Bill Griffin's Adventures

KWHS, October 2-5, 2011

2011-10-09T13:18:00.000-07:00

We paddled past rock lined shores and through narrow bays to start our journey through Little Gabbro and into Gabbro. Between the lakes we had to line our canoes through a small rapids and up a riffle. We found our route without any problems and it was a beautiful journey, which took less than an hour. Our island campsite was empty and as gorgeous as I remember it. All the students went canoing and Rich and Jake and I had an organizational meeting to plan the next two days and drink some coffee. Alex helped prepare a supper of grilled steak, baked potatoes and salad. Gerrit helped clean up. All during supper we watched a awesome clear-sky sunset. After supper the guys wrote in my journal, Alex noted the following: This morning when I woke up I was ready to start the trip. We had some cereal and eggs with a good cup of coffee. Once we got to the Boundary Waters I was so excited. This place is so beautiful. I like standing on a big rock and looking over the whole lake. It makes me feel so free. I hope there are some really cool things that I learn while I'm here. I know one thing, that I will always remember this trip. So far it is the best trip that I have ever been on. Thank-you Mr. Griffin for letting us in your house and coming out here with us. It would not be the same without you. Also thanks Mr. Kincaid, you're the coolest guy ever. Nick journaled the following: So far today has been great. We got up bright and early and ate our breakfast. It went well as soon as we got to portage. We did have to get another life jacket which was put in the hands of Jake. We knew he could do it and he did in time to carry a couple packs down to the lake.After he got back we all hopped into our canoes and went on our way to our camping spot and we got our lunch quick and in a hurry. Then we explored the island and made it easily back around the island by the time it was to get firewood. Later on we ended up swimming for a while, which was fun but a terrible idea because it was so cold. After a while Alex and G made supper while Gerrit and I looked for wood. We had supper and filled up on water and made s'mores. Now we are writing in the book and talking about our canoe issues, and looking at the lake, a perfect day. Gerrit entered the following notes in my journal: This is our first day in the Boundary Waters as a class. I am having lot of fun. I like to think that the rest of our class is too. I enjoy being outside and in nature. I love being able to look at the stars. It is one of my favorite things to do. It is better here where there is no light to disturb the natural light of the stars. Today we canoed for a long distance. It was a first time for a lot of people, but they got better as the day went on. The weather is beautiful. It is supposed to be beautiful for the rest of the trip. I am hoping that it continues. Moral is high. Bill continues to write the following: Unbelievably we slept late and got done with Sturdiwheat pancakes with walnut and chocolate chips just before Gemima and Victor paddled over. They were joining our group for the days activities. I shared Jim Brandenburg's "Chasing the Light" and had a discussion about composition in photography. We headed for the swamp in hopes of seeing a moose. We sat quietly in the swamp for half an hour hoping that the huge creatures might appear. We did see bugs, dragon flies, birds and lots of muck but no moose. We traveled back to the main part of the bay and stopped for lunch and to search for images to capture in our cameras. The sun was shining and there was a perfect breeze to keep us cool on this very warm October day. Helicopters and airplanes flew over several times an hour on their way to fight the fire East of our position. Upon returning to camp everyone took personal time to swim, journal, climb rocks and bask in the sun. Supper was bean and rice burritos. All was devoured while watching a classic BWCA sunset. The evening was super, we made s'mores around the campfire while the half moon shone down on us. The next morning we switched groups. I introduced the photography lesson again and headed for the swamp. We made many stops coming and going and the student's recorded many fine images at each location. The granite rocks in this area are works of art using shape, line, texture and color. Rich and Jake were waiting at my camp when we returned. The kids went to gather firewood and journal. The adults discussed the departure schedule for the next morning. Afterwards Alex and I had a good cup of coffee too. Early in the evening Alex and I paddled over to see Rich. Alex had a couple important items to discuss with him. Rich gave us cookies which we devoured as soon as we returned to our camp. That evening around the fire Gerrit told me that the BWCA is beautiful, serene, relaxing and maximizes your emotional well being. Gerrit also liked the stars and moon. Nick concluded that the BWCA is reality and that it is a Paradise that relieves stress. For me these 3 days have been wonderful because of the enthusiastic students, the perfect clear skies, warm temperatures, great campfires, s'mores, steaks and friendship.

Gary and Carol on the Moose River North, September 14-18, 2011

2011-09-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

We left the Moose River landing at 10 am. It was a cool morning but comfortable. We were only a little warm on the portages. We crossed several portages ranging from 176 rods to 20. As soon as we entered Nina Moose Lake it started to rain and blow. We made our way to a nearby campsite and waited out a hail storm while we ate lunch. It seemed to let up so we headed north again. Soon it was raining, sleeting and blowing. We made it across the lake to what appeared to be an empty campsite. It was a relief to be out of the wind. We were all very cold. After a few minutes we realized that someone was already there. They were weathering the storm in the back of camp in their tent. When the storm let up we dashed for another camp to the east. We popped together Gary and Carol's tent and then the tarp. Next was snacks and coffee and warmer clothes. Gary helped me put together my tent, it went fast. We had fried potatoes and steak for supper. I hung the bear bag and then watched the last light of the sunset. It was cool but the warm supper kept me from getting cold. In the morning I had my personal stuff packed and was ready to cook breakfast by 8 am. We enjoyed bacon and eggs. It was a cold, clear, beautiful morning and we were on the water by 10:30. The day's travel took us across a 96 rod and 70 rod portage. We also traversed 2 beaver dams and a half mile of swamp walking the canoe through 3 inches of water. We had a great lunch on a rock slab at the southern end of Agnes Lake. While there we planned the rest of the trip and decided to stay on Agnes and day trip to Lac La Croix on our layover day. We headed across the lake to a campsite that promised beautiful views of the sunset. When we arrived it was evident that this was a 5 star campsite. It had tall, mature pines with very little underbrush. It was a park like setting with wonderful rocks to sit on. It was also very large and offered lots of privacy. We completed this blissful day by sitting on the rocks and watching the stars appear and the sky grow dark. This campsite was easily the best one I've stayed at. After a breakfast of pancakes, bacon and coffee we headed for Lac La Croix. We went over 76 and 24 rod portages. It was a beautiful day as we covered our miles to Warrior Hill. We spent an hour at the top lunching, photographing, relaxing and talking. The lake below us shimmered in the breeze and sunlight. The random patchwork of islands, peninsulas and bays made for one of the most stunning views in the BWCA. We descended quickly and headed the canoe for the Pictographs. The moose and hand prints reminded us all of the spirits that dwell in the northern wilderness. The paddle back to Agnes took almost 3 hours and was a grind into the wind all the way. I heated water for Gary and Carol to bath in and then took a swim myself. It was a refreshing experience and a great thing to put on clean clothes. We enjoyed chicken, cheese, rice, bean, onion and cabbage wraps for supper. In the morning we started our return trek south. There was a 20mph wind with 1 and 2 foot waves. With 3 paddlers and a 20 foot canoe these waves were easily surmountable. Once on the river again it was back to wading and pulling the canoe through the shallow swamp areas. We also had to unload to pull over the beaver dams. At the second portage we talked to a professional photographer that had 4 cameras along. His camera equipment bags were large. The first two choice campsites were taken on Nina Moose and we had to quarter 1-2 foot waves to arrive at the third choice, which was available. We took a beverage break before starting supper. It was wonderful. Wild rice soup with chicken, corn and dumplings provided an excellent supper. That night we built a fire to make s'mores. Gary tended the fire and Carol made the s'mores. They were delicious. As the fire got low, conversations dwindled and we went to bed. It was a grand day. Gary made the following entry to my journal: Carol and I have always traveled and hiked and camped. Before our girls were born we backpacked in the Sierras and allover central America. After the girls (Alice and Emily) were born we took at least two trips a year around the U.S. Mostly in the southwest. We went to local lakes once a year to canoe and row. Every year we went with Carol's parents to Blue Lake in northern California. As a family we've been around the United States and Africa. We've camped in the deserts of California and Nevada and the high Sierras. Now that the girls are grown Carol and I continue to travel. Several times over the years I've mentioned to Carol that I've always wanted to see the North Woods and especially the Boundary Waters. For my 65th birthday Carol gave me this trip. It has been a wonderful, wonderful birthday. Carol entered the following in my journal: I'm going to write about "how does it make you feel" This trip is everything we could have hoped for and more. We wanted to see the north woods and experience "backpacking by canoe" - and we loved that part of it- but the peaceful, getting away from it feeling was so wonderful and took us so far from home that it will stay on in our memories. We loved the paddling, the beautiful green, gold and red forest, camping by the lake - the incredible view from Warrior Hill and " the big granite rock" - and the ancient feel of the pictographs- we loved your company, Bill, and hearing about life in Minnesota and all your trips. I almost felt like we'd been on a few . Perhaps to sum it up- I never- not for a minute or a second wished I was in another place or on my way home , or doing anything but being in the Boundary Waters, Thank-you. We awoke to dark skies on our last day and chose to head out a little earlier so we could beat the rain. We stopped to climb the big rock that was along the river. The view from the top was a fitting end to what was a wonderful week in the wilderness. We watched for moose in the swamp but saw none. We were able to descend the rock before it started to rain. Our last few portages and beaver dams were crossed gracefully. Life in the woods is good.

Nic and friends on Insula, 9, 4-8,11

2011-09-09T11:40:00.000-07:00

We started early at Lake One landing and it was a good thing because there were 25 firefighters there about to head out for the Pagami Creek fire just south of Lake One. We paddled and portaged to Lake Four without incident and after talking to a passing canoeist who said Lake Four was full we took the first empty site on the west side of Lake Four. It was a beautiful site with a good view of the narrows that everyone paddled through. That afternoon Nic caught a walleye and we baked it over the fire that night. We also had steaks, salad and baked potatoes. The twilight hours were spent beside the fire. We awoke to a fog that was so heavy we couldn't see the distant shore a half mile away. It lifted by the time we were on the water. That afternoon having completed 4 portages, one of which was 105 rods, we entered beautiful Lake Insula. The paradise beach site was taken and we opted for another beach site a mile north of it. That evening we sat by a warm fire watching the partial full moon rise into the star jeweled sky. The guys made these entries in my journal. Nic: I love the Boundary Waters. I am unattached to modern civilization for almost 6 days. I miss a few things like looking up information instantly. This time of year is my favorite- warm during the day, cool at night and no bugs. This part of the country is truly amazing, and I hope one day to have a place like Bill's. Although Colorado would be great to live in too. I could also see myself in Maine or somewhere in New England. I feel like the Pacific Northwest would be nice too, but having never been there i can't say for sure. Having caught the first fish of the trip, it was delicious by the way, I think I would be perfectly content if I didn't make one more cast. Not to say that I won't fish any more, I am content to have caught my "one" fish for the year. Dan wrote: This being my first trip to the BWCA, I have been exceedingly impressed by all this raw, natural beauty. The trees, the rocks and the water have all been just absolutely breathtaking. The camping has been great as well. I have very much enjoyed spending this time and sharing this experience with this group. The trip isn't halfway over and I already am thinking about the next one. Francois wrote: This has been a good day. We woke to a thick fog over the water. There was enough of a crispness to the air to make it seem as though the sleeping bag would make a better place to be for the start of the day. When I finally mustered the courage to crack open the bag and crawl out of the tent Nic and Dan had a fire going which produced a reprieve from the morning chill. After another amazing breakfast, it had to be awesome because it had bacon in it. We broke down camp and set off on a perfectly smooth lake. After a few portages Dan and I put out a couple lures and trolled Hudson lake. Some thing took my line, Rapala meet Pike. They hit it off but their attraction soon soured and Mr. Pike lost after a brief but valiant fight. Dan was nice enough to clean the fish and Bill cooked it to perfection. Now we're sitting around the fire talking politics, farting, scratching, spitting, bare knuckle fighting and doing other manly things. Back to Bill writing now: Slept late and fixed pancakes for breakfast. Dan and I fished for a couple hours but never had a nibble. It was a beautiful day with clear skies and moderate temperatures. Nic liked the mac and cheese with hot dogs for supper. We played pepper and Francois and I lost as we also did at Euchre. We also learned the Cameron's Decaf isn't very good when it's made too weak. We finished off this great day with a nice campfire and a fine view of the moon rise. We had pastries and bacon for breakfast and between the the 3 coffee drinkers we drained a 24 cup pot. Our day was spent traveling to the north end of Insula exploring and trolling for fish. We lunched and napped on an island that had huge white pine, grand rocks and many hiking trails. Francois and Nic paddled the 4 1/2 miles back to our camp in an hour. They are very strong paddlers. It was a gorgeous day and exploring new territory was a lot of fun. In the morning we headed towards civilization. As we paddled through Lake Four we realized there were a lot of people in this part of the world. We looked for a campsite on Lake Two but gave up even though there was one empty because of the smoke and airplanes buzzing all over. We paddled back to the landing amazed by all the fires along the south shore of Lake One.

