This would be our first trip of the 2014 paddling season. Along with the customary enthusiasm that accompanies the planning of such an adventure, our eager anticipation was further heightened by a few other noteworthy occurrences.
Naturally we had an array of new gear items that we were excited to field test. Besides an assortment of outer wear for our daughter Aurora, Vickie had used her REI dividend for a new canoe seat (her old one passed down to Aurora). And, I stumbled across a great deal on a set of Motorola walkie talkie/weather radios during a recent visit to Radio Shack.
In preparation for the upcoming canoe camping season, we’d also spent the late winter/early spring dehydrating several pounds of hamburger as well as multiple vegetable combinations.
More significantly, last spring our traditional May trip was cancelled due to the passing of Vickie’s mother. So, consequently, we completely missed out on the annual rejuvenating splendor of canoe country ‘springing’ to life. Secondly, (on a more upbeat note) in an effort to most comfortably accommodate our growing daughter, we used our tax return to purchase a three seat Souris River Quetico 18.5 from Piragis Northwoods Company earlier this spring. And, this would actually be our first opportunity to paddle our new (to us) used canoe.
Of course we were most anxious to see how our (nearly 3 year old) daughter would conduct herself in her very own seat, without Mommy being right there to rein her in. So we chose a route that would, by and large, circumvent big water. Our base camp set up on Jack lake, along the Temperance river flowage, afforded us multiple excellent day trip opportunities, while minimizing the probability of having to cross large expanses of open water with a potentially restless & mobile child.
DAY ONE MAY 23,2014
Last night, we made it up to Sawbill Outfitter’s in time to secure our permit. Furthermore, we had spent the evening at the small Baker Lake campground, which provided us a substantial advantage for getting an early start this morning.As forecasted, it was shaping up to be a gorgeous day. Since this was our first trip with our new canoe, initially we had a minor quandary trying to figure out how to best load the packs & gear. Vickie quickly devised a viable solution with Aurora sitting facing Daddy. Almost straight away, she was riding at ease in the lap of luxury.
As we approached our first portage, there were 2 sets of mergansers patrolling the pool where the rapids wash out into Baker Lake. This is a short, very easy portage. So, even though the water was high, we gave no thought to lining or walking the canoe up these rapids.
There were several ‘fallen soldiers’ from the ’99 storm along this trail. We stopped to pay homage to some of these impressive old sentinels of the forest.
The end of the portage put us back on the water precariously close to the head of the rapids. We walked the canoe up river a ways to forestall any chance of getting sucked back down the whitewater chute. Even having taken this precaution, with the water levels being so high, we struggled against the current in a couple of spots further up river, but, eventually made it through to Peterson Lake.
The 3 rod portage between Peterson & Kelly lakes wasn’t even necessary. In fact, if I hadn’t been through the area before, I might not have even known we paddled right over it.
Once out on the lake, there was a gregarious pair of loons greeting us. Aurora was fascinated with her new diving feathered friends, trying to guess where they might pop up again, so we lingered awhile before moving on. Our tentative plan was to try & get the campsite near the Jack lake portage. Still, we traced the eastern shoreline to give the campsites there a cursory examination and determine availability if we needed to backtrack.
All the southernmost sites on Kelly Lake were open. So we paddled on with reassured confidence knowing we could claim one of these campsites by retracing our route if needed. As we entered the narrows, unmistakable evidence of the ’99 windstorm was still perceptible along the high hillsides. As fate would have it, the site near the Jack Lake portage was occupied. Since we’d gotten such an early start and had made good progress thus far, a quick decision to continue pushing north was agreed upon.
The 72 rod portage into Jack starts out as a rocky jumble. Eventually the frequency of annoying protruding rocks dwindles and the trail becomes a very nice walk in the woods, complete with a substantial length of boardwalk near the end.
This would be the first real portage (the very short Baker ~ Peterson portage not withstanding) where we would let Aurora go somewhat on her own. She had her own backpack, which she was determined to carry. Vickie also attached some bells to her so we could always hear where she was if she ever got too far ahead.
