  In the mean time the other two had backtracked almost halfway to the cabin and were getting ready to swing off the lake also in a southerly direction.  Harv said to Ken, “I think we should go in for about twenty or thirty chains and then go back and forth east and west.”