Loranda, 8,24-27,2011

2011-08-28T18:49:00.000-07:00

Loranda and I started on the Island River where it goes under the Tomahawk Road. We started into the 20 mph winds and made our way for 1/2 mile when a huge gust of wind blew us sideways. We ended up in the weeds and swamp along the sides of the river in a very wide valley. We had only one choice. We got out of the boat and started pulling it through the swamp. We were knee deep in water with half our legs down in the muck. For a couple hours we'd paddle a few feet and then pull the boat many feet. We finally made it to a campsite and decided this would be home. After our steak supper the wind stopped blowing and we had hopes for a better tomorrow. We started the next day early with desire to make up the miles we didn't cover in the wind. Our journey crossed 15 miles and 6 portages totalling 404 rods. At 5:30 we arrived at Bald Eagle lake exhausted. We recovered after a swim and some good coffee. We also enjoyed cribbage and our tournament was tied 2-2 at the end of the evening. In the dark we heard a beaver slapping it's tail at some night fishermen while we enjoyed a magnificent view of the stars. The next days journey brought us through Gabbro and Little Gabbro. We paddled to a 120 rod portage and crossed into the Kawishiwi River system. After another shorter portage we found a really neat campsite. There we took a break and then went fishing on a point across the bay from camp. Loranda landed a nice walleye within seconds of arriving. We went on to catch many more. It was a good afternoon. Supper was cabbage salad, rice and fish. It was superb. Our cribbage tournament continued and we both won one. Loranda was happy with a tie but I asked her if she would play one more and the tie would stand and the last game would be supplemental. She said o.k. We played and I won. However, Loranda changed her mind and said that it should count and that I am the Kawishiwi River International Invitational Cribbage Tournament Champion. Our last day took us through 4 portages before lunch. We sat on a sunny rock knowing we were having some of our last conversations. It was a good lunch. Soon after we left we caught a bear crossing the river right in front of us. Loranda got a picture of it as it turned to look at us from the top of a large rock. The other wildlife we've seen this week include, beaver, deer, eagles, loons, mergansers, squirrels and of course walleyes. We really enjoyed the rock canyons we paddled through the last hours of our journey. The rocks and boulders were arranged as if by gifted abstract expressionists. It was a classic BWCA day with blue sky. It was a serene ending to a great week in the woods.

Neil, Charlotte, Mark, Marsha, Ruth and Bill in the BWCA, 8,17-21, 2011

2011-08-28T17:24:00.000-07:00

We battled fierce winds for an hour before we decided that enough was enough. Neil and Charlotte struggled with boat control and after some load adjustments were able to make some headway. We snuck into a sheltered bay and were glad to find a home out of the wind. We spent the afternoon playing cribbage and fishing. Coops trolled for northerns and Neil and Charlotte fished from shore around the small bay we were camped at. In the morning we headed out early hoping for calm water. It was good paddling. We did the six portages and ten miles to Lake Insula arriving at my favorite campsite and finding it free. Our first activity was swimming. The cool waters of Lake Insula were very relaxing. The next day was a layover and we had a pancake feast for breakfast. This was followed by yoga on the beach. It was good goofy fun, but felt great. In the afternoon Ruth and I went fishing for bass. After trial and error we located them off a point not far from camp. Ruth caught several, a couple of them quite big. I only caught one. Coopers caught a couple Northerns by trolling. Mark cooked all the fish over an open fire. They were served with rice and all was delicious. During the fantastic sunset Neil taught us about "Jumping." While jumping in front of the sunset we would take pictures trying to catch the Jumper air born with the lake and sky in the background. It was so much fun and the photos were really neat. The remainder of the cool evening was spent around the campfire. In the morning our travels took us back across the long portage and 3 shorter ones to a very nice point in the middle of Lake Four. The afternoon heat made a swim feel great. Neil and I fished for 2 1/2 hours during the evening. We caught only a couple small walleyes. We cherished the evening campfire knowing that it would be our last for a while. As we paddled out in the morning we realized that it was a good idea to stay on Lake Four because all the others were very crowded. The sky was beautiful blue with a few white clouds. The breezes were gentle. It was a perfect day of paddling that made you sad to be leaving such a magnificent landscape of trees, rocks, and water.

Jack and family on Clear lake, August 9-12, 2011

2011-08-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

Devin says the paddle across Farm Lake in the waves and wind was awesome. Jack, Jennifer and I felt it was challenging. The strong northwest winds blew us south of our goal and we ended up on the east side of Farm. Regrouping with a phone call to Kate we adjusted our goal for the day by going to South Farm. Our campsite was a welcome piece of terra firma. We were experiencing occasional showers so the first thing we did was pitch the tarp and tents. Lunch was next, we were very hungry after our extreme effort to get across Farm. The boys kept busy all afternoon fishing from the shore. They also played tic tac toe, found some fish bones, went swimming and spent a lot of time tending the campfire. The following day was easy compared to crossing Farm. We made it to Clear at lunch time with Jennifer especially enjoying the portage. Devin was very pleased with the awesome campsite with it's amplitheater seating lakeside. Devin's response to the afternoons activites are: I like collecting sticks for the fire and I saw a frog. He also goes on to say that the portage was "kinda" fun and a log that had been chewed on by a beaver was facinating. He also "really" liked the Tang orange drink mix. Robert thinks the campfire seating area is great and also likes the many rocks to swim around. He handled the five leeches that attached to his ankle during the portage like he'd done it many times before. Robert got his lure caught on a rock and his mother swam out to set it free. He loved the tuna on tortilla for lunch. He also liked swimming to a far away rock with his mother. He loved the bacon and hot chocolate that he had for breakfast. He liked riding Duff in his mothers canoe. Jennifer thought the Red River hot cereal was really good with the flax seed in it. She agreed with me that there's nothing like a good cup of coffee in a beautiful wilderness. She also enjoyed seeing all the people, kids and dogs on the portage. She enjoyed the physical workout of portaging. She was happy that Devin got a chance to paddle with me from the portage to the camp on Clear Lake.
Some days seem perfect....The winds were at our backs, the sky was blue and the clouds were excellent white fluffs floating across the heavens. Experiencing the wilderness through the eyes of an eight and ten year old is wonderfull with Devin and Robert. The trees, rocks, sky and lake look even more beautiful because of them. Their energy and enthusiasm is exhilarating. I miss the students, church youth groups and Boy Scouts I've camped with in the past. Our layover day started with scrambled eggs and bacon. Robert and I fished the hotspot during the middle of the day and did very good. We had 5 bass, enough for a fish fry. Jack, Jennifer and Devin paddled and fished the northern bay of the lake. It was windy and the anchor proved to be the key to success. After a mid-day shore lunch we swam and watched a doe swim across the lake. It was a wonder of nature that an animal with that small of feet could swim that fast. The pizza for supper was well recieved. The 4 guys took the Seneca for a short fishing expedition while Jennifer stayed in camp. It was a beautiful evening with a 90% full moon rising in a clear sky. We had an evening campfire and I told all my bear stories. Life as a human seems so good in the Boundary Waters..

We started the day early and were on the water by 9am. When we got to the portage Jennifer carried the Champlain across without setting it down once. She also made a 3rd trip for the extra pack. The remainder of the trip out was classic Boundary Waters paddling. Devin slept in my bow seat and his head would roll back and forth with the gentle rocking of the canoe. We had a great lunch on a sunny rock at the 1/2 way point. Robert paddled with me for the rest of the way. Crossing Farm Lake was beautiful, serene and etherial as it seemed we were floating between heaven and earth in a mostly blue and green world. We passed under an Eagle sitting in a tree along shore. We also had a Loon greet us mid-lake and wish us safe travels.

Adventure Island in Lake One, July 26, 2011

2011-08-01T18:08:00.000-07:00

We paddled across Lake One in a little over an hour. When we arrived at our destination we were very pleased to find our campsite available. A lunch was made and then we sat near the shore in the shade of several large pines. Ruth and the kids swam and splashed for most of the afternoon. Ruth and the kids also did some paddling. After a supper of mac and cheese with hot dogs we took some hikes on the trails that criscrossed the island. Cora lead this adventure and it was a lot of fun. The evening was spent looking out over the lake which was a world class view of the best wilderness around. The water was very blue, the sky had a few white puffy clouds and the trees across the bay were a golden green from the setting sun. It rained during the night and for part of the morning. It was just enough to make it slightly muddy and settle the dust. We made pancakes under the tarp enjoying shelter from the weather. Griffy and I spent part of the afternoon and evening fishing out of the canoe and from shore. We never caught anything and never lost any bait but it was a very serene experience. I loved it. Griffy also learned to paddle and did excellent for a 4 year old. It was amazing. Cora danced on a rock ledge like a princess in her wilderness kingdom. She also spent time in her hammock with her dolly and sometimes grandma or Griffy. We all enjoyed fry pan pizzas for supper. We paddled around the island again with the dogs following on shore. It was cool. The next morning we had an efficient breakfast and broke camp. Everything was wet from the dew. We paddled out through a perfect wilderness morning. The sun was bright, the air was cool, the breezes were gentle. We were all very happy with this positive experience.

Lake One with Buddy. 6,30,2011

2011-07-03T21:54:00.000-07:00

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.

The Kawishiwi Triangle with Dan. 6,21,2011

2011-06-26T19:15:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-17T08:09:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-13T19:02:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-13T16:55:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-13T16:38:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-13T13:42:00.000-07:00

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.

Snowbank Lake, 3,12, 2011

2011-06-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

Luke, Mikkel, Cody and I fished Snowbank Lake for the better part of 3 days. We fished in and out of the BWCA every day. We tried our usual hot spots and none of us caught a single Lake Trout. In the afternoon of the second day the guys fished a spot on the north side of Harri's Island where we had noticed an ice shack for all of the morning. The guys pulled a mess of burbot out of that area. Mikkel and the guys cleaned them and we boiled them up and they tasted just like lobster. We played cribbage till late in the night with Cody and I beating the other two. It was a good adventure.

Kenyon Wanamingo High School Trip, 10,6-9,2010

2010-10-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

The pure excitement of teenagers on an adventure inspires me. Their enthusiasm is contagious. It drives me to show them all the best parts of wilderness camping and canoing. First is learning how to canoe. Control of the boat is like control of your life, yourself. They have a few skills taught to them minutes before they hit the water. They have to perfect these skills as they go so they can follow the leader to the goal. It's slow, frustrating, and confusing at first but as the skills improve and as their mind realizes the cause and effect of different strokes the canoe and their life start going in the right direction. Portaging works the same way in that they need strategies to cross the land between lakes in an efficient manner. Loading the canoe needs to be done so that it's balanced and trim. The students mastered these life lessons in control and strategy by the time we started across Lake Two, and arrived at our destination, Lady Boot campsite. It had been a beautiful blue sky day with a northwest breeze. Camp was pitched, coffee made and supper started. Peter lit a fire to roast the hot dogs. I cooked cheddar onion potato soup. All of this quieted the hunger we felt. Everyone went for a sunset paddle. I enjoyed an hour of peace and quiet in camp while pitching the tarp and doing some chores. The evening was rounded off with journalling by campfire, making s'mores, and telling bear stories. The kids slept till 10 the next morning because they needed the rest. We had Sturdiwheat pancakes and Zup's bacon for breakfast. Camp chores were done and we headed north in the canoes to Dangerous Waters. While on our trek there we noticed that the water was severely low. Many passages were narrow and we touched bottom several times. The channel to the Dangerous Waters was calm and beautiful. An eagle flew in front of us letting us know what a special place this was. At the end of the channel we came to a beach where we pulled the boats on shore and left them while we hiked along the lush wilderness trail that paralleled the river. We found moss, leaves, dead falls, rocks, rushing water, quiet pools, shafts of sunlight, cool shade and high cliffs. We hopped, climbed, slid, jumped and walked through the wonders of this special corner of the world. After an hour we settled on a rock overlooking the river and ate lunch. On the return trip south back to camp Chloe jumped out of the boat and we spent 15 minutes trying to get her back in the canoe. It was good to see her come back to life because she was obviously not feeling well in the previous hours. Kincaid and Ted had coffee with us while the kids rendezvoused at their camp. We had a nice time visiting and planning tomorrows activities. Supper that night was spaghetti and garlic bread, everything was devoured. The Britney's helped with clean up. Everyone did a fabulous job journalling. The evening was rounded off with stories and s'mores. The fire died down and it was cooling off a lot so the students went to bed and everyone was quiet by 10:30. For breakfast the next morning I made scrambled eggs and bacon. Everyone was headed for their stations at 9:45. We had 3 stations, each manned by an adult with a presentation. I introduced wilderness photography featuring Jim Brandenberg as the motivation. Kincaid reviewed the Boundary Waters history and survival techniques. Peter and Laura covered Geo-caching on a nearby campsite. The students traveled in groups of three by canoe from station to station at regular intervals. At the end of the presentations 2 groups went back to Dangerous Waters on their own. Kincaid and I followed about a half hour later because we hadn't paddled at all that day. The students were doing fine and Kincaid was amazed at the low water level. Supper that night was Griffy's Chicken Delight, my group ate all of it. During the campfire time the students revealed that they were all a little homesick. Peter and I stayed up late talking. Breakfast the next morning was cocoa, and breakfast bars for sustenance. We were on the water at 8:45. There was an easterly breeze which made paddling west easy. The sky was blue and the air was warm. The students paddled like veteran canoeists who had years of experience. It was a great day to be in the woods but we were a little melancholy because it was our last hours in this beautiful place. On the other hand we were looking forward to cheeseburgers, cokes, and contact with friends and family. This group made the transformation from neophytes, to competent wilderness canoe trippers. I enjoyed their company greatly and hope to paddle with them again sometime. Many of the photos were taken by the students.

