I got up at about 6:30 at our Crab Lake site and made that great first cup of coffee -

It was a beautiful calm morning -

The rest of the guys got up fairly early too. We had pancakes and bacon for breakfast, took a dip, and broke camp. We'd decided to go back to Burntside Lake via Crab Creek back instead of taking the portage. The folks at VNO told us that some other customers took the creek a week earlier without a hitch. With the water level reasonably high, it seemed like a good time to try this. We explained to Mike and Josiah that there could be lots of beaver dams to lift over and they would have to be ready to jump out of the canoe anytime, possibly into deep muck. We also said we'd never gone that way and didn't know what to expect ourselves. It could be an adventure, and not necessarily easier than the mile-long portage. They were all for it, especially Josiah.

We had scheduled our pickup on Burntside for 2:00 to give us lots of leeway our last day. As it happened, we paddled out of camp around 9:30, which gave us tons of time (unless the creek turned out to be much more difficult than anticipated). Here Mike and I are heading into the northern tip of Crab Lake as it narrows to become Crab Creek -

Entering the creek -

Near the beginning of the creek there's an area where there seemed to be a lot of submerged wood. Bowman Mike guided us through an opening, and only when we were right on top of it did we realize that the wood was an old structure - presumably a bridge or crossing for an old logging road -

Josiah in the stern of the second canoe at the "bridge" -

A nearby log garden -

Mike and I continuing downstream - there was an amazing number of water lilies in here -

Soon we got to our first beaver dam of the day. Mike hopping out onto the dam -

I joined him and we maneuvered the canoe around -

And over -

Don't let go! -

At this point I had the bright idea that I would get in the stern (which was next to the dam) and Mike could wait on the dam until I paddled the canoe around with the bow facing back up. The problem was that with the narrow waterway and rushing current below the dam, it wasn't so easy to do. I managed though. After Mike hopped in, we had to turn around again and were on our way.

Once the path was clear, David and Josiah tried a different approach: paddling over the dam full speed ahead. Josiah had a theory that it worked better if he whooped a war cry as they went over. With their smaller and lighter canoe, and following after we had pulled over, they were able to go over a few dams in this way that Mike and I got hung up on and had to lift over.

Getting back in after another dam -

Below that dam the creek narrowed. But the water was remarkably clear, it was plenty deep, and there was a pretty decent current -

Downstream a ways we came to an impassable part of the creek where there was a portage on the left side. I don't think the Forest Service maintains the portages in here, and this one was more like an average interior Quetico portage than the clear BW paths we had been on so far this trip. Mike leapt out of the boat and scouted part of the way, then came back and got the Champlain and was off. This portage was the real test of canoe portaging skill, because there were several obstacles like this -

I had to bow down pretty far to get under that tree with the Spirit II. Mike had the bigger Champlain and is the better part of a foot taller, and he told me afterwards that he was really squatting going under this tree. But he made it past this and several other obstacles with no problem. Good work!

This portage was maybe 80 or 100 rods (it's not marked, much less measured, on the maps), and paralleled a series of unnavigable rapids on the creek -

Can't have a trip report without at least one portage fungus pic -

Old wolf scat -

The far end of the portage had a section of muck. Josiah was portaging in Keen's and lost one in here, but he managed to fish it out -

The very last stretch went through a wet grassy area -

Mike and I loaded up and were ready to go -

The next stretch of the creek has wider water meandering through a big marsh. It twists and turns a lot, so you have to paddle much further than the linear distance on the map. It ends at another impassable stretch of creek where there is a second portage on the right side of the creek. Looking back from the second portage -

This portage is maybe 40 rods. Josiah carrying a pack over -

It was very mucky at the downstream end of the portage, but we could load up on land and slide in over the grass and muck -

The last stretch of the creek was more wide meandering water making its way slowly through the marsh. It was really great, but unfortunately we didn't take any pictures in there. As we got further downstream we could sense the fresh wind blowing in from Burntside. The transition from the meandering marshy creek to the big island-studded lake is marked by a small rocky rapids. There's a spot where people have lifted over the smooth granite to the side of the little rapids, but I thought we should line down. Of course I managed to slip while wading in the current and gashed my leg on a very sharp rock just below the water's surface. It scabbed up within a few days and is now in the process of becoming a nice scar as a souvenir.

