Granite River Route - Summer Revisited
by BWPaddler
Trip Type:
Paddling Canoe
Entry Date:
08/03/2011
Entry & Exit Point:
Magnetic Lake (EP 57)
Number of Days:
5
Group Size:
4
Discuss Trip:
View Discussion Thread (18 messages)
Day 2 of 5
Thursday, August 04, 2011
We had a delicious breakfast at the Lodge. Then, everyone else shuttled a car to Trail's End for the return, while I loaded boats. We pushed off just before 11am. dd2 & I started in the "new to me" Penobscot 16, making its maiden voyage with me. We had 2 GG Solo packs, 1 GG Superior One pack, and 1 "Seattle Sports" PVC pack, plus I think B & S had a small day pack. We carried one extra paddle in each boat and had two fishing rods. I took a dip at the beach with my cell phone in my pocket (a first!) and had to leave it behind to dry out in B's car.
Alas, the Penob didn't handle so well with a child in the bow, and the wind on Gunflint picked up midway across the lake... Using every paddle muscle I had left, we crossed the wind and pulled ashore on a point on the far side. B & S were in the Heron, having no trouble at all. I walked a ways along the shore until we had to paddle hard again for the narrows ("Cow o Bob e Cock") to Magnetic Lake. The channel was marked with milk cartons, and we floated through to find a place to swap boats with B & S. dd2 wouldn't have anything to do with that green boat the rest of the trip! Crisis averted, we paddled Magnetic Lake and enjoyed imagining life on an island cabin (yellow) just outside the BW.
We passed out of Magnetic Lake and pulled into the first portage just ahead of a pontoon boat - seriously. This wasn't the BWCA - yet. This portage would be in Canada! dd2 was the first of my kids to technically leave the country!
At the portage were two day trippers, lounging right where we took out, not understanding the portage concept. They soon got the picture as we landed and began unloading our gear. We carried it a short ways before putting in again and paddling to the top of Little Rock Falls - the beautiful site of an old Hamm's Beer commercial. There, we carried the gear again over more rocky terrain to the end of the portage. The nasty, rocky, ankle-twisting portages were blessedly short. Plenty more than 9 people (BWCA limit) were gathered at Little Rock Falls.
A perfect "jump rock" can be found at the bottom of the falls, with a nice pool below it. We took turns jumping off (I did hit the bottom) and enjoyed the cool water. Then a snake reclaimed its spot on the ledge and the jumpers took a break :)
When we paddled on (at about 2pm), our next destination was a secret blueberry patch. B & S had directions from Bruce Kerfoot, and just before Wood Horse Portage, we pulled over and scaled the granite walls to find a plateau of blueberries as far as you could see. We filled four plastic containers (GLAD I brought them) in short order even when we were eating 1/2 of what we picked!
We crossed Wood Horse portage and said we'd take the first site we found since after Clove Lake, it's a ways to the next site.
The campsite up on a cliff after the portage was taken, so we continued. We took the Pine Portage over to Clove Lake, and found the campsite at the end of the trail available. The other two sites were taken. Lucky!!
Clove Lake was just beautiful - the water was shallow and we floated the canoes over to the site. There was room for our tents (including dd2's) and a nice view of the sunset. We arrived just after 5:30pm. The only issue with that location (besides being near the portage) was that the latrine trail was straight up! You kind of had to pull yourself up the hill, holding on to plants... Site gets 4 stars, latrine 1 star.
After setting up the three tents, we made a fire and boboli pepperoni pizza. MMmmmmmmm. Perfect meal at the end of a great day. During dinner, dd2 whispered to me that she was a little scared of sleeping in her own tent, so we raced back to her tent and took it down lickety split. The new Taj 3 was more than big enough for both of us.
We had one couple come through looking for a camp site - we offered to share if they couldn't find one, but they headed to Larch Lake and never returned. The night was clear and we didn't even bother setting up a tarp! I hoped we wouldn't regret it, and we didn't. About time I got some good weather up here (see May trip to Little Indian Sioux River).
We had a delicious breakfast at the Lodge. Then, everyone else shuttled a car to Trail's End for the return, while I loaded boats. We pushed off just before 11am. dd2 & I started in the "new to me" Penobscot 16, making its maiden voyage with me. We had 2 GG Solo packs, 1 GG Superior One pack, and 1 "Seattle Sports" PVC pack, plus I think B & S had a small day pack. We carried one extra paddle in each boat and had two fishing rods. I took a dip at the beach with my cell phone in my pocket (a first!) and had to leave it behind to dry out in B's car.
Alas, the Penob didn't handle so well with a child in the bow, and the wind on Gunflint picked up midway across the lake... Using every paddle muscle I had left, we crossed the wind and pulled ashore on a point on the far side. B & S were in the Heron, having no trouble at all. I walked a ways along the shore until we had to paddle hard again for the narrows ("Cow o Bob e Cock") to Magnetic Lake. The channel was marked with milk cartons, and we floated through to find a place to swap boats with B & S. dd2 wouldn't have anything to do with that green boat the rest of the trip! Crisis averted, we paddled Magnetic Lake and enjoyed imagining life on an island cabin (yellow) just outside the BW.
We passed out of Magnetic Lake and pulled into the first portage just ahead of a pontoon boat - seriously. This wasn't the BWCA - yet. This portage would be in Canada! dd2 was the first of my kids to technically leave the country!
At the portage were two day trippers, lounging right where we took out, not understanding the portage concept. They soon got the picture as we landed and began unloading our gear. We carried it a short ways before putting in again and paddling to the top of Little Rock Falls - the beautiful site of an old Hamm's Beer commercial. There, we carried the gear again over more rocky terrain to the end of the portage. The nasty, rocky, ankle-twisting portages were blessedly short. Plenty more than 9 people (BWCA limit) were gathered at Little Rock Falls.
A perfect "jump rock" can be found at the bottom of the falls, with a nice pool below it. We took turns jumping off (I did hit the bottom) and enjoyed the cool water. Then a snake reclaimed its spot on the ledge and the jumpers took a break :)
When we paddled on (at about 2pm), our next destination was a secret blueberry patch. B & S had directions from Bruce Kerfoot, and just before Wood Horse Portage, we pulled over and scaled the granite walls to find a plateau of blueberries as far as you could see. We filled four plastic containers (GLAD I brought them) in short order even when we were eating 1/2 of what we picked!
We crossed Wood Horse portage and said we'd take the first site we found since after Clove Lake, it's a ways to the next site.
The campsite up on a cliff after the portage was taken, so we continued. We took the Pine Portage over to Clove Lake, and found the campsite at the end of the trail available. The other two sites were taken. Lucky!!
Clove Lake was just beautiful - the water was shallow and we floated the canoes over to the site. There was room for our tents (including dd2's) and a nice view of the sunset. We arrived just after 5:30pm. The only issue with that location (besides being near the portage) was that the latrine trail was straight up! You kind of had to pull yourself up the hill, holding on to plants... Site gets 4 stars, latrine 1 star.
After setting up the three tents, we made a fire and boboli pepperoni pizza. MMmmmmmmm. Perfect meal at the end of a great day. During dinner, dd2 whispered to me that she was a little scared of sleeping in her own tent, so we raced back to her tent and took it down lickety split. The new Taj 3 was more than big enough for both of us.
We had one couple come through looking for a camp site - we offered to share if they couldn't find one, but they headed to Larch Lake and never returned. The night was clear and we didn't even bother setting up a tarp! I hoped we wouldn't regret it, and we didn't. About time I got some good weather up here (see May trip to Little Indian Sioux River).
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