Day Five – Friday

As we left our campsite the next morning we noticed that the wind was indeed picking up. The decision to go through Parent Lake was a good one. It gave more shelter from the wind which was coming from the northwest causing some good sized whitecaps on Snowbank. We paddled into the wind and it gave the best angle to get to the boat landing. We were wet and cold by the time we spotted the landing. The sight of our van waiting for us was a welcome one!

This was a great autumn trip. The Wenonah Kevlar Minnesota 3 canoe we took worked out great for three guys. We were able to do the portages all in one shot, especially since Dan was the “pack mule”. The MN 3 worked great as we paddled into the wind. Even with the person in the stern working to keep it straight into the waves, we still had two guys power paddling. The route was great, lots of clear water lakes, high cliffs and you can see some of the remnants of the big storm and blowdown area. (Note: if it had been quite dry, this area would be under a Forest Service fire ban).