Saturday, September 25, 2010

Woke to yet another gray morning. A quick oatmeal breakfast with some hot chocolate got us going tearing camp down. The clouds were slowly beginning to break. Soon we were packed up & on the water. Destination Winchell.

The first portage encountered was the trail to Gaskin. It started with a fairly tough climb then leveled off before dropping down to Gaskin. At mid trail there were a nice grouping of large pines & cedars. With the fall colors in full display it made for a really cool scenic trail. The landing on the Horseshoe side was quite rocky. Not so bad on the Gaskin end.
The island site was occupied as we paddled by. After our struggles the day before it was so nice to be paddling across Gaskin in mirror form. To say the least, Vickie was not impressed by the mucky landing to the next portage. Upon reaching the Winchell end Vickies' first word was, "WOW!" High rolling hills dominate the southern shore. Coupled with a stunning golden glow that only autumn can provide. WOW! Was a good way to describe the scene. We had the 5 star site at the other end of the lake in mind. Arriving early we paddled leisurely west across the lake checking out most of the campsites along the way. By this time the sun had finally reappeared after far too long of a hiatus. It made for a wonderful paddle down a wonderful lake.
Winchell was far less populated than Horseshoe. Only crossing paths with one large group. There is a small little brook emptying on the north shore. Exploration of this area revealed a nice grove of cedar trees with a plethora of moss covered rocks underfoot.
Good fortune was with us this day as the 5 star site just east of the northern arm was empty. Not having traveled too far we arrived fairly early in the day. The sun, now brightly shining down, provided us with an ideal opportunity to dry out our wet gear. It was amazing how fast much of our gear dried! Lazily we went about getting camp set up. The hammock had been setup on Horseshoe. But, with the exception of the first day, the weather was such that we had little inclination to use it. With the nice weather this day we both took the opportunity to stretch out & relax. Relishing every moment.
Unbeknownst to me. Vickie had brought a friend. A stuffed lizard from home we call "Lizzie". Unfortunately portaging was not one of her strong points! lol And once again we were greeted by some feathered friends. As 2 mergansers swam by Vickie commented, "I don't think I've ever seen only 2 at a time? Usually when we see them there's at least a dozen grouped together!" Almost directly south across the lake the most impressive cliff rose up adding ever more to wonderous ambiance of this special site.
The day was spent basking in the sunshine with no particular agenda. We had a nice supper of sausage with cheesy potatoes & onions on the side. By evening there wasn't a cloud in the sky. We sat by the fire with our beverages of choice & watched as the sun quickly sank in the western sky. There was a brief period of discomfort. This site is facing west. DIRECTLY west. Sitting in front of the firegrate as the sun set we couldn't avoid being nearly blinded from this vantage point. But after enduring the past couple of wet & cold days. This was almost a welcome nuisance.
Horseshoe Lake, Gaskin Lake, Winchell Lake