Khuvsgul Lake
June 14th thru June 23 9 Days
KHUVSGUL LAKE
Younger Sister Of Lake Baikal
The most scenic destination of Northen Mongolia, Khuvsgul Lake (Khovsgol Nuur, also spelled ‘Hovsgol’) is the largest freshwater lake in Mongolia by volume and second largest by area holding 2% of the world’s fresh water. Located near the Russian border, at the foot of the eastern Sayan Mountains, it is nicknamed “Younger sister of the Sister Lakes (Lake Khuvsgul and Lake Baikal)”. The area of Khuvsgul Lake, raised well above sea level, is 2760ms. Its length is 136 km and width 36.5 km, and up to 260 m deep.
Khuvsgul is a land of thick forests, rushing rivers, sparkling lakes and rugged mountains. This stunning area were set aside as Lake Khuvsgul National Park (2500 hectare). In recent years, this spectacular landscape of water and mountains that is sacred to so many has become the destination of more and more travelers, from all around Mongolia and beyond. Heading through the endless pine trees and into the open valleys dotted with the white gers and grazing herds, you’ll be wondering if you haven’t set foot back in 19th century Montana.
The highlight of the area is the ethnic reindeers’ herders called Tsaatan. This ethnic groups of Turkic origin related to the Tuvans are the most exotic and mystical people with small numbers, inhabit in the amazing beautiful taigas. Tsaatan people worship “the Eternal Blue Sky and Mother Earth” and retained an ancient, unusual culture based on shamanistic rituals and forest-based reindeer-herding. Shamanism, rather than Buddhism, is the religion of choice in these parts.
By Mongolian standards, Khuvsgul Lake is touristy, but this ensures good facilities, and once you get a day’s travel from the main town you’ll likely have the place all to yourself.
If you love fishing (a fishing permit is required), then you’ll get excited about Khuvsgul. The lake is full of fish, such as lenok, salmon and sturgeon, and the area is home to argali sheep, ibex, bear, sable, moose and a few near-sighted wolverines. It also has more than 200 species of bird, including the Baikal teal, bar-headed goose, black stork and Altai snowcock.
This is a place in Mongolia where one can get sense of total unspoiled wilderness. The area is paradise for outdoor travelers and there are plenty of room for activities like hiking, birding, fishing, horseback travel and kayaking.
June 14th Friday Day 1 of on the water: We got down to the boat ramp, such as it is and got set up, tent up, kayak in the water, all the gear sorted and ready to pack in the kayak 1st thing in the AM.
Some kids showed up about 1:30 in the morning, I am sure drinking the Vodka and listening to music and did not leave until about 3:30. So it was a long night. I started packing up at 4:00 and was on the water at 5:00.
There approximately 3 million people in Mongolia and plus or minus 70 million animals
Hate to send somebody who didn’t see very well to go get the cake.
LAKE BAIKAL KAYAKING TRIP JOURNAL 4
Khuvsgul Lake
June 14th thru June 23 9 Days
KHUVSGUL LAKE
Younger Sister Of Lake Baikal
The most scenic destination of Northen Mongolia, Khuvsgul Lake (Khovsgol Nuur, also spelled ‘Hovsgol’) is the largest freshwater lake in Mongolia by volume and second largest by area holding 2% of the world’s fresh water. Located near the Russian border, at the foot of the eastern Sayan Mountains, it is nicknamed “Younger sister of the Sister Lakes (Lake Khuvsgul and Lake Baikal)”. The area of Khuvsgul Lake, raised well above sea level, is 2760ms. Its length is 136 km and width 36.5 km, and up to 260 m deep.
Khuvsgul is a land of thick forests, rushing rivers, sparkling lakes and rugged mountains. This stunning area were set aside as Lake Khuvsgul National Park (2500 hectare). In recent years, this spectacular landscape of water and mountains that is sacred to so many has become the destination of more and more travelers, from all around Mongolia and beyond. Heading through the endless pine trees and into the open valleys dotted with the white gers and grazing herds, you’ll be wondering if you haven’t set foot back in 19th century Montana.
