I had a relaxing and restful afternoon in my camp on Lake One. I read, slept, and swam. The swim was really just a quik dip. I didn't want to get chilled to the core in the icy water. Chloe is totally into camp life. She's chased squirrels, taken a short swim, and slept in the sun. There were a few bugs and I had forgotten my bug spray. Camp is spacious for a soloist. There were several good tent sites, lots of good rocks to sit on, an elevated fire grate and shade from perfectly placed trees. There was a gentle breeze that kept away the bugs half of the time. The birds were quiet with no visits by Whiskey Jacks. It was a good afternoon while my I waited for my soul to catch up.
After eatting burned noodles and chicken for supper I picked up camp and went fishing with Chloe. She was kind of nervous at first but settled down after about 20 minutes. I paddled around the big island to the east of camp. I caught a couple rocks but nothing else. It was a great sense of freedom to paddle an empty canoe. I glided effortlessly in the golden glow of the low sun. There were some campers on the south end of the island. They must have come in late last night and couldn't find a legal campsite. It looked very buggy in there. The campers on the island to the south continued to shatter the silence with shouts and screams. Around dusk in camp the Spring Peepers croaked as a large chorus. It was a very cool evening and the bugs disappeared. Chloe was cold and sat by the tent whimpering softly. She always knows when it's time to turn in.
I slept about an hour past sunrise. The best nights sleep I had in a week. As I drank my coffee a wave of well being washed over me. It was so good to be in the woods again. The sky was blue and the breezes were gentle. It was cool until mid-morning and then I put on shorts and sandals. Chloe and I loaded up and headed out for a day trip. We traveled East to the portages that lead to Lake Two. The lake was busy this morning and I had several conversations with other canoeists. At the portage I encountered two canoeists with huge external frame backpacks that didn't fit into their skinny Wenona canoe. The packs rose way above the gunnels and made their canoe very tippy. They portaged these packs while carrying the canoe finlander style. They were both frustrated with the difficulty of this method. I told them Duluth packs are the way to go. On the way back to camp I stopped and fished for a while. I had no luck but it was great to be in the middle of the wilderness surrounded by all the beauty. Just before I got back to camp a flotilla of 10 canoes and kayaks went by. There were 14 people and they were obviously travelling together. They were headed south in front of my camp. A short while later the noisy ones passed by and I mentioned something about too much noise. They were much quieter for the rest of the weekend. Back in camp I had a lunch of cheese, crackers, and coffee. I saw lots of paddlers during the morning but very few in the afternoon. I sat on a shaded rock that faced a quiet bay next to camp. My hope was to see a moose drinking at the waters edge. None appeared but it was like observing a famous painting of the wilderness. Napping, swimming and coffee rounded out the afternoon. After supper I cruised to the south west corner of the lake. Chloe rode in the bow like a queen. Talked to a camper couple that had to drive home tommorrow too. Back in camp it was cool enough that the bugs disappeared and I enjoyed the glowing pine trees across the lake in the suns last rays. As darkness neared I reflected on what a great two days it had been. I had seen Mergansers, Ravens, Sand Pipers, mosquitoes, black flies(I have the wounds to prove it), beavers, loons, kayakers, and canoeists. For most of the weekend I had background music provided by frogs, birds and the breeze in the trees. I've enjoyed the wonderfulness of a complete attitude adjustment facilitated by the surrounding paradise. Loons are calling goodnight from a distant part of the lake. Paddling out in the morning was delight, not because I was leaving but because it was so invigorating. There were many paddleing in the early morning light. We passed under an Eagle perched in a dead tree. He watched us without taking flight or flinching. Everyone was respectfully quiet and softspoken while we absorbed our last minutes in the wilderness.
After eatting burned noodles and chicken for supper I picked up camp and went fishing with Chloe. She was kind of nervous at first but settled down after about 20 minutes. I paddled around the big island to the east of camp. I caught a couple rocks but nothing else. It was a great sense of freedom to paddle an empty canoe. I glided effortlessly in the golden glow of the low sun. There were some campers on the south end of the island. They must have come in late last night and couldn't find a legal campsite. It looked very buggy in there. The campers on the island to the south continued to shatter the silence with shouts and screams. Around dusk in camp the Spring Peepers croaked as a large chorus. It was a very cool evening and the bugs disappeared. Chloe was cold and sat by the tent whimpering softly. She always knows when it's time to turn in.
I slept about an hour past sunrise. The best nights sleep I had in a week. As I drank my coffee a wave of well being washed over me. It was so good to be in the woods again. The sky was blue and the breezes were gentle. It was cool until mid-morning and then I put on shorts and sandals. Chloe and I loaded up and headed out for a day trip. We traveled East to the portages that lead to Lake Two. The lake was busy this morning and I had several conversations with other canoeists. At the portage I encountered two canoeists with huge external frame backpacks that didn't fit into their skinny Wenona canoe. The packs rose way above the gunnels and made their canoe very tippy. They portaged these packs while carrying the canoe finlander style. They were both frustrated with the difficulty of this method. I told them Duluth packs are the way to go. On the way back to camp I stopped and fished for a while. I had no luck but it was great to be in the middle of the wilderness surrounded by all the beauty. Just before I got back to camp a flotilla of 10 canoes and kayaks went by. There were 14 people and they were obviously travelling together. They were headed south in front of my camp. A short while later the noisy ones passed by and I mentioned something about too much noise. They were much quieter for the rest of the weekend. Back in camp I had a lunch of cheese, crackers, and coffee. I saw lots of paddlers during the morning but very few in the afternoon. I sat on a shaded rock that faced a quiet bay next to camp. My hope was to see a moose drinking at the waters edge. None appeared but it was like observing a famous painting of the wilderness. Napping, swimming and coffee rounded out the afternoon. After supper I cruised to the south west corner of the lake. Chloe rode in the bow like a queen. Talked to a camper couple that had to drive home tommorrow too. Back in camp it was cool enough that the bugs disappeared and I enjoyed the glowing pine trees across the lake in the suns last rays. As darkness neared I reflected on what a great two days it had been. I had seen Mergansers, Ravens, Sand Pipers, mosquitoes, black flies(I have the wounds to prove it), beavers, loons, kayakers, and canoeists. For most of the weekend I had background music provided by frogs, birds and the breeze in the trees. I've enjoyed the wonderfulness of a complete attitude adjustment facilitated by the surrounding paradise. Loons are calling goodnight from a distant part of the lake. Paddling out in the morning was delight, not because I was leaving but because it was so invigorating. There were many paddleing in the early morning light. We passed under an Eagle perched in a dead tree. He watched us without taking flight or flinching. Everyone was respectfully quiet and softspoken while we absorbed our last minutes in the wilderness.
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