The Kawishiwi Triangle with Dan. 6,21,2011

  We paddled as hard as we could straight into a 25 mile an hour wind with 2 foot waves.  The first mile was with no breaks.  After 10 minutes Dan looked back and was surprised at how far we'd paddled.  Once we made the East shore of Farm Lake we did take a break.  When we continued Eastward we hopped from island to point to island resting for a few minutes at each spot before we headed into the gale again.  Wenona's Champlain handled all this without taking on any water though it dove into many waves up to the gunnels.  It was a relief to paddle into the bay that held our first portage of the trip.  It was 160 rods of strenuous exercise for our legs and backs.  Now on Clear Lake, it was a battle to cross to campsite #4 as #1 was unacceptable and 2 and 3 were taken.  Dan was proud of his ability to make an all out effort to get there.   We pitched the tarp  and were settled under it about 5 minutes when it started to rain.  We grilled steaks in the rain under a tin foil covered fire grate.  They were delicious.  After supper the rain let up and we fished from shore for a couple hours.  I caught a Perch and a Sunny.   Wednesday was traveling and fishing in the rain.  It let up occasionally but only for a few minutes.  We made camp early and fixed quesidillas and coffee for our afternoon snack.  The warm food and drink were a real lift to our spirits.   That afternoon and into the evening we fished below the rapids and in nearby bays.  It was enjoyable but we  were never more than an arms reach from our rain gear.  I caught a small bass but the poor weather had shut off the fish.  We had a late supper of pizzas and Cameron's Chocolate Carmel Brownie decaffeinated coffee.  They really hit the spot.  Dan and I got along great and had many conversations.   Breakfast Thursday morning was tortillas, margarine, brown sugar and walnuts cooked just right in a fry pan.  Light rain accompanied us as we portaged and  paddled.  We were quite pleased with the short easy portages (3) we did that day.  After supper Dan shared stories of his many adventures around the world.  He is a man who enjoys new experiences.  Friday morning I had an hour or two of solitude because I woke up so early.  The sun was shining and the birds were singing. We had Krusteau pancakes for breakfast and were on the water soon afterwards.  It was a joy to paddle and portage in the sunshine.  As we made our way up the river we wondered at the beautiful rock formations and wildlife.   We saw 4 Eagles, Mergansers with chicks, Robins, Beaver dens, flowers, ferns and lots of new growth on the evergreens.  Around every bend was a new creation of rocks and plants.  HG TV couldn't have made a landscape as beautiful as what we were paddling through for several hours.  It was an outstandingly fantastic day in the north woods.  I'm so glad we got to finish our trip on such a good note.

Pictographs, 6,16,2011

Some days are very special, like the day we went to the pictographs on Hegman.   It was cool and misty but not cold.  There was no wind, no frostbite, no sunburn.  It was gray but everyone we met was clearly pleased to be paddling on such a comfortable day.  My solo canoe glided through the water like a well designed craft should.  It covered the couple miles from the landing to the cliff where the pictographs were located in about an hour, including portages.  Kris and Rich followed in their kayaks.  We were able to spend a 1/2 hour at the cliff by ourselves, it was really cool.   The images were reminders that people have considered the BWCA a special place long before I discovered it 40 some years ago.  We did some exploring on the way back and checked out a portage and some cool rocks.  It was an excellent day trip.  

Norm and Eagle Mountain, April, 2011

Norm and I traveled to the Eagle Mountain parking lot to start our semi-annual trip to the highest point in Minnesota.  We hiked the 2 1/2 miles to the first campsite and made camp.  After a nights sleep and a good breakfast we headed up the last mile to the peak.   There was 2 feet of hard packed snow with 5 inches of recent powder on top.  Travel was slow and slippery.  We spent a luxurious 3 hours on the summit enjoying the view, snacking and napping.  The sky was blue with a few wispy clouds.  The forest roof spanned below us for as far as the eye could see.  These 3 hours made all the travel and effort worth it.  We made a quick and somewhat reckless decent to our camp.  After supper we had a great evening of conversation and relaxation.  In the morning we hiked out with our 50 pound packs.  We had been to the mountain and it was good to us.

Rich's Brook Trout, 6,9,2011

Rich had paddled his new kayak just a few feet from the landing and put his line in and caught the Brook Trout.  We immediately felt it was going to be a profitable afternoon.  We fished and explored for the rest of the day and reeled in nothing.  We checked out some campsites, had lunch and enjoyed the summer sun and cool breezes.  I was happy to be paddling my Penobscot 15 and ancient solo boat.  It was a great day and I enjoyed Rich's company.  We baked the trout when we got home and ate it with a potato and salad.