Seagull Lake and the wind, September 8, 2010

2010-09-24T13:08:00.000-07:00

It was an enchanted journey through the islands of eastern Seagull Lake. We arrived at our favorite campsite in mid-afternoon. Our group consisted of 4 couples who were all friends and relatives. There was Tom and Melissa, Mark and Marsha, John and Diana and of course Me and Ruth. We had 4 dogs along, our Chloe the cocker spaniel, Cooper's Chucky and Eva and John's Winnie, another spaniel. It was unseasonably cool and that night we all gathered around the fire to absorb it's warmth. We were all pleased that we had successfully separated from the civilized world, which can be very difficult. Everyone explored, photographed and thoroughly enjoyed a nice day in the North woods of Minnesota. Our next days journey started in late morning. It was a beautiful day as we paddled southwest along the northern shore of Seagull lake. Shortly after we settled into our next campsite the wind picked up and we were very glad to be off the water. We were on a peninsula with a high rock on the end and several good tent sites. It was such a big campsite that all our tents were separated by many trees and a lot of space. We were locked in camp for the remainder of that day and the next because of the wind. We played lots of cribbage, ate and talked the time away. Finally the wind let up and we were able to fish, paddle and explore. Ruth and I trolled and blew east down the lake trying to catch a Lake Trout. When we tried to return at the mid-point of the lake we had a lot of difficulty getting the boat to come around so we could head back. We trolled and cast the bays on the way back to camp. It wasn't bad behind the islands. When we got back to camp Cooper had a 14 pound Northern that he caught in 3 feet of water at the mouth of the river. Mark cleaned it such that it was boneless and I helped him fry it up. This Northern fed all of us all the fish we could eat. The girls made mac and cheese for the side dish. The evening was spent around a great fire that Cooper built. In the morning I made Sturdiwheat pancakes and John fried Zup's bacon for everyone. It was a good morning. The wind persisted and the cribbage games continued with the boys ahead most of the time but at the end the girls tied it up. We tidied up camp for an efficient departure in the morning. It was a beautiful evening as we all gathered around our last campfire. Our paddle out was an awesome tour through one of the most beautiful places on earth and quite a bit easier due the the strong tail wind. In summary we had a very relaxing week but did have to wear long underwear most of the time. Melissa took lots of beautiful pictures many of which are featured here. Cooper's Northern was a much appreciated treat as were the campfires he tended. We were all glad to have a week in the fresh wilderness air, where the only sounds were the wind in the trees and waves on the shoreline.

Secret Lake, 8-30-10

2010-09-23T13:46:00.000-07:00

It was a hot and windy paddle to this lake. I was in a solo boat and the following winds made it very difficult to control the direction of travel. Inspite of the challenges travelling to this special spot in the BWCA we were glad to find a perfect campsite. After camp was made and a rest Travis and Mikkel took the Souris River Wilderness 18 to a hot spot and fished. They returned with 3 Walleyes. This is a good lake. While they were gone I went for a swim which is the antidote for hot days in the woods. Then I had some coffee which totally complimented the refreshing swim I had earlier. Supper was Chicken Delight and Mikkel shared one of his Brats with me. Travis and Mikkel went fishing again. When they returned we played 3 way cribbage. I lost every time. The evening was breezy, which felt great after the day's heat, but we had to put little rocks on the cards so they wouldn't blow away. In the morning I spent 2 1/2 hours looking at the lake while I had breakfast. At 11am the 3 of us took the Souris River and went fishing. I caught 2 walleyes. The other guys did well too. Mikkel fried them to perfection for lunch. I took a luxurious nap to round out the afternoon. To wake up I had some coffee and then played cribbage, coming in 3rd again. We had fish for supper with wild rice soup. I washed dishes and the guys went out to fish some more. From camp I could see their canoe on the glowing lake. The sun had set but the bright sky and clouds reflected on the lake making it look orange, yellow and gold. The wind was calm, the loons were yodeling, and small waves lapped the shore making it a evening of sensory soothing. I love these special moments in the woods. It was a cool comfortable night and in the morning Mikkel crawled out of his hammock and said he felt like a king. Mikkel and Travis went on a day trip after breakfast, they portaged into a nearby lake to explore and fish. That night we had our last cribbage tournament and I won all 3 games. In one hand I had four 5's and cut a face card for a 26 hand. On another occasion I had a 21 hand. I am very lucky. Mikkel took my solo boat and went fishing, returning with another real nice walleye. Then we both went out in the Souris River. Mikkel had some luck with small bass but all I did was lose bait. The next morning we packed up and headed out. It was a beautiful day to be paddling.

Lake Insula, August, 2010

2010-08-20T17:32:00.000-07:00

Scott, Pam, Jenny and I arrived at a 5 star campsite with a 300 foot beach after 2 days of paddling and portaging from Lake One. We had crossed 6 portages ranging from 10 to 105 rods. We had also paddled about 14 miles. The heat was bearable with an occasional swim or rest stop. Our first night was on a site that was shaded and breezy. It was a great relief to relax and be cool. We also had about 20 minutes of rain around 10pm that made sleeping comfortable. When we finally settled into our base camp on Lake Insula on the second day we all took a swim. With all our travels and preparations it was wonderfull to be reaping the rewards of all our efforts to be at this wonderful camp. The four of us have traveled in the woods for several years and the comfort we took in the wilderness with the sky, blue water, green trees and rocks was a familiar one. Chloe retrieved several sticks from the lake but in her usual fashion she never brought them right back to me. Which was OK, she never has.

Pam made the following entry in my journal: After a long drive with many detours we reached the backroads "path of gravel" back to find the "wilderness getaway lodge of Guide Bill Griffin and his charming wife Ruth. A great meal of grilled turkey, green beans, corn on the cob, salad & brownies with ice cream. What a feast! Some wonderful conversation, bed, and excitement to start the next morning. Still answering phone messages and relaying directions back home until we reached the put-in. Cell phones off, all work thoughts locked behind in the van. Getting on the water was a feeling of total relaxation, like a step into heaven. Something hard to explain but a memorable feeling you never forget. We made it to Griff's favorite spot on Lake Insula. Sandy beach, Story Point, our own private corner of the world. A refreshing swim and a frisbee game that turned into a frisbee water fight, and exploration of the beach. It has been a time we look forward to every year, getting back to the quiet, serene, relaxing comfort of nature. Listening to the water hit the bow of the canoe as we paddled in sequence across the still water to catch a breath of cool air. This has been the hottest trip we've been on, sweating just standing looking at another portage. We talked with many fellow canoeists waiting our turn at portages. Lots of good fishing. As we passed other canoeists Chloe was a hot topic of conversation.

At 8am it was very quiet on the lake, except for Chloe fetching sticks out of the water. This was our first layover day and it looked wonderfull, but we were a little worried about the heat. We all rested from the hectic civilized life we came here to escape. The most significant sound was the micro-waves on the lake as they massaged the shoreline rocks and our souls at the same time. The cool breeze made our skin feel fresh and alive. There was a high thin overcast that kept the sun from being too hot. An occasional canoe or two would glide by silently in the distance. We were alone on our very own planet. This planet is almost soundless with only sky, water, rocks, trees and us. The girls took the Souris River canoe out to do some exploring, while Scott did some reading. There was a loon out on the lake, a brown bird here on shore near me and a Black Bird talking in the trees behind me. My mind wandered pleasantly through memories, images, conversations, and past adventures. Hourly I donned my life jacket and went out into the lake where my feet couldn't touch the bottom. I floated with my head just above the surface of the lake. My perspective on the lake was at a low angle. The lake looked expansive and the islands towered over the water.

Jenny made the following journal entry: I woke this morning to the pitter patter sound of rain drops hitting the rainfly of my tent. As I emerged from my tent to the gray sky, the buzz of mosquitoes entered my ear. Another unpredictable day in the northwoods. We decided that we got about an inch and a half of rain overnight. The rain stopped enough to make buckwheat pancakes with syrup....yum...they were delicious. After breakfast Griff dug out his fishing gear and we decided to try our luck at fishing. Griff at the bow with pole in hand, Mom in the stern, and Chloe and I in the middle. We set out to catch "the big one" We started in a bay behind our campsite and after hearing and seeing a big one jump we caught a decent sized bass. We tried a while longer there with no luck and then stopped back at camp for a stretch break. After a good stretch and a rest we headed out again. This time to another small bay on the other side of camp. We tried for a while and then it started to rain. Just as Griff was putting on his rain coat his pole began to bend. As he reeled it in the clear water revealed a small bass, one big enough to keep. After the second catch of the day Griff decided to fish for northerns. He cast for a while before deciding to troll. With no luck yet we stopped at an unoccupied campsite to clean the other two fish. After that we headed for the islands in front of camp hoping for some luck there. After an hour and an empty hook we headed back to camp feeling slightly dissappointed about not hooking a northern. Once back in camp everone relaxed for a while. Griff fell asleep in his chair as Chloe tried to get him to toss her beloved stick into the warm, clear lake water. Dad found his favorite spot to read on the shaded rock overlooking the lake. I read for a short while and then Mom and I played a few hands of Kings Corner, 21 and Hearts. A family of ducks swam into our beach and had a feeding frenzy on the small minnows that called the warm water their home. They darted here and there and bobbed up and down to catch the small helpless fish. Their mother soon called and off they all went scooting across the ripply water. A nice breeze finally found it's way into camp and was welcomed by all. The sun was hot as it peeked through the clouds and was absorbed into the hot sand. Griff made a delicious supper, as usual. Fresh bass and rice and we had a half melted hershey bar for dessert. The clouds rolled back in after dinner and felt wonderfull. We finally decided to pitch the tarp today after it had rained over night. It has been such a wonderful day and I'm sad that it is ending! Sometimes I wish I could just bottle this place up and open it when I need it again. Life gets so busy and to me this place is my relaxation. The place I unwind and take in all of the things around me. It gives a new perspective on life and the things that are important. This place still puts me at awe. I just can't believe sometimes that it exists. It's so perfect in so many ways. It's hard to explain it's beauty. It's my little slice of heaven and I'm grateful for all of the opportunities I have to return.

After fishing that afternoon I took a short nap and woke up groggy but soon felt wonderful. After supper there was a northern breeze and because of the previous 3 days heat it felt wonderful. The lake was calm except for a little texture. The mosquitoes made their nightly visit but a coating of deet took care of them. A loons mornful cry reached us from a bay to the north. It is days and nights like this that brought me to the Bounday Waters time after time. I am addicted to the BWCA and need my "fix" in 6 day doses about everyother week. This fix requires paddling and portaging for 2 days so that we get far enough in to find the peace and solitude that I need. This weeks group were veterans of 5 years. They know the challenges and hardships of this kind of vacation have awesome rewards in stress free relaxation deep in the wilderness. As the light got lower and lower the lake became a perfect mirror image of the distant shore line and sky above. In the morning I served bacon and bagels for breakfast and had everyone on the water at 9am. The first portage (105 rods) was a lot easier because we were fresh and it was a lot cooler. After the next 3 shorter portages we stopped for lunch. We passed several good campsites on Lake 4 hoping for something on Lake 3. They were all taken and we moved on to Lake Two. Many were taken and the lake was full of people and canoes. In a last ditch effort we paddled to a southern bay and found an empty site. Low and behold it had a jumping rock which we were enjoying soon after camp was made. We had pizzas for supper and enjoyed a great evening with glassy water, eagles, and calling loons. We did try fishing earlier in the evening and if wishes were fishes I would have caught one. At noon the next day we paddled out, sad it was over but looking forward to the comforts of civilization.

