Day 3, June 2, 2008
Travel this day was 4.5 miles over South Lake, Steep Lake, Eugene Lake, Little Beartrack Lake, Beartrack Lake, and ending at Thumb Lake with 5 portages (425 r). On the water 8:40 and stopped for the day at 1:45 PM. Camp was made at the first site on the north shore of Thumb after the 200 r portage.
Danielle started our day with big breakfast wraps consisting of egg, cheese and SPAM. It was a wonder we could waddle away, and that probably accounts for our late departure of nearly 9 AM. It seems we had way too much to clean up under a sky that looked like it was closing in before we even launched. The greasy sky soon gave way to a cloudless but very hazy day that also heated up.
We underestimated our first portage. Heck, 120 r. How bad can that be? Besides that fact that the trail went unmercifully uphill for almost the entire 120, the trail also was the path for a small creek that made footing real tricky. An ancient log across the trail marked the top of our climb. At this point I was sucking wind and the smokers of our group were gasping for breath. “Break time! This trail can’t be marked right. This is about the longest $#&*!@ 120 r !!”.
The series of lakes that we paddled today were perhaps, the most scenic section of the trip. In retrospect, I wonder why we didn’t spend more time exploring this beautiful part of the trip. I think the thing that made us move on was the sound of the seaplanes on the Canadian side of Lac La Croix. They seemed rather busy and the noise detracted from the solitude and remoteness of the area.
Of the string of lakes, I was not real impressed by Beartrack Lake, and as such I do not remember much of the lake except for the approach to the portage on the SE end. There was a little peninsula that extended across the bay, and it partially concealed the entry to the 200 r portage into Thumb. The 200 r into Thumb was mostly flat and it cut through an area that we called the enchanted forest. Actually the forest was more like the enchanted moss and boulder field than a forest. (On the map this area is shown as bog) However, the terrain was easy, open, and very different than most portages.
Upon entering Thumb Lake we decided to call it a day and selected the first camp site after the 200 r on the north shore. From the lake, the site (if you can actually detect a camp site) does not look very desirable, but like all camps, it became home for the night. As per tradition we drew straws for first choice of tent spots. The black canoe wins again (not like any of the spots were something to write home about). After supper Nate and I fished the perimeter of the lake. I tied into a small mouth that was a true acrobat, and it nearly took my shoulder off on one of its many crossings of the stern. As luck had it, I was using one of my “barbless” lures, and that fish found freedom at the moment we thought it was headed for the boat. It was a thrill, and it did make my day regardless of losing it. Nate picked up 2 little brothers to my acrobat, and we headed back for a late night snack.
Today we saw only one canoe on Thumb Lake and no other campers. The canoeists likely came in from either Finger or Pocket Lakes to try their luck fishing Thumb. While we watched, they came up empty. Right up to the end, they never saw us peering at them from our rustic little site. Then, we heard one of the guys say, “there is a canoe in the bush”. They eased over to give the canoe a better look, and saw the 4 of us sitting on a log watching them. I don’t think they realized that there was a camp site on the lake.
Pictures: 1) Start of the portage to Steep Lake; 2) Steep Lake; 3) Narrows on Eugene Lake