She did stumble and trip once on the boardwalk, but, for the most part she did an exemplary job of negotiating the portage. And showed no inclination to wander off the trail or get too far ahead, or behind, whomever she started crossing the trail with. Our Little Miss Independent!
Just west, off of the Jack Lake landing is a semblance of a trail leading back to the Jack Lake Mine. Since it was still quite early in the day, we felt compelled to explore.
It was probably about 50 yards back in the woods from the portage landing on Jack Lake. In fact, with the leaves not yet fully filled in, Jack Lake was just barely visible from the entrance to the mine.
In her book, ‘Sawbill’, Mary Alice Hanson identifies the person who dug the mine as local silver prospector Bill Plouff. He was the youngest son of the Plouff family. (The small creek that crosses the Sawbill Trail was named after this family.) Having a cabin on Kelly Lake, he also served as a local guide to fishermen in this area during the 20’s & 30’s. Obviously he never hit pay dirt, and the mine was abandoned. There are, however, several rusty artifacts left behind in and around the mine.
This was also an incredibly cool spot to explore in the literal sense. There was still some snow and ice inside and near the entrance, so the cave interior served as a great place to take reprieve from the intensifying heat of the day.
Back out on Jack Lake we ran across another canoe trying to negotiate (what appeared to be) a washed out beaver dam at the southern pinch point on the lake. We were able to paddle right over without any issues, and exchanged greetings with the Father/Son tandem who also kindly informed us that both sites on Jack were vacant.
Once past the pinch point, the lake opened up to reveal multiple shoreline rock formations, as well as a few small islands and less densely forested areas. This was a beautiful contrast to the thickly forested shorelines of the preceding chain of lakes we’d just paddled through.
On the map, the peninsula site looked inviting. Although, once there, Vickie didn’t like the looks of the southern landing, so we paddled around to the northern side with hopes of a more accommodating access. Those hopes were soon dashed, so we returned to the south side & climbed out for a closer inspection.
A stone staircase led the way up to an elevated large grassy site providing somewhat obstructed vistas to the north & south (where there were a few small islands). The fire grate was situated facing west, which didn’t afford a view of the lake. But, overall, we felt it was an above average site and, more importantly, we knew we wouldn’t do any better unless we committed to traveling all the way to South Temperance Lake.
As we began setting up camp, it was our good fortune to find a fuzzy little caterpillar crawling through the grassy jungle floor of camp. This provided just enough of a diversion to keep Aurora occupied while I got busy setting up the tarp & hammocks, and Vickie went about getting the tent setup and situated.
Once camp was up, it was still too early for supper. So, while I snuck away to the hammock, Vickie took Aurora out to explore the perimeter of the campsite. Prior to departing, Aurora had found a perfect walking stick down by the landing to aide her in this endeavor. Of course, donning her backpack was an essential requirement for embarking on such an adventure as well.
There was a pleasant cooling breeze recurrently easing its way through camp as I lay in the hammock - half conscious, lost in relaxing, hopeful thoughts on how the remainder of the trip might go. Sometime later, I was fully aroused when Vickie informed me that Aurora had something she needed to show me. In their exploration of the lakeshore areas just outside of camp, they had stumbled across an old moose skull which Aurora was now proudly displaying. Quite naturally photographs were taken……. MANY photographs! As this would become a daily, and nightly, ritual for the remainder of the trip. Pushing the capacity limits on our memory cards to new all-time highs.
It was now nearing supper time. So I crawled out of the hammock and got a fire started. While waiting for a nice bed of coals to materialize, I processed some more firewood. Under the shady sanctuary of the CCS tarp, Aurora contentedly entertained herself while Vickie prepared the potatoes to delectably complement our rib eye steaks.
After supper, with satisfyingly full bellies, we lounged under the tarp totally absorbing the languid pleasures that only canoe country can provide. I might also add that this was done in a bug free environment. Things had gone well, and it had been a very good day. So, hitting the sacks with redoubled optimism, we fell fast asleep looking forward to more of the same tomorrow.
