I've lost
I have made 17- 20 trips to the Quetico. My first with the scouts when I was 14.
I'm getting too old to carry a pack and canoe on the portages. (64 with Parkinson's and back problems) So we took a different approach and set up a base camp on the big rock on Brent.,
There were 7 of us, so I paddled solo. I managed to keep up fairly well the first day and the crew did not mind
waiting because they could fish. I think somebody caught fish in every lake.
We camped on Side lake. The next day I took my time and fished my way to Brent. When I hit Brent, I caught 3 smallmouth one decent right away. Then came one of the longest loudest peels of thunder ever. The wind was behind me and the storm to the north, so I kept fishing but caught nothing, then the wind stopped, shifted to in my face and blew hard, I was going to get wet. So, I kept fishing, but caught nothing. I headed into the wind with a driving rain and increasing waves. Grinning from ear to ear. The rain stopped, the sun came out and the wind slowed, a little and I was dry by the time I got to camp.
We caught lots of smallmouths and pike and a couple walleye. The stars were great, the weather was great, the crew was great. The Quetico was super-marvelous.
One day I may only take one portage, but I was thinking this was going to be my last trip until I paddled Burke alone, took the pack and canoe across the Portage to Bailey Bay and proved I can still do it on easy portages. Falling is more frequent on the hard ones. Planning a 16 day trip next year. Anybody want to carry my canoe.