The highlight of the area is the ethnic reindeers’ herders called Tsaatan. This ethnic groups of Turkic origin related to the Tuvans are the most exotic and mystical people with small numbers, inhabit in the amazing beautiful taigas. Tsaatan people worship “the Eternal Blue Sky and Mother Earth” and retained an ancient, unusual culture based on shamanistic rituals and forest-based reindeer-herding. Shamanism, rather than Buddhism, is the religion of choice in these parts.
By Mongolian standards, Khuvsgul Lake is touristy, but this ensures good facilities, and once you get a day’s travel from the main town you’ll likely have the place all to yourself.
If you love fishing (a fishing permit is required), then you’ll get excited about Khuvsgul. The lake is full of fish, such as lenok, salmon and sturgeon, and the area is home to argali sheep, ibex, bear, sable, moose and a few near-sighted wolverines. It also has more than 200 species of bird, including the Baikal teal, bar-headed goose, black stork and Altai snowcock.
This is a place in Mongolia where one can get sense of total unspoiled wilderness. The area is paradise for outdoor travelers and there are plenty of room for activities like hiking, birding, fishing, horseback travel and kayaking.
June 14th Friday Day 1 of on the water: We got down to the boat ramp, such as it is and got set up, tent up, kayak in the water, all the gear sorted and ready to pack in the kayak 1st thing in the AM.
Some kids showed up about 1:30 in the morning, I am sure drinking the Vodka and listening to music and did not leave until about 3:30. So it was a long night. I started packing up at 4:00 and was on the water at 5:00.
There approximately 3 million people in Mongolia and plus or minus 70 million animals
Hate to send somebody who didn’t see very well to go get the cake.
1st night in the tent/camp set up for the trip.
Lot of nights left to set up and break down. If only the water would stay as calm as you see in the background.
Packed up on the 1st morning, Stormy in her seat and her friend not wanting us to leave laying in the foreground. This dog ran along the bank for several miles until we got out of town.
Started raining within 45 minutes and it didn’t quit raining for over 36 hours. The most miserable beginning of any trip I have done.
And here I thought I would have the whole lake to myself. This is the beginning of the tourist season; I think this is a Religious Shrine that they bring the Mongolians to. This is probably the 1st trip of the season.
In Khatgal yesterday I saw tour buses, backpackers, trial riders in dune buggies with folks from Israel. A clear sign that the tourist season has started.
In the last couple of days, I have met two guys riding desert bikes they rented in Ulan Baatar from Edmonton, Canada. A girl from Placid Lake, NY on an expedition to finish her graduation from college, all alone. She had been harassed by a couple of drunk young Mongolians, so I had her follow me to my Ger and gave her 1 of 3 cans of bear spray I had. A hitchhiker/trekker from Germany what had been all over the world. A couple that stayed at the Ger 1 night from Israel. A couple from Germany who went down to the Gobi Desert with a Guide. 5 guys from Yugoslavia and that were on desert bikes and I think the rode all the way to here across Russia. Two guys from Hungry that were on the 2nd part of drive thru this part of the world, on their way to Irkutsk to fly back home. They are from all over the world. Mongolia is just starting to be a tourist destination.
A very miserable 1st day and the ice one sees in the picture is a foreboding picture of what is to come.
As the hours went by things got damper and more wet and it was to get worse.
June 15th Saturday Day 2 of on the water:
This picture tells the story at least when it comes to perhaps staring the trip prematurely.
I have never been much of a selfie guy, but this 1st morning I wasn’t having much fun.
Lots of rain. Lots of fog. Lots of very cold and damp weather. But no wind as the glass like condition of the lake shows.
Getting ready for the 2nd nights camp site up. It was as miserable as it looks believe me and lots of ice to contend with.
In the trips I have done, at no time can I remember the trip starting out so miserable. For a week prior it has been very sunny and halfway warm. Although the wind/a good stiff breeze was blowing almost constantly down the lake by 10 in the morning. Not so now. No wind at all, so that is what made this possible.
I don’t care who you are or how tough you are or how much you have done. This is a picture and what I was faced with taking off on the 3rd morning and it wasn’t a pretty picture.
I finally remembered I had an umbrella on the kayak, I got it out and it help tremendously by keeping the rain off me and out of the kayak.
June 16th Sunday Day 3 of on the water:
Here is what I had to work with is all. A very small area on the rocks, slopped, nothing even remotely close to flat. But the sun was shining.
