Nor'western waters

Upon Vickies return to camp, Aurora had woken up. She also informed me that the wind had pretty much died down and the lake looked very placid. Perhaps we could still get out for a short while yet today?!

There were also some neat cliffs in the western bay near where the other campsite was supposed to be. Never did see exactly where that campsite was located. It wasn't plainly visible from out on the lake so we surmised it must not get a lot of use. With daylight running out, we worked our way clockwise around the lake back to camp. Enjoying a lovely, if all too brief, serene evening paddle.

Back in camp I set about preparing the trout & getting the fire going to cook it. Once the sun went down it cooled off quickly. So the fire served the dual purpose of providing some welcome warmth as well.

Thoroughly enjoyed the bounty that canoe country had provided us today, with the tasty trout supper. We were both thankful for the opportunity to get out on the lake today. Retired to our tent with satisfyingly full bellies, hoping tomorrow would provide us with a greater offering of safe exploration.

Day 4 of 8

Friday, September 21, 2012 It appeared that the gray, gloomy clouds had finally moved on. A quick oatmeal breakfast & we were ready to go. Hoped to make it to Trygg lake to try some fishing today. We had scouted out the location of the portage to Tesaker last night. The landing was a bit tight & rocky. For the most part it was a slightly overgrown, somewhat rocky, level path with a couple of short boardwalk sections. At about mid trail there is a impressive double white pine towering over the trail. The Tesaker end is quite swampy & muddy. Once out past the swampy landing, Tesaker lake shows that it's cliffs have a majestic feel to them much like the one's found on it's surrounding, larger neighbors. he portage to Takucmich was a little tricky to find. Not being clearly visible from the lake, it's in the extreme NE corner at the far right (east) end of the age old beaver dam located there. It drops down to Takucmich along a rocky trail, terminating at an equally rocky landing. The portage to Trygg lake was about half way between that landing and the campsite straight north of there. We passed right by it before realizing the err of our ways. So, we took advantage of the situation & pulled into the campsite to change Aurora & take a breather. The portage up to Trygg starts off with a bang. A steep, somewhat slippery, landing is followed by a steep climb for the first half before leveling out to a nice trail the remainder of the distance to Trygg. There is a marginal overlook of Takucmich at this point as well. It was about lunch time so we paddled over to the lone campsite on the lake. I did not see a landing so we just pulled the canoe up through the shoreline shrubbery. There were 2 very faint & small tent pads right on the lake. We claimed one as our makeshift picnic area, using our redneck spray skirt (tarp)as a makeshift picnic blanket. This site was definitely nothing to write home about but, at least we had gotten out of camp. We alternately took turns exploring while the other kept an eye on lunch. After lunch Aurora instantly feel asleep in her spot at the front of the canoe. It looked as if we would have the next hour or so to ply the waters of Trygg lake for some brook trout. Just as we started to, the rain began falling. Aurora was covered with the tarp. But, not knowing how long the rain might last or if it would intensify? The decision was immediately agreed upon to start making our way back to camp. The brookies of Trygg would have to wait until another time. As we worked our way back to Gun lake, Aurora had woken up. The rain stopped & started up several times. Aurora was sure to make sure daddy was still in the back of the canoe. Then, much like in the movie Titanic, she stood at the absolute front of the canoe & occasionally held her arms out. Silly girl. We both agreed, for being such a small lake, Tesaker was worth some extra exploration. So we took a little extra time making our way across this diminutive jewel. Once again we made it to camp in the nick of time. The rain had come to stay for awhile accompanied by a chilly north wind. Since it was a little early for supper, we ducked into the warm sanctuary of the tent for some quality family time together. Supper this evening would be our first foray with dehydrated hamburger. We were mightily impressed.Instantly it has became a staple item that will be brought along on all future trips. Especially since Aurora also gave it 2 thumbs up. With the rain continuing to fall, we called it a day fairly early hoping to move on tomorrow. Day 5 of 8 Saturday, September 22, 2012 While it had been windy & rainy more than we would've liked. Gun lake had been a majestic scene of visionary enchantment that provided the backdrop of many lasting memories that have been seared into our subconscious for all eternity. With it's 2 seperate lobes, majestic cliffs, awesome day trip opportunities & great campsite at the narrows; I don't think it's too far off the mark to call Gun the Cherry lake of the Nor'western BWCA. So from one point of view, being able spend more time here would be construed as a blessing. But, we needed to move camp to better ensure we reach our take out point in the time we have allotted. And the wind & waves currently reeking havoc out across the lake this morning were definitely putting those plans on hold. We certainly didn't want to force a bad situation, especially with Aurora along. So we hoped & waited. Aurora was able to take a long nap. After she woke, we packed everything away ready to travel. It was nearly one o'clock & I was about ready to set everything back up when, against all odds, the wind broke. Of course this would be a painfully late start. But, we needed to put some miles behind us. So, just when we would normally be pulling into camp, we pushed off. We paddled for the Little Beartrack portage. This was a really neat