There was a stronger wind on Disappointment as we headed up the lake. The sky was cloudy with no sun showing at all. This would come back to haunt me for a short while. We literally began surfing across the lake, noticing most of the campsites on the south end were open. When we got to the middle of the lake we went straight to far and had to double back to the northwest. We noticed then the Borealis definitely was a better canoe in waves, sliding over the water and we liked how it handled. We were the only canoe moving up Disappointment and felt blessed the wind was to our backs. We didn't have time to stop and take pictures at least until the smaller lakes. We arrived at the 25rd portage to Ahsub Lake quickly did the short up and over with no difficulty. There was a young couple headed north on the portage having stayed overnight at the campsite just to the east of the portage. We meet a group of 3 aluminum canoes and 6 young guys headed into Disappointment.  We shared what campsites were open and the fact that the lake was really building up waves.

CG was impressed with the difference in terrain compared to the west side where he has always gone. Ahsub was a clear and clean as I remember and definely much colder than Disappointment. The wind was still behind us and blowing strong down the lake as we headed to the next portage. The east end is in complete contrast to the main part of Ahsub, very shallow and a bog bottom. In a foot of water you could push the paddle all the way down without hitting a firm bottom. The landing has room for 2 canoes at the most and there are many rocks to avoid. Next was the 15rd portage into Jitterbug Lake which I remembered as being shallow and filled with waterlillys. We pushed our way into Jitterbug using the small log dock that existed on the east side. The wind behind us we quickly covered the lake to next portage. The wind had shifted slightly and was blowing straight north. We were shortly to the 40rd portage into Adventure Lake. After the 140rd portage starting the day out 40rds was hardly a warm up for CG. I was still struggling getting my breath. I was sweating and getting eaten by mosquitos and he was dry and hardly a mosquito bite. He sends me first as bait. The east side of the portage has a good landing and the portage itself is a gentle up and down. Adventure Lake was rolling with waves white capping most of the distance. We meet the young couple again and they were headed toward Ashigan, Ensign and Boot. We informed them of the bear activity and wished them good luck with the wind. The portage into Cattyman was less than 5 rods down a dry creek bed with a rocky shallow landing on Cattyman side. We had meet two groups on the trip so far and recieved compliments on the MR.

Given the low water levels I didn't think we could walk the short rapids on our way to Jordan Lake. We ended up taking the 58rd portage into Jordan the skies had cleared and temps were in the 80's with high humidity.  CG started across with the canoe and I followed with a pack and rods. I was out of breath and not feeling well on the other side. I finished my water and CG gave me what he had left. He headed back and I took a few minutes to catch my breath and recover from the walk. I don't like struggling with catching my breath but humid air makes it much harder. I shortly joined Eldon on the other side and we finished the last long portage for the day. The portage is slightly up hill and drops off to a rock face which can be treacherous on the other end. We moved the canoe to the side and had a short snack of cheese and jerky. I decided to have a cigar, since we had a nice paddle coming up and into an area where CG would like to take photos. I tried to smoke one on Disappointment but had trouble keeping it lit. We headed cross-ways with the wind and headed to the narrow stretch of Jordan Lake. At least 2 sites on Jordan were taken and no one was paddling, don't know why! Maybe it was the white caps. Just entering the narrows of Jordan we meet a canoe with 2 older gentlemen and 2 youngsters. They were out for a day trip and trying to stay out of the wind. 

We drifted down the narrows to the final portage of the day. The 5rd into Ima Lake. The landings are rocky at both ends and the east side is very rocky out into the lake. We looked over the map and I laid out the plan for looking for a site on Ima. We would hug the south/southwest shoreline and look at campsites available. We didn't check the first one in the big bay at the portage, wanting a site on the main lake. Wind and waves were picking up and no problems with bugs. White caps were readily available on the main lake. We hugged the shore heading for the west and south sites. The first one had a high rock face with crappy landing and no trees for hanging a bag. We worked our way south hoping the site by Alworth Lake portage would be open, but getting close we could see it was taken. We either had to go back or move on with the wind and down the pensuila towards the island on the east side. We surfed down the lake and cut the corner to take a break from the wind. The west site on the island was open, but waves were pounding on shore with winds in the 30's and higher gusts. We cut the waves at 45 degrees and worked around the backside of the island. The east side site was taken, which didn't break my heart since it ways grassy and weedy. One word, Mosquitos. I decided we would sneak up the backside or north side of the island and see if we could land. We found a shallow rock face to land and a short walk to the site. We we were home for the next couple days. The wind was really gusting and being on the water was not a good choice for the rest of the day. 

We spent the afternoon setting up the bear bag, tarp and tent. The filter bag was filled and we sat down to lunch of jerky, cheese and crackers. I was tired and ready to rest. I had promised to make CG a crispy cheese casadea for supper and it kept him busy wondering what I was talking about. After trying several areas to cook we finally decided to cook behind the boulder near the firegrate. The quiet spots in the woods were not acceptable to me. CG could stand there and be fine, I was getting eaten alive by mosquitos. While cooking supper we a close encounter of the bird kind, grouse. We eventually counted a total of 8 during our stay. We headed to bed shortly after dark due to being tired and mosquitos.

