Saturday, July 13, 2024

Picked up our permit at Frost River and loaded up the RAV. On our way to Ely! We had an uneventful drive to Snowbank Outfitters, got checked in, and headed back into town to have dinner and wander around. Good meal at Insula, then over to Piragis where we found Big Sky cozies for rehydrating meals- way better than the silver Hawk Vittles one I've been using. Also some Alpine Aire meals that looked interesting. Had to stop at Zups and browse around....got some almond butter powder and these great mexican mango popsicles that tasted like the best dreamsicles in the world. Early to bed in the motel at Snowbank, we want to be on the water early. There's no AC in the motel, but a good fan made sleeping possible.

Sunday, July 14, 2024 Awake by 5, we heated up our breakfast burritos and hauled our gear down to the water. Handed my car keys to the guys in the lodge at 630, and off we went. Snowbank was clear as glass, and it was already getting warm. 2 short portages into Boot- have seen no occupied campsites yet. For the heck of it we looked at the ones on Boot. First one very sunny and open with more room for tents than it looks like from the water. Second one full of biting flies, and I didn't look much further.

On to Ensign..the portage wouldn't have been bad if it hadn't been SO hot. Once on the water, the wind began to pick up. First 2 sites full, but on the north side of the lake we found one open. There isn't much of a view from the kitchen, but lots of room for tents, a nice shady spot to set up a rainfly, and no real fly problem. Cool trail up the hill to a picked over blueberry field witha stone bench hidden in the long grass.

Set up camp, had some snacks and "iced" coffee, then sat in the shade. Still pretty hot but there's a breeze and shade so life is good. There's a big group of sumac bushes that are flowering and boy are the bees happy! Discovered that left my hairbrush in the car....oh well.

~Snowbank Lake, Boot Lake, Ensign Lake

Monday, July 15, 2024 Broke camp fairly early, calm and not raining, but grey. Sprinkled some on the paddle over to the Vera portage. Not a bad portage, although the climb out of ensign gets your heart pumping, and the portage is lined with very healthy poison ivy. Felt shorter than 180 rods, but maybe that's just because it wasn't so hot.

Took the campsite on the northeast end of Vera. Jesse has decided that he really enjoys shorter days with time to explore an area, and I'm fine with that. Got a decent rain shelter set up while it sprinkled so all our gear was protected before the thunderstorms started. Saw a sad group paddling down the lake as it poured buckets. We didn't have the tent up yet, and that ended up being a blessing.

Once the rain kinda quit I went and looked at the 3 nice flat tent pads in camp and......they were all lakes. I scouted around the edges of camp and just down the shore was a beautiful spot. Tucked into the trees, elevated, dry, shady. You have to follow the stepping stones along the shore. Set up there before the rain got going again.

Finally cleared up and was a gorgeous evening. Cut and split some wood, had cajun smack chicken and rice. Last photo is of one of the tent pads in the mud.

~Ensign Lake, Vera Lake

Tuesday, July 16, 2024 Jesse's birthday, layover on Vera. He got coffee going while I made potato pancakes and bacon. Had second cups of coffee and enjoyed the beautiful calm morning. Set the solar shower on the rocks to heat up and went for a paddle. We looked at all the campsites on Vera....from east to west along the south shore: closest to portage: one very nice tent pad, kitchen okay, tree down at chest height along with big pile of bear poop on the latrine trail. / 4 or 5 tent pads, lots of trails, kitchen area decent but not amazing./ crummy landing, 3 okay tent pads, jackpines and dirt, latrine trail really long / landing okay with canoe garage but slippery sloped rockface to access site. Not good kitchen, no camp furniture. 1 1/2 tent pads?

Came back to camp and hung the shower.....boy did that feel good. Saw 2 loons running across the water in short spurts. When I looked through my binoculars, the one in front had a biggish fish in it's beak. I'd love to know that story!

