11 June, Day-4, Total-5; Miles-23, Total-90 - Chuck

Another great day! Bill was all packed and had coffee ready by the time I arose at about 5:30. This beautiful lake and the mountain views just captivate both of us. Again today there was no wind, that is great for me paddling on a large lake. However, Bill brought his sailing rig and has been disappointed that there has been no favorable wind. Since Bill's canoe (without sailing) is slower than mine, we decided that he would depart and I would enjoy the campfire he had going and pack my gear. Too soon, it was time to leave this special spot. I was an hour behind Bill but we still had 16 miles of lake paddling and we knew from yesterday that I would most likely catch up in about 4 hours. The paddling, the lake and everything about this day were absolutely glorious. Soon, there was a white speck on the horizon in front of me. With the hint of a light wind, I knew it was Bill trying to sail again. A couple of hours later, I caught up with him and we easily paddled along together chatting and enjoying every minute. At the north end of the lake we were unable to spot the discharge point where the Yukon again becomes a river. We detected a slight current and followed it through some shallow sandbars and rocks. Finally, we saw the start of the River turning right and we were on our way again. We glided by the remains of the Casca, a paddlewheeler of days gone by. The River, at this point, is clear and swift and beautiful. A wilderness setting can surely get no better. Six miles or so zipped by, Bill saw an island on the map at U.S. Bend and we thought it would be a good campsite. Minutes later we spotted it, the water was lower than normal and the channel that would have made it an island was dry. We found it to be a great campsite; we pitched our tents in a little grove of fir trees. There were lots of wild onions between the shore and the trees. We both used them liberally in our evening meals. It was yet another great day.