3522980178435 
00
Here is what I ended up with, I flattened out a spot up on the high side for the sleeping bag and blankets to lay in and just lived with the rest. You can see everything laid out today which I managed to get everything dried out, repacked and put away before it started raining again late in the day. Notice the ice still locking me in.
Not a kayaker’s dream water. Impossible to paddle thru something like this. I had no clue as to would it just be tonight. A day or more before it broke up or blew someplace else.
I heated some water up and shaved and cleaned up a little bit.
June 18th Monday Day 4 on the water:
What a difference a night makes. The bay was completely free of ice this morning at 5 AM where last night it was complete full of ice. We packed up, packed the kayak and set out on a beautiful, sunny morning at about 6:00 AM. If it is like this, I have a bowl of rolled oats with trail mix and raisins with some milk. I don’t know if it is cows milk, yaks milk or goats milk, but it works. I haven’t been making tea a much as I would like to, because this new gas stove I have, with the cylinders that are smaller than the Green Propane bottle, isn’t going to last as long as I would like them to.
What a gorgeous morning. Not even a breeze and the reflections off the water were picture perfect.
The 1st water fall I have seen.
Notice how clear the water is. 
I decide to get out on the bank, put my dry suit on, break the ice along the bank and pull the boat behind me. Below is a link to the video I took of doing this. I put the camera on the platform in front of my seat. Took me well over an hour to go the ½ mile to get there.
Stormy waiting patiently while I put my dry suit on.
Thundered and rained hard for about 2 hours.
I had sent Cam a message from my inReach yesterday and got a message back. I would never think of doing a trip again without this inReach and the dry suit.
June 19th Tuesday Day 5 on the water:
I decided to take a break today for a variety of reasons and just see what the day held on the ice. My thumbs and wrists were/are sore. They could use a break since we are just starting out. My back was bothering me terribly last night but this morning it feels quite good. Same spot on the left lower side where the wall of 2×4’s fell on me up in Anchorage, Alaska a long time ago. It has bothered me ever since. I knew I should get caught up on my journals and keep up on the book. It is very difficult to do a journal when you get behind on them, I know this from experience. I am already 2 weeks behind on the original schedule waiting on the ice. I have lost at least 1 day out of the last 4 because of the rain and the ice, so I am resigned to the that I will have to work hard at getting caught up on my schedule to make the Class Reunion on September 20th/21st. It is going to take me a good 15 days I think to do this lake because of the challenges. Really doesn’t make any difference at all.
-1209930600000 
-1209930600000
I am not going to have enough food, but I can resupply at the village Turt on the north end of the lake. Shouldn’t take me longer than hour to walk into the grocery store and get what I want. I bought a can of “beef†not really knowing what it was other than it had a picture of a cow on the can. As it turned out, it was beef in a gravy. I had brought some fresh potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic with me, so I made a hobo stew last night, but that can of beef with the gravy in it and cooked on some coals. You talk about good. So hopefully the village up north has some and when I resupply to head down the Eg the kayak will be packed in the front and the back with at least 12 cans of that meat and gravy.
As the day has progressed the ice is shifting and moving, and I think we will get up in the morning and it will all be gone or at best a way to paddle out into the open water. I can see no ice, even with the binoculars I have in the distance as far as I can see but wouldn’t surprise me.
I heard and saw the 1st boat on the lake so that is a good sign. There is an island just off to the left that is a rookery for sea gulls, I think, because I remember reading something about it.
I will be caught up on the journals, also will get some work done on the book. I have the solar out and have charged up the power pack, after using it to charge up the laptop. The zipper on the rain fly broke and so I sewed some ties on and it works well. If that isn’t closed good, the wind and rain can come in. One of the best things I did was make/sew up this 2nd rain fly that kind of acts like a porch.
I have noticed for the 3rd time now that the lake is dropping a little bit every day. It certainly isn’t full and that is why there is not enough water flowing out of the outlet to get the kayak out of the lake. I will get a ride about 15 miles down river so when I get in the river, I have plenty of water and current.
The picture below shows where the kayak was last night, and the water was right up to the lake side.