Rained on and off during the afternoon, but got to have another fire, chili and quesadillas. ~Vera Lake

Wednesday, July 17, 2024 Up early, coffee and oatmeal and broke camp. The Vera to Knife portage was....interesting. There's the climb out of Vera, which I was expecting, and then there's a washed out downhill section complete with sloped curving rockface leading to a creek crossing. Would be tough in the rain, potential to be pretty slick. Once on Knife the winds picked up and the skies started looking ugly, so we ended up camping on the east end of Robbins Island, just past Dorothy's Isles of Pines. Nice open site tucked away in the cedars with loads of native fruit- red elderberries, pin cherries, raspberries. Lots of birds in the fruit trees/bushes- song sparrow, hermit thrush, tanager, red eyed vireo, cedar waxwings, veery, ovenbird. Also the border marker is in a rock on the north edge of the campsite. Great hammock potential, most of the tent pads look like they would be swampy if it rained hard. Found one tucked along the latrine trail that looked drier and it's flattish. Lots of groups paddling by looking for a camp. Knife is busy busy busy. Already feels odd to hear other voices in the woods. Had a nice fire and coffee and I'm sure we had dinner but I couldn't tell you what it was. ~Vera Lake, Knife Lake

Thursday, July 18, 2024 Travel day again- we are eager to be into the littler, less busy lakes with interesting side trips, so Jesse would like to move every other day with a day in between to explore. Paddled down Knife to SAK, then portaged through Bonnie and into Spoon. Spoon is very pretty, and so far we haven't seen a soul since we left Knife. The first campsite we looked at is slowly returning to the forest- daisies in the tent pad and moss on the fire grate. Lots of ticks.

We are on the southeast end of the lake. It's a lovely grove of birches, unique. One really nice tent pad, decent kitchen and spot for the rain fly. Shady and protected from the wind to some extent. We didn't look at the site across the lake but it looks like full sun, very few trees. Only strikes against this one are access and the latrine. At first you'd think the only way in is up the rock face, but there is a better access with canoe garage to the right, in a cedar grove. And, the latrine is pretty close to camp, and quite full.

Today is sunny and windy with some smoke haze from the western fires along the horizon. We have a bunch of firewood cut, and then had afternoon coffee with salami whips, apricots, triscuits and cheese. Kept the fire going until sunset, and then the wings of doom descended and we went to bed.

~Knife Lake, South Arm Knife Lake, Bonnie Lake, Spoon Lake

Friday, July 19, 2024 Layover on Spoon. Had a leisurely pancake breakfast, and headed out to explore.

Portaged into a little unnamed lake at the east end of Spoon- so pretty. One shore burned awhile back, the other didn't. Tried to find the next portage but there was a cascade of beaver dams in that bay so we decided to go blueberry picking on the burned hillside instead. Very productive- got a couple cups . Made us happy, since all the other bushes we've seen were bare- no green berries even.

Back on Spoon we went over to the full sun campsite, changed into our swimsuits, and swam and lay on the rocks. Not a site that gets much use, I think. The grass is getting tall and blueberries are colonizing the tent pad. Lots of short young pines....in another 30 years it will be gorgeous. Came back to camp feeling refreshed.

The FS paddled into camp to check our permit and latrine- they didn't mention our barrel. Latrine is full, so they went across the lake to set up camp and then came back to move it. Took them an hour or so and we got to christen a brand new latrine. Lots of smoke haze tonight.

~Spoon Lake

Saturday, July 20, 2024 Started the day with our usual travel day routine- coffee and oatmeal. The sun is still orange behind the haze, no wind. Portaged into Pickle- steep at the beginning but short. Then across the lake and the portage into Kekekabic, which was easy, one little hill in the middle. Lake calm and it's already getting hot. Shot across to the big island to check out the campsite- it's open! Nice tent pad. It's a well used site but it's shady and there's no trash, so this is our new home. We started to hear thunder, so we got camp set up. Had some lunch and went wood gathering so I can make potato pancakes in the morning. Solar shower is warming up....it's so hot and still. Thunder is all around us now but so far the storms have slid past us to the south.

