Wababimiga Lake winter cabin visit
Aug 4, 2009 22:58:05 GMT -5
Post by wisconsintrapper on Aug 4, 2009 22:58:05 GMT -5
On July 28th, 2009 I had the opportunity to fulfill a dream and visit Wababimiga Lake and the site of the Vanderbeck winter cabin. Having driven 590 miles from my northern Wisconsin home, I arrived on Monday evening to Nakina. After stopping at the local cemetery and paying my respects to Big Lindsay Vanderbeck, Maud Vanderbeck-Cote and Emile Cote I headed to Cordingley Lake and Northland Outfitters where I was graciously welcomed and accommodated for the night at the business now owned by Arlene and Grant Mackie 1-(807)-329-5253. There is nothing like a Finnish sauna which Grant and Arlene provide to all their guests!
Early Tuesday morning I loaded the canoe that Northland Outfitters provided for me onto my truck and headed out to the east of Nakina on a network of logging roads that took me just to the west of Wababimiga Lake. This is the ridge that forms the top of the High Hill portage. The hill up to the ridge that was used as a portage route back in the 30's is at least a 45 degree angle. I would not want to walk up it with no load yet can only marvel at those that climbed it with a full pack and a canoe! To the east of the High Hill portage there is now a logging road, slightly overgrown, that leads to the west end of Wababimiga Lake. I was able to drive the 2.6 mile road right to the waters edge. After unloading the canoe and stowing all my gear in the front 2/3rds of the craft I headed out for the adventure of a lifetime. The wind was moderate from the west and helped as I island hopped from the west to the east end of the lake. At the final big island I new that the home cove was near. The map in the TLN book implies that the home cove is south east of this final island. Indeed there is a sand beach in this bay but there was no sign of human building or human presence that I could discern. Further down the lake, straight east of the final big island, was another bay with a sand crescent for a beach. Centered in this bay was two white signs. The one to the right was a posting by the Canadian Natural Resources listing walleye regulations on the lake and the sign 20 yards to the left was a sign for the Wababimiga River canoe portage. There was no visual evidence of a cabin site from the water. Using the TLN book and the final photo showing the evening view of Wababimiga Lake as a guide I kept my back to the woods and walked the beach until the geography of the land to the west matched the photo. The further I moved to the north the closer this image matched until I was within 15 yards of the beach end. Bingo. It looked like a perfect match. I turned back toward the woods and could now sense a slight change in the make up of the trees in front of me as they were shorter and of a different species then the trees both left and right. Now I was looking at tag alders and young poplars whereas the other trees were mature spruces and cedars. At this point I walked a few yards into the under story and found an old galvanized wash tub and a 2 gallon pail. Hmmm! Further back into the woods I started finding glass bottles and old rusty tin cans. Then I found a large pile of tin cans at the ground surface mounded a foot into the air. I still couldn't see any evidence of a cabin and I was told by Grant Mackie that this would be the case as a group of people were lost in the bush a couple of decades back when they came to the Vanderbeck cabin. At this point the cabin was not in very good condition and in order to be discovered by the rescue craft looking for them the lost party set the cabin on fire. There had to be someway to know if this was the right spot, though. After rummaging through the tin cans and bottles I called out to Jim, Lindsay, Mary and Ida and asked for them to give me some sign that this was the winter cabin site. 10 minutes later I moved further into the woods when all of a sudden an 80 year old poplar tree that had been dead for a good 20 years snapped off just above the ground and fell upon the edge of the garbage pile. As it hit the ground the tin cans rattled! I walked back to the tin cans and noticed that the 18 inch diameter tree had fallen on the exact spot I stood 10 minutes earlier. Now that is what I call a sign! Very near this garbage pile I noticed an area with a lot of tag alders and low growth. As I looked closer at this spot I found an old sheet metal wood stove crumpled into the weeds, glass globules that looked to be the result of a hot fire and a large piece of chicken wire that I can only presume came from the cage that used to house Miranda and the other pets the Vanderbeck's kept in the winter. I found some sheet metal, an old hinge and some rusty nails scattered about. Looking back toward the lake I could see the backdrop that fits perfectly with the photo of Jim holding the moose antlers over his shoulders early in the TLN book. The next three days were spent camping 150 yards to the south of the cabin site on an open hillside free of bugs as the west wind kept them at bay.
All adventures do come to an end as early Friday morning at 5 a.m. I broke camp and loaded the canoe for the trip back to the west end of the lake before the wind had a chance to pick up. As I neared the landing site I came upon a cabin still standing on the west shoreline that was built by Emile Cote in the early 70's on the spot I do believe where Big Lindsay had built a small log cabin sometime in the 20's or early 30's. This cabin is the same one that Russ Kerr has a photo posted of on this website. Emile Cote and his lady friend were pictured on the small deck. This cabin is in disrepair and will probably only be standing a few more years. By 10 a.m. I was back at my truck stowing my gear. Just as I was loading the canoe up onto the roof rack, six loons flew as a group from the east end of the lake over my truck loudly clamoring as they went further west over the High Hill portage whereupon they turned and headed back east toward the winter cabin site as one of the loons peeled off to the north toward Grave Lake and the Pennock River. You can draw your own conclusions but what a goodbye it was for me. The Vanderbeck's may be buried elsewhere but I believe their spirits are still at the winter cabin site on the east end of Wababimiga Lake!