Woke up at 4:45, cleaned up camp and got paddling by 6:00. I wanted to see "The Rock" but couldn't find it. I guess it was an island not just a big rock, and I then got a little disoriented, so I stopped at a campsite and asked a couple that I'd seen yesterday at a portage to Hudson exactly where I was on the map. They helped me and I was soon in the narrow channel that takes you to the northwest end on Insula. I paddled through it and made a right turn looking for an open campsite. I could see Williamson Island and it looked empty. I couldn't believe that that campsite might be open. Sure, enough, and when I got out of my canoe I knew I had a home for a short while! Unpacked my canoe and explored a little before setting up camp. What a nice campsite that has just about everything you'd dream of. Maybe a little too much water all around you, but not too big a problem unless a windy stretch of weather was to hit the area. It did get windy that afternoon. Spent the rest of the day reading, napping, eating, and listened to the weather. I'd bought a new emergency weather radio that was nice, except it gave me a potentially bad weather report for the next 4 days, with potential for severe weather. I began to ponder the idea of being solo on this remote camp site with 5 days of food for 6 or 7, by myself. I was now fighting off bad vibes. I thought of scenarios to work my way back to Kaishiwi Lodge during the next couple days, paddling awhile and camping closer to my destination, which was now back where I started. Went to bad at about 9:00, got up a few times (prostate calling).

I finally decided to get an early start when I saw a part of a moon and a star-filled sky at 2:30 am. I packed up camp in the dark, and I noticed a mouse running on the rope I used to hang my tarp. We had a staring contest and I put my face about 12" infront of him before he finally made his exit. I left my site at 3:30. Paddling in the dark with the silhouettes of trees on the water was really beautiful. Gradually those silhouettes became real tree lines on the water and I was orienteering with my map and compass to go back down the east side of Insula to make my way back to the Lodge, hoping I could get a good chunk of this return trip before the rain hit. My arms had a day to recover from my ~17 mile paddle the first day, and paddling was with cadence and enjoyable. I hit the portage to Hudson at about 5:45 without too much disorientation - there are so many islands the first timer can have second thoughts about where you are easily. The sun was shining brightly and the sky showed no signs of clouding up, so I just kept on trucking my route, hoping I could get most of the way. I ran into a couple guys while portaging into Hudson, and I asked one of them about the middle portage in the Kawishiwi between Hudson and Four. There were some rapids that I had to really work to get out of going the other way 2 days ago, and I was worried about it. They told me that their group was cut don in size because one of their men swamped his canoe and was injured, lost gear to the rapids, and their trip changed due to that spot. As I talked with the 2 young men, we found out we were all from St Louis - small world! One of the young men said to use the eddy on the other side of the rapid to get across to the portage. I'm surprised I didn't read about that idea on any message boards before the trip, and this spot (to me) is the most precarious spot on the route.

As I continued working my way through this beautiful area, I saw some neat things. As I was paddling along a bank with grass, I got within about 20 feet of a deer and its fawn. They were just lying there with no fear of my presence. I went by quietly and tried not to disturb them. I saw a duck up close with about a dozen baby ducks gathered around her. I also saw a huge walleye in some shallow water when I tried a shallow side of an island as a short cut. I could hear that fish flick it's tail in the water to get away from me. It looked so powerful. I couldn't believe how nice a day it was with the weather prediction I had heard the day before. Now I began thinking I could just paddle out if I got a few more hours of good weather and paddled in the rain for a little bit. Bit by bit, lake by lake, my arms began to weaken. My back became tired, and my ribs began to feel sore. But there was motivation to finish. There were times again when so many islands confused me and I told myself to trust my instincts and my compass. When I got to Lake One, I got about half way to the point where it turns northeast for the final stretch, or at least I thought so. I turned a corner, and paddled into what became a bay instead of a wide channel. And again on the next turn. And again on the next turn. It now had become cloudy and the wind was picking up, and it was hard to use the sun as well as the compass. I saw what was a channel far to the west in front of me, but it didn't make sense, so I back-tracked for about a half hour. Now there was an easterly wind, so when I back-tracked, I had to horse my strokes and I was getting really tired. I kept reminding myself what I tell my students in P. E. class during their workouts - "Think positively about good things and you'll get through the hard times." My mind was now totally confused and I saw nobody at any campsites. That also surprised me because of all the info about Lake One being a crazy area that was over-crowded. When I back-tracked to a place where I knew where I was, I turned around and tried again. This time I saw the same thing ahead of me but as far as I could see I noticed a red tent, and I figured if I wasn't in the right place I'd ask them where I was so I could reorient myself on the map. When I got down there, the islands made more sense on the map and that channel I thought was too far away seemed to look like it might be the one. When I turned that corner, the location of the islands and campsites made perfect sense, and I re-gained my confidence. I think my lost detour took me an extra hour and a half, but I was so tired, it might have been an hour. When I asked Frank at Kawishiwi how far to Williamson Island, he estimated about 20 miles. So I'm figuring that when I landed my canoe at the beach in front of his stack of canoes, I had paddled ~21 miles or more in 12 hours. This workout in my mind was more difficult than my walk to school every year on National Walk to School Day. On that day I begin the night before and walk through the night for 36 miles to my school where I teach. Since I can't run any more (4 knee operations), this is my ay of celebrating my teaching and demonstrating to the student that I can practice what I preach.

I think I learned that the concept of "solo" is not as much fun as with a group. It's much more difficult in work load and there is nobody to help problem-solve. This and last year's bluff-charge seem to make me feel a group thing is right for me in the future. I also prepared well with using permethrin spray on my daytime outfit, spraying with deet at times, and the portable "clip-on Off" was great in camp when I as wearing my off the water clothes. That new item on the market will hit it big and very soon. The critters were swarming at times and I didn't get one bite until I used the shower room back at Kawishiwi Lodge. I learned again that I pack TOO MUCH STUFF! I was very pleased with Frank and Nicole at Kawishiwi, and thanked them before beginning my long drive home. The 820 mile drive back to St Louis won't seem as far as the 21 mile paddle! (Pictures are coming when ready)