Showered AND changed clothes......what a luxury! Storms are closer and there's some wind now, feels nice after the heat earlier.

Just past mid day the storms finally found us. Rained pretty hard for awhile, but it's quit now and the camp is sunny while thunder rumbles south of us again. Sitting in the sun watching ripples on the water. Clothes got washed. Climbed the hill behind camp after dinner to a beautiful forest of red pines.

1 week in. The days revolve around the weather, the sunrise and set, meals, the work of travel and setting up camp, firewood. Such peace. ~Spoon Lake, Pickle Lake, Kekekabic Lake

Sunday, July 21, 2024 It's the start of week 2. Leisurely beginning to the day- coffee, potato pancakes with chunks of fried salami whips- remarkably tasty- then second cups of coffee. Much of the smoke haze is gone.

We went out for a day paddle on Kekekabic- such a huge lake with twisty little bays, I really liked it. There are lots of cliffs and mounds of tall hills, and the water is amazingly clear. Took the short portage into Kek Lake. It's a gorgeous little gem. Took a video in the center of the lake while Jesse paddles us in a slow circle. We found a rocky area of shoreline to eat lunch- smoked sausage, olives, apricots, nuts. So many big white pines on Kek Lake that made it through the blowdown in the shelter of these hills. We've seen a few canoes off in the distance today, and this morning I heard someone splitting wood, but that's it.

Once back in camp Jesse took water, GPS and raingear and went to explore the island further. He returned with tales of vast mossy greenness, many mosquitos, and lots of tangled blowdown. We stayed up with the fire until almost dark, but it clouded over and we headed for the tent. ~Kekekabic Lake, Kek Lake

Monday, July 22, 2024 Another travel day. "Hill Climbing! Now with more rocks!" Started the day with a rocky 85 rod portage that went uphill to a small maple tree down at head height. Got out the Silky BigBoy saw and cleared the tree, our good deed for the day. 3 shorter portages and a 90 rod and we're on Fraser. The string of little lakes between Kekekabic and Fraser was beautiful, lots of tall trees and cliffs. We saw many groups traveling towards Kekekabic, quite a few seemed to be scouts. Went down the east arm of Fraser towards Cap and the lone campsite was open! 5 stars- huge white pine, big granite kitchen area, flat tent pad and a couple other smaller tent pad.

It's been raining since Gerund Lake, finally stopped for now. Got a dry camp set up and had some lunch. Never really warmed up, but no more rain and a little sun. We cut a bunch of wood, had chili and quesadillas and chocolate pudding. Now just enjoying the fire. The big pine in camp was filled with little birds in the late afternoon- ovenbird, chickadees, back and white warbler, blackburnian warbler, hummingbird, white throated sparrow, black throated green warbler. Found a deserted robin's nest.

No one seems to come down this bay. ~Kekekabic Lake, Strup Lake, Wisini Lake, Ahmakose Lake, Gerund Lake, Fraser Lake

Tuesday, July 23, 2024 It's grey and windy this morning. Made coffee and apple pancakes, then we headed off for a day trip. It's just a short 10 rods into Shepo. The campsite there is small but adequate for a solo or 2 people. On to Sagus, another short portage. The campsite near the island is nice, lots of tent pads and a good kitchen. The site down the bay is gorgeous, huge white pines and lots of living space but close to a swampy area and much more buggy than anywhere else we stopped today. Probably wonderful later in the season. The site closest to the Fraser portage would also be best for a single canoe. Not much for tent pads, and the one there is starting to grow tall grass. Small kitchen area. Sagus itself is lovely, mature conifer forest.

Once back on Fraser, we collected wood and putzed along the shore. We found the outflow of a creek that drains a tiny pond back in the hills above the lake. Then we went back to camp.