July 25-29,2010, Lac La Croix

2010-08-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

We paddled away from the portage to Moose River at 12 noon. My crew was 2 father/sons, Tony/Jake and Mike/Nick, and a third boy named Brian. We were packed and outfiited by Border Lakes Outfitting, my employer. We paddled efficiently crossing 2 short portages and finally into Nina Moose Lake. At the North end we took a short break on a sand beach before entering the river again. At the next two portages we had to wait for a slow moving larger group. Once on Lake Agnes we paddled farther North to a bay on the Eastern shore where we found my favorite campsite empty. Supper was Brats, potatoes, and sweet corn. Shortly after hanging the bear bags the branches broke and it fell scrambling our fresh eggs and leaking the mess all over the bottom of the pack. Thus we had bacon and bagels for breakfast the next morning. We were on the water at 9:30am and continued North crossing 24 and 65 rod portages that lead us into Lac La Croix. We wanted an excellent campsite across from Warrior Hill but it was taken. We continued onward and discovered that choice number two was also taken. In another 20 minutes we arrived at choice number three, which was empty, much to my joy. We immediately attacked the lunch pack. Next we put up the tarp and pitched the tents. It was in the 80's so a swim totally refreshed us. We assembled our fishing gear and headed for Fish Stake narrows and soon met Jason and his group paddleing by. We talked for a couple minutes and his group was on their way into the narrows. Once back to fishing I caught a good Smallie and got him in the boat. However, he wiggled out of my hand and back into the lake before I got him on a stringer. We worked the same area several times and found no more luck. Tony's boat was doing real well close to shore and we knew we would have fish for supper. Nick, Brian and I headed back to camp in our 19 foot Wenona Seneca. I took a coffee break and started the rice for supper. Tony found a huge supple of firewood. Mike cleaned the fish. Fish and rice is a fine supper. Mike and Tony helped with the dishes. Mike, Nick and Brian went fishing and Tony, Jake and I visited during the wonderfully cool and beautiful evening we were experiencing on this 5 star campsite in the middle of Lac La Croix. After dark we ate S'mores as the full moon rose over the pictograph's cliff and ruled the night. Everyone sat on the rock watching the lake and moon till mid-night. Oh what a day! We had pancakes for breakfast and then fished from 10 to 1:30. We went back to camp and had lunch and reveled in the fact that we had another fish supper coming our way. I caught 1, Tony caught 3, and Jake caught 2. We took our fishing poles and paddled over to the Pictographs. They were beautiful symbols of a lifestyle that we were only getting a taste. On the way back we fished around islands and bays looking for more Smallies. No luck for my boat but Mikes boat landed several and Brian caught a Northern. Back in camp I started the Chili soup and green beans. Now it had started to rain so I put the griddle on the grate and got the fire going underneath it. The tinder and wood that Tony gathered took off like a house fire. About 1/2 way through frying the fish it quit raining much to our releif. It took 3 griddle fulls to fry all the fish and everyone got lots to eat. After evening chores were done I took a swim and put on clean clothes, it was wonderfull. The boys made s'mores and laughed and talked quietly out of respect for the peace and beauty this gorgeous evening. We felt like we were alone in paradise. The sky was clearing and the setting sun set fire on the clouds to the south and north. In the morning we had bacon and oatmeal for breakfast and were on the water by 9am. We paddled the first 3 1/2 miles in 50 minutes, these guys could move a canoe. There had been a quartering wind from behind which required me to use 1/2 my strokes to keep the boat on track. We took a long lunch on Lake Agnes and then headed upstream on the Moose River again. A week in the woods had everyone working smooth and efficiently as we quickly crossed the two portages on our way to Nina Moose Lake. The northwest wind pushed and twisted us all the way to the middle of Nina Moose where we found a great campsite. We had snacks and then the guys went fishing. I had a cup of coffee and went through the food packs sorting out stuff and setting out supper fixings. The guys returned and I start supper with Italian bread sticks. Next we made pizza with pitas and tortillas. The pizzas were made with mozarilla cheese, pepperoni, garlic, pizza sauce, olives, and onion. It was a great final supper. The evening chores were done and we spent the rest of our time watching the sunset and then the moon rise. It was glorious, except for the hordes of mosquitoes hatched by yesterday's rain and today's heat. Mike, Nick and Brian went fishing again because Nick hadn't landed a fish yet. Nick was successful in getting a 36 inch Northern in the boat. He was very happy. For breakfast on our last morning we had bacon, sweet quesidillas and hot cereal. Nick, Mike and I went fishing for a couple hours and Mike caught a smaller northern. After lunch we packed up and headed South to the Moose River. We paddled a mile up river and stopped at a magnificient rock overlooking the swamp, river and lake in the distance. The view was inspiring and everyone took photo's. We could see another group coming so we scrambled down and paddled away. We crossed the remaining 3 portages like seasoned veterans. We felt a little sad to leave but were looking forward to the creature comforts of civilization. The group was strong and enthusiastic and I hope to travel the wilderness with them again. Jake wrote the following in my journal: Watching the moon rise was almost like the world stopped in time and there was no worries. Everything was completely calm and serene and blew all my previous expectations away. Although the mosquitoes seem like they never go away, fishing in the lake, looking at the Indian pictographs and watching Eagles fly above in the sky makes up for it all. Canoeing in the Boundary Waters is truly an amazing experience and I am extremely grateful to have been a part of it. Hopefully before the end of the trip I'll see a moose or a bear and hopefully from a distance. I think I will definitely return to the Boundary Waters in the future. Nick wrote the following: I've had a lot of fun so far on my trip. My favorite part so far was watching the Eagles eat fish. I haven't been so lucky fishing. I haven't caught one yet, but I've had plenty of bites. Seeing the pictographs was really cool, I love all that kind of stuff, it's really cool. I've never been to a place that has so much wildlife. Being out here on the lake with no sign of human life is pretty cool. The canoeing is a lot of work, but it's fun and it's worth the hard work to see such a beautiful place. I had plenty to eat. The food is really good, especially the fish. The only down part is the mosquitoes and the portages. I have to carry a lot of gear, which hurts my back a lot and my feet have blisters that are cut open and hurt when I walk. I would love to live on the lake anyway. It's an incredible place. I will definitely come back so that I can catch some fish. Brian wrote in my journal: Hmmm..... Well so far our expedition has turned out better than I thought it would, but the mosquitoes are annoying. I would like to see a moose, at a safe distance. The only thing I'm looking forward to is the veiw, the fresh air and the fishing. I'm pretty sure the only reason my dad wanted me to come here is to catch some Northern Pike. I successfully caught two and made Nick mad. He said he would fish for me if I caught anymore. The forecast has fortunately been accurate so far and it said there shouldn't be anymore rain this week. Well, I hope all goes as planned and we have a good week. Tony wrote the following in the journal: I've never seen anything like this place in my life. Coming to Boundary Waters with my son and friends was something I was looking forward to for months. I sought information from people who have been here before and what I had read about, but if I could have talked to Bill prior to coming I would of only needed 1/2 of what I brought. Once we were on the water I was amazed at the beauty of this place. We passed a dozen or so canoes on our way to camp the first day, and Bill told us don't worry we will soon be alone and he was right. Each day was better,the campsites, the food, the fishing and lets not forget the stories and memories. I hope to return one day to do this again, so I can relax like the way I did this time. And Bill, if you are still guiding I would enjoy your company again. Mike wrote the following: Had a great trip, glad we had you as a guide. Cooking was great especially the fish. Fishing was great, that was the biggest smallies I ever caught. Glad Nick finnally caught a fish(36" Northern), that was cool. He was getting a little frustrated. Lac La Croix was the best, that campsite was perfect. Need to remember that one. Hopefully I can come back next year and bring the whole family, Sherry, Nick, Joe, and Sam. Sam loves to fish, he would love it. Thanks for a great trip.

Friday July 16 to Tuesday July 20th, 2010

2010-08-01T13:34:00.000-07:00

We hit the water at 4:15 heading North on Sawbill Lake. The 9 of us arrived at a campsite in a bay on the west side of the lake at 6pm. Camp was made and an easy one pot meal was prepared due to the lateness of the hour. The evening went by quickly. In the morning the kids slept in and after a breakfast of eggs and bacon we hit the water at 11am. Our days journey took us to Cherokee Lake where we found a sand beach campsite at about 6pm. We all went for a swim before making camp and starting supper. We grilled hamburgers and a few side dishes. I told a bear story while preparing the meal. Sunday morning found us travelling North and then East to Town Lake. We visited with other canoeists for a few minutes before tackling a long portage into the primitive area of Cam Lake. The portages were extremely difficult due to the boulders we had to constantly step over and around. We entered beautiful Brule Lake and went directly to a large camp on the Southern shore of the West end. We all went swimming as soon as camp was made. It was a beautiful evening and the lake was iridescent long after sunset. Hannah and Camilla got up at 3 the next morning to go fishing and watch the sunrise. I stayed up for a while just to monitor the situation. After about 45 minutes I went back to bed and slept till 6am. I sat in my chair waiting for their return and they did at about 6:40am. They were soon back in their tent sleeping. The reason they got up so early was their watch was off by an hour. I packed up my kit and went to start coffee. Everyone slept in again and it wasn't until after breakfast and a swim that we hit the water at 11am. Our journey to Burnt Lake crossed several portages covering 615 rods total. Once again we arrived in camp at 6pm. Camp was pitched and I went for a swim. After I had changed clothes I walked into the main camp area to discover that Lene had started supper and had everything under control. The spaghetti was delicious and after a quick clean up we all went to the west side of camp to watch the sunset and take photos. As darkness settled in the forest we gathered around the campfire and I read entries from my journal. The next morning, in the rain, we portaged 190 rods back to Sawbill Lake and paddled the East shore to the Landing. It was great to camp and canoe with this group, they were real troopers. We covered 25 miles of paddling and 1567 rods of portaging.

The following is journal passages made by the participants.

Hannah

The simplistic living of paddling, portaging and finding a new home every night stirs up some deep emotions and thoughts of home, family, and life. Being surrounded by lovely, fun people and sharing their spirits makes the air and water even more beautiful. Slowing down the pace with no alarm clock buzzing, phone or email to check makes me realize how complicated we make life. A 3am paddle with Camilla, fail at fishing and then just sit in silence and watch the sunrise and having the sounds of the lake life waking up for a brand new day is something I have never seen or heard before. These simple pleasures happen everyday throughout our lives. Yet, we are too busy to enjoy them. The stunning landscape has "no trace" of man across the landscape. Lets hope it lasts for more to see.

Daniel

This whole experience has just been wonderful. I am glad I had the opportunity to spend these few days with everyone in this group and to discover this beautiful natural area. I believe that I have learned a lot about living in the outdoors, canoeing and just relaxing outside the Twin Cities. I hope that the Boundary Waters Area would remain like this forever and also hope to be able to come here again.

Francisca

Here we are far away from everyone, maybe in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Here, Bill taught me how to paddle and gave me a beautiful flower. (water lily) I will never forget this trip and the people traveling with me. Thank you for everything including the great meals.

Florianne

I find myself writing this while having the most amazing view of Brule Lake in the morning sun. This is the most amazing and beautiful trip I have ever made. Just with the nine dumplings of us paddling and portaging from place to place. I will never forget this amazing trip with Bald Eagles, Loon calls, and you in your chair, pipe in your mouth telling us the bear stories. Thank you very much for guiding on this wonderful trip. I enjoyed it till the very last minute.

Lene

Dear Bill, I have now gone from being your kitchen assistant on the first night to stunning you just now by taking charge of Monday's dinner. It's been a great couple of days and your charismatic presence has been a huge part of that. A campfire will never be the same without a bear tale and a whiff of tobacco. Thank you for being our canoe-companion and keeping us safe and well fed. And good job today with the 600 rods, it sure feels good to relax in this campsite now. Have a great summer.

Emilie

Most of the things I would tell you have already been told, but imagine that I would tell you with my French accent, that makes all the difference. What would have been this trip without you, with out your coffee and especially your cowboy coffee. I'm really happy to have shared all those unique and wonderful moments with you. I will remember this trip for a long time. Thank you so much.

Camilla

Dear Coffee-aholic, (yes- you should seriously consider getting some professional help against that addiction) Your excuse for getting us to write here in your book, was that you hadn't had time to write in your journal. So to help you I'm going to summarise the last days with us. Here's a typical day: 1) Being awaken at 2:30 am because two crazy girls wanted to watch the sunrise. 2) Make coffee, relaxed mode again. 3)Cooking breakfast for your hungry children. 4) Getting your gear down in the green kayak and paddle and paddle and paddle and portage and paddle and portage and mosquitoes and lunch and pipe and paddle and long portage. 5)Find a home for the night. 6) Coffee. 7) Make dinner for your hungry kids. 8) Bear Stories.

Lene thought that the following excerpts from a song would be good now.

All that I have is a river, the river is always my home, Lord take me away for I just cannot stay

Please help me build a small boat, one that will ride on the flow where the river runs deep and the larger fish creep, I'm glad of what keeps me afloat.

Now the land that I knew is a dream and the light on the distance grows thin, So wide is my river the artist has run out of ink, Where the blue of the sea meets the sky and the big yellow sun leads me home.

And each night brings the stars and a song in my heart, it's a tune for the journey mans tale.

Two Generations in the BWCA, 6-14-10

2010-06-20T08:09:00.000-07:00

My Uncle John, his wife Diana, Ruth and I were completely delighted to get the best campsite on the lake after 3 hours of paddling and portaging. It was threatening rain so we put up the tarp and were soon enjoying our afternoon snack. Our steaks were still frozen so we went to plan "B" and fixed Macaroni, boiled hot dogs and salads for supper. At sunset we gathered on the west rock to watch the colors, photograph and visit. We enjoyed our time together. In the morning Ruth and I fixed spam and egg beaters. Very good eatting, but this kind of food weighs down the packs coming across the portages as did a lot of our delicious but heavy food. John and Diana had very light packs because of their careful packing and freeze dried food. We were impressed by how well they camped with a minimum of gear. While fishing in the afternoon we found a campsite with a huge supply of firewood. We spent an hour of our precious fishing time shuttling a load of it back to our camp. Our fishing adventure continued with me using a slip bobber and leech while Ruth used a cisco, large hook and large regular bobber. I learned these methods from Frank and Mark, respectfully. It was great fishing with Ruth but we didn't catch anything. Upon returning to camp I took a quick swim. The cool water is extremely rejuvinating. Supper was fire grilled steaks and baked potatoes. Ruth made delicious salads. The steaks were perfect and once again worth their weight crossing the portages. There was a heavy cloud cover and no sunset so we played cribbage. The girls won 2-1. We started the next beautiful day with Sturdiwheat pancakes. It pleased us greatly to know that we had enough mix for a second breakfast of pancakes. Later that morning all of us headed for the eastern bay of the lake for some serious fishing. It was great to be paddling around on such a fine day. It was cloudy but the sun peaked through every once in a while. We checked out an O.K. campsite on the eastern shore but found it just a little too small. Next we headed for "Dangerous Waters". We had lunch on a large rock overlooking the first rapids, followed by hiking the portage. We marveled at the many flowers, moss and ferns. Diana saw her first real live Pink Showy Lady Slipper. We had to cross several downed trees, they were challenging but fun. Back at camp we all immersed ourselves in the wilderness experience of swimming in a cool Boundary Waters lake. It rinsed our bodies and minds. Ruth built a fire and roasted hot dogs for supper. We went fishing again and after an hour of no luck stopped to photograph a rock wall and it's reflection on the calm waters. Ruth set her pole down without reeling it in and spent several minutes composing many images of the beautiful scene. When she picked up her pole she realized she might have a fish on. Then she thought it was snagged. Then the snag moved about 10 feet. Now she was sure she had a fish. She had trouble getting the Northern close to the boat but I finally netted it for her. It was a nice sized eatter. We cleaned it on a nearby rock and headed back to our wonderful campsite. The magic of this super day continued with an outstanding sunset that was an extravaganza of color for about 45 minutes. In the morning, after listening to the weather report we decided we should head out. The forcast was for high winds the next day. But, before we left we fried the Northern and made pancakes. A superior last breakfast. The paddle out that afternoon was full of northwoods beauty and wonder even though the portages were congested. It was great spending time with John and Diana and we're looking forward to another trip soon.