portage with very little elevation change. It followed along the base of some impressive cliffs. Problem was, it also had an impressive collection of various sized boulders along most of the trail. At the Little Beartrack end there was some old, weathered lumber back in the woods. Also, some neat moss which contrasted with the club moss along most of the trail. From the landing Little Beartrack appeared to be an impressive lake. The high cliffs that we passed under along the portage continue on out along the eastern shoreline. Due to a navigational error on my part we paddled right past the next portage but, quickly remedied the situation. Other than the very rocky landing, it was a very easy up & over to Beartrack lake. Vickie even let Aurora get out & stretch her legs a bit. Once on Beartrack we paddled in a southerly direction. As we were nearing the small bay in the SE corner of the lake, the wind really whipped up out of the west. We needed to paddle north to get around the small peninsula guarding the back bay where our next portage was located. But, not wanting to to risk the canoe being sideways in the trough of the waves, we decided to portage the couple of rods across the peninsula (where we ran ashore) to the calm waters on the other side. If there was any doubt where the portage landing to Thumb lake was??? A bright white tennis shoe tied to a tree was there to guide us in. My Voyageur map indicated that this was a 200 rod portage. It passed through some really neat areas of moss blanketed forest floors. There really wasn't much in the way of elevation change until it dropped down on the Thumb lake end. There were a few rocky & muddy areas at that point too. In the final analysis, I don't think a person could realistically expect a 200 rod portage to be much easier. Fortunately, upon completion of this portage, the wind had subsided so our paddle across Thumb was pleasant. There is a small creek between Thumb & Finger lakes. If the water level had been closer to normal? We likely would've just had a quick pull over at the beaver dam located there. As it was, we wound up doing a short portage of 3-4 rods. While planning this trip; besides relying on my own experiences & memory, I also extensively researched this area on BWCA.com and, finally, had Stu fill in the remaining blanks with the BWJ T.R.I.P.S program. There have been those who have questioned why anyone would want to know this type of information prior to a trip. Well, since it was nearly 6:00 when we arrived on Finger lake, there was only about an hour of daylight remaining. So spending the extra time searching out the best, or perhaps even an adequate, campsite would've eaten up the precious daylight we had remaining. Instead we were able to paddle right up to the SW island site, knowing full well that it was certainly the best site on the lake if not the whole of this immediate area. Not trying to rub anyone's nose in it. But, I think the way this scenario played out for us is a perfect example of why I research a trip. Certainly we would've survived at a less than desirable site if we had to. But why not, if possible, know what you're getting into portage wise & have the best site available? For me, spending time at a great site ALWAYS enhances a trip. Got camp setup & situated before night fell. With the late start, it had been a long day. Supper was a couple of Clif bars & snacks. Mommy put Aurora down shortly after our quick supper, while we sat up & enjoyed gazing at the moon and stars for the first time this trip. With only the occasional splashing of a beavers tail shattering the calm silence. Day 6 of 8 Sunday, September 23, 2012 Up until this point the Under Armour top & long johns I slept in had kept me sufficiently warm. But, for the first overnight this trip I had to cinch my Marmot sawtooth sleeping bag all the way up. (I later heard it had dropped to the mid twenties.) We were hoping to get an earlier start today to make up some ground. Still, we lingered a bit in camp giving the air ample opportunity to warm up. As, finally, the sun was out in full force. This truly was a special campsite. Red pines dominated the skies and allowed easy passage through this elevated site with an awesome kitchen & fire grate area. There were trails running everywhere, making the latrine a little tough to find. Some nice cliffs rose up just south across the channel & right in camp were several humongous boulders. (we later learned there are palm pictographs on the large boulder) Just as I was rolling the tent & finishing packing up, someone called out to us from the lake. It was Ben! nctry from BWCA.com. (for those of you keeping score at home, nctry is an abbreviation for north country NOT nice try.) He was on day 35 of his epic 40 day journey across the BWCAW & had mentioned before the start of his trip that he would be passing through the area about the same time as us. Needless to say it was a very special treat to actually run into a familiar, friendly face this far out in the wilderness. I guess the late start yesterday wasn't totally a bad thing? Naturally Aurora & Ben's dog Bernice hit it off right away. We offered Ben some fresh coffee, a real chair to sit on & listened while he told us of his many adventures so far on his trip. He even had a weather radio along and we listened to the, very encouraging, latest updates. How time flies when you're having fun! It didn't seem like it at the time, but we killed nearly 3 hours chatting & enjoying each others company. Aurora was even able to sneak in a nap! Looks like another 1:00 departure for us. Oh well, it was worth it. Besides, it was a beautiful day for paddling. As we pushed off, we turned the keys to this "mansion on the hill" over to Ben & told him to lock up when he leaves.[paragraph break] On to the Finger Creek portage we paddled. This one had a few narrow twists & turns before straightening & leveling out to follow along the creek (or, what was left of it.) to a marshy landing on the other end.

