This trip was my fourth solo canoeing adventure. The forecast indicated a variety of weather with colder temperatures. I spent the first night in the back of my truck at the parking lot and the wind blew constantly. It rained some and there was a little slush but not quite snow. The paddle, despite the windy and wet weather, was very enjoyable and I was grateful I packed the appropriate gear. I made it to the last campsite on Cross Bay in good time and set up a bomb-proof camp. It has become a habit to take nap when I first arrive to camp on my solo trips (continued from my habit of napping in the woods out west when I go hunting). After a simple lunch I followed the trails around camp and did some fishing from shore, without any luck, but observed several pileated woodpeckers - large, beautiful birds with a chant-like call. I must have seen a half dozen of them and they seemed to be loosely hanging out together. I ended up spending over two hours following them around trying to get a decent photo! It was then time to read and I brought two books and ended up finishing both of them during the week. I brought the candle lantern my dad gave me and read into the evening - it gets dark so early in the fall. It snowed a little that night and the wind blew quite a bit but I stayed plenty warm and dry.
The next morning I enjoyed a delicious breakfast with pancakes and hot cocoa and then set out to see Rib Lake and Snipe Lake. THe paddles and short hikes were enjoyable and I returned to camp for a nap and some reading. I also wrote a lot in my journal reflecting on my roll as a husband and father. I missed my family and was grateful they blessed my desire to go camping. I chopped firewood for a couple of hours and enjoyed a very nice fire that evening before turning in to read.
Wednesday morning was also cold and foggy but a warm bowl of oatmeal with a special treat of fresh berries kept me toasty. The woodpeckers were back for about an hour that morning too. I wandered through the woods taking photos and generally pondering my appreciation for the wilderness. I heard a few gunshots (grouse season?) in the distance but other than that and the occasional jet I heard no human sounds other than my own. Another nap and some more reading and writing kept me busy and I didn't even paddle the canoe. That night was extremely interesting. I woke up at about 1 am to some "wrestling" sounds in the woods. After listening for several minutes I thought I heard my double paddle clink against itself so I got the bear spray, my flashlight, and got out of the tent. Lo and behold it was a beaver! He was trying to drag my wooden paddle off but it had become stuck because I had used a niteize to wrap the paddles together. The beaver scared off easily and I put the paddles on the first branches of a tree. An hour later I heard more rummaging around and a few snorts but decided I wasn't going to bother with the beaver again. Well, the next morning there was a large bear poop halfway between camp and the latrine! The bear pushed around my bear vault but nothing was damaged. I'm grateful everything turned out okay.
Thursday morning I decided to head home because I didn't want to miss my daughter being on the homecoming court at the Friday night football game. It was a quiet and simple trip out until the last portage landing. I put the first portage pack in the canoe leaning against the far side. Being in too much of a hurry, I stepped down from a high rock instead of working my way closer to the canoe. Yep, I stepped too far off-center and went right into the water. It was frigid but I wasn't hurt and didn't lose any gear. Waist deep in water with a canoe half full of water is no fun and a good reminder to slow down. I emptied the canoe, repacked, and paddled the final stretch without incident.
I was grateful for a good trip - solitude, positive wildlife encounters, beautiful scenery, safety, a chance to recharge, and a renewed commitment to being a good husband and father. That's what the wilderness does for me.