Old Friends in the Boundary Waters, 6-4-10

2010-06-20T05:07:00.000-07:00

We paddled away from the portage and entered a steady shower of soaking rain. We passed 7 campsites before we found an empty one. Ruth and I erected our lean-to tarp quickly. As we sat there relaxing and glad to be out of the rain we realized we were soaked to the bone. Our rain gear had failed us. We changed into dry clothes, put on a pot of coffee and we were warm again. After supper the rain and wind stopped and Mark started a fire. It took him a while but his patience and skill urged a crackling fire out of the wet wood. Marsha and Ruth went to the tents early and Mark and I sat by the warm fire late into the night. We talked about life and other things. In the morning I crawled out of our tent at 10am to find out that everyone had been awake for hours. Mark had gone fishing and the rest of us enjoyed a warm and dry morning in high contrast to the wind and rain of yesterday. That afternoon we all hiked the Snowbank Lake backpacking trail that passed our camp in the woods. While walking we found a threesome of Pink Showy Lady Slippers, the Minnesota state flower. We also crossed a gurgling stream twice, once out and once on the return. About a half mile from camp Mark pointed out a huge pile of bear droppings. The 3 dogs we had along enjoyed the walk and were quiet and contented for the remainder of the day. Ruth and I had venison sticks, cheese, and salsa wrapped in a tortilla for our afternoon snack. Ruth and I played cribbage and I won, much to her suprise. I got to count first, and went out, she was left holding a 20 point hand that she didn't get to count. Coopers went fishing and I went for a swim. It felt wonderful to be clean and refreshed by the cool waters of a northern lake. Around the campfire that evening we shared stories about bears, children and camping trips from long ago. It had been a good day with only a couple sprinkles and occasional sunshine. In the morning Coopers went on a day long trip to a nearby lake while Ruth and I went fishing in bays close to camp. I used a Mepps and Dare Devil with no luck. I switched to a Rapala but soon lost it. It was great to be paddling on such a nice day, but no luck fishing. We played cribbage and quit when it was 1-1. We sat by the beach during whole late afternoon drinking coffee and absorbing the beauty of the lake before us. Coopers caught a Northern off the rock across the bay. He cleaned it a couple hundred yards down the shore and to our delight we watched an Eagle fly off with the remains. Ruth and I fished that evening and it was a wonderfull couple hours out on the water, but, alas, we caught no fish. Cribbage however was rewarding for the guys. We won the BWCA Invitational Cribbage Tournament 3-1. All of us, the 3 dogs and 4 adults spent the last hours of our days in the BWCA gathered around a wonderful fire. We knew this was a special place and knew we would return.

Lake Two, May 27, 2010 with KWHS

2010-05-31T18:01:00.000-07:00

Rich and I paddled stern in the Souris River canoes with the girls, Kari and Kayla in the bow of each boat. The three boys paddled the Old Town Tripper with Adrian steering from the stern. Jake and Sam took turns in the bow. We made it to our camp in 2 1/4 hours. After camp was made we shared tortillas with salsa, hot sticks and cheese. The students went looking for fire wood and were gone an hour. They returned with no firewood but did have stories of their adventures navigating the circumference of the island on foot. We talked them into paddling around the island looking for wood. As soon as they left it was obvious they were going anywhere they wanted. They soon disappeared behind lady boot campsite. After a while they reappeared and made their way back to our campsite. They did have a little firewood they scavenged from a nearby campsite. They talked about visiting a place called Heaven. It was a pristine piece of woods near the channel to Lake Three. The girls made salads while the fire was started. Soon the steaks were sizzling and the potatoes were roasting in the coals. The meal was a little late in being served but tasted like we had gone to Wiederholts. I enjoyed a cleansing experience while washing dishes. At sunset the kids went to a huge rock across the channel and sat there in the evening glow for a long time. Rich went to his tent early and the students and I hung the food pack. It was 15 feet off the ground but only a couple feet from the tree. Bear proof 90%. We all slept in a little the next morning. For breakfast we had tortilla wrapped eggs, bacon, fried onions and cheese. Our day trip took us to the East side of Lake Three, where we walked the Pow Wow trail and viewed some historic logging camps. For the return trip paddling across Lake Three Rich and I paddled my Souris River while the 5 students paddled the Tripper. Actually the girls paddled and the boys rode duff. They swapped positions after crossing Lake Three because it was a huge load for the girls to paddle. Kincaid and I struggled to keep our balance for several reasons. Camp life took over with swimming, coffee, snacks and then a supper of Mac and Cheese with grilled hot dogs. Sam and I went fishing with Sam in the stern and me fishing from the front. Kayla fished while Kari powered the bow of their canoe. I had one small Northern steal my Mepps. The evening was cool with a gray overcast. Eventually it started to sprinkle and then with a full shower as we headed back to camp. We spent the evening under the tarp and talking until the full moon shown above the tree tops. Kincaid was cooking pancakes when I walked into camp at 9:30. He also handed me a cup of coffee. A good way to start the day. Our day trip had us paddling to "Dangerous Waters" which had a hiking trail along the east side of the rushing stream. We walked, photographed, and wondered at the beauty of this little known part of Lake Two. While taking group photos on top of a cliff over looking the rapids I realized that Jake had a wonderful camera. Father's day is soon and I will get one. We went back to camp and took a short break. It was a hot afternoon and the students and I went looking for a rock to jump into the lake from. We couldn't find a safe one at first and then Kincaid paddled out solo in the Tripper. He led us to a nearby campsite with perfect jumping rocks. One was 5 feet off the water and the other was 10 feet above the water. I checked the water by surface diving below the cliff to check for submerged rocks or logs. All was clear. We had a blast leaping from these rocks. Now totally cooled off we headed back to camp. After supper Kincaid stayed back to wash dishes and we all went to the rock again. Several students brought their cameras and I filmed many videos of them jumping. It was a beautiful evening. Fun, exhilarating, refreshing and relaxing. To warm up we paddled into a quiet bay where we enjoyed the warm setting sun, the beautiful trees and no chilling breeze. We raced back to camp and I lost, they were very proud of themselves. Upon our return to camp we all did some organizing in preparation for our early morning departure. The students built a nice fire and we roasted the last of our s'mores. I told the story about the Real McCoy. In the morning we had breakfast and broke camp in 1 1/4 hours. The paddle out was easy with a 15 mph tailwind. It was a wonderful 4 days, I only wish it could have been a full week.

Clear Lake, May 20, 2010

2010-05-31T15:52:00.000-07:00

The trip across Farm Lake and across the 160 rod portage to Clear Lake took 3 hours. We arrived at camp 3 around 3:30. As soon as camp was pitched we went fishing. Frank and I toured half the lake and had nothing but a few nibbles and some lost bait. Supper was huge Polish Sausage and beans. All of which was very satisfying. The next morning Kreasteaz pancakes with blueberries and venison sausage made for a very filling breakfast. We loaded the canoes with lunches, fishing gear and bait and headed out for a day of fishing. We fished for a couple hours with no luck and then rendezvous for lunch on a rock in the western end of the lake. Larry and Todd shared with us the location of a spot they had successfully landed several Walleye and Bass. We went there. In two hours of fishing Frank caught 4 nice Walleye. We returned to camp at 4 pm. I went for a swim and changed into fresh clothes. I put on a t-shirt that Frank gave me. It said "Camp Boy" on the front and "Clear Lake" on the back. I recieved this gift for volunteering to wash the dishes for the whole trip. That evening Frank baked a chocolate cake in a thing called a bakepacker. It worked on the stove and made a delicious, moist product. That evening Frank showed me two techniques used to fish for Walleyes, the slip bobber and the floating jig. We spent the remainder of the cool evening talking about the Forest Service, forest fires, Ketter Canoeing, and the Minnesota Rovers. In the morning we had Steel Cut Oatmeal and played cribbage till almost noon. The wind was strong so we headed for protected bays. At the first one we fished from a rock and were successfull. Frank caught 4 Walleye and one Bass, I caught one Walleye. While waiting for the spagetti to cook we had 3 cribbage games. I lost the $3 I had won in the morning. The guys have some footnotes to add to my blog. Larry says he's 5"10", 250 and ruggedly handsome. Frank says God is great, beer is good and people are crazy. Todd says that "Up North" changes a guy. After breakfast Frank and I noticed that we win cribbage in the morning and lose in the afternoon. We won both games and the second one was "come from behind shocker". We were 16 from winning and Todd and Larry were 10 from winning, and they counted first. First Frank cut a Jack, two points, then Larry lead with a 4, next I paired him with another 4, for two more, then Todd paired me for 6 points, and then Frank paired all of us for 12 points, thus giving us the win. Unbelievable. We went fishing again and I caught another Walleye, while Frank caught several. We had lunch on the same rock next to the hotspot. We spent the afternoon on a day trip over to the South Kawishiwi River, we returned through Esquamish portaging a total of 255 rods. Saw an abandoned wood boat and ice fishing house and came home with a dozen ticks. We fished for a while longer on Clear Lake and then headed for camp. The afternoon's 80 degree high made my swim totally supreme. Supper was grilled hamburgers and beans. That evening Todd told us about a month-long canoe trip to Hudson Bay. It sounded wonderful, I was envious. In the morning we left. I'm so glad that Bob introduced me to Frank. It's been a great 5 days.

Spring Opener, 2010

2010-05-31T15:11:00.000-07:00

Doug and I paddled in on thursday evening, two days prior to the opener. On friday we relaxed in camp while having an excellent breakfast served by Doug. In the afternoon we paddled over to the Palisade and climbed to the top. Doug had never been up there even though he had been to Seagull Lake for several years. While we were up there the other members of the "Bill" club paddled by and we lobbed rocks into the lake beyond them, making them think there were huge fish jumping out of the water. Back in camp stories, jokes and coffee took up the rest of the afternoon. We were all glad to be together while escaping the realities of life in Southern Minnesota. On saturday morning everyone was already out fishing when I crawled out of my tent. Only Doug remained. We toured the islands and bays of our part of Seagull. We fished for Lake Trout without any luck. Finally south of Turtle Island I caught a nice Northern which we took back to camp for supper. The other guys had caught 3 Northerns, one Walleye and a Bass. Everyone took naps and Doug and I swam in the fridgid water. It was warm out so our goosebumps disappeared soon after we got out. After supper the two other Bills and Brian and Coop headed for the Seagull River as it came out of Alpine Lake. Within a half hour they returned saying the waves were too big to paddle that far in the evening. Bill and Bill did return with a couple Lake Trout, Bremer's being a huge one. We saved the Trout for breakfast in the morning. We baked them in tin foil with onions and salad dressing. Just as we were finished two Forest Service rangers paddled into camp. We explained that we goofed up permit but they told us to stop at the Gunflint Ranger Station and it would all be cleared up, much to our relief. Doug and I paddled out shortly afterwards.

April, 2010 Shakedown Cruise to Lake Insula

2010-05-31T12:00:00.000-07:00

I traveled to the far Eastern end of Lake Four and didn't see anyone since the Lake One portage. It was a smooth and satisfying journey but I arrived at my campsite slightly worn. I enjoyed the solitude of camping alone and spent the evening reading. In the middle of the night my air matress went flat. I had to crawl out of the tent to blow it back up. I slept fitfully for the rest of the night. I crawled out of the tent at 7am the next morning, efficiently did my morning chores and was on the water by 8:15. The first 3 portages of the morning were easy but took extra time because I was triple portaging. The last portage which went into Lake Insula was 115 rods and about 1/2 uphill. I enthusiastically set out on Insula, which is a maze of islands and penisulas. I passed several adequate campsites on my way to a special one that was marked on my map. After a while I could see it in the distance and was delighted. It had a massive sand beach with many tentsites scattered behind it. I saw no one on this day, except for some human footprints on a portage. The veiw of the lake was mine alone. Afternoon coffee was delicious, followed by a swim. Couldn't believe I swam in the BWCA in April and didn't get hypothermia. Mid-afternoon found me exploring the lake north of my campsite. I was looking for sand beaches and five star campsites. I found several that were good but none as good as the one I had. I am truly alone in the wilderness.
I slept in the next morning, it felt wonderful. The day was spent reading, walking around and drinking coffee. It was in the low 60's and windy with an occasional shower, however, the day was mostly dry. After supper the sun shown hotly for about 20 minutes and I took advantage and went for a swim. The swim was totally refreshing and topped off with clean clothes. I loved this campsite and really enjoyed the view of the lake from here. It was many shades of blue, gray and silver reflected from the clouds and sky above. It was textured by gentle breezes like a Van Gogh painting. The peace and solitude of solo tripping is wonderful, I highly recommend it. To be your own best friend a couple times a year is a good thing. On my third day the wind had died down so I loaded my daypack and headed for the Northern part of the lake again. I toured around several islands and found several adequate campsites, but nothing outstanding. The two mile trip back to camp was a grind what with quartering winds. I did, however, find the workout beneficial. Coffee and a snack rounded out the afternoon. The sky was gray most of the day but occasionally the sun would peak through and make it very warm. Later in the day it sprinkled a couple times. At this point I was going on 72 hours of not seeing another human. The mosquitoes that had hatched in the previous warm weather had froze out the other night. Supper was rice, gravy, tuna and crushed red peppers. It was delicious, but because I forgot my silverware I had to eat it with a twig, as I did all my other meals. The cool breezes and warm coffee went well with the serene blues and grays of the landscape. The next morning there were small piles of snow around the tarp. It's been a regenerative 3 days on Insula but now it's time to head back. 1 pm the next day found me windbound on Lake Four. I thought I could wait it out and paddle once again in the evening calm. The wind only got stronger and I finally cooked supper and made camp. I wyled away the time looking at the map and reading. In the morning I was paddling before 7am but by the time I got to Lake Three the wind was very strong again. It was a fight for my life to keep the canoe from going sideways in the one foot rollers. I took a long rest on a sand beach once the harrowing journey across was finished. Lake Two and most of Lake One were crossed with only a little strife and extra effort. The last mile of Lake One, though, was again one foot rollers and I couldn't keep the boat from broaching. So I let it go sideways and very carefully balanced it as I blew up the channel faster than I could have paddled. Only one rogue wave caused me concern but I didn't roll over. Six days of solitude was soon over and though I enjoyed the freedom of solo travel, I was looking forward to the company of friends and family.

