Chloe and her friends go to the BWCA

Chloe was the star of the week. Always very enthusiastic, energetic and friendly to everyone. She is skilled at fitting into camp life and loves sitting in anyone's lap. She loved fetching in the water and out. Her only problem was charging after the ball so hard that she sprained her left rear foot. This limited her activity but didn't stop her from enjoying the woods. Pam and Scott found our campsite at about 5 Sunday afternoon. We had paddled 11 miles and did about 350 rods of portaging to get there. It had good rock to sit on near the water. The trees were tall and provided a lot of shade. There was no under brush and very few mosquitoes.

Our trip started with 160 rod portage from the parking lot to the Moose River at 9 am. We paddled in 3 canoes down the Moose River. Pam and Scott in one canoe, Molly and Jenny in another and Jackie paddled bow for me. It was Jackie's first canoe trip. She worked very hard to master the various paddle strokes. She listened to directions and gave the best effort she could. We had lunch on a campsite on Nina Moose Lake where some snakes were spotted. We followed the Moose River north out of Nina Moose Lake crossing 2 portages and several miles of river before we got to Lake Agnes. We then split up and used 2-way radios to coordinate our search for the best site.

While everyone hunted for firewood for the steaks and potatoes I made salads. We were all very worn out from the effort it took to get here but super glad that we found such a nice campsite. After supper the girls made smores which were the perfect sweets to end a great day in the woods. The evening was concluded watching the sunset till the last glowing of the western sky and then watching the stars come out. There was one star in the northern sky that flickered and Jenny said that it was a Pulsar. The lake was perfectly calm and very soothing to the spirit. We felt blessed to have earned such a wonderful piece of realestate.

In the morning Molly helped me make donuts for breakfast. It was a beautiful morning that started in the 40's and warmed up nicely to t-shirt weather. Scott spent the day reading up on the hill. The girls went for a hike. As the day went on a breeze built up. The trees made a loud swooshing sound that was a very mood inspiring in a northwoods way. Pam and Jackie returned and said that the hiking was very rough. They left to paddle over to Molly and Jenny and take them a canoe so they could paddle back. Then they took a paddling tour of our bay and explored an island at the front of the bay. Meanwhile i took a nap full of pleasant dreams. I went for a swim about 4:30. The water was refreshing especially because my tent got very warm towards the end of my nap. Chloe was retrieving a ball like a heat seeking missile. I made some coffee and started getting ready for supper. I also worked on the water filter, it's wrecked. Pumps water but very slowly.

The new day started with planning a trip to Lac La Croix. We also noticed that Chloe's foot was starting to give her trouble. She was fine as long as we didn't let her stress it by playing fetch. As we headed for Lac La Croix we crossed two portages, a 24 and 65. It was 6 1/2 miles to the pictographs. There were hand prints, moose, human figures and other markings. We felt we were a part of the history of the northern wilderness visiting these ancient symbols on a towering cliff in a canoe. We photographed, visited, and left a offering of tobacco on the water. An hour later we were climbing Warrior Hill. It was a misty gray day but the view from the top was huge because we were so high up. The view was an abstract quilt of gray water, light gray rock and green trees made by all the islands and points we could see in every direction. Distant lands were muted by the mist. We took group photos and videos, ate lunch, napped, and absorbed the energy of this magnificent piece of rock that was 200 feet above the water. The wind had become blustery and we were bracing ourselves for a rough ride back to camp. The first crossing of open water was difficult and afterwards we stopped on the lee side of an island to rest. As we paddled towards the first portage out of Lac La Croix the wind let up considerably, but it started to rain more heavily. Hot cocoa was the first thing we made when we got back. Supper was spaghetti and dessert was Cinnamon sugar tortillas. We tried to stay up but the bugs were too bad even with lots of DEET on. It was a great day with everyone really enjoying this wilderness paradise. Chloe was waiting at the tent to go to bed, she had a big day too and I think the mosquitoes were getting her.