DAY TWO MAY 24,2014
Another brilliant morning! We all slept in a little, simply because we could. Vickie finally crawled out first to get her coffee going, while I stayed in the tent to wait for Aurora to wake up.
It was scrambled eggs & bacon for breakfast. Vickie spiced up the eggs with some dehydrated peppers & mushrooms and I cut up part of an onion too. Meanwhile, Aurora had oatmeal & hot chocolate.
Most of the deciduous trees & plants were just beginning to sprout their green foliage, so it made for a largely barren landscape in some areas. Still, there were some small vestiges of life showing through - if a person just looked close enough.
After the breakfast dishes were done, we started preparations for our day trip. Once we were loaded up, we set course to check out the big rockslide on Brule Lake.
We paddled north towards the 12 rod Weird Lake portage. The start of this portage began at the base of a very scenic set of rapids. There was an enormous boulder out in the middle of the river, which reminded me of an intriguingly similar scene on the route to Malberg Lake.
Looking at my Voyageur map, I couldn’t help but notice that both boulders were practically on the same longitudinal plane. Don’t know what -or even if there is any-significance that could be derived from this fact. I just felt it was a strangely curious set of circumstances.
Beyond the huge boulder, the entirety of this portage is quite picturesque. Closer to the Weird lake end there is a little granite island crowned with a mature jack pine that has chutes of whitewater on either flank perpetually generating a root beer hued foam. This hydraulic panorama was undoubtedly enhanced by the high water of the season.
Shortly after we put back on the water, we paddled past the currently vacant Weird Lake campsite. Since the channel was very narrow here, it was impossible to miss. From the lake it didn’t look as bad as we’d heard. If we had time, we’d check it out closer on our return trip back to camp.
As we rounded the corner into the main body of the lake, abundant waterfowl were milling about the waters, as well as a number of painted turtles care freely basking on the exposed shoreline rocks.
There is a nice landing for the 57 rod portage. The trail slowly climbs across a somewhat rocky path. The river had breached the trail in a few section & we had to occasionally trudge through ankle to calf deep water. Once again the put in was quite close to the head of the rapids, but we were able to press on without incident.
The Temperance River has a few zigs and zags in this section before the next portage. It is also a maddening area from a map reading perspective. While I do prefer Voyageur Maps, at this point in the trip there is a need to switch from map 8 to 9. It should be noted that navigation through this area was obvious and quite easy, so having a map open at all times isn’t an absolute necessity. Although, both Vickie & I always like to follow along as we go, not only to maintain our bearings, but, to aide in determining what type of terrain will be encountering etc.
With that in mind, we were now passing through a very marshy area immediately south of the 226 rod portage into South Temperance Lake. As the canoe nosed its way around another sharp bend in the river, Vickie motioned to keep quiet & still. There was a cow moose browsing along the shoreline! Apparently those instructions were impossible for Aurora to follow, as she could neither sit still nor keep quiet. Before we could get a really good look, the cow slowly retreated into the underbrush then trotted up the hill and out of site. Lesson learned.
Still, we hit the portage grateful for the few moments we did get.
I grabbed the canoe and led the way across the portage. As with every portage along the Temperance River Flowage, the trail was once again located on the western side. This one gradually climbs on its way to South Temperance Lake. As an added bonus, there are a few minor ups & downs with rocky sections too. Once again there were also some flooded areas but, for the most part, it was a well worn, wide open trail. Wearing my canoe helmet, the sun was really starting to make its presence known. As I continued on, the aromatic indulgence of pine served to reinvigorate me. I wasn’t sure if my sense of smell was heightened due to the partial loss of vision while under the canoe or if the scent really was that pungent. Never the less, it made for a great walk in the woods. Once across, I went back to give Vickie a hand with the remainder of the trek. Aurora did a fantastic job too! She needed to be carried across some of the sections where the water was nearly knee deep, but, otherwise she was ‘gung ho’ to get across on her own.