Moab, Utah 2010

2010-05-31T10:58:00.001-07:00

Our arrival in Moab was preceded by a wonderful tour of southern Utah and the beautiful desert. After a night of rest we went to Arches National Park and were amazed by the natural geological formations that have stood for eons. We walked and scrambled around dozens of windows, arches and spires. We had to leave the dogs at Doggie Day Care, the proprieter was pleased with the good behavior that our dogs displayed while there. We were pleased with the freedom that allowed us to enjoy the sights. That night we camped at a BLM roadside campground. Again the following day we toured the Arches. While there we checked out the campground in the middle of the National Park. It looked good and we will stay there the next time we visit.

Grand Canyon, April 2010

2010-05-04T13:39:00.000-07:00

We spent 3 days at the Canyon hiking and viewing the wonder of God's handiwork. We camped at the park's huge public campground. There were many people there but it wasn't full. Surprisingly it was very quiet. It is an international destination and we were very pleased to meet the family camping next door, they were visiting from Norway. They were tent campers and traveled in a Volvo. They stayed 2 nights and continued their journey in Utah. We walked the South Rim doing different parts on several occasions. I also walked down in the Canyon by myself. I only went down a couple miles. It was a worthwhile experience. There were a lot of people at the Canyon but the crowds never interfered with enjoying the magnificence of this geological phenomenon.

Duncan Lake, 3-19-2010

2010-03-28T18:41:00.000-07:00

Mark, Norm and I arrived at camp about 3pm. We felt lucky to get our favorite campsite. The snow was melted on the ice and the portage and was easy walking with Yaktrax. Sadie pulled her share of the load easily, which was pleasing. It was 30 degrees but felt cool because of the breeze. We could see during our travels that the ice near shore had melted during the previous week's heat wave. These areas had refroze in the recent cool down. After setting up camp we headed out to the hot spot. We fished for 2 hours with no luck. The wind continued and as soon as supper was done we headed for our tents. I read for a couple hours listening to the sounds of the winter night, that is Mark, Norm and Sadie snoring. Also as the night got colder the lake ice groaned and popped with true spookiness if you didn't know what it was. The sound was actually fascinating and beautiful.

On Saturday morning Bill arrived with his dog Maggie. They were a nice addition to our group. We followed the GPS to a hump in the middle of the lake. We fished for a couple hours and then broke for lunch. Bill had brought in some fresh apple fritters to compliment our cheese and crackers and coffee. Later we went to a spot off a distant point, it was out of the wind and much more comfortable. I had fished near Norm for a while and then moved 100 yards away to try deeper water. Ten minutes after I moved Norm reeled in a nice Lake Trout. We fished in earnest till 4pm catching nothing more. Supper was a collaborative effort. Norm provided the fish and a pasta cheese thing that was very good. Mark cooked a potato soup thing that I donated to the cause. Warm food tasted really good because it was 25 degrees with a wind. We finished off the evening with 3 rounds of cribbage. Mark and Bill won the first two and then Norm and I saved face and won the last one. Went to bed early.

In the morning we shared breakfast, conversations and good byes with Bill as he had to get back to SE Minnesota. Norm and Mark went fishing and I did camp chores and journaling. After a coffee break I went back out on the ice with them and we fished for a few more hours. Norm hauled in another Lake Trout. We enjoyed another collaborative supper. Once again norms fish and a fried potato delight. I provided an Asian spicy soup. Coop did most of the cooking.

In the morning we had a quick breakfast but I was slow. Our travels back to the parking lot were a mixture of satisfaction, excitement and wishing we could come back next weekend. We felt that we had had the last best weekend on the ice. The ice was rotting fast and we were fortunate not to have any troubles.

Mikkel, Cody and Luke fishing Snowbank and Farm Lakes March 13-15,2010

2010-03-17T18:00:00.001-07:00

We drove across the expanse of Snowbank Lake with me leading in my Nissan and Cody and Luke following in his 3/4 Ton Silverado. We traveled easily across the icy surface. The snow had totally melted several days earlier and refroze. Mikkel rode with me and directed us to a spot he knew friends from Kenyon would be fishing. We fished there most of the day switching locations several times with no luck. It was 44 degrees, gray overcast and slightly windy. I felt that this kind of weather shuts off Lake Trout. We headed to the island campsite and put up Cody's giant outfitter tent from Cabelas. We pitched it on the ice so it wouldn't get dirty. It fit all four of us sleeping on huge cots. After fishing and supper Luke built a fire in the firepit on the island. We all gathered around and played cards for hours. It was so late I don't remember who won.

In the morning, after bacon and eggs, we headed into the BWCA to fish. It took 20 minutes walking while pulling sleds full of our gear to get to the perfect spot. Actually perfect spot number two. Our first choice was already taken, unknown by us, by friends from Kenyon. They were so far away that we couldn't tell who they were. The water was 90 feet deep there and we fished 8-10 feet off the bottom. We caught two Lake Trout and a Walleye. The Walleye we threw back. Mikkel fished shirtless as the temp had risen to around 65 degrees. We met another shirtless fisherman on our trek out to the hump. The warm temps had us worried about the safety of the ice and we all agreed to head back. When we got to camp, several of the tent stakes had come loose and part of the tent caved in. We now definitely decided to go. We knew the lake ice was safe but the ice at the boat landing may have melted too much to cross safely if we were to stay another day. The landing was wet but solid. We were relieved. We headed for some Crappie action at Farm Lake. Once there we took my truck out on the ice. I towed the ice fishing sled behind it. Again, we were relieved to cross the ice without incident. We fished for 2 1/2 hours catching two nice Crappies. At dark we headed back to my place. Mikkel cleaned and fried the fish. They were delicious. Cribbage rounded out the evening.

In the morning we headed back to Farm Lake and fished till about noon. We caught 8 Crappies while watching the morning sun rise higher in the sky. After towing the big sled off the lake with my truck we said our good byes.

Snowbank Lake, 2-17-2010

2010-02-17T19:31:00.000-08:00

We drove the truck about 2 miles on Snowbank to a pullout about a half mile from our secret island. We loaded the tobaggan and headed across. Sadie was harnessed but she was being pulled by me while I did 100 % of the sled pulling. Sadie looks like a sled dog but Chloe pulled Ruth on skis much more effectively and she's just a 20 pound American Cocker Spaniel. We checked out a campsite for a future winter camping trip and were happy with what we found. Onward we pressed to our desired location. After a quick snack we shoveled out a little area to make our nest for the afternoon. I set up everything and drilled a couple holes, one for a tip-up and one to jig a minnow. Within minutes I was reeling in a 4 1/2 pound Lake Trout. Ruth was impressed with my ability. I told her she was good luck. I fished for the remainder of the afternoon while Ruth read "Edgar Sawtell." We brewed a pot of coffee and enjoyed it greatly. I caught not another fish but the fabulous weather made it all o.k. We packed up and headed back making it to the Fernberg Road just as the sun set. I baked the Trout for supper, it was superb.

Dog Sledding 2010

2010-01-30T10:51:00.000-08:00

Jason picked me up at 6:30 in front of my cabin. We made our way down narrow, twisty roads to his employer, Wintergreen Dog Sledding. It took two hours for us to get the gear, load up the dogs and make our way to the Fall Lake landing. Kate, Steve and I helped harness the dogs and load the sleds. Rob and Ted met us at the landing. It was a fascinating experience to harness the dogs and load up. Jason skied ahead and Steve and I followed in the first sled. Ted and Rob followed us in the second sled. We traveled for 2 hours to a secret spot on Basswood. I had been near this area a couple times winter camping with Baly. We drilled holes and set out tip-ups and gathered firewood for Rob to cook lunch on. I stayed with the tip-ups and the others went a quarter mile away to fish for crappies. They had no luck but the tip-ups produced 4 northerns. One was too big, two were too small and one was a keeper. Lunch was Brats, beer and cokes. At 3:15 we headed back. It was a beautiful sunset ride through the wilderness. Jason skied ahead easily keeping ahead of the dogs in the perfect snow conditions. He stopped and took photos of us travelling, many of which are in this entry. The weather was mid-twenties with a very gentle breeze. We arrived at the Fall Lake landing just before dark. Once again it was fun loading all the gear and dogs in the trailer. Back at Wintergreen Steve and I got to help put the dogs away and feed them. It was a complete and genuine northwoods experience.

Buryanek 2010 Deer Hunt

2010-01-30T10:09:00.000-08:00

We arrived at the State Park Camper's Cabin at about 3pm. By 3:45 we were headed out on a scouting mission to plan our strategy for tommorrow. Dan brought his gun, the rest of us didn't. We drove the pick-up as far as we could in the snow and set out on foot. In a field at the top of the hill Dan was able to get his sights on a mule deer. He got it. Through the next 2 hours the deer was drug out and gutted. I went back to camp and started supper which consisted of steaks, potatoes and salad. We celebrated New Years Eve next to a camp fire under a full moon. The guys enjoyed several libations of a certified #7 blue Schnapps, not to mention a couple beers. We were all looking forward to 2 more great days in the woods.

In the morning we were out and in place before first light. I sat for a couple hours and then wandered around a little. Nobody had a shot on anything. We returned to camp for omlets made in a zip-lock bag. They took a long time to cook in boiling water but were very good when finally done. We took a rest break and headed out again at 1:30. This time I didn't take my chair and walked a lot. Towards the end of the afternoon we found a group of Mule Deer in a valley below us at the same place Dan got his deer the previous afternoon. Luke and I got a shot off each but missed and then the deer ran. It was a thrill but because of the excitement I couldn't hold the gun steady enough to make a good shot. Back at camp we had chicken noodle casserole and spent the evening playing cards.

Saturday morning it was 20 below and we headed for new spots. We sat in the snow for an hour and a half watching our favorite valley. We saw a couple deer but they were too far away to make a shot. We returned to camp and packed up. We were on the road by 10:30. All in all it was a grand learning experience and I'd like to return next year. Photography by Luke.

Friday the 13th of November, 2009...Ely MN

2009-12-23T13:18:00.000-08:00

On Friday the 13th we moved into a cabin outside of Ely. The United Van Lines semi arrived at noon and was unloaded and headed down the road by 3. We felt very happy and lucky to find this place. The previous 2 months had been a flurry of activity. We had lived in Red Wing for 37 years and had quite the collection of memorabilia. In those 2 months we had a garage sale, filled a 10 yard dumpster, made 6 trips to the Salvation Army, and 6 more trips to the dump. Salvation Army showed up after the garage sale and hauled away another 1/2 a truckload. When buying a house 300 miles away there are many emails, faxes, UPS overnight air packages and letters to send off. We succeeded largely due to the hard work of Wendy, Lee, Jeremy and many others. We hope to be totally settled in by mid-January and available to enjoy the arrival of old friends from the south. We've also made several new friends in Ely and after the holidays hope to go ice fishing, skiing, hiking and general partying with them.

October 15, 09... Little Sioux Indian River

2009-12-22T14:08:00.000-08:00

Paddling through the river channel was enchanting with the beautiful autumn colors. There were misty clouds, brief rains, occasional patches of blue sky and gray clouds. The Birch trees were in full autumn splendor. There were groves of orange scattered among the quiet and patient evergreens. The breeze was light which made for very comfortable paddling. The portages were warm because of our heavy clothing nessessary for insulation while out in the open lakes. It took us less than 3 hours to get to camp. It was sprinkling and did so for the whole evening. Coop started a fire and we had supper, all of which was very warming in the cool autumn weather. I finished camp chores and sat by the fire. It warmed my spirit.

After sleeping late we had pancakes with pepper bacon. Bremer took a solo hiking/fishing trip around the bay to the south. Coop and I fished and canoed around the bay and found Bremer on the far point, we gave him a hitch back to camp. We continued fishing the shoreline and bays on the way to Devil's Cascade Portage. We walked the portage and sat above the cascade watching and listening to the rushing water below. We were experiencing alternating periods of rain, mist, or just cool and dry. It never got above 40 degrees all day. When we returned to camp it was still misting occasionally. When it was dry out we wandered around camp and fished. The rain let up for the evening and Mark and I cooked steaks for supper. Gary and Bremer brought a pile of firewood from a distant camp thereby making a warm fire for the evening possible. At about mid-evening the clouds disappeared and the stars shone brightly. I didn't do my camp chores that night and went to bed to sleep soundly.

In the morning the bright sun lit the autumn foliage across the lake. Gary made pancakes and bacon for breakfast. A hot breakfast is wonderfull on a cold October morning in the North. I helped Gary wash dishes and later we all sat on the rock telling stories about our lives. Around noon it got cool, cloudy and breezy. We bundled up. After a late lunch we fished from shore and then played cribbage. Bremer and I won 2-1. Fishing proved futile all weekend. We think it was the cold weather and maybe a little too late in the season. Bremer made excellent Chili and shared it with all of us. We sat around the fire talking late into the evening.

It was a great 3 days, the good food warmed our bodies and spirits. The weather was cool but refreshing. Bremer was the only guy to catch a fish and he threw it back because it was too small. Cooper and I enjoyed the time on the water trying to catch them anyway. Bremer kept us supplied with monster cookies, snickers and jiffy pop. Gary was excellent camp member with good cooking and conversation. Some of the highlights were sunshine mornings, starry nights, misty fiord landscape scenes, warm campfires, good food and enlightened conversations.