We will get all packed up tonight before we go to bed, so it won’t take as long in the AM to hit the water. If the weather will hold, I can make up a couple of days if my back will hold out. I miscalculated which side to paddle up the lake. I should have taken the west side, because I have not seen any ice at all over there, and I think that is because there are fewer bays if any. That is the difference. The ice gets in these bays and lasts longer. Then I could have come down the lake on the east side and by then the ice would have been gone. Not a big deal.
For sure if you are like me and like to camp where there is totally wilderness and absolutely no humans, then follow me. Because we are going to be camping in some of the most pristine and beautiful country, I have ever been in.
I will have mashed potatoes and brown gravy and finish off the last of the sourdough bread.
Here are 3 pictures from the drone.
It won’t be long, and I will have this drone figured out!
Impossible to paddle thru this!
This is where I pulled the kayak to open water.
June 20th Wednesday Day 6 on the water:
We got up the usual time about 5:30 and as you can see no such luck with the ice going out of this bay. I just don’t want to sit around another day. I decided to walk up to the point that I came around Monday noon and had to pull the boat thru the ice…link to the video…to find a good camp spot an it was well worth the effort because this is a good camp spot.
Upon returning I just wasn’t sure it was the thing to do. I tidied up and had some tea then had some breakfast and it just felt like it was going to be a great paddling day and I just didn’t want to miss it. I walked back up to the point and I could see since I was there about 2 hours ago, the ice seemed to be moving away from the bank and away from the point, giving me access to the open water much better than it was just 2 hours ago. That was enough for me.
Once there, I climbed up on some rocks, got the dry suit off, pulled some dry clothes out of the kayak and once I was ready, away we went and thankful for it.
So far, it was the best paddling weather we have had.
I made it close to the point, which was my goal, took close to 3 hours. Considering I didn’t get started until 11:00 I decided to just be thankful I was away from the ice and found another great camp site and hope to get a routine going in the morning with the open water starting on the water at about 6:00 AM. I have no idea with the way things have gone but should be up at the North end of the Lake in 3 days, gone into the grocery store in Turt and be paddling around the end of the lake and head back down the lake. We shall see.
I have never had such a challenging start of a trip. Ever.
June 21st Thursday Day 7 on the water:
Our best day for paddling yet. That isn’t saying much with all the challenges. Awake at 5 out of the sack at 5:30 packed up and on the water by 6:30 and it was beautiful. I paddled for almost 7 hours which considering what I been thru these past 6 days I was beat.
04445 
I have seen absolutely no one since seeing all those people in that power boat several days ago. I did see/hear one of the smaller tour boats on the Rookery Island and saw the large tour boat going around the island
No animals. Very little waterfowl. No fish.
Last night the thunder and lightening carried on for hours then the wind blew thru the top of the trees. I don’t think the tent moved one time, but we were in the trees.
It stayed calm all day and it is calm now almost 6. I fried/cooked up some potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic in some mushroom gravy and once again it was delicious. Couldn’t eat it all so will heat it up in the morning really quick and Stormy and I will have it for breakfast.
I am 2 ½ days from the end of the lake. I hope to be in Turt by Monday 10 AM and then heading around the north end right after hitting the grocery story.
I had hoped to do this part of the trip in 12 days it is going to be 15 or 16 with the weather and ice delays. Once again, I won’t know how these delays are going to impact the over all schedule until I get on the Eg and down into the Selenga to see what the current is like in both rivers.
From the drone looking back from where we came.
Great place to camp on a bluff looking out over the lake. This is not normally what I do because I am exposed to the wind.
With some luck the weather will be calm again tomorrow.
I am tired but sleep well and waking up refreshed. It is the lower left back that is the issue.
June 22 Friday day 8 on the water:
I was up at the usual time and on the water by 7. I have not got the packing up the camp and the kayak packed down to my usual organized way of doing it. I am going to work on that. I don’t like working so hard nor do I like getting stressed about it at the beginning of the day. Especially when I am sleeping well and waking up feeling good. Hopefully my back is getting use to what I am putting it thru.
We made good time for the 1st 3 hours. I feel like I am getting my strength back and getting my paddling rhythm down and once I do everyday hopefully will feel like we accomplished something. This is the 1st day out of 8 I have felt like we did. I even got to sail for a while, just not enough of a breeze. If I can’t sail faster than I can paddle, then I am wasting time. I can paddle 2 to 2 ½ miles an hour, so that means the breeze/wind must be about 4/5 MPH to make it worth it.
