The Kawishiwi Triangle with Dan. 6,21,2011

  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.