KWHS September 30,09

2009-12-22T13:00:00.000-08:00

The 3 chaperones paddled stern while the students paddled bow or rode duff. After a few paddling lessons we headed across Lake One on our way to the portages that ended at Lake Two, our destination. We moved efficiently because we had experienced paddlers in the stern. We were fortunate to find the Lady Boot campsite empty and made camp soon after arriving. The teepee was pitched as well as 3 other tents. Coffee, snacks and freetime followed. We welcomed a chance to relax after the hectic previous day. Supper was fire grilled steak, baked potatoes and salad.

Our day trip took us to the Rock Island Lake portage. We stashed our canoes on shore and headed down the trail with cameras and snacks. It was a cloudy and windy day and the shelter and warmth that the woodland trail offered was a relief from the windswept Lake Two. The trail was challenging and satisfying at the same time. It was an accomplishment to navigate the hills, rocks, roots, puddles and downed trees. After returning to camp we had snacks and freetime. The students explored the woods and I started supper. We had a beautiful evening campfire and made S'mores. It was great to be in the woods with such a special group of students.

We became windbound and had a fabulous pancake breakfast to start the day. The kids took several day hikes into the woods. Chicken Noodle Delight was prepared for supper. For the evenings entertainment we told stories while in the shelter of the teepee.

A leisurely breakfast was enjoyed by everyone. We started across the lake in a light rain. The layers of muted colors caused by the islands, trees, rocks and mist made a beautiful paddle out. The wind was very light and we moved easily through the cool autumn weather.

September 10, 09....Alpine lake

2009-12-22T11:59:00.000-08:00

On our way to Alpine travelling through the Islands of Seagull we saw something swimming in the water, and it didn't have antelers so we knew it wasn't a bull Moose. We paddled fast to get closer. It was swimming very fast towards an island. As it neared the shoreline and started walking through the water we were startled to see that it was a huge black bear. Because it was wet it's legs looked long and skinny plus it's fur was very shiny. We continued westward past the Palisade and found several young people jumping off a 45 foot cliff. They had to run and leap to clear a volkswagen size rock at the base of the cliff. It was a thrill to watch and the sound they made as they entered the water was unforgettable. The Seagull Hilton was taken and so was our second choice. We continued westward finding an island campsite and settled in for the evening. Cooper served spagetti and fulafull. The fulafull was different but good. We also swam and had a great evening campfire.
In the morning we packed up and headed for the portage into Alpine Lake. The portage was 105 rods, smooth but a little bit of a hill. It took me and Mark 3 trips to get our stuff over. Alpine looked like a moonscape with skeletal trees. This was from a fire several years ago. We ended up in the SW corner of the lake at a campsite the the forest service had saved from the fire. We spent the next 2 1/2 days swimming, playing cribbage, eatting good food including the Bass, Notherns, and Walleye that Mark and Marsha caught. The sky was sunny and the temperature neared 80. It was beautifully foggy in the mornings. There was an Eagle's nest and several Eagles. They watched us and we watched them. The Eagles followed us around the lake as we fished. Always perched in a nearby tree ready to pick up fish that we threw back or the remains we left on shore after cleaning.
On our way back we decided to run the river rather than do the 105 portage. The river was shallow so we had to walk our canoes through the channel. Coopers went first and then Mark helped me walk our canoe down. It was refreshing and fun. We fished the rapids below the channel and continued walking our canoes through shallow rock gardens. We found an island campsite to have lunch on and decided to spend the night there. The water was very cool but we swam for a long time and got used to it. We rounded out the afternoon by having snacks and coffee in the shade. It was an unusually warm September afternoon. Coopers furnished supper. Cribbage completed the evening with Mark and I coming from behind to win. The good weather held on for the paddle out. It was a wonderfull week made good by the excellent company and mild weather.

Nic, Brian, and Matt in the BWCA, 8-23-09

2009-08-30T21:34:00.000-07:00

Saganaga Lake was fairly smooth and we got to camp about 1:30. There was no rain forecasted for the next few days so we didn't pitch the tarp. While I made coffee Matt caught a real nice Northern from the drop off near camp. We saved it for breakfast because we were fire grilling steak, potatoes, and sweet corn. The ribeyes from Meatheads butcher shop were really good. We also had a salad and beer to compliment the meal. Nic and I had a brownie from Diana for dessert and Matt and Brian saved their's for tommorrow. It was a great day, no wind, no rain, no mosquitoes and good stories.

I got up early and watched the sunrise while drinking coffee. The guys got up at 7 am and I fried the Northern. It was delicious. The day on the water started at 9am and we crossed the first 5 rod portage without any difficulties. Everyone helped each other and we also took a little break. We arrived at Monument portage after 30 minutes of paddling. As usual it was not too difficult at 80 rods, however it did take time. Matt carried my canoe, God bless him, it was an arduous task. While passing through Benny Ambrose's part of Ottertrack Lake Chloe fell out of the canoe and as she floated by I tried to grab her, I missed and almost dumped the canoe over. She soon swam around and up to the boat and I hauled her in. A lesson re-learned. The foolish thing about this incident was we were next to a cliff and it would have been a quarter mile swim pulling the canoe to shallow water. After all this excitement we noticed plaque on the cliff with Benny's face and numbers carved in it. As we approached the west end of Ottertrack we became concerned because all the campsites were reported taken by an Eastbound canoe of 3. Onward we pushed fearing another 2 hours paddling into strong winds. We did find one open but pressed on to the portage into Little Knife where we hoped to find my favorite site vacant. It was open and I was very glad. We settled into camp life with swimming, coffee and snacks. For supper we had roasted hot dogs and potato soup. The evening was spent near the fire looking at maps and talking about next year. Nic and Brian want to bring their girlfriends. Our plans included staying nearer to Saganaga and Seagull. We watched the fire fade and the light on the lake dissappear until it was time to turn in.

The next morning I had two hours of watching the sun gradually illuminate the world while I relaxed and sipped coffee. It's facinating to watch this sanctuary for the soul change from night to day. Matt built a fire and fried the bacon on tin foil while I made Sturdiwheat pancakes. It was a great breakfast. Soon the clouds moved away and were replaced by blue sky and puffy fairweather clouds. Brian called me over to his fishing rock were we swam the night before. He had cast his Mepps out as far as he could and let it sink for 45 seconds, approximately 45 feet. He soon had a couple taps and thought it was a small bass. As he reeled it in closer the fish took a run that made his drag buzz. He knew he had something big. It was a 7 pound Lake Trout. We saved it for supper. We spent the remaider of the afternoon swimming and fishing. We baked the Trout over coals in the fire. We served it with macaroni and cheese and the fish was supreme. Brian and I beat Nic and Matt at 500. It was an ill gotten win as it was Matt's first time playing the game. I went to bed at dark.

Unbelievablely I slept till 8. We had bacon, cheese and onion tortillas for breakfast, easy and neat. Matt also fried an onion slice on the fire and it turned out real good. After breakfast it got hot so we all went swimming. It cooled off so I made coffee and had a snack. Supper was spaghetti with garlic bread, which Matt toasted over an open fire. Forgot the parmesan cheese which would have made it perfect. Nic and Matt won the evenings 500 match. Now we're tied 1-1. We watched the moon set and the stars come out while talking about jobs, dogs, and life.

We were on the water by 9:30 after an efficient breakfast. It was a beautiful day. We made Monument portage landing by 11 and were across in less than an hour. Nic carried my battery across, I think it would be easier to carry in a pack, however I appreciated it greatly. We crossed the next very short portage and were on beautiful Saganaga Lake headed towards our favorite campsite. We covered the last of the days 13 miles and were in camp by 1:30. At about 4 it started to sprinkle so we pitched the tarp. I was soon in the lake swimming even though it was cool and rainy. The water was warmer than the air. Took a coffee break and then started supper. We had Griffy's Chicken Delight. After supper the guys fished and I looked at the lake, it was so serene, calm and cool. It's tranquility goes into you and soothes your heart and brain. In the morning we had cinnamon, sugar tortillas and cheese and onion tortillas. Everything was wet from the storms during the night and it continued to rain most of the three hours it took us to paddle out. There was a northeast wind which didn't ease until we were near the eastern side of the lake. It was a relief to turn south onto the Seagull River. It was a great trip.

The Perfect Trip, August, 2009, from Saganaga to Little Knife

2009-08-20T07:17:00.000-07:00

Paddling across the middle of Saganaga Lake went smoothly but there was a little wind which caused only a little extra effort. Molly navigated from point to point to island accurately. Our westward journey took us to Long Island where we had a break, and later past American Point to a campsite that we had hoped for. It was already taken. We pressed on finding 4 more sites taken. Eastbound paddlers let us know that there were no available sites in western Saganaga. We opted for a non-designated site on a point, and by 7pm we had camp set and supper started. Scott started a fire upon which we grilled chicken breasts and baked potatoes. Salads were also eaten by some of us. Everyone's spirits were raised by a good meal. We didn't hang a bear bag because we were only going to be here for about 14 hours. It was a great day inspite of not finding a campsite till late. Good food and a place to rest for the night are very comforting and an actual relief, even a blessed feeling.

I woke up at dawn and had my kit put away shortly after sunrise. Everyone else was out of their tents and ready to go by 8:30. Jenny navigated through the maze of islands, channels, portages, points, and bays that made up far western Saganaga. We traveled efficiently under her guidance. We did Monument Portage in good fashion but it took time. There were a lot of people on the portage plus 3 other dogs, which Chloe got along fine with. Our next stop was Bernie Ambrose's homestead site. We had lunch there and marveled at living here in the woods for 60 plus years, as Bernie did. Jenny continued navigating through the enchanted land along the Canadian border. There were high cliffs topped with pine trees, long distant views to the west and calm waters. Later it rained hard for about 10 minutes, which was forecasted at 30% chance of scattered showers. When we got to the 10 rod portage into Little Knife Lake I decided that we had gone far enough and chose the site adjacent to the portage. It proved to be a good choice with plenty of room, shade, and great swimming and sunning rocks. After camp was made and a short break taken I joined the girls in the lake. I wore a life jacket and put a foam noodle under my knees. It was like sitting in a Lazy-Boy recliner. The water was cool but not uncomfortable. After a fresh set of clothes I was ready to cook supper. We had macaroni with cheese, hamburger and onions. Hot Dogs were grilled over a fire that Scott built and later we had smores while we watched the sun's last rays on the trees across the lake. They literally glowed. We hung the bear bag in the dark using flashlights. A determined bear could have gotten it but we never had a problem.

Our first layover day after 2 days of hard paddling was started by sleeping in til 8am. We had covered 20+ miles to get here. For breakfast we had a pancake feast, complete with bacon, hot chocolate and coffee. The remainder of the afternoon was spent hiking, swimming and sleeping in my hammock. I made spaghetti for supper and Molly baked the garlic bread over an open fire. After supper we all sat together, ate fudge that Pam purchased and told stories about our lives and other camping trips. Towards dusk Molly and I went fishing. I caught 4 Bass while Molly maneuvered us round the outflow of the creek. After everyone went to their tents I looked at the stars, watched the light disappear from the water and marveled and what a wonderful day in the wilderness.

I crawled out of my little tent at dawn and walked around taking photos of the sunrise. I enjoyed the peace and quiet while having breakfast and coffee. When everyone got up we had another pancake feast. The afternoon was spent visiting with guides and their groups as they portaged through. There were two groups from Widgi and another guided by a retired principal from Prescott Wisconsin. Widgi groups treated their canoes with great respect as well as each other. For our afternoon snack we had quesadillas. More swimming followed with great conversations while sitting on the rock. I fixed mashed potatoes and hamburger gravy for supper, it was good. We enjoyed visiting after supper. Chloe cleaned up the plates and pans getting gravy all over her ears. Then she rubbed her face on Molly's leg leaving grass and traces of gravy, we all laughed. At dusk I went fishing off the rocks we swam on earlier in the day. My bobber went down 3 times but only once did I reel in a fish, which was too small to keep. It was almost too dark to see the bobber when I heard a splash. It was Chloe swimming after the bobber, which I quickly reeled in so she wouldn't get tangled in the line and hook. The good thing about all this was she got the gravy washed off her head but the bad thing was she was all wet and it was time to turn in for the day. The next day was a travel day so I did everything I could so there would be less to do in the morning. We wanted to leave early so when we got to western Saganaga Lake we could find a campsite before they were all gone.

I woke up with a terrible crick in my neck and a squishy right ear. Both ailments disappeared. This was a dubious start to what turned into a great day of wonder and beauty. We left Little Knife Lake around 9am. After crossing Monument Portage Pam paddled with me and Jackie paddled with Scott. We soon crossed the 5 rod portage and went to a campsite with a huge rock where we enjoyed lunch. Within a few minutes of leaving Jenny spotted a Moose cow in the water eatting aquatic plants. We got our cameras out and paddled closer when the cow had it's head down grazing. We got all kinds of photos and videos as we moved closer and closer. It was a wilderness wonder. Chloe stayed quiet for about 15 minutes as we watched. When Chloe noticed the Moose she started whimpering which made the Moose uncomfortable and it turned and walked up on shore grunting to it's calves hidden in the trees. We all felt we were inhabitants of a wonderful planet. It took another hour to reach our number one campsite choice and it was empty. Soon after we got to camp rumbling thunder told us to put the tarp up and prepare for rain. Rain didn't arrive but we were ready if it did. Saganaga Lake was calm all day and a refreshing swim in it's cool waters was invigorating. Just before we started supper the wind came up and 2 canoes paddled into our bay looking for refuge. As we visited we discovered they were an assortment of college students, law school grads, and computor experts. They appeared to be good friends and it was great visiting with them. After a supper of Griffy's Chicken Delight we hit the cookie pack. We ate a lot of them and I enjoyed them with another cup of coffee. The sun was getting low and we took canoes out to watch from the water. The water was now very smooth and the colors and light of the sky and water put us all into a very mellow mood. We paddled, drank coffee, video recorded, photographed and were astonished by the drama of planetary movement. We returned to camp just before total darkness and cleaned up for the evening. We sat on the beach facing south to watch the stars come out and were treated with fireflies, bats, meteors, and shooting stars. Loons were calling across the lake to let us know all was well in our world on Saganaga Lake.