I sat in camp and watched Jesse figure out how to cut wood solo, and understand why I gravitate towards wrist sized pieces. He's slowly acquiring the skills he'll need to solo some day.

We did see one group on the Fraser/Shepo portage, which is flat short and wide, that commented that this would be the hardest portage we did all day. Funny guys! They were coming from the direction of Cap/Roe/Boulder. ~Fraser Lake, Shepo Lake, Sagus Lake

Wednesday, July 24, 2024 Woke up to sunshine! Coffee and ginger/pear oatmeal and we're on our way.

Fraser and Thomas both smooth as glass. It's clear and calm, perfect paddling weather. Lot's of big white pines, almost all campsites empty. The narrows between Fraser and Thomas is really cool, rock faces about 20-30 feet apart. Not quite as dramatic as Snipe Alley, but still interesting. Such beautiful country- classic BWCA lakes. Took the series of portages into Ima, and started seeing people there, especially once we got near Hatchet. Saw a pair of loons with 2 chicks near the portage out of Thomas. Met a soloist at the portage who was from Colorado and doing his first solo.

Ima was SO busy! Took the first open site we saw that wasn't horrible. It's closest neighbor was MAYBE a 1 star site. Bare ground, that's it, with the latrine in full view of camp and no shade. Only tent pad, directly behind the fire pit. It was taken every night that we we're here, but never more than one night running. Tonight it had some noisy young guys, but they didn't stay up late.

Ours is pretty nice. Obviously heavily used, but has 3-4 decent tent pads, some nice shade, big rocks in front, and a private latrine. It also has an "unnatural population of some species", as the BWCA video puts it. Very bold chipmunks that appear to expect us to feed them. Camp got set up with everything rodent proofed. Packs hung from clotheslines after the chippies tried to crawl inside. Heating the solar shower and wood is split. So many people looking for a site.

Had showers, which felt awesome as always. After seeing how busy this area is, we've decided to stay put for 3 nights and explore the PMA and the other small lakes in the area. If we find something open on Disappointment or Parent we'll take it for our final night, and if not we've only lost one day of our trip.

Stayed up with the fire until we saw the first 4 stars, and then the hungry hordes descended. Wow were they bad! Got a dozen or so in the tent with us, and when we used the flashlight to hunt them down the vestibule filled with skeeters. Jesse took a video that is truly horrifying! ~Fraser Lake, Thomas Lake, Hatchet Lake, Ima Lake

Thursday, July 25, 2024 Lovely cool morning. Our loud neighbors from last night have moved on. Potato pancakes with sausage crumbles for breakfast- delicious. saw 2 merlins dive bombing a bald eagle this morning. Sunny and not too windy so we set up the solar shower again and headed out to check out the PMA.

The channel into Snatch is just a cool lily filled winding path through the floating bog. Snatch has a tiny island at one end, with a single pine tree on it. Then headed over to the trail into Reflection Lake- had to wade a small creek and lift over a beaver dam, but really easy access. Reflection was beautiful, tall rock faces and glacial erratics in the southern end near the creek. It is slowly filling in and one day will be a beaver meadow. Saw what could have been a winding path through the bog that might have led to Sedative, but it was pretty narrow for the Quetico so we ate lunch, collected some wood, and headed home.

Sat in the breezy shade drinking coffee, watching all the groups moving around the lake- some headed towards Snowbank, some looking for camps. The lake is filling up, although the really crappy site next door is last to be claimed. Got super windy this afternoon- lots of whitecaps on the water.

The last photo is of 2 kinds of wilderness woodcraft.....one is more desirable than the other LOL

~Ima Lake, Snatch Lake, Reflection Lake

Friday, July 26, 2024 Wind kept up all night, but a little less intense this morning, so we had our last batch of pancakes. After a second cup of coffee we put out the fire and went exploring, but not before a nice soloist stopped by for some navigational assistance. Got him headed towards Jordan and waved goodbye. Didn't get his name but he said he was on bwca.com sometimes so "Hi, how'd the rest of your trip go?"