I spent the first 2 hours of the morning under the tarp listening to the radio, looking at my photos, and drinking coffee. Everyone got out of their tents about 8:30 and we had bacon and cheese tortillas for breakfast. We also made cinnamon and sugar tortillas as kind of a breakfast dessert. It was a delicious breakfast under the tarp in the rain. Jackie and Pam read in their tents, Molly and Jenny played kings corner under the tarp and Scott read under the tarp too. I took some time to clean and organize my tent and day pack. While in my tent the mattress was so comfortable to sit on i soon found myself in full recline. It felt good to take the pressure off my back but i never did sleep. After supper Jenny and Molly helped wash dishes. The evening cleared and the girls and I went out in the boats. I fished and the girls paddled me around while rafted up. I didn't catch anything but it was great to be out in the sunshine after 36 hours of clouds and rain. It was a beautiful and calm evening. Later we watched silently as Beavers swam past camp. Chloe has come to accept her limitations as far as jumping up and running around camp. We sat on the rock watching dusk turn in to pure darkness with twinkling stars. As usual Chloe was waiting by the tent at bedtime.

Before we paddled down Lake Agnes to head for Nina Moose Lake we had a photo session out on the water. The weather was perfect and we were all excited about travelling again. Jackie has improved her paddling technique greatly and we kept pace with the others very nicely. While on the Moose River we saw Otters playing by some downed trees and spent some time photographing them. We also saw 2 canoes and 2 kayaks pull their boats upstream instead of doing the 96 rod portage. Very interesting, but we covered the same distance on land in less time and with less wear on our boats. We took a lunch break on the beach at the north end of Nina Moose Lake. There we planned our approach to which campsite we wanted for our last night in the north woods. After searching 4 locations we settled on a point on a peninsula in the middle of the lake that had east, west, and south views of the lake. A little rest, a swim, some gorp and a couple cups of coffee and I was revived and ready to cook supper. We had chicken and noodle casserole and more tortillas. It was a beautiful evening and we all reveled in capturing it in our minds and on our digital cameras. Again a couple Beavers paddled by and Jenny and Molly got good photos of them. Soon after the sunset the moon rose and it was an enchanted evening. It was the last night of the last trip of summer 08. Some of the many things we enjoyed seeing and experiencing were: rain, wind, fog, Red Squirrels, Ground Squirrels, sunshine, gentle breezes, long portages, fireflies, short portages, pictographs, leeches, grouse, high hills, mosquitoes, deer, beaver, otter, turtles, loons, baby loons, humming birds, gray jays, frogs, yellow finches, snakes, great horned owls hooting, wolves howling, jumping fish, shooting stars, and Chloe's love distributed evenly among all of us. She has been in everyone's lap at one time or another. She was friendly to everyone even on the portages, even other dogs. She could trot along but had to be lifted over most inclined obstacles. Serenity and peace surrounded us as we sat in the light of a near full moon and a blanket of stars. The thing we all took back with us is the deep quiet of the north woods. We're keeping it in our hearts to get us by until the next time we can return to the Boundary Waters.

The next morning was as beautiful as any and we paddled out basking in the wonderfulness of a BWCA trip but sad that we now had to head back out to a civilized reality.

The Eleventh Choice

We crossed the last portage and arrived at the southern shores of Lac La Croix at 4:30. We had paddled ten miles and portaged 450 rods in 7 1/2 hours. The trip down the Moose River and across Agnes and Nina Moose lakes had gone very smoothly. Brian and Nic went ahead in the Souris River Wilderness 18 and I followed in my Old Town Penobscot 15. We crossed Boulder Bay and Tiger Bay. We passed 7 campsites but found no open sites, one occupied site was my favorite on the lake. Next we headed East and the North along some islands and those sites were taken. We headed Northwest past Warrior Hill. Campsite choices 8,9, & 10 were also taken. We were weary with fatigue and there was no going back because the last sites we saw open were on Agnes Lake. We headed North looking for an open site. There was also a group of 8 following us looking for a campsite and we felt pressure to keep moving. There was one site left on this part of the lake and we headed there. It was our 11th choice, it was beautiful and it was empty. It had a huge flat rock surrounded by water on 3 sides. It was big enough to catch a breeze from any direction. Camp chores were not started right away and when they were done it was at a slow pace. The guys started a fire to grill the steaks and I made salads and potato soup. After dark I braved the mosquitoes and sat on the point for a couple hours in the breeze and fresh air off the lake. The stars were fantastic and the sound of the gentle waves lapping on the rock made the 15 miles we traveled today all worth it.