The mid-morning sun made it too hot to stay in my tent any longer. Tortilla wraps with bacon, egg beaters, and onion made a wonderfull breakfast. A deer swam from American Point to the Canadian shore. We were astonished to see how fast and far it could swim. On our day trip along the border to the islands we saw ducks and ducklings. We also saw an Eagle and it's nest. We could hear it's young's hungry squeals from the nest. From the water we could see several cabins on the Canadian side of the border. They were idilic wilderness abodes that fit into their environment perfectly. There was one on each of 5 islands. They had fantastic views of various parts of the lake and islands. We traveled deeper into the islands to check out my favorite campsites. They were both taken making us glad that we took our first choice last night. We found a campsite to have lunch on and were quite pleased with it's shade and swimming rock. We fed the Gray Jays while eatting lunch, they got close but never landed in our hands. It was a hot day and a cool swim felt totally refreshing. Our return trip to base camp journeyed past the outer edge of the islands with the huge expanse of the lake to the north. It was like being on a benign ocean. It was so calm, reflective and beautiful that it's peace and energy filled our souls. This awesome beauty had an underlying potential. Given certain weather conditions this lake could rise and batter you mercilessly. We gratefully accepted the free pass we recieved. As we crossed the largest expanse of open water we saw several groups of Loons dancing in the middle of the lake. One Loon in particular followed Jen and Molly's canoe for quite a ways. It gave them a show of wild freedom in the life of our state bird. We prolonged our time on the water knowing it could be a long time before we entered the surreal world of Saganaga on a calm day. I made potato soup and Pam fire roasted the last of our hot dogs for supper. Scott told us about VCO looking for some missing paddlers. Chloe didn't get any hot dogs but she did get the last remaining serving of potato soup. I sat in Molly's chair on the west side of camp watching the sunset. I relaxed in it's glow, not taking any photos. The sun shown through a gap between several thunderheads. I stayed there until everything was cool, blue and gray. Smores and popcorn rounded out the evening followed by journalling with help from the girls while sitting on the south facing beach. It was a hot day and the cool breeze felt wonderful plus it kept the mosquitoes away. This was our last night and we cherished the experiences of the last week and sat on the beach for a long time.

Sawbear Lake, July, 09

2009-08-07T10:39:00.000-07:00

We pulled into the Forest Service multiple unit campground at Sawbill Lake around 4:30. There was Tom, Terri, Kate, Kenny, Em, and Bell in Tom's crew cab monster truck. Ruth, Sadie, Chloe and I followed in my compact extended cab pick up. Tom had reserved a site during the winter and when we got there we decided it was too small for all of us. We went around the campground to find an open site we could call our own and found one right next door. The previous occupants left a day early. After a supper of sweet corn and beans there was a brief shower. We spent the rest of the evening at Tom's camp watching them cook supper over an open fire. It was great to be in the woods again even though we weren't in the wilderness yet. When we got back to our camp the rear hatch to our topper was open and as I walked closer we could hear something growl inside. I sent Ruth back to Tom's camp and the dogs and I immediately got into the cab of the truck. I wanted to play it safe. Once inside the cab I realized I needed to get the bear out of there. I started the engine and reved it while shifting from drive to reverse. The violent jerking back and forth soon convinced the bear to leave and he ran across the road and immediately got into the neighbors cooler - devouring their butter and cheese. Kenny witnessed this as he walked up to our camp. We cleaned up the back of the truck and inventoried the damaged and lost food. We found bisquit powder all over, the hamburger was eaten and the bear left scraps of raw meat on everything. Our other sealed meats were gone along with our Tobies' Carmel Rolls that we were planning to eat for breakfast. We spent 30 minutes talking to Tom and Kenny and the neighbors and then went to bed. We were just about asleep when we heard Kate banging pots and pans together and then Kenny shout "Go Away Bear". Kenny saw the bear 2 feet away from the tent but wouldn't let Kate look. Well, the next thing we heard was the door handles on the topper hatch rattling. We got up and hollered at it and the bear went away. I now locked the back of the topper in hopes this would prevent the bear from entering the topper again. When I did this I found slobber all over the right handle. We debated whether we should sleep in the cab of the pick up or go back to the tent. We opted for the tent considering that the it would be the best sleep on such a short night as it was now well after midnight. At 4:30 we awoke to the sound of the topper hatch being opened. I got up armed with a coffee pot and banged on the side glass of the topper. The bear let out a very fierce growl and I immediately got into the cab of the pick up where the dogs had been silently cowering all night. I did the rev and jerk method of bear removal again. Ruth and the neighbors saw the bear fall out of the truck while I was doing this. He immediately ran under a pop up camper next door and hid there growling. It was getting light now and hoping that bears were truly nocturnal we decided to stay up and cook breakfast. We broke camp and went to the outfitters little store. We found that we were missing 3 suppers and some breakfast items.

At 8:50 we were on the water and heading north on Sawbill Lake. We were totally relieved to be away from that bear and at the same time hoping that we didn't see him again. The wind was straight out of the north and made progress slow. However, we got to camp in less than 2 hours. Tom and all of us were glad that we got the best campsite on the lake. Soon 3 tents and 3 tarps were pitched. After a little lunch we all took a nap that was pure heaven after such a short night. We had a quick and simple supper but were delighted when Tom shared some of his fireroasted steak and potatoes with us. Best steak I've ever had. It was cornfed Iowa beef. The next morning we slept in a little. The morning was spent drinking coffee. The remaider of the day was spent basking in the luxury of a northwoods camping trip. It was cool but comfortable. We did some paddling and fishing but with no luck. Kenny and Kate were really enjoying their first Boundary Waters canoe trip.

We awoke to mist, rain and dark clouds the next morning. We sat under the tarp making Sturdiwheat pancakes and drinking coffee. Kenny brought along "Griffin Pancake Syrup". It was a wonderfull social event that made the gloominess of the day melt away. It didn't stop raining all day and we had many conversations under the tarp. On one occasion Kate laughed until she cried. We did get out for a paddle later in the evening. It was a pure sense of freedom after being confined under a green tarp in camp all day.

Again we slept late and had a good morning in camp. It was mostly sunny with a northern breeze. At noon we headed out on a day trip to Smoke Lake. It was about 2 miles away with a 100 rod portage to the east. It was Kenny's first portage and because there were many using the portage I wasn't able to help him with his first try to lift and portage a canoe. Some other paddler helped him lift the 1oo pound Old Town Discovery. I felt bad for not helping him. When we got to the other side we had to wait for a group of girls clear the long boardwalk across a marshy area. We toured the whole lake looking for a campsite to have lunch on. We finally found a very good site with a sitting rock out front. After lunch Terri and Em were exploring around the camp as a prospective future destination. They came back to get me to check something out. They had found a huge bear poop with tinfoil in it. We were glad we didn't camp there. The paddle and portage back to camp was wonderfull. It was so nice to be travelling in the BWCA. Good weather seems fantastic after a day of rain. We worried about the north wind on our return trip but it had all but died down. 4:00-o'clock coffee was a delight while sitting on the rock with Kenny and Kate. Tom, Terri, and Em stayed out longer and fished. They brought home nothing. Supper was potato soup with onions. It was very easy and delicious. We paddled and fished during the evening watching the sunset and the woods grow quiet and dark. Later we had a great campfire with lots of conversation about next years trip. We're thinking of something a little more remote with a couple easy portages. There were a lot of canoeists on this lake.

We got up early after a restless night and had coffee on the rock. It was very foggy and beautiful as we watched a silent solo canoist paddle by. The swoosh of his paddle in the water was a great sound. He was a vision of serenity in our misty world. We were loaded up and on the water shortly after breakfast. Our paddle out was cool and calm but just as we got to the Forest Service landing it began to rain steadily. Thus ended a great trip.

Lake Two, July '09

2009-07-11T17:27:00.000-07:00

My dogs Chloe and Sadie were along on this trip. Sadie rode in the bow infront of Ruth and Chloe sat on the packs in the middle. Sadie at 60 pounds had to be stabilized in front so that she didn't rock the boat. Chloe enjoyed the freedom of walking around, sleeping and sitting anywhere she wanted in the middle. Our paddle to the first portage was cool and comfortable in the mist and rain that the North country had experienced for the previous 3 days. Chloe had one little mishap a half mile from the portage. She either fell asleep or slipped and landed on the gunnel behind

Ruth's left side. She laid on the gunnel momentarily and then wriggled to regain her feet thus sliding over the edge and falling into the lake on her back. I grabbed her leash as she was passing the canoe. I pulled her in as a fisherman might hand over hand pull in a big fish. I got her in the boat and she immediately started to shiver. Her short hair and skinny body didn't keep her very warm. Ruth dried her off with a towel when we got to the portage. At the end of the portage we met Don and Andrea from the forest service. They checked our permit and chatted for a few minutes. They had been into Insula for 6 days the last 3 of which were total rain. We all had on appropriate rain gear and felt warm and dry on the inside. We agreed that it was good canoing weather, not too hot, no bugs, no sweating, and no dehydration. These rangers were very cheerfull. They were good representatives of the Forest Service. At the end of the second portage we talked to a canoist that said the rollers on Lake Two were very big. Considering this serious information we headed for the first campsite in the islands. We put up the lean-to tarp and made coffee. It was a pretty good campsite but not perfect. Supper was a prime example of poor nutrition. We had hot dogs and potatoe salad. After dark we played cribbage in the tent, each of us winning one game.

I slept till 8 the next morning and Ruth wasn't out of the tent until after 10. It was a comfortably cool and breezy morning with no bugs. Our afternoon tour of the area took us to Lady Boot campsite and found that it was occupied. We continued on to the Rock Island Lake portage. It was beautiful. It was 120 rods of rocks, roots, deadfalls, and water. It was challenging but an enjoyable workout for us and the dogs. The afternoon and evening were spent journalling, reading, talking and observing the wilderness from our rocky perch.

I slept till 8 again the next morning, I was really getting into vacation mode. At 10:30 we once again headed for the Lady Boot campsite and found it empty. We left a pack and a chair on shore and rushed back to camp to get the rest of our stuff. Kincaid and his group stopped by having seen us loading up. We talked for a while and invited them for coffee later in the afternoon at our new camp. On the way to Lady Boot we saw people walking on the site. We were very concerned that there would be a confrontation about who's campsite it was. As we neared we could see that there was a red canoe and a green canoe. At this point we were pretty sure it was Kincaid's group. We had coffee on the West rock and visited for a couple hours. It was great to see Kincaid. After they left we got busy making camp comfortable for our 4 day stay. The lean-to tarp was pitched almost perfectly and the tent was placed back in the shade of the forest. Supper was Chicken Delight on the North rock. It took me 7 throws to get the bear bag rope over a tree branch, after that everything went well. The remainder of the evening was spent on the West rock watching the last edge of the of our cloudy weather pull away from the sun and horizon. The low sun manifested many different colors and phenomenon. We saw pink and purple clouds, yellow sky and golden water bouncing the suns rays into our campsite. The water was quiet for the first time in days. The loons were singing good night and the mosquitoes were flying around like minature buzzing vampires. Ruth was enveloped in mosquito netting watching the meteorological drama of our first sunset in a week.

Our fourth day was total relaxation. I read "Deep Survival" and Ruth read "The Shell Seekers." It was a beautiful day with gentle breezes, and small white clouds drifting through a blue sky. Our campsite offered many areas to sit depending on the sun, wind, and temperature. We sat on the North rock in the sun eatting breakfast, while the it's rays warmed the rock after a cool night. In the afternoon we moved to the beach to swim and be cooled by the breeze off the lake. After pizza for supper we watched the sky from the West rock. The sunset was beautiful and the reflection of the last light on the water was a fitting end to a very pleasant day. We spent the last of the evening listening to the Twins lose in 16 innings.

I woke up early and it was a beautiful cool morning with squirrels and birds heralding a new day. Sadie and Chloe were very interested in all the animal life but soon realized that they were uncatchable. Talk radio, polka music, bagels and strong coffee rounded out the morning. We fished while on our way to Dangerous Waters. Didn't have any luck. We had lunch on a rock near the landing. Back at camp Ruth napped in the hammock and I sat on the North rock. For supper we had potatoe soup with mozzarilla cheese and onions mixed in. It was delicious. Ruth ate all the MM's out of the gorp mix for dessert. We listened to the Twins win while we watched another fantastic sunset.

Our plan for this day was to paddle to the Pow Wow trail and hike. By the time we were ready our forecasted "Breeze" had whipped the lake into rows of whitecaps. We decided it was a day for R and R in camp. I fished from the North rock, played cribbage with Ruth, I won, and took a nap. Supper was tuna caserole. We packed away most of our stuff so we could make an early departure hopefully leaving before the winds got strong. We watched our last wilderness sunset and turned in.

We woke up before dawn after a restless night. Our paddle out was good and the breeze wasn't too bad. We met the Forest Service at the landing, it was Don and another ranger. They were on a day trip patrol through Lake One and Two.