A short paddle after reloading we encountered a small beaver dam. Even though there were some spots that looked to be too shallow, we were able to paddle unobstructed the rest of the way to Pocket lake.

My Voyageur map shows a 18 rod portage at the south end of Pocket lake into Pocket creek. Just as Ben had advised us, even in this low water we were able to just paddle through with minimal maneuvering.

A natural rocky out cropping indicates the confluence of Ge-be-on-e-quet creek. Once again we encounter a small beaver dam shortly after entering. And, just like Finger creek we are able to paddle the rest of the distance without obstruction. Although, at this point in the year the shallow creek is choked with vegetation, making paddling a most arduous affair.

A muddy landing greeted us at our next portage. Perhaps it was due to the extra exertion required to paddle the creek? But, I thought the portage up to Ge-be- on-e-quet was the toughest we encountered on our trip. It was short (35 rods) but, was nearly all up a steep, rocky hill. As had been the case all along our route so far, where we passed by running water, we were cheated out of getting to see the waterfall that ran alongside the trail. We could hear the water running but, would've needed to throw a bag of flour down to see just exactly where. At least Aurora enjoyed the lake side landing.

Wanting to get a campsite a little earlier today we decided to camp on Ge-be-on- e-quet tonight & try to make up the difference by making it to Agnes tomorrow. There is a campsite at the entrance to the south bay closest to our first portage tomorrow. But, if we were gonna spend a night on Ge-be-on-e-quet? I figured we might as well grab the recliner site.

The rock recliners are kind of the BWCAW version of Easter Island. Who built them & why? :) The actual campsite itself isn't too bad either. The landing is a bit tight & rocky but, you'll be hard pressed to find a nicer kitchen and fire grate area. Though compact, it has very convenient flat stones for keeping things organized as well as very good log seating that is actually at the right height. The biggest drawback is the tent pads. Ours was noticeably slanted towards the lake. This was remedied by placing currently unused items such as the tarp, rain gear etc. under the downhill side of our air mattresses to level them out. Worked like a charm.

Vickie later admitted that of all the sites we stayed at along this route, this was her favorite. High praise indeed, when you consider the caliber of the sites we'd had the privilege of calling home. But, added that she probably would've had a different opinion if we had a larger group.

As evening fell, for the first time, there was actually some color in the sky. We both agreed it had been a good decision to stop early and be able to enjoy the campsite. Cooked up the last of our fresh bacon tonight for supper, chopping & mixing it with some foil pouch chicken and creamy garlic & alfredo noodles. Was a mighty tasty supper, if I do say so myself.

A perplexing development surfaced tonight. Vickie had been sending an OK signal every night from the SPOT. For some reason, tonight it didn't go through. We tried changing batteries but, to no avial. We were certainly OK. But, didn't know how they would take not hearing from us back home.