The next morning began with rain, thunder and lightening at 5am. I started my morning routine at 6. The tarp nearly collapsed in the downpour and I spent a few minutes readjusting it. We had donuts for breakfast and I as the only coffee drinker had a pot of coffee with mine. It was a laid back day of rest. We all caught northerns, the guys got theirs from shore in camp and I was out in the canoe on a nearby point. I also had a bass on the line but he got away because my net wasn't big enough for me to net it. It was a good thrill though. The afternoon was hot so we all swam for a while. The cool water felt great. This was followed by playing cribbage, Nic won but it was a close game. The evening ended with relaxing on the point.

I had a good nights sleep and awoke with hopes of adventure. At 10 am we headed for Warrior Hill. The canoe handled the waves and wind but not without making it difficult for Nic who paddled in the stern. He worked very hard to keep us on track. We climbed the hill and sat at a good place to see south, east and west. We took many pictures of the maze of islands that we had wove our way through Monday while looking for a campsite. We also had lunch and spent some time visiting. 4 others were climbing the hill so we decided it was time to leave. Chloe barked at them for about a minute and then became friends. Next we headed East and then South to the rangers cabin. It was a well crafted example of hand scribed log construction. It also had a log boat house of the same quality. The whole place was a wilderness oasis for rangers. It was a priceless piece of wilderness property. We had lunch at the picnic table out front of the cabin. There were no rangers around although there was evidence someone was staying there. On the way back I paddled stern, with Nic in the bow and Brian riding duff. It was a grind for 2 miles into the wind. When we turned North to go back to camp we were on the lee side of an island and the paddling was twice as easy. We finished off the afternoon swimming, reading, fishing, watching dark clouds with light showers and drinking coffee. Chloe swam and fetched sticks many times. I really like this dog. She's a perfect canoeing buddy.

I had breakfast while watching the sun rise with Chloe. I was slow to pack and the guys were waiting for me. We left camp at 8:15 am. The paddle across Lac La Croix was beautiful. The water was calm and iridescent. I paddled alone for an hour and a half. The guys were just finishing the first portage when I got there. It was 65 rods with a steep hill. The next short portage brought us to Agnes lake. Half way across the lake we stopped and had a refreshing lunch on a shady rock. We finished crossing Agnes and headed South on the Moose River making two portages, a 96 and 70. Between these portages we got stopped by a ranger. He checked our permit and asked a lot of questions. After the last portage the guys went ahead to find a campsite. We used 2-way radios to co-ordinate our search as we did on Lac La Croix. They couldn't find any open campsites and I found one on the west side of Nina Moose Lake. As I headed toward it I noticed another canoe aimed that direction. I turned on the power and we both got there at the same time and one of his people, I realized, were already on the site. But he let us have it. The guys soon returned from the other side of the lake. We made camp but without the pitching the tarp. It had been a hot day so a swim and a quart of water cooled me very well. The evening ended with more sprinkles and thunder.

On our last morning we enjoyed another sunrise breakfast, packed and were on the water before 8. It took a little over 2 hours to paddle and portage the last 3 miles. This trip was a perfect combination of wilderness workout and peaceful relaxation. We paddled a total of 35 miles and 900 rods of portaging. It never rained during the day. Chloe only got away for about 10 minutes before I found her. Brian and Nic were excellent camping friends.