Came around a corner and here is a resort being built. It is being built by one of the mining companies for their employees and guests. All private. Crazy how they do things here. There was only one guy in the whole camp that spoke English and he worked for the mining company. He was very nice to me. We didn’t stay 20 minutes and back on the water.
Lots of pretty wildflowers.
This is a Russian family on holiday from Irkutsk.
About 2 if felt like it was going to rain. My wrists/thumbs and forearms are obviously getting a hell of a workout. I would have like to be able to be in Turt by noon tomorrow, not going to happen. So I will get with in an hour or two of paddling distance, spend tomorrow night, hit the grocery store at 10 AM when they open and be back on the water and perhaps around the north end of the lake for the 10th nights camp on the west side and headed back.
It is not going to take near as long to get back as it did to get to the end of the lake. I have only 2 bays to get across then it is a straight shot. The only thing I have noticed is it rains more, almost every afternoon thunderstorms on that side over the mountains, so I will just make sure we have camp set up when I need to miss the down pours. And hope I can get some down the lake 6/7 MPH winds and sail as much as possible.
June 23 Saturday day 9 on the water:
Up at 5:30 and on the water at 6:30. I still am not happy with my overall system for breaking camp and packing the kayak up. Normally I can pack the kayak up the night before and there is little to put in it other than the tent and sleeping bag, blankets and air mattress. However, I must pull the kayak up on the bank out of the water, because it seems a lot of wave action occurs at night. The moon, the stars lined up I don’t know. In order to do that, I have to have the kayak unloaded or there is no way 2 guys can lift it.
Pretty much foggy, damp and cold all day long. The sun came out several times. I bet I took my gear off and put in back on at least 6 times. Very frustrating, but I better get used to it. I just have this feeling though that the weather is going to take a turn for the better soon
0-3810 
00I came across this Russian family camping on a 2-week vacation. The 2 men weren’t very talkative, but the ladies and the kids really enjoyed me trying to tell them what I was doing. Then one of the men brought over a really old map of Lake Baikal that I wished I couldn’t have kept. I will try to find something like it.
As I planned, there was no way I was going to make it to Turt. My wrists, forearms and back need a break, especially my back. We are at a small beach type park, not far out of Turt that I am sure they use for the summer months. No one around as usual. I did meet another family from Irkutsk. He owns a bakery and I hope he friends me on Facebook, very nice couple with 2 kids, wished I would have gotten a picture.
A guy couldn’t ask for a better traveling companion.
We don’t have to be in a big hurry in the morning. The grocery stores don’t open until 10 AM and we have maybe 3 hours to paddle. I couldn’t have finished it out this afternoon.
I am going to start Journal 5 beginning tomorrow.
The only flowering bush I have seen on the entire East side.
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1st night in the tent/camp set up for the trip.
Lot of nights left to set up and break down. If only the water would stay as calm as you see in the background.
Packed up on the 1st morning, Stormy in her seat and her friend not wanting us to leave laying in the foreground. This dog ran along the bank for several miles until we got out of town.
Started raining within 45 minutes and it didn’t quit raining for over 36 hours. The most miserable beginning of any trip I have done.
And here I thought I would have the whole lake to myself. This is the beginning of the tourist season; I think this is a Religious Shrine that they bring the Mongolians to. This is probably the 1st trip of the season.
In Khatgal yesterday I saw tour buses, backpackers, trial riders in dune buggies with folks from Israel. A clear sign that the tourist season has started.
In the last couple of days, I have met two guys riding desert bikes they rented in Ulan Baatar from Edmonton, Canada. A girl from Placid Lake, NY on an expedition to finish her graduation from college, all alone. She had been harassed by a couple of drunk young Mongolians, so I had her follow me to my Ger and gave her 1 of 3 cans of bear spray I had. A hitchhiker/trekker from Germany what had been all over the world. A couple that stayed at the Ger 1 night from Israel. A couple from Germany who went down to the Gobi Desert with a Guide. 5 guys from Yugoslavia and that were on desert bikes and I think the rode all the way to here across Russia. Two guys from Hungry that were on the 2nd part of drive thru this part of the world, on their way to Irkutsk to fly back home. They are from all over the world. Mongolia is just starting to be a tourist destination.