Our goal today is to find Solitude on this busy lake! Had to portage the canoe over to the red pine woods west of camp to find a quieter area to launch from- lots of jagged rocks in the waves right at camp. Followed the shore of the bay until we found the remnants of the old portage trail into Solitude. We were able to bushwhack fairly easily into Solitude- the old trail is faintly visible. It's starting to get harder to follow in a few spots where trees have fallen over the old trail and new trails have sprung up. Would be hard to get the Quetico through, but something shorter and slimmer like my Magic would be quite doable.

Came back to Ima and paddled over to Alworth, which was pretty but also busy. The first campsite on Alworth is directly at the end of the portage trail- not optimal. Very pretty portage. We wanted to find out if you could paddle to Muzzle. Both our maps show a campsite there, and it's not near a hiking trail, so......the short answer is probably not. We got a little ways past where the hiking trail crosses the creek on a beaver dam and turned around. The beavers are very busy along that stretch....a portage would be easier than the constant in and out. PP says- disconnected location. Back into Ima, ate our lunch on a rocky point on the calm side of the lake. Discovered that pickles wrapped on Korean jerky are delicious!

Back in camp, and the wind is really fierce. Jesse went exploring behind camp and found a huge garbage dump.....tents, bags full of crushed beer cans and other garbage, stove pipe sections, a snow shovel, plastic cups, plates, etc, and a 50 gallon orange barrel. He took pics and dropped a pin on his map and I'll call the FS when we get out.

Trips always feel too short at this point. I miss Ole and Amelia, and good food and a soft bed, but I also never want to leave the woods. ~Ima Lake, Solitude Lake, Alworth Lake

Saturday, July 27, 2024 Never really got cold last night. Had polenta with pork sausage from Packit and were on our way just after sunrise. Through the chain of short portages to Disappointment- lots of other groups doing the same. Met some nice folks from California who were on their first trip and had caught the bug...already thinking about next year. They wanted a recommendation so- Lady Chain all the way! They had enjoyed wildlife and smaller lakes so that seemed like a good fit. Saw a muskrat on Jordan.

So hot and windy! Feels like storms coming. The heat was killing me, and the afternoon wind on Snowbank seemed like a bad idea, so we took the first site on Disappointment. It's just an okay site, maybe 2 stars. Might have been better if it hadn't been infested by what we are calling "macaroni bandits". There is dry macaroni around the firepit, macaroni in the water at the landing, tortillas in a bush, plastic bags, underwear in a small tree, lots of leaves in the latrine, and a big pile of human poop on a rock that used to be a nice overlook- and they made a fire on the rocks near camp and didn't even drown it. It was out, but still ashed over.

Very little shade- most trees near camp have been snapped off about 20 feet up. Must have been a heck of a storm. We spent the day getting in and out of the water, using our clothes to cool us as they dried. Camp is set up, but haven't unpacked our sleeping bags- still very hot at night.

    ~Ima Lake, Jordan Lake, Cattyman Lake, Adventure Lake, Jitterbug Lake, Ahsub Lake, Disappointment Lake

Sunday, July 28, 2024 Slept with the vestibules open all night...kinda cooled off, but not much. Up at first light- we had cold coffee and bars and got going.

We took the longer portage into Snowbank, which was probably a mistake since it meant we had to cross more open water on Snowbank. This was NOT fun. Big rollers, with minimal waves actually getting in the canoe but still.....butt clenching. Once we got past the bay by the canoe landing it was WAY better. Still work, but not scary. Got back to the outfitters around 1030, got showered and packed up the car. Headed towards Ely but immediately realized it was Blueberry Festival, so headed towards Hwy 61 and swung by the Trestle Inn for a couple Locomotives and fries.

And then it's over....bittersweet.

~Disappointment Lake, Snowbank Lake

Lakes Traveled:   Disappointment Lake, Snowbank Lake,