There is a campsite on the small bay on the west side of Burntside where the creek empties. Kevin our towboat driver told us he would look for us at both the creek and the portage, and said if we came down the creek the campsite would be a good place to meet. We were way early but didn't mind basking at the campsite for an hour and half while we had lunch and chilled. There's a picnic table there and we relished the luxurious comfort it provided. We even got out the stove for some lunchtime coffee. 

The crew at the Burtnside site -

Kevin showed up right on schedule with a different boat and (more importantly) different motor than on our way in. We were happy to have a tow as we sped across windy and rough Burntside Lake. Getting back close to home here -

The Dave-O held down the bow -

Mike's parents were waiting on the dock and got a picture of us coming in -

We unloaded and carried stuff up to the cabin. Mike carried the Champlain up. His parents were duly impressed -

Postscript -

This was a great trip. It was really fun for David and me to introduce Mike and Josiah to wilderness tripping. They were great traveling companions who easily rose to the challenges of the trip and both learned some new canoe camping skills. We would welcome either or both of them back anytime. And they've both said they're up for more.

We planned our route for this trip to be somewhat challenging and adventurous for the new guys, but not too crazy. We also told them that we could revise the plan at any time - except for the entry and exit times and place. I think the mile-long portage could have been a bad way to start if David and I did not have such a mellow attitude to portaging. Still, the guys seemed a little tired at the end of the first day. But we kicked it back the next day, and had a good mix of activity and relaxation.

With the rainy mid-summer, the bugs on this trip were pretty bad, especially at our first campsite on Cummings, which was otherwise fantastic. Josiah counted the mosquitoes he killed as they sucked his blood (for some reason he called them all "Steve") and finished the trip with something like Steve 72. I actually didn't think that was so bad. Still, it will be nice if the guys get to experience the area with a little less bug activity in the future.

Michael's and Josiah's mothers are both also interested in going on a canoe trip (not so the dads). But we got a note from Josiah's mom afterwards saying Josiah told her she was too much of a wimp for this trip. Ha ha! Well, sorry to say, but I think he's right. We might need to take the moms on a slightly different trip. But it will be fun too!

When we got back to the cabin after the trip, there were lots of cookies and beers to be consumed by the crew . Then we all popped open our laptops and plugged back in. For a lot of the rest of the afternoon the four of us played Scrabble with each other over the Internet. Sure, there was a real Scrabble board available, but what fun is that? It was kind of a funny contrast to how we started the day, but we really enjoyed it.

We ate much better dinners on this trip than David and I normally do. We're now revamping our dinner plan for our upcoming Quetico trip. The new guys ate an enormous amount of food. It's a good thing we didn't get windbound or something, because we pretty much ate every last bite by the end of the trip.

On the gear front, we had a major failure with our new Katadyn Vario filter. After the first couple liters, it was almost impossible to use in the setting designed for water that has a lot of impurities (like the BW in mid-summer). So that setting does not really work in the conditions it's purportedly designed for. What's the point? Its performance improved when we switched to the easy-flow setting, although that clogs the filter faster. But then the attachment where the intake hose attaches to the filter body just broke off. Fortunately we were able to fix it with duct tape for the rest the trip. I was kind of surprised the fix worked, given how important airtight suction is for a water filter, but it did. Three cheers for duct tape! Needless to say, though, we returned the filter to REI when we got back. I like the old, simpler Katadyn filters better. This is a case were "new and improved" is a step backwards. Now we've taken the plunge with a Steripen for the next trip.

And we'll see how it works soon. David and I are heading to Quetico on September 1. By then I'll be 50 years old. Look for a trip report from an old man later in the year . . .