A very miserable 1st day and the ice one sees in the picture is a foreboding picture of what is to come.
As the hours went by things got damper and more wet and it was to get worse.
June 15th Saturday Day 2 of on the water:
This picture tells the story at least when it comes to perhaps staring the trip prematurely.
I have never been much of a selfie guy, but this 1st morning I wasn’t having much fun.
Lots of rain. Lots of fog. Lots of very cold and damp weather. But no wind as the glass like condition of the lake shows.
Getting ready for the 2nd nights camp site up. It was as miserable as it looks believe me and lots of ice to contend with.
In the trips I have done, at no time can I remember the trip starting out so miserable. For a week prior it has been very sunny and halfway warm. Although the wind/a good stiff breeze was blowing almost constantly down the lake by 10 in the morning. Not so now. No wind at all, so that is what made this possible.
I don’t care who you are or how tough you are or how much you have done. This is a picture and what I was faced with taking off on the 3rd morning and it wasn’t a pretty picture.
I finally remembered I had an umbrella on the kayak, I got it out and it help tremendously by keeping the rain off me and out of the kayak.
June 16th Sunday Day 3 of on the water:
Here is what I had to work with is all. A very small area on the rocks, slopped, nothing even remotely close to flat. But the sun was shining.
3522980178435 
00
Here is what I ended up with, I flattened out a spot up on the high side for the sleeping bag and blankets to lay in and just lived with the rest. You can see everything laid out today which I managed to get everything dried out, repacked and put away before it started raining again late in the day. Notice the ice still locking me in.
Not a kayaker’s dream water. Impossible to paddle thru something like this. I had no clue as to would it just be tonight. A day or more before it broke up or blew someplace else.
I heated some water up and shaved and cleaned up a little bit.
June 18th Monday Day 4 on the water:
What a difference a night makes. The bay was completely free of ice this morning at 5 AM where last night it was complete full of ice. We packed up, packed the kayak and set out on a beautiful, sunny morning at about 6:00 AM. If it is like this, I have a bowl of rolled oats with trail mix and raisins with some milk. I don’t know if it is cows milk, yaks milk or goats milk, but it works. I haven’t been making tea a much as I would like to, because this new gas stove I have, with the cylinders that are smaller than the Green Propane bottle, isn’t going to last as long as I would like them to.
What a gorgeous morning. Not even a breeze and the reflections off the water were picture perfect.
The 1st water fall I have seen.
Notice how clear the water is. 
I decide to get out on the bank, put my dry suit on, break the ice along the bank and pull the boat behind me. Below is a link to the video I took of doing this. I put the camera on the platform in front of my seat. Took me well over an hour to go the ½ mile to get there.
Stormy waiting patiently while I put my dry suit on.
Thundered and rained hard for about 2 hours.
I had sent Cam a message from my inReach yesterday and got a message back. I would never think of doing a trip again without this inReach and the dry suit.
June 19th Tuesday Day 5 on the water:
I decided to take a break today for a variety of reasons and just see what the day held on the ice. My thumbs and wrists were/are sore. They could use a break since we are just starting out. My back was bothering me terribly last night but this morning it feels quite good. Same spot on the left lower side where the wall of 2×4’s fell on me up in Anchorage, Alaska a long time ago. It has bothered me ever since. I knew I should get caught up on my journals and keep up on the book. It is very difficult to do a journal when you get behind on them, I know this from experience. I am already 2 weeks behind on the original schedule waiting on the ice. I have lost at least 1 day out of the last 4 because of the rain and the ice, so I am resigned to the that I will have to work hard at getting caught up on my schedule to make the Class Reunion on September 20th/21st. It is going to take me a good 15 days I think to do this lake because of the challenges. Really doesn’t make any difference at all.
-1209930600000 
-1209930600000
I am not going to have enough food, but I can resupply at the village Turt on the north end of the lake. Shouldn’t take me longer than hour to walk into the grocery store and get what I want. I bought a can of “beef†not really knowing what it was other than it had a picture of a cow on the can. As it turned out, it was beef in a gravy. I had brought some fresh potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic with me, so I made a hobo stew last night, but that can of beef with the gravy in it and cooked on some coals. You talk about good. So hopefully the village up north has some and when I resupply to head down the Eg the kayak will be packed in the front and the back with at least 12 cans of that meat and gravy.