A quick snack and we were back on the water. South Temperance isn’t the biggest body of water we’ve ever crossed. But, it was the first lake that we paddled on this trip that didn’t have a distinctly river like feel to it, so it felt a lot more expansive than it actually was.
Besides the windstorm of ’99, there was also a fire here in ’96. The lakeshore has recovered nicely from both events, yet there is still clear evidence of both that can be readily observed.
Also, we paddled past and exchanged greetings with a friendly lone fisherman at the southern most camp site on our way to the 10 rod Brule Lake portage.
This portage also started at the base of some full rapids. The only dry sections were the landings on either end. Daddy wound up carrying Aurora across this very rocky portage.
Our hopeful destination was the camp site in the narrows on the large island just south of Headlight Lake. The last time I paddled through this part of Brule, we had a cow moose hop into the lake and swim in between our canoes. No such luck this time, but our desired campsite was open.
There was a large rusty chain bolted to a protruding boulder near the southwestern entrance of the narrows that this camp site is located in. Furthermore, besides the obvious tent pads near the fire grate, there were several expansive open areas just back from the main site area. I surmised that this might have been the location of a logging camp or something of that nature. Regardless of the accuracy of this thinking, it made for great easy exploration.
There was a neat little finger of shallow water for Aurora to play in while Vickie prepared our chicken alfredo lunch. Per usual, Vickie & Aurora also scoured the area for neat or interesting rocks while I lounged in the shade on the little log bench just off of the fire grate.
After lunch we paddled the short distance over to the awesome Brule Lake rockslide.
Coming from the low lying, swampy lakes the way we did made this escarpment all the more striking. Some 15 years after the fact, this bay also still exhibits clear evidence of the '99 windstorm.
We landed in the shadows of these towering cliffs and climbed out into a lovely grove of cedar trees. The portage to Wench Lake is also located in this very spot. So, while Vickie & Aurora explored the rock slide, I decided to hike that trail.
Essentially, the exceedingly rocky trail follows a very small creek all the way up. While steep, the gradient wasn’t nearly as severe as most other dead end brook trout lakes in the Gunflint region. And, there was a nice opening to fish from shore if one were to travel up sans canoe. There was also a smaller continuation of the rock slide along the north shore.
Later, reunited with Vickie & Aurora at the bottom of the rock slide, we explored some more and took some photographs in this very neat area.
I was hoping to fish a little but, it was getting late & the wind was beginning to pick up. As we pushed off we could see some whitecaps crashing into the shoreline rocks out near the main body of the lake. The wind was coming out of the south, so we were quickly able to hide & play hopscotch in the wake of the scattering of small islands before reaching a more permanent windbreak behind the large elongated island. It never got too serious, although we later looked upon this situation with extreme satisfaction that our Souris River canoe more than proved its worth and stability in these, less than ideal, conditions. Aurora was oblivious, as she went asleep right in her seat as we traveled back towards camp in the swiftly pacifying waters.
By the time we finished the portage out of South Temperance, the sun was hanging low providing a soft illuminating glow on the eastern shorelines and horizons. When conditions are optimal like this, with intermittent beams of sunlight contrasting brilliantly with the shadows of the forest, it makes for my most preferred time of day to be on the water.
As we paddle through this marshy area, the cacophony of frogs was absolutely deafening. I cautioned Vickie that we need to ‘stick’ the landing for the portage to Weird. The rapids just below were pushing class III, and wouldn’t be very forgiving of any misstep. We approached very slowly, near shore and were thankfully able to hop out without any difficulty.
Once back on Weird, the waterfowl and turtles were still out and about, and we discovered the camp site was now occupied. As we passed by I noticed the familiar orange & black bwca.com sticker affixed to the canoe. It was SDEBOL and partner. We exchanged friendly greetings and quickly chatted as we paddled by. In these situations, I’m never sure if I should linger and talk some more or if I should paddle on because I’ve already said too much?
Back in camp we discover my collapsible little green cooler has ‘given up the ghost’, and the remainder of our fresh meat is mostly thawed out. So, it’s breakfast sausage & bagels for supper this evening. Hopefully our remaining bacon will hold until morning.
