Norm, Sadie and I walked across the crusted lake for 2 hours before we got to our second choice campsite. The first choice was taken. Foolishly I did not bring snowshoes and broke through the crust into the slush on almost every step. It was extremely difficult. Norm wore snowshoes and moved along quite easily. After supper it turned cold and windy and soon we were in our tents warm and comfortable. I slept really well that night and enjoyed coffee and bagels for breakfast. Bill P. showed up with cookies which we enjoyed with another cup of coffee. Norm and BP went fishing and I enjoyed a beautiful spring morning in camp. After lunch I joined them on the north side of the peninsula. We were out of the wind and in full sunshine. It was a glorious afternoon, with Norm catching the only fish. For supper I made a chicken, rice, tomato and cayenne pepper medley. It was good but could have used a little more zing. It wasn't bad and Sadie enjoyed gobbling down the last one third. Later in the evening we stood out on the lake looking at the dark sky. The stars were burning pinpoints in an inky universe. There was no wind and the conversations were about constellations and when will the moon rise. We could see a glow behind the tree line to the east but after an hour the moon still hadn't risen. The dogs played together like old friends. We found Orion, The Big Dipper and Polaris looking down on us in our winter paradise. It was a very peaceful ending to a great day in the wilderness. My heart is full of contentment and happiness now that I've been in the wilderness for a day. Bill P. wrote the following: Wow! I almost didn't bring my snowshoes also. I started out with them lashed to my sled as I crossed Bearskin Lake. No big deal because I followed Griff's and Norm's trail and several snowmobile trails. After crossing the portage I ran into the crust/slush thing that the other dealt with. I went all most all the way across Duncan before I put my snowshoes on. It was much easier then. When I arrived at camp Maggie, my dog, was protective until we all warmly greeted each other. Every year I sit in my warm house and contemplate whether I should winter camp or not. Sitting so far away physically from this place it is easy to think non-nomadicly: to stay home, eschew the adventure and continue to live my life in a safe and predictable way. However, as I write this I am sitting a swath of winter sunlight. There is barely a breeze blowing. I have had coffee and oatmeal, I am very content and comfortable from a physical standpoint. I pause and think how lucky I am to have decided to venture out to this place of beauty and solitude. Again, I am reminded that home may not be the place where we have possessions and a place to stay. It is maybe more important to have a beautiful place, free of emotional clutter, with good people and away from ones possessions. Norm wrote the following: Having a great trip with Grif and Bill. Any trip with the Bill's is always great. The temps are perfect for March in the BWCA. The views are something you have to be here for. No fresh fish but that's secondary and it really doesn't matter except for bragging when you get home. Your memory always adds about a pound to the fish. There is some weekend snowmobile noise but it's not that bad. At least 3 campsites are being used and maybe 4. So others are also considered nuts by their friends and co-workers. I have never been to this campsite. So this was also a new experience for me. I hope this can go on for many more years. Thanks to Norm and Bill for their entries. In the morning we fished in glorious sunshine for two hours over the hot spot. We had packed and hauled our gear out to the fishing hot spot so we could leave when we were done fishing. The crust was froze solid so the hike out was easy and fast. It was 51 degrees, a signal the spring was not far away. We were pleased to get a March trip to a wilderness lake.
