Little Indian Sioux Loop Through The Beartracks
by HighPlainsDrifter
Trip Type:
Paddling Canoe
Entry Date:
05/31/2008
Entry & Exit Point:
Little Indian Sioux River (north) (EP 14)
Number of Days:
8
Group Size:
4
Part 6 of 11
Day 4, June 3, 2008
Travel this day was 6 miles over Thumb, Finger, Finger Creek, Pocket, Pocket creek, Ge-be-on-e-quet Creek, and ending at Ge-be-on-e-quet Lake with 3 portages (134 r) and one pull-over. On the water 8:20 and stopped for the day at 1 PM. Camp was made on the east side, second site south of the 35 r portage.
Today is our half-way-over-the-hump day, and it begins at 6 AM. It is real easy to be up and about in spring (as compared to fall). The woods are alive with birds, and they sing out “the early bird gets the worm”. I think I was listening to white throated sparrows; my favorite call. After awhile, I am singing the same song, and in a wonderful mood. Right now the day is bright, but it will turn cloudy. The wind will be in our face all day, but not enough to cause undue pain and suffering. Breakfast is biscuits and gravy one of our favorites. We make the biscuit the night before, so in the AM all we need is boiling water for gravy and copious amounts of coffee. On with the day.
We made quick work of the short portage into Finger Lake. Then, Nate and I got caught up in our French-Canadian Voyageur mode with several abrupt declarations while paddling; “Time for Cognac”. We paused, drifted, sipped from our flasks, and waited for Matt and Danielle to catch up. “What the heck are you guys doing”? We respond, “Time for Cognac”. And with a smile, we pushed off from their canoe, sending them in reverse, while we darted ahead. “Ha Ha, old Voyageur trick on you, heh? We make big joke, heh?” They did not seem amused by us. Down the lake, we waited their cautious approach. This time Matt and Danielle stayed their distance, and broke out their flasks “salut”. And that is how the day went. I think we laughed more coming up Finger Lake than I can ever remember. The mood was set for the day, and it stayed with us. Those are magical moments on a trip, and ya got to have lived them to understand how the team can get caught up in the moment. Sometimes the moment can be bad too, and it is then when laughter and a light heart makes the day better.
At Pocket lake we began to run into people. The three camp sites on the south end were taken, and this is the most use we have seen since East Loon Bay. On the approach to the 20 r portage into Pocket Creek we encounter two guys fishing off shore. They call out “You don’t need to portage this, we just came upstream and if you watch the rocks, you’ll do fine”. And, fine it was too. From Pocket creek we swing into Ge-be-on-e-quet Creek and there was instantly less water under our hull. This was the only water way in our loop that looked in need of water, and if not for the beaver, needier still.
All of the portages on this day were short, but there is one that again stands out from a “gotcha” factor. The 35 r into Ge-be-on-e-quet Lake from the creek is one of those “what the hey” is this. The trail is straight up from the get go and the landing on the lake side provides a very meager staging area for gear. We were now gun shy on encountering “crowds” of people, so a decision was made to once again stop early and at the first open site. We found the first camp (section 14) on the east side shy on space and moved down lake to the second site (in section 14). This was a gem of a spot with towering white pines and spots for our tents. Once again the black canoe wins the draw.
We are comfortably camped, and as the day wore on so came a threat of rain. And, as the day wore on several canoes enter the north end of the lake only to find no room at the inn. It is interesting that the camp just to the north of us was taken very quickly after we moved on to greener pastures. The two men at that site we will meet again in the morning. They, as well as we, have sights set on the lone camp at Rocky Lake. Although, that is tomorrow’s story, for now, it is time for beef stew, a little fishing, a little cognac, and a feeling that this was a good day.
Today we saw “crowds” compared to where we have been. Camp sites that we passed on Pocket were full, as were the north end sites on Ge-be-on-e-quet Lake( by days end). However, we did not encounter anyone paddling or on the portages.