As the day has progressed the ice is shifting and moving, and I think we will get up in the morning and it will all be gone or at best a way to paddle out into the open water. I can see no ice, even with the binoculars I have in the distance as far as I can see but wouldn’t surprise me.
I heard and saw the 1st boat on the lake so that is a good sign. There is an island just off to the left that is a rookery for sea gulls, I think, because I remember reading something about it.
I will be caught up on the journals, also will get some work done on the book. I have the solar out and have charged up the power pack, after using it to charge up the laptop. The zipper on the rain fly broke and so I sewed some ties on and it works well. If that isn’t closed good, the wind and rain can come in. One of the best things I did was make/sew up this 2nd rain fly that kind of acts like a porch.
I have noticed for the 3rd time now that the lake is dropping a little bit every day. It certainly isn’t full and that is why there is not enough water flowing out of the outlet to get the kayak out of the lake. I will get a ride about 15 miles down river so when I get in the river, I have plenty of water and current.
The picture below shows where the kayak was last night, and the water was right up to the lake side.
We will get all packed up tonight before we go to bed, so it won’t take as long in the AM to hit the water. If the weather will hold, I can make up a couple of days if my back will hold out. I miscalculated which side to paddle up the lake. I should have taken the west side, because I have not seen any ice at all over there, and I think that is because there are fewer bays if any. That is the difference. The ice gets in these bays and lasts longer. Then I could have come down the lake on the east side and by then the ice would have been gone. Not a big deal.
For sure if you are like me and like to camp where there is totally wilderness and absolutely no humans, then follow me. Because we are going to be camping in some of the most pristine and beautiful country, I have ever been in.
I will have mashed potatoes and brown gravy and finish off the last of the sourdough bread.
Here are 3 pictures from the drone.
It won’t be long, and I will have this drone figured out!
Impossible to paddle thru this!
This is where I pulled the kayak to open water.
June 20th Wednesday Day 6 on the water:
We got up the usual time about 5:30 and as you can see no such luck with the ice going out of this bay. I just don’t want to sit around another day. I decided to walk up to the point that I came around Monday noon and had to pull the boat thru the ice…link to the video…to find a good camp spot an it was well worth the effort because this is a good camp spot.
Upon returning I just wasn’t sure it was the thing to do. I tidied up and had some tea then had some breakfast and it just felt like it was going to be a great paddling day and I just didn’t want to miss it. I walked back up to the point and I could see since I was there about 2 hours ago, the ice seemed to be moving away from the bank and away from the point, giving me access to the open water much better than it was just 2 hours ago. That was enough for me.
Once there, I climbed up on some rocks, got the dry suit off, pulled some dry clothes out of the kayak and once I was ready, away we went and thankful for it.
So far, it was the best paddling weather we have had.
I made it close to the point, which was my goal, took close to 3 hours. Considering I didn’t get started until 11:00 I decided to just be thankful I was away from the ice and found another great camp site and hope to get a routine going in the morning with the open water starting on the water at about 6:00 AM. I have no idea with the way things have gone but should be up at the North end of the Lake in 3 days, gone into the grocery store in Turt and be paddling around the end of the lake and head back down the lake. We shall see.
I have never had such a challenging start of a trip. Ever.
June 21st Thursday Day 7 on the water:
Our best day for paddling yet. That isn’t saying much with all the challenges. Awake at 5 out of the sack at 5:30 packed up and on the water by 6:30 and it was beautiful. I paddled for almost 7 hours which considering what I been thru these past 6 days I was beat.
04445 
I have seen absolutely no one since seeing all those people in that power boat several days ago. I did see/hear one of the smaller tour boats on the Rookery Island and saw the large tour boat going around the island
No animals. Very little waterfowl. No fish.
Last night the thunder and lightening carried on for hours then the wind blew thru the top of the trees. I don’t think the tent moved one time, but we were in the trees.
It stayed calm all day and it is calm now almost 6. I fried/cooked up some potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic in some mushroom gravy and once again it was delicious. Couldn’t eat it all so will heat it up in the morning really quick and Stormy and I will have it for breakfast.
