Saturday, September 22, 2012

While it had been windy & rainy more than we would've liked. Gun lake had been a majestic scene of visionary enchantment that provided the backdrop of many lasting memories that have been seared into our subconscious for all eternity. With it's 2 seperate lobes, majestic cliffs, awesome day trip opportunities & great campsite at the narrows; I don't think it's too far off the mark to call Gun the Cherry lake of the Nor'western BWCA.

So from one point of view, being able spend more time here would be construed as a blessing. But, we needed to move camp to better ensure we reach our take out point in the time we have allotted. And the wind & waves currently reeking havoc out across the lake this morning were definitely putting those plans on hold. We certainly didn't want to force a bad situation, especially with Aurora along. So we hoped & waited.

Aurora was able to take a long nap. After she woke, we packed everything away ready to travel. It was nearly one o'clock & I was about ready to set everything back up when, against all odds, the wind broke.

Of course this would be a painfully late start. But, we needed to put some miles behind us. So, just when we would normally be pulling into camp, we pushed off.

We paddled for the Little Beartrack portage. This was a really neat portage with very little elevation change. It followed along the base of some impressive cliffs. Problem was, it also had an impressive collection of various sized boulders along most of the trail. At the Little Beartrack end there was some old, weathered lumber back in the woods. Also, some neat moss which contrasted with the club moss along most of the trail.

From the landing Little Beartrack appeared to be an impressive lake. The high cliffs that we passed under along the portage continue on out along the eastern shoreline. Due to a navigational error on my part we paddled right past the next portage but, quickly remedied the situation. Other than the very rocky landing, it was a very easy up & over to Beartrack lake. Vickie even let Aurora get out & stretch her legs a bit.

Once on Beartrack we paddled in a southerly direction. As we were nearing the small bay in the SE corner of the lake, the wind really whipped up out of the west. We needed to paddle north to get around the small peninsula guarding the back bay where our next portage was located. But, not wanting to to risk the canoe being sideways in the trough of the waves, we decided to portage the couple of rods across the peninsula (where we ran ashore) to the calm waters on the other side.

If there was any doubt where the portage landing to Thumb lake was??? A bright white tennis shoe tied to a tree was there to guide us in. My Voyageur map indicated that this was a 200 rod portage. It passed through some really neat areas of moss blanketed forest floors. There really wasn't much in the way of elevation change until it dropped down on the Thumb lake end. There were a few rocky & muddy areas at that point too. In the final analysis, I don't think a person could realistically expect a 200 rod portage to be much easier.

Fortunately, upon completion of this portage, the wind had subsided so our paddle across Thumb was pleasant. There is a small creek between Thumb & Finger lakes. If the water level had been closer to normal? We likely would've just had a quick pull over at the beaver dam located there. As it was, we wound up doing a short portage of 3-4 rods.

While planning this trip; besides relying on my own experiences & memory, I also extensively researched this area on BWCA.com and, finally, had Stu fill in the remaining blanks with the BWJ T.R.I.P.S program. There have been those who have questioned why anyone would want to know this type of information prior to a trip. Well, since it was nearly 6:00 when we arrived on Finger lake, there was only about an hour of daylight remaining. So spending the extra time searching out the best, or perhaps even an adequate, campsite would've eaten up the precious daylight we had remaining. Instead we were able to paddle right up to the SW island site, knowing full well that it was certainly the best site on the lake if not the whole of this immediate area.

Not trying to rub anyone's nose in it. But, I think the way this scenario played out for us is a perfect example of why I research a trip. Certainly we would've survived at a less than desirable site if we had to. But why not, if possible, know what you're getting into portage wise & have the best site available? For me, spending time at a great site ALWAYS enhances a trip.

Got camp setup & situated before night fell. With the late start, it had been a long day. Supper was a couple of Clif bars & snacks. Mommy put Aurora down shortly after our quick supper, while we sat up & enjoyed gazing at the moon and stars for the first time this trip. With only the occasional splashing of a beavers tail shattering the calm silence.

Gun Lake, Little Beartrack Lake, Beartrack Lake, Thumb Lake, Finger Lake