May 13, 2011, Seagull Lake

Bremer and I paddled an overloaded Discovery from the church camp to the Seagull Hilton.  Paris has never been there, thankfully.  Doug and Mark were about 1/2 hour behind us.   Camp was made and our first trip of the season had commenced.  The next morning the third Bill arrived and the annual meeting of the "Bill" club was in session, with Mark and Doug as honorary members.   We all fished all morning with no luck, then at 1pm I pulled in a nice Lake Trout.  No one else had any luck.  That night we had fire baked Lake Trout, sweet corn and my homemade tomato soup.  This was all cooked over oak that Bill brought in.  Sunday rewarded us with several Northerns and one more Lake Trout, with me not contributing a single fish.  We baked the fish over coals and had another wonderful supper.  The next morning we all paddled out feeling that the world was good and life was right. 

U.J.'s trip, 6,3,2011

It took us 4 hours of paddling to find a campsite.  Lake Two was almost full.  We ended up on the north shore about 1/2 mile from the portage.  It was a good evening featuring Ruth's favorite, macaroni and cheese.   Saturday morning was a long and relaxed breakfast.  At noon we  headed for dangerous waters. While on our way we noticed that Ladyboot campsite might be empty.  We headed that direction and found it vacant, much to our delight.  We spent the better part of the afternoon switching camps and although it was an effort to do so it turned out for the best because the following day it was 80 degrees and we would have cooked in that other site.  Sunday we headed for Dangerous waters and were delighted to find a blooming Pink Showy Lady slipper.   We spent the lunch hour and more exploring, photographing, hiking and snacking.  That evening Diana beat me at Cribbage while Ruth and John watched.  For the remainder of the evening Ruth and I fished the pond with no luck.  Monday morning we all worked together to make a pancake breakfast including bacon.   Tom and Mac, Ruth and I spent the better part of the day fishing and while trolling Tom caught a northern and I caught a walleye.  We all enjoyed the fish fry that night. The range of colors and ever changing composition of that night's sunset was a delight for people in search of peace and beauty.  As the woods became dark the lake glowed iridescently for an hour after sunset.  Cool breezes felt wonderful after a hot day and the spring peepers serenaded us until bedtime.  There was a crescent moon to make the lake glow even later into the night.  Calling Loons added to the peace and serenity of this wonderful night.  Tuesday Ruth caught a nice bass, we shared it with U.J. and Di.  We had an early morning rain but the day turned beautiful.  That evening we prepared for an efficient departure in the morning.  Mother Nature gave us one more stunning sunset and we went to bed early.    Wednesday morning was windy and was a factor while paddling out.  However, when we turned north the wind was behind us and it was an easy trip.  This trip is our annual family reunion.  It was very nice visiting with everyone, and sharing this fabulous part of the world.

Lake Two, KWHS May 25, 2011

The paddle and portages to Lake Two went smoothly except for some temporary frustration that 2 students experienced before they got their skills controlling a canoe acquired.  After about a mile they did excellent.  We had camp made by mid-afternoon and the students went canoing by themselves, however, staying in sight of the camp.   For supper that night we had sweet corn, baked potatoes, salad, brats, chicken and steak.  That night it got down to the 20's.  In the morning we had scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast.  The winds were light so we headed for the Pow Wow Trail on the other side of Lake Three.  We did a little hiking and had lunch.  For the afternoon we portaged into Horseshoe for some Northern action.  It was a nice paddle around but nothing to take back to camp for supper.  In the evening Kincaid read Sig Olson to the kids and I went to the west side of the island to watch the sunset and get out of the wind. 

Friday morning we headed for Dangerous Waters.  Which really isn't dangerous.  There we hiked, photographed and looked for Pink Showy Lady Slippers.  The plants were a foot tall but had no blossoms.  We were too early, mostly due to the late spring.    That afternoon the kids swam and I prepared for leaving in the morning.  The next morning there was an early shower but just low clouds as we packed up.  The paddle out was serene as we moved through and around the bays and peninsulas in the misty morning.  The cool temps made portaging very easy.  It was a great trip with nice campfires, s'mores, a few fish, good weather and great times.  All of the kids appreciated the new experience.