Sunday, August 31, 2008 We arose early finished packing and headed to the first portage into Ima Lake. Entering Ima we began seeing canoes on the first two sites and would see many more before the day was over. The wind was picking up and waves were starting to crest. We had become very comfortable with Lady Gisselle, heading straight across the lake and making good time. We had the wind to our back most of the way in and we would now have the wind in our face the way out. We meet a young couple with a springer spaniel, at the Ima to Jordan portage.  The next canoe we meet was between the portage from Cattyman to Adventure. The were paddling a new Sawyer canoe, model that I don't remember. The did say it took both of them to portage it 80 lbs, but they had bought from someone for $100. I don't think it had a single scratch. Just as we were leaving their was a young couple who came in single portaging and moving fast. We talked for a short time and found out they both worked at REI. We would meet them several more times at portages on the way out. We meet them on 3 more portages on the way out. Each time they were ahead of us, but we moved faster and knew the portages. By the time we got to Adventure the wind was picking up to 20 mph and building. The paddle across Absub Lake was the beginning of the adventure of the day. With the wind blowing from the south it was funneled into the east side of the lake and white caps stated rolling up. We knew the rest of the day until making camp was going to be a tough paddle. We meet one more group going in at the south end of the portage and they had no idea of what they were doing. We moved passed them on one side standin out in the lake to keep the canoe from pounding on the rocky shore. The young couple headed out had chosen the east shoreline to follow and find some shelter. We headed across the bay, straight south into the waves and wind. We were making good time and sliding through the waves. But, there was that feeling the wind was building and would challenge us the rest of the day.

Paddling south the campsites were full and no one but the young couple from REI and we were paddling and they were taking a break behind the first island. We skirted the first island and headed almost straight south into the wind. Paddling hard and moving at a reasonable pace, we made the middle of the lake near the narrows and took a break to get a break and a compass heading. The paddle across Disappointment would be directly into the wind or quartering from there on. All the campsites were taken and now and we knew that Parent Lake was our next choice for a site if possible. The wind was blowing hard, I would say over 30mph with strong gusts. The MR was handling everything that thrown at us and we moved forward. We saw one group on the lake coming in and they were just landing at a site. We watched from a distance and they didn't need to paddle, making good time with the wind. We made the portage at the SW corner of Disappointment a little over an hour with a short break. There was anothe group sitting at the portage heading in and we informed them to check the south side for campsites since the west and north ones were taken. One guy was from Wyoming and anothe was finishing off a chinese take-out lunch. I told Eldon we would take the two portages to Snowbank rather than the 140rd we had taken on the way in. I knew paddling Snowbank was going to be difficult at best, but didn't know the biggest challenge would be Parent Lake. We decided that paddling out was our option.

The portage in Parent is very nice, little rock, nice foot bridge over a stream and mostly shaded. The Parent side has a gradual rocky put in, with big waves crashing on shore. Double portaging we moved the canoe and gear to the lake. This was not going to be an easy paddle and would be at a 45 degree or more crossing the waves. I walked out into deep water and held the canoe as CG loaded everything and tied things in for the travel. CG climbed in and I told him to start paddling and then climbed in with ease, we hadn't moved yet. I told Mr. Smead we needed more power and both of us started working harder than anytime in the trip. We took water over the front and sides at time. In order to keep a reasonable distance from shore we occasionally allowed the waves to push back towards shore. We then had to paddle hard to make progress again. The wind was switching to the SW and blowing consistently over 30mph and strong gusts. No time to rest, no time to look around just keep the canoe from being taken sideways and move forward. We were taking water on almost every wave with the direction we were moving up. Being close to shore if we needed to bail out and recover at shore we would, wasn't time to bail water, wished I had a bilge pump. Just as we started discussing or cussing the need to bail water, we noticed a couple sitting on the shoreline reading books. I thought they were at the second campsite so we had a little way to go. But it didn't look like a campsite and we asked if that was the portage. YES, it was we had made it and felt relieved. The landing was tough and waves kept trying to pound us into the shoreline. Unloading and setting things to the side we took a short break and talked with the couple. They were staying at the cabins on the eastside of Snowbank and reported that waves were big on the lake. It had taken almost 40 minutes to cross Parent Lake.

Moving to the west side of the portage we sat and checked the maps and picked the northside of the big island as our first goal. It provided the shortes crossing of big waves in that stretch. The crossing was uneventful. Given the challenge of Parent we found this stretch to be an easy paddle. We then headed to the small island just west and found a square stern canoe with a father and son fishing. They had hoped the wind would die down and were fishing. The last stretch was at a angle to the waves but we had no problems. There was a group south of us hugging the shoreline of the big island headed in and a family at the canoe landing. The family consisted of two daughters, mom and the dog in a canoe and son and dad in second canoe. The dad was standing in the water holding canoes for everyone to enter and the waves were making it extremely difficult. The first canoe was suppose to go south and to a campsite. They were blown north around a corner and we couldn't see them. I mentioned to the husband that being on his best behavior would determine his fate later that night. Low and behold the canoe with the ladies and dog came back around the corner. The dog was now in the middle of the canoe not the stern and wet. The dog was biting at every wave and paddle that came by and was having fun. Last time we saw them they were headed south along the shoreline. We just climbed out in deep water rather than using the loading dock. Unpacking we brought the pickup down close and began packing. Two young guys were just heading in, they were taking dress pants, shirts and ties off in the parking lot.

We headed back to VNO and showered and then downtown for pizza. We left town about 6:45 headed to Mankato.