While Vickie enjoys an after supper cup of coffee, Aurora & I hang out in the hammock and marvel at the various sights and sounds of the evening.
Afterwards, as Auroras’ reward for being such a trooper today, I get a fire going in anticipation of indulging in a long standing camping ritual. Graham crackers, marshmallows & Hershey bars are dug out and, in no time, we are all besmeared with our scrumptious oozing delicacy. The all-time best bed time snack ever!
DAY THREE MAY 25,2014
Much to Auroras’ enjoyment and amazement, our campsite appears to be a virtual refuge for wildlife. Chipmunks, squirrels & mice were all frequently about as well as countless birds, including whiskey jacks, and even a hummingbird. But, without a doubt, the two bunny rabbits (that seemed tame, and must’ve had a burrow very nearby) stole the show and really tickled her fancy.
We were able to use up the last of our bacon without ill effects this morning. I realize that there is shelf stable bacon available at most grocery stores and, besides being far more convenient & light weight, it is actually quite good. But, in the spirit of Henry David Thoreau, I too go to the woods because I want to live deliberately. For me bringing fresh bacon is more than just having very tasty table fare. The whole process of cooking it excites the senses. (which are obviously heightened in a wilderness setting) With respects to wilderness camping - the sights, sounds and smells of sizzling pork are every bit, if not more, important to me than tasting it. So, while in one sense it may be perceived as unnecessary weight and inconvenience, I’m not quite ready to completely sacrifice the multi-faceted ethereal contentment real bacon provides.
Since we headed north yesterday, today we would travel south to the fire lakes. Before we headed out, Vickie had the foresight to put the hamburger in a nalgene to start the re-hydration process so it would be ready when we pulled over for lunch.
Aurora continued to impress. She tore off up the Burnt Lake portage before we could even get the canoe unloaded. Once we reined her in, and got her backpack on, she fell into line. The pattern we’d settled into was that I’d take the canoe & my paddle across then return to meet Vickie & Aurora wherever they were on the trail and give a hand if/where needed. Then we’d let Aurora lead the way and tell her to go find the canoe. This routine set the table for some of my most cherished memories of the trip. On those occasions, upon our reunion on the trail, seeing Aurora’s face absolutely light up as she exclaimed, “There’s Daddy!” was an unforgettable extra special treat.
Much of this trail was wet and had intermittent small little rivulets cascading down the various inclines. Still, I didn’t think any of the hills were on par with north/south orientated trails found in the Gunflint region. Don’t get me wrong, this is one of the tougher portages you’ll encounter in the BWCA, I just didn’t think it came close to deserving the 10 (most difficult) rating that the Pauley book gives it. Of course, it should be noted that we didn’t do this one fully loaded either.
After a short break, we pushed off. Burnt Lake had a distinctly different feel than the lakes along the Temperance River flowage. Much as South Temperance Lake was yesterday, it is also a larger body of water. But, more to the point, there was an added deciduous feel to the surrounding forest as the aspens atop the hills were just starting to fill in, creating an almost lime green backdrop. The islands and overall layout created an exceptional ambiance. And if that weren’t enough, Vickie noticed a bald eagle circling high above the lake gradually descending until it finally swooped down and scooped up a fish with its talons. What an amazing spectacle!
We paddled over to the vacant island campsite near the entrance to the southern bay. It had a very nice landing and was canopied by some large white pines. This was a very nice camp, but, in my opinion, there were a couple things that kept it from being a true 5 star. First off, even though it had an excellent view from the landing, the fire grate was facing directly into a small boggy area. And secondly, with the fire grate being that close to said boggy area it was all but a certainty that this site would be extremely buggy. And, to emphasize that point, we encountered our first mosquitos of the trip. Fortunately it was still early in the season & our permethrined clothing performed as advertised.
There were trails extending all over the island and, since the water was very high, there was a nice shallow section that was perfect for Aurora to play in. She found a few snails and watched & splashed the water bugs while lunch was being prepared.
