We decided to head out today. It took us so long to come in, and we expected it to take us as long to exit. If we were to break camp on Saturday we would be very tired driving home after a long, strenuous day getting out, and we get home very late. So the plan was to exit today, camp at Iron Lake Campground, and be fresh for our drive home Saturday.

A fast oatmeal and hot chocolate breakfast, break camp, and were on the water by 8:15. It was a nice day and we had no rain while we were traveling. The portages didn’t seem as bad going this way even though they were now predominately uphill. Perhaps it was because the weather was better, we were more used to it, or we were better recovered from our illnesses, but most likely it was a combination of all of that.

We met two people on the portage from Rush Lake to One Island Lake. These were the first people we had seen since the Missouri family on our way in. One was a NFS ranger. Jim tells me that the ranger was a quite attractive, young, blond woman with a great smile. I didn’t notice. I know that they didn’t ask to check our permit.

After One Island Lake, on the killer portage to Portage Lake, we met two more people, a brother and sister – I’m guessing very early 20s. It was her first BWCA trip. I good naturedly told the woman that she had a mean brother to take her on such a tough portage for her first trip. She seemed ready for the adventure though. We told them about the portages to Banadad, their first night destination.

When we crossed the logging road halfway up the portage, we saw the NFS truck parked there. Those rangers we saw earlier were no dummies. They cut the portage in half; in fact we thought they cut off the hardest half. However, once we continued on we realized that while we were in a crew had been through cutting out the deadfalls. This portage was now much, much easier than when we went in.

The wind, of course, was now out of the west, the direction we were paddling. Typical! We paddled into the wind going in and coming out. Still we made it to the take out at 2:30 pm. Coming out was much easier and faster than we expected.

We were able to get campsite #7, the only unburned campsite at Iron Lake Campground. There was only one other group at the campground. Why they opted for a burnt site rather than this one, I don’t know. Of course, Jim and I opted for a burnt site on Rush Lake when we could have had any site on the lake – all of the others not burnt.

Luckily we decided to string a tarp because it started to rain at 3:30. Fortunately it stopped by 5:00 pm.

We had supper and then decided to take a walk around the small campground. Who would have thunk it, but when we got back to the put-in spot, there was the bull moose again. It was same moose at the same spot as when we launched at the beginning of our trip. A van of spectators was there from one of the lodges, presumably on a moose tour. It must be this moose’s regular hang out. It certainly seemed like the driver knew where to look.

It was a good day: raining only after we got to the campground and had the tarp strung; getting out faster and easier than expected; seeing a bull moose; getting a good campsite at a quiet campground, etc. The Sawbill Outfitter’s website said that the high temperature for the day was 64 and the low 41.

We were to bed by 10:00.