Early Tuesday morning I loaded the canoe that Northland Outfitters provided for me onto my truck and headed out to the east of Nakina on a network of logging roads that took me just to the west of Wababimiga Lake. This is the ridge that forms the top of the High Hill portage. The hill up to the ridge that was used as a portage route back in the 30's is at least a 45 degree angle. I would not want to walk up it with no load yet can only marvel at those that climbed it with a full pack and a canoe! To the east of the High Hill portage there is now a logging road, slightly overgrown, that leads to the west end of Wababimiga Lake. I was able to drive the 2.6 mile road right to the waters edge. After unloading the canoe and stowing all my gear in the front 2/3rds of the craft I headed out for the adventure of a lifetime. The wind was moderate from the west and helped as I island hopped from the west to the east end of the lake. At the final big island I new that the home cove was near. The map in the TLN book implies that the home cove is south east of this final island. Indeed there is a sand beach in this bay but there was no sign of human building or human presence that I could discern. Further down the lake, straight east of the final big island, was another bay with a sand crescent for a beach. Centered in this bay was two white signs. The one to the right was a posting by the Canadian Natural Resources listing walleye regulations on the lake and the sign 20 yards to the left was a sign for the Wababimiga River canoe portage. There was no visual evidence of a cabin site from the water. Using the TLN book and the final photo showing the evening view of Wababimiga Lake as a guide I kept my back to the woods and walked the beach until the geography of the land to the west matched the photo. The further I moved to the north the closer this image matched until I was within 15 yards of the beach end. Bingo. It looked like a perfect match. I turned back toward the woods and could now sense a slight change in the make up of the trees in front of me as they were shorter and of a different species then the trees both left and right. Now I was looking at tag alders and young poplars whereas the other trees were mature spruces and cedars. At this point I walked a few yards into the under story and found an old galvanized wash tub and a 2 gallon pail. Hmmm! Further back into the woods I started finding glass bottles and old rusty tin cans. Then I found a large pile of tin cans at the ground surface mounded a foot into the air. I still couldn't see any evidence of a cabin and I was told by Grant Mackie that this would be the case as a group of people were lost in the bush a couple of decades back when they came to the Vanderbeck cabin. At this point the cabin was not in very good condition and in order to be discovered by the rescue craft looking for them the lost party set the cabin on fire. There had to be someway to know if this was the right spot, though. After rummaging through the tin cans and bottles I called out to Jim, Lindsay, Mary and Ida and asked for them to give me some sign that this was the winter cabin site. 10 minutes later I moved further into the woods when all of a sudden an 80 year old poplar tree that had been dead for a good 20 years snapped off just above the ground and fell upon the edge of the garbage pile. As it hit the ground the tin cans rattled! I walked back to the tin cans and noticed that the 18 inch diameter tree had fallen on the exact spot I stood 10 minutes earlier. Now that is what I call a sign! Very near this garbage pile I noticed an area with a lot of tag alders and low growth. As I looked closer at this spot I found an old sheet metal wood stove crumpled into the weeds, glass globules that looked to be the result of a hot fire and a large piece of chicken wire that I can only presume came from the cage that used to house Miranda and the other pets the Vanderbeck's kept in the winter. I found some sheet metal, an old hinge and some rusty nails scattered about. Looking back toward the lake I could see the backdrop that fits perfectly with the photo of Jim holding the moose antlers over his shoulders early in the TLN book. The next three days were spent camping 150 yards to the south of the cabin site on an open hillside free of bugs as the west wind kept them at bay.
All adventures do come to an end as early Friday morning at 5 a.m. I broke camp and loaded the canoe for the trip back to the west end of the lake before the wind had a chance to pick up. As I neared the landing site I came upon a cabin still standing on the west shoreline that was built by Emile Cote in the early 70's on the spot I do believe where Big Lindsay had built a small log cabin sometime in the 20's or early 30's. This cabin is the same one that Russ Kerr has a photo posted of on this website. Emile Cote and his lady friend were pictured on the small deck. This cabin is in disrepair and will probably only be standing a few more years. By 10 a.m. I was back at my truck stowing my gear. Just as I was loading the canoe up onto the roof rack, six loons flew as a group from the east end of the lake over my truck loudly clamoring as they went further west over the High Hill portage whereupon they turned and headed back east toward the winter cabin site as one of the loons peeled off to the north toward Grave Lake and the Pennock River. You can draw your own conclusions but what a goodbye it was for me. The Vanderbeck's may be buried elsewhere but I believe their spirits are still at the winter cabin site on the east end of Wababimiga Lake!