While we enjoyed our lunch, we noted Burnt Lake was abuzz with several other parties out on the lake. Early this morning, our weather radio had also warned that the winds would pick up in the late afternoon. After some brief exploration of Burnt Lake, seeing this scenario beginning to play out before our eyes induced us to curtail our explorations of the fire lakes and start heading back to camp.
Aurora seemed to take pleasure in each aspect of canoe travel, once again impressing us with her stamina and eagerness. During a break near the Kelly Lake landing, Vickie came across an old pull tab Coke can back in the woods. It was by no means in pristine condition, but was still an interesting find.
The wind was causing some minor wave action out on the lake as we paddled back to camp. But, mainly it served to keep us cool from the heat of the midday sun.
Not wanting to dip water from these shallow lakes, our water bottles were near dry by the time we returned to camp. Upon returning, we discovered the water reserve in our Sawyer water filter system had been baking in the sun all day and was quite warm. Since the lake water was still only 8-10 days removed from ice out, we plopped our now refilled nalgenes into the frigid lake to cool while we unpacked.
As wet footers, naturally one of the first things we like to do upon returning to camp is to put on a dry pair of socks. Our little voyageur had spent most of her day in the water, so the prune like feet shouldn’t have come as such a surprise when we finally peeled her socks off.
Having melted into our chairs with that good kind of tired & sore feeling of a day well spent, while we were all enjoying a relaxing cup of hot cocoa before bedtime, Aurora absolutely floored both of us by using the most demanding/commanding tone of voice a nearly 3 year old girl could muster saying, “I DON’T WANT TO GO TO BED! I WANT TO GO EXPLORING!!!!” In our efforts to expose our child to the wonderment of wilderness, we may have inadvertently created an inexhaustible monster!
Once we thoroughly explained the situation, and informed her that tomorrow would be another day of new adventures, she calmed down. We listened intently to her version to the events of the day and how much fun she’d had. If there was any question to the acceptance of these as gospel truth, all you had to do was look at the smile lighting up her face to confirm any doubts.
DAY FOUR MAY 26,2014
Some light rain fell very early this morning for about an hour or so, but thankfully it finished up before sunrise. Things were wet once we got up, but it appeared the clouds were slowly beginning to break up. So much so, that as we finished breakfast & checked the weather radio, we were confident enough to head out for another paddle today.
Since we planned on heading out tomorrow, we decided to take it a bit easier today and just explore Jack Lake.
First we stopped in to check out the other campsite on the lake. All of the maps we had along show it to be at the NE point just as the lake narrows. This was wrong. The correct location was in the middle of the small bay just south of those narrows on the eastern shore. The landing was somewhat rocky with a fire grate that was close to the lake but, didn’t really provide much of a view. There was a large flat area that would accommodate 2-3 tents and the nearby woods were open enough to allow for exploration. Being so close to the water in a low lying boggy area like this, were obvious indicators that this site clearly possessed all the necessary criteria for serious bug problems once things warmed up a bit.
That said, there were still some interesting things to be seen, including a curious pumpkin like fungus that caught Vickie’s eye.
Next we paddled further north towards the Weird lake portage. As we entered the section where the lake opened up just before the portage, Vickie caught a glimpse of something large in the distance. This time Aurora kept her cool, as we stealthily closed the gap between us and the Bull Moose browsing on swamp weeds. Its velvet antlers hadn’t fully formed yet, and, fortuitously, he didn’t rush off as we approached. Aurora sat quietly fascinated, while her Daddy couldn’t believe our good fortune & was very thankful for this rare second chance.
Ultimately the bull ambled off and we proceeded on to the portage.
Once again this portage was home to a plethora of little blue winged moths (not sure???) that Aurora found alluring. When she tired of chasing these, she joined Vickie in her search for neat rocks. Eventually Aurora took the rock searching up a notch & began pitching them into to the river, watching them flutter in the current until they finally came to rest on the bottom. Meanwhile, I kept an eye on Aurora while absorbing the wonderful wilderness atmosphere this portage affords.
