Nicholas and Cole sleep in their hammocks and I hear the rain start at sometime late in the night. I turns out to be about 4 AM. They have a tarp over them which can handle most of the light rain, but not the heavier stuff I think I hear. Eventually, Cole comes in our tent and quickly falls asleep in the middle. I have no problem going back to sleep, also. My last though is…..I wonder what Nicholas is doing? When I get up, the rain has stopped and I find Nicholas stayed out in the rain. He is in a soaked bag with about 25 gallons of water being held up by the tarp. As everything else on the trip, he handles it well. It is good this isn’t a spring or fall trip. The temperature is in the 60’s. We have a wet camp but nowhere to be until 4 PM this afternoon. I am determined to start a morning fire and work on that while the rest work on pancakes. I find plenty of birch bark and semi dry birch, small semi dry pine. It takes awhile but I get hot coals and help it along with some extra white gas. The pancakes are great…. we have a double batch. We eat as much as we can to lighten the load. We are as lean and mean as we can get other than the added weight of all the wet gear. I wonder how many pounds of water we are carrying? A slow camp breakdown, extra coffee, more stories (how did you meet your wife/mom? Have you ever been in jail?) we take off in a driving rain near 11AM. The kids eat up the heavy rain…as heavy as it has been the whole trip. We only have a few 100 yards to our first short portage. Funny, after a few days in the woods , you laugh at the 40-60 rod portages. I wish we time to spend in Fourtown. It looks like a great lake. We see very little activity on the water or at the campsites…there must be some folks out there?? I drag a line behind for the last time on the trip. Dick is catching smallmouth doing the same. The wind is not so bad today, so you can pay attention to your pole without concern of navigation. We are getting near the end with a few portages, 10 rod, 141 rod, 30 rod, ahead. The new CCC should get rid of that 10 rod….Am I not paying extra taxes for a stimulus package?? To this point,the 315 rod portage has been the most difficult. This 140 rod, with hills, rocks (wet rocks), is a really good test. We take a pack over just to see the trail. It has good elevation change and plenty of rock. The rain makes if very difficult. I have been very concerned and expressed this to the group….be careful on the portages. We will make this trip with no injuries , if we make this portage. I conclude I can not do the canoe alone. Bryce is the only one who tries and succeeds. He takes it as a challenge. I still don’t know how he made it. Two of the canoes are taken over with two people. I am dripping wet inside my rain coat from sweat after this portage. Again, a good feeling when done. One regret is not getting pictures with someone carrying a canoe. The last portage is uneventful and we are into Mudro Lake. We were at this spot 6 days ago but going up the other shore line. I like our loop route…..no duplication. The creek to the EP is lower than a week ago. The last 100 yards is pushing the canoe over the sand as opposed to floating. We left last Thursday morning at 7 AM; we arrived back Tuesday around 3:30PM. As we get our first pack out of the canoe, Peter from Canoe Country walks down the path. More good timing and service from Canoe Country Outfitters. We take a few finishing pictures and load the stuff in the trailer. I share a victory cigar with Dick as we finish the work. I still have some leeches left any they all wonder why I portages them the whole way. One reason….they are still alive. We wish Chain Saw Sisters was still open. Also, I can not believe Tom Watson almost won the Open, Tiger missed the cut. Pete did not know who won the GMO or how the Brewers did that week. We find out we are not at war with Canada.

The hot shower feels especially good in Ely before dinner at Ely Steakhouse. We all appreciate civilization and other people. The boys enjoy texting their girlfriends.Dinner is great with stories and laughs. I don’t feel it yet, but a letdown is coming. Wow….what a trip.

A few thoughts:

I am tough on cameras in the woods. I have lost too many into the water.I received a new Olympus Sylus 1030SW waterproof/shockproof camera for fathers Day. It handled the trip very well. It was in my pocket when I tipped the canoe. I also put on a floating lanyard. It won't sink to the bottom. I worked on some underwater shots as well as video. I'll get better at it.

The bugs were basically non existent. A bit of an issue at the latrine, but nowhere else. No black flies or ticks. I got a tick on the first round of golf when I got home. Guess where I hit that drive?

Wind was a bit of a factor.It would have been nice to paddle with the wind or no wind more often. We were never blown off the lake or lakebound and never tipped with gear in the canoe. Compared to the portages, paddling was a rest time. I did love the challenge of the portages. Longest was 328, but most difficult was a 140 with elevation, rain, and rocks. The Kevlar canoes were a joy. Certainly, easier on the portages. I was really glad when I saw an aluminum go by. The canoes were great in the water....very manageable even in the wind.

The weather is the weather. We appreciated the nicer days, but the spitting rain was a non factor.The heavier rains were fun while falling, but made a portage tougher.My military issued Gortex was great.Mild temperatures made the rain easier to accept.

We avoided any serious injuries. A few good falls on some slick shoreline rocks, but nothing longstanding. There might be a few bruises.The boys swinging axes, slick rocks on portages...we did good. My hands end up like hamburburger just like every other extended outdoor trip.

I drank the water direct from the lake. Never close to shore, always over deeper water. I only stuck my arm elbow deep.Most of the group was usuing the filter or boiled water. By the end of the week, all was drinking direct from the lake. It is a week later....no sickness.

This was a first for eating northern pike. The meat was great, but I did butcher some fillets. The You Tube video on removing Y bones only goes so far. Nothing replaces practice. The walleyes were a joy to cut.

Can't say enough good things about Canoe Country Outfitters. As I said in my opening remarks, I was waiting to be let down. It never happened. They met every expectation.

I'll have to return for another "trip of a lifetime"....I wonder when I'll get the chance?