I am 2 ½ days from the end of the lake. I hope to be in Turt by Monday 10 AM and then heading around the north end right after hitting the grocery story.
I had hoped to do this part of the trip in 12 days it is going to be 15 or 16 with the weather and ice delays. Once again, I won’t know how these delays are going to impact the over all schedule until I get on the Eg and down into the Selenga to see what the current is like in both rivers.
From the drone looking back from where we came.
Great place to camp on a bluff looking out over the lake. This is not normally what I do because I am exposed to the wind.
With some luck the weather will be calm again tomorrow.
I am tired but sleep well and waking up refreshed. It is the lower left back that is the issue.
June 22 Friday day 8 on the water:
I was up at the usual time and on the water by 7. I have not got the packing up the camp and the kayak packed down to my usual organized way of doing it. I am going to work on that. I don’t like working so hard nor do I like getting stressed about it at the beginning of the day. Especially when I am sleeping well and waking up feeling good. Hopefully my back is getting use to what I am putting it thru.
We made good time for the 1st 3 hours. I feel like I am getting my strength back and getting my paddling rhythm down and once I do everyday hopefully will feel like we accomplished something. This is the 1st day out of 8 I have felt like we did. I even got to sail for a while, just not enough of a breeze. If I can’t sail faster than I can paddle, then I am wasting time. I can paddle 2 to 2 ½ miles an hour, so that means the breeze/wind must be about 4/5 MPH to make it worth it.
Came around a corner and here is a resort being built. It is being built by one of the mining companies for their employees and guests. All private. Crazy how they do things here. There was only one guy in the whole camp that spoke English and he worked for the mining company. He was very nice to me. We didn’t stay 20 minutes and back on the water.
Lots of pretty wildflowers.
This is a Russian family on holiday from Irkutsk.
About 2 if felt like it was going to rain. My wrists/thumbs and forearms are obviously getting a hell of a workout. I would have like to be able to be in Turt by noon tomorrow, not going to happen. So I will get with in an hour or two of paddling distance, spend tomorrow night, hit the grocery store at 10 AM when they open and be back on the water and perhaps around the north end of the lake for the 10th nights camp on the west side and headed back.
It is not going to take near as long to get back as it did to get to the end of the lake. I have only 2 bays to get across then it is a straight shot. The only thing I have noticed is it rains more, almost every afternoon thunderstorms on that side over the mountains, so I will just make sure we have camp set up when I need to miss the down pours. And hope I can get some down the lake 6/7 MPH winds and sail as much as possible.
June 23 Saturday day 9 on the water:
Up at 5:30 and on the water at 6:30. I still am not happy with my overall system for breaking camp and packing the kayak up. Normally I can pack the kayak up the night before and there is little to put in it other than the tent and sleeping bag, blankets and air mattress. However, I must pull the kayak up on the bank out of the water, because it seems a lot of wave action occurs at night. The moon, the stars lined up I don’t know. In order to do that, I have to have the kayak unloaded or there is no way 2 guys can lift it.
Pretty much foggy, damp and cold all day long. The sun came out several times. I bet I took my gear off and put in back on at least 6 times. Very frustrating, but I better get used to it. I just have this feeling though that the weather is going to take a turn for the better soon
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00I came across this Russian family camping on a 2-week vacation. The 2 men weren’t very talkative, but the ladies and the kids really enjoyed me trying to tell them what I was doing. Then one of the men brought over a really old map of Lake Baikal that I wished I couldn’t have kept. I will try to find something like it.
As I planned, there was no way I was going to make it to Turt. My wrists, forearms and back need a break, especially my back. We are at a small beach type park, not far out of Turt that I am sure they use for the summer months. No one around as usual. I did meet another family from Irkutsk. He owns a bakery and I hope he friends me on Facebook, very nice couple with 2 kids, wished I would have gotten a picture.
A guy couldn’t ask for a better traveling companion.
We don’t have to be in a big hurry in the morning. The grocery stores don’t open until 10 AM and we have maybe 3 hours to paddle. I couldn’t have finished it out this afternoon.
I am going to start Journal 5 beginning tomorrow.
The only flowering bush I have seen on the entire East side.
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