Lake One with Buddy. 6,30,2011

Our trip started at the Lake One landing and followed the water north and then south.  Many choice campsites were taken.  We continued paddling to a western bay and found an acceptable site empty.  We were each paddling solo, me, in an Old Town Penobscot solo 15 and Buddy in a Vapor 12.5 kayak also by Old Town.  We pitched camp and took a break and then went fishing and exploring.  As we worked our way east we trolled, jigged and cast behind islands and points to stay out of the wind.  We had very little luck but checked out all the campsites on the eastern bay of Lake One.  Several looked promising.  The evening was spent relaxing in camp, listening to the forest birds sing, striped ground squirrels run around and a turtle wander across the main part of camp.  It was a wonderful low stress day.  Buddy was delighted to spend a few days in the woods.  After breakfast the next morning we packed lunches and fishing gear in our boats and headed for the out flow of the dangerous waters.  When we got there we crashed through the under brush on foot looking for the portage trail but found none.  We hopped rocks to the middle of the river to break for lunch on a group of large rocks.  Returning to our boats we fished the bay in front of the rapids for small mouth bass.   After a half hour I landed a nice smally.  Soon we headed home.  The temperature had risen to 92 degrees and there was a 15 mph wind from the west, the direction we were headed.  We returned to camp to find it very hot, and we were parched.  We drank water, rested and swam for a long time. The water was very cool and refreshing. The turtle laid it's eggs in a patch of dirt at the back of the main area of camp. It was a wonder of nature. We knew why we had seen her in camp earlier.  For supper I fried the fish and Buddy made soup.  It was delicious.  It was still 80 at 7pm, but by nine the clouds, thunder, and lightening had moved in and it cooled off a lot.  Soon after we were in our tents it started to rain.  It had completely cleared off by morning with nothing but cool breezes and sunshine. While we were eating breakfast a lost soul paddled up to us wondering what way to go.  We showed him on the map where the portages to Lake Two were and pointed him in the right direction.  He was back in 30 minutes saying he couldn't find it.  We asked if he had a compass and he said yes, but that it was deep in his pack.  I offered him an orienteering lesson but he decided to change his route  to the Kawishiwi River.  He paddled with us and we pointed out the portage to the river.  It was a classic BWCA morning, 70 degrees, gentle breezes and blue skies.  Our journey out was like being in paradise.  We met many canoeists headed in to spend the holiday weekend in one of nature's wonderlands. I really enjoyed Buddy's company and it was a great time.