Shortly after loading up and heading back south, Aurora began to sway a bit. She was “so tired” and needed to take a nap. So, we pulled off and set her on my seat cushion on the floor of the canoe while propping her up against our day pack. Vickie threw a coat over her & she was down for the count almost instantly.
I don’t consider myself a great fisherman. Still, I usually like to drag the poles along as I do derive some pleasure in the sport. With Aurora napping, this would be the first opportunity we’d had to wet a line. There was no set course - I just let the canoe drift (occasionally ruddering) as we floated southward towards the Kelly lake portage. We didn’t catch a thing! Yet, I still look back at these short moments with extreme fondness. There wasn’t really any conversation we just reveled in our surroundings. The trees, the rocks, the clouds, the breeze & various other sounds. Nothing of particular note occurred or was spoken, yet it was magical. It reminded me of another quote from Thoreau, “Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after.” At this moment, I think we knew.
At the Kelly Lake portage landing Aurora was still napping. Vickie said she stay back until Aurora woke up. So I tied off the canoe & went back to check out the Jack Lake Mine again. Upon my return Aurora was up, so I shared a snack then took her while Vickie headed off to do some exploring of her own along the rapids of the river. Sometime later, we eventually converged back at the canoe and headed back to camp.
While exploring earlier today, Aurora had found some nice pieces of birch bark. So, as an after supper activity, Vickie thought it would be a creative - fun idea for her to color on them.
We stayed up a bit later this evening, as if trying to absorb as much of this magical wonderland as our senses would allow before we had to leave tomorrow. There was a disturbing congregation of mosquitos forming in the vestibule of our tent. Our permethrin clothing kept them at bay, but clearly they were massing for a full out attack in the next couple of days. Thankfully we’d be gone. Once in the tent, Aurora spent some more time coloring a Hello Kitty birthday card for her cousin Karly, (She would be attending her birthday party the following weekend) before finally succumbing to her heavy eyelids.
DAY FIVE MAY 27,2014
Things were still a bit damp as we prepared our breakfast, but the bright sunshine of the morning quickly evaporated any residual condensation before we started packing up.
As I look back and try to accurately recall this morning, I can’t say for certain exactly what Aurora was doing while we tore down camp. But, I can say that in no way was she a bothersome burden while we were doing so. And, to comment on the trip as a whole, she really did an almost unbelievable job of knowing (and respecting) the boundaries we’d set for her regarding the perimeter of camp & the fire grate. Furthermore, she usually kept herself contentedly occupied at times when we needed her to. We actually joked that we wished she’d behave this good at home. The wonders of wilderness!
After one last check of camp we shoved off and paddled for Baker Lake. Also, I didn’t even consider it at the time, but we were able to leave Aurora’s moose skull behind for others to enjoy without her realizing it.
From Aurora’s perspective, I think this trip was about the right amount of days. As we double portaged back into Kelly Lake, she didn’t have her usual gusto, and Daddy wound up carrying her on the last leg. We would only have one more short portage today so it was not an issue.
We paddled down the eastern flank of the Kelly Lake. As we approached the camp site on the prominent eastern peninsula I noticed some movement just across the lake. Against all odds, this would be our third moose sighting of the trip! By this time Aurora was an old pro who was whispering and shushing Vickie & I. As we neared their location it was obvious that there were 3 moose. It appeared to be a cow with 2 yearling calves that she hadn’t run off yet. They didn’t seem too concerned with our intrusion and lingered on the lakeshore. By this time seeing moose was old school for Aurora, and after getting a good look, her interest waned rather quickly.
We paddled away in stunned awe at our incredible good fortune.
The rest of the journey back to the EP was an idyllic- relaxing paddle, though uneventful. After we were loaded up and changed into dry clothes/socks, we made tracks to Schroeder Baking Company. There, as promised, Aurora was treated to pizza & ice cream before returning to the long plaintive road home.
My apologies. This is my first attempt at a trip report on this site. So, needless to say, I haven't learned to use all the 'bells & whistles' (links maps etc.) yet.