Pictures: 1) Finger Creek at the 90 r; 2) Pull over on Ge-be-on-e-quet Creek; 3) Ge-be-on-e-quet camp
Travel this day was 6 miles over Thumb, Finger, Finger Creek, Pocket, Pocket creek, Ge-be-on-e-quet Creek, and ending at Ge-be-on-e-quet Lake with 3 portages (134 r) and one pull-over. On the water 8:20 and stopped for the day at 1 PM. Camp was made on the east side, second site south of the 35 r portage.
Today is our half-way-over-the-hump day, and it begins at 6 AM. It is real easy to be up and about in spring (as compared to fall). The woods are alive with birds, and they sing out “the early bird gets the worm”. I think I was listening to white throated sparrows; my favorite call. After awhile, I am singing the same song, and in a wonderful mood. Right now the day is bright, but it will turn cloudy. The wind will be in our face all day, but not enough to cause undue pain and suffering. Breakfast is biscuits and gravy one of our favorites. We make the biscuit the night before, so in the AM all we need is boiling water for gravy and copious amounts of coffee. On with the day.
We made quick work of the short portage into Finger Lake. Then, Nate and I got caught up in our French-Canadian Voyageur mode with several abrupt declarations while paddling; “Time for Cognac”. We paused, drifted, sipped from our flasks, and waited for Matt and Danielle to catch up. “What the heck are you guys doing”? We respond, “Time for Cognac”. And with a smile, we pushed off from their canoe, sending them in reverse, while we darted ahead. “Ha Ha, old Voyageur trick on you, heh? We make big joke, heh?” They did not seem amused by us. Down the lake, we waited their cautious approach. This time Matt and Danielle stayed their distance, and broke out their flasks “salut”. And that is how the day went. I think we laughed more coming up Finger Lake than I can ever remember. The mood was set for the day, and it stayed with us. Those are magical moments on a trip, and ya got to have lived them to understand how the team can get caught up in the moment. Sometimes the moment can be bad too, and it is then when laughter and a light heart makes the day better.
At Pocket lake we began to run into people. The three camp sites on the south end were taken, and this is the most use we have seen since East Loon Bay. On the approach to the 20 r portage into Pocket Creek we encounter two guys fishing off shore. They call out “You don’t need to portage this, we just came upstream and if you watch the rocks, you’ll do fine”. And, fine it was too. From Pocket creek we swing into Ge-be-on-e-quet Creek and there was instantly less water under our hull. This was the only water way in our loop that looked in need of water, and if not for the beaver, needier still.
All of the portages on this day were short, but there is one that again stands out from a “gotcha” factor. The 35 r into Ge-be-on-e-quet Lake from the creek is one of those “what the hey” is this. The trail is straight up from the get go and the landing on the lake side provides a very meager staging area for gear. We were now gun shy on encountering “crowds” of people, so a decision was made to once again stop early and at the first open site. We found the first camp (section 14) on the east side shy on space and moved down lake to the second site (in section 14). This was a gem of a spot with towering white pines and spots for our tents. Once again the black canoe wins the draw.
We are comfortably camped, and as the day wore on so came a threat of rain. And, as the day wore on several canoes enter the north end of the lake only to find no room at the inn. It is interesting that the camp just to the north of us was taken very quickly after we moved on to greener pastures. The two men at that site we will meet again in the morning. They, as well as we, have sights set on the lone camp at Rocky Lake. Although, that is tomorrow’s story, for now, it is time for beef stew, a little fishing, a little cognac, and a feeling that this was a good day.
Today we saw “crowds” compared to where we have been. Camp sites that we passed on Pocket were full, as were the north end sites on Ge-be-on-e-quet Lake( by days end). However, we did not encounter anyone paddling or on the portages.
Pictures: 1) Finger Creek at the 90 r; 2) Pull over on Ge-be-on-e-quet Creek; 3) Ge-be-on-e-quet camp
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