Day 7 of 8

Monday, September 24, 2012 Well, today we finally were able to strike camp before 1:00! Our great hope was to be able to make it to Lake Agnes to somewhat minimize our travels tomorrow. Vickie tried the SPOT again with no success. A consequence of camping where we did was that we would need to complete our largest open water crossing of the trip thus far if we wanted to most expediently get to our first portage of the day. Fortunately there was only a mild breeze this morning, so our knuckles were able to retain their pinkish hue for the duration of the crossing. The skies were overcast as we reached the portage to Green. This was a good path that had a decent climb up out of Ge-be-one-quet for about the first quarter of the trail tapering off then eventually dropping back down to Green. By this time the sun was winning it's struggle with the clouds and brilliantly highlighted the fall colors which were really starting to hit their stride. After a thankfully uneventful paddle across Green, the next portage was a shorter trail to Rocky lake. There is a neat swampy area at about mid trail that the trail passes by. The Rocky end is just that....Rocky. We stopped here and grabbed a snack. Before tackling the next portage, we paddled over to the cliffs along the western shoreline to check out the pictographs. It is my understanding that no one has been able to determine who made the pictographs, or what they actually mean. So, for all we knew, we could have been looking at ancient markings that were merely saying, "Class of 73". Never the less, we briefly paid our respects & contemplated possible - more significant meanings. As we paddled away we passed some large rocks with water line marks that showed just how low the water was. Another rocky landing. While unloading here I slipped waist deep into the lake. It was warm and sunny & my Mountain Hardware Talus pants dried before we finished the portage. So it really wasn't an issue. If you haven't been able to tell by now? I really like running across old growth mature trees of all sorts. This trail was quite level & blessed with several large specimens. So this was, perhaps, the most enjoyable portage of the whole trip for me. Upon completion of this portage, Vickie frankly admitted she'd had enough. Aurora had really been a Daddy's girl this trip. Almost every time I'd disappear down a portage trail she would more often than not throw a fit until I returned. This, understandably, really wore down Mommy's resolve. I told Vickie we likely wouldn't make it much farther anyway. Even here behind the Oyster lake peninsula, the wind was really pushing up some waves. I hoped the 5 star site at the "pinch" would be available. The wind was really something, even blowing my hat off. Let the waves push us across the narrow finger of water in a nor'east direction until we reached the west side of the peninsula. Then turned & battled the waves head on back SW to the, mercifully open, 5 star peninsula site. This is one of my all-time favorite campsites in the BWCAW. Nice landings on either side of the peninsula where you can alternately view the sunrise & sun set, awesome fire grate & kitchen area, several flat tent pads & plenty of room to explore. As an added bonus the way the log seating was constructed around the fire grate made for a great natural play pen for Aurora.

A benefit of these others simultaneously portaging with us was that Vickie felt much more relaxed about possibly seeing a wolf. We wished each other a good trip & they were on their way while we finished portaging & got Aurora changed for the Oyster river paddle.

As had been the custom so far, once again there was a beaver dam shortly after starting down the river. And, Aurora was sure to keep a close eye on Daddy as we paddled along.

With as low as the river was it was no wonder that the landing to Agnes was an absolute quagmire. Initially it was difficult to discern where solid footholds would be. Fortunately (for me)Vickie found where NOT to walk.

One would think the closer you get to the entry point, the better the trail would be maintained. Quite the contrary in this case. Nothing unmanageable but, there were several trees and branches down across this trail. Some precariously so. Never the less, Aurora really enjoyed the sandy beach on Agnes while we took a break & finished off the banana bread Vickie had baked last night.

Met a friendly soloist heading for Oyster lake before we pushed off. All the campsites before we reached the Moose river were occupied. As well as several groups coming down the river. Reminded me why I try to avoid this area. Oh well, we couldn't complain, we'd just had 6 days of complete solitude.[paragraph break]

Upon entering the Moose river it was immediately evident that the water was very low. First we had to maneuver our way through a maze of barely submerged rocks. Then we ended up having to pole the canoe from about the confluence of Ramshead creek all the way to the 95 rod portage. Eventually having to just get out and walk the loaded canoe the last 30 yards or so to the landing. Vickie thought it was neat the way a branch on the old,dead tree still standing there seemed to be pointing where the portage was.

No where was the evidence of low water more stark than along the portages where the running water is usually located. Hopefully this area gets some serious moisture soon.

There was a large beaver dam just before Nina Moose as well as several smaller ones all along the way back to the entry point. The weather didn't seem to know what it wanted to do. Sunshine was quickly followed by light showers & vice versa. It had already been a long day, so we paddled right past "Top of the world" without stopping. There was an old Hamms beer can someone had unearthed along one of the portages.

In the final analysis, we both agreed this was a very memorable trip. But, in planning this route, I should've added at least another day. At times, especially on days we moved, Aurora was a handful. As with most kids, she just wanted to get up and go. Sitting in a canoe was just too sedentary for her. And, as I mentioned in the report, this wore on Vickie.