The Bill Club

After a very easy paddle through a couple snow showers and a half hour of making camp we all sat down for lunch. There were 7 of us, 2 of which arrived on the previous day. We decided to form the "Bill Club". Three of us were named Bill, there was Bill Pfohl, Bill Bremer and me. The other 4, Doug, Mel, Mark, and Brian were inducted as honorary members. We were an experienced group of canoeist, fisherman, and campers. Between us we had 200 years of life in the woods. We shared many tales of adventure. While I was finishing my lunch Bill Bremer went to the eastern rock to fish. He returned with 2 huge lake trout. Mel had also caught one before the Bill Club arrived. At 2 pm everyone went paddling and fishing. Bill B. and I paddled past the rock he caught his first 2 fish. Not having any luck we continued trolling around the eastern bay. Bremer liked fishing from shore so we tried a couple rocky outcroppings. On the second one he pulled in a third huge Lake Trout. We trolled and casted our way back to camp with no further luck. Back in camp I made coffee and enjoyed visiting with everyone as they returned from their excursions out on Seagull Lake. Copious amounts of firewood was hauled out of the forest and fed to a hungry fire. At 8pm the four fish were laced with sweet onions and creamy italian dressing, wrapped in tin foil and placed on a bed of coals. They roasted for an hour and were devoured within minutes. Supremely delicious. The fire was stoked and we spent the next hour absorbing it's warmth. Soon everyone called it a day well done and all went to bed except me. Gentle waves lapped at the sand beach where the canoes were pulled up. Crickets and Spring Peepers provided background melodies. All is well.

I woke up late to the sound of 6 fishermen anxious to hit the water. Finally I offered to stay back and let the other 2 Bills fish together. I did my morning chores and made a pot of coffee. The sky was blue with a light breeze from the south. Camp was very quiet with only the sound of the lake. Gray Jays were flitting around looking for morsels of food and the campfire was still smoldering from the breakfast fire. I could see the bright sun filtered by the upper most branches of a huge white pine. White Throated Sparrows were singing mood altering sonatas and 2 Loons were floating in the bay 30 feet from shore. The serenity of Seagull Lake was filling the empty places in my soul with beauty, peace and contentment. The warmth of the sun was very comforting. When Bremer and Pfohl returned they collaborated on a macaroni, pea, tuna and onion extravaganza. It was delicious and to top it off Bremer shared some of his homemade monster cookies. Starbucks Sumatra coffee provided the liquid refreshment. Shortly after this everyone was fishing the shore East and West of camp. The thermometer said less than 50 but it felt much warmer. It was a wonderfull afternoon. Bill P. and I fished for a couple hours later in the afternoon. We trolled, in a medium breeze, the bays to the West of camp. While crossing a point I got a tap on my line. We turned around and crossed it again and this time an inland lake shark (Northern) took the bait. It was my first fish of the weekend and he put up a good fight. I was now a contributing member of our hunter/gatherer society known as the "Bill Club". We trolled towards camp in the sunshine and breeze. When we got there the evening fire had already been stoked. Coop fried the fish, I made noodles with Pioneer Sauce and Doug served jambalaya. Bill P. pre-cleaned the fry pans, Mel washed dishes and Brian dried. Around the campfire Bill P. shared many Ole and Lena jokes. The rest of us shared experiences from our many years in the woods. It was so good hanging out in the woods with this group that I can't wait till next year when I'm retired and can spend more than 3 days in the woods for opener. The fishing, cooking and camping with this group of experienced outdoorsmen was great.

We all got up together and had conversations on a variety of topics while eatting breakfast. The funniest was when they were teasing me about my hat. It has a nylon exterior with a Goretex laminate and a fleece lining. The brim is like a baseball cap only a little smaller. Cooper said I look like a Conehead from Saturday Night Live. Bremer said he had a brown one just like it but never wore it. He went on to say that he gave it to the Salvation Army and they gave it back. Then he tried to give it to a homeless man in St. Paul and he refused it. Somebody said I looked like Homer Simpson. I've included a photo of the hat so you'll have to be the judge. I think they all have hat envy. The morning continued with more merriment. Mel and Doug left for civilization around 12pm. The sky was mostly blue and there were light breezes. It didn't warm up much until afternoon. Coop and Pfohl went fishing for a couple hours and came back with a trout. While everyone was napping I refamiliarized myself with my GPS. As the afternoon warmed up I decided to take a splash in the lake. The water was hypothermic so I didn't completely submerge. I lathered up on shore and rinsed with a bucket so as not to get soap in the lake. This totally energized me. Bremer actually took a swim and felt that I gave him a great idea. Supper was garlic mashed potatoes and tuna. It was very good but I think mostly because I was starving. I put away a lot of stuff and pre-organized my equipment for an efficient pack up in the morning. The tarp was left up so everything would stay dry and so that we would have a place to eat breakfast if it was raining. BP and I went fishing at 6pm and it was my first time in a boat that day. I was very glad to be on the water. It was still breezy but sunny. We made it around the bays to the west of camp and then some. After several snags and no fish we headed back to camp. As we neared the shore we could see Coop sitting in a chair with a line out and a cup of wine. He looked very content sitting at the waters edge. It was a 5 star May evening. I climbed the rock next to camp and spent an hour absorbing the sun's last rays and listening to the lake below. From my vantage point I could see all four directions. To the North and West was the forest roof, to the South and East was the island studded lake. The evening birds were calling back and forth. I am overwhelmed by the unique gift the Boundary Waters has to offer the human species.

It rained in the early morning hours and a couple times on the way out. I am looking forward to many more trips like this in the coming years.