Tuesday, September 25, 2012

I'll be the first to admit my photography knowledge & skills are very limited. My train of thought in this regard is; if I take enough photos, the law of averages would suggest that a few of them will be keepers. Well, this was one of those magical canoe country mornings where you just needed to point the camera & shoot.

While making her coffee this morning, Vickie even had a grouse walk right through camp. Our neighborhood wolves were still at it even after the sun had risen. Vickie frankly admitted that the wolves howling throughout the night had made for a fitful night of sleep. And, in no certain terms, told me to stick close to her today while portaging.

As we were eating breakfast we were joined by a triumvirate of Whiskey Jacks. This trip wasn't the most noteworthy for wildlife sightings. But, to watch Aurora excitedly marvel at the various common birds & animals that we did see was quite a treat. Getting to see the birds & squirrels through her young, unfiltered eyes revealed anew, the exuberant youthful wonder & curiosity that often remains dormant in our observation. Of course she tried to emulate them by eating right off the ground too.

Another big advantage of the beautiful morning was that Oyster lake was virtually a mirror. So we could paddle across directly to the portage. Also, once we were in the middle of the lake, Vickie tried the SPOT one last time with no success. As we pulled up to the portage, a group of four pulled in just behind us. They must've come from Hustler lake. Believe it or not? Excepting Ben, these were the first people we had seen on our route since Darren had dropped us off 6 days ago!

I volunteered to let them "play through". One of the guys thanked me & said, "We only do one carry, so we'll be out of your way quickly". I said, "I do one carry too......One after another". I think my humor was lost on him?[paragraph break]

A benefit of these others simultaneously portaging with us was that Vickie felt much more relaxed about possibly seeing a wolf. We wished each other a good trip & they were on their way while we finished portaging & got Aurora changed for the Oyster river paddle.

As had been the custom so far, once again there was a beaver dam shortly after starting down the river. And, Aurora was sure to keep a close eye on Daddy as we paddled along.

With as low as the river was it was no wonder that the landing to Agnes was an absolute quagmire. Initially it was difficult to discern where solid footholds would be. Fortunately (for me)Vickie found where NOT to walk.

One would think the closer you get to the entry point, the better the trail would be maintained. Quite the contrary in this case. Nothing unmanageable but, there were several trees and branches down across this trail. Some precariously so. Never the less, Aurora really enjoyed the sandy beach on Agnes while we took a break & finished off the banana bread Vickie had baked last night.

Met a friendly soloist heading for Oyster lake before we pushed off. All the campsites before we reached the Moose river were occupied. As well as several groups coming down the river. Reminded me why I try to avoid this area. Oh well, we couldn't complain, we'd just had 6 days of complete solitude.[paragraph break]

Upon entering the Moose river it was immediately evident that the water was very low. First we had to maneuver our way through a maze of barely submerged rocks. Then we ended up having to pole the canoe from about the confluence of Ramshead creek all the way to the 95 rod portage. Eventually having to just get out and walk the loaded canoe the last 30 yards or so to the landing. Vickie thought it was neat the way a branch on the old,dead tree still standing there seemed to be pointing where the portage was.

No where was the evidence of low water more stark than along the portages where the running water is usually located. Hopefully this area gets some serious moisture soon.

There was a large beaver dam just before Nina Moose as well as several smaller ones all along the way back to the entry point. The weather didn't seem to know what it wanted to do. Sunshine was quickly followed by light showers & vice versa. It had already been a long day, so we paddled right past "Top of the world" without stopping. There was an old Hamms beer can someone had unearthed along one of the portages.

Through the grace of God, Aurora had been a real trooper today. She hadn't fussed or complained at all. Never the less once we reached the sidewalk like half mile portage back to the parking lot, Vickie let her pin her ears back and go. After being cooped up in the canoe most of the day, her gleeful laughter & squeals echoed through the woods.

It had taken us over 8 hours to make it back to the entry point today. We each had a heavenly cold caffeinated drink waiting for us in the van. The drive down the Echo trail was picture perfect. A seemingly unending canopied kaleidoscope of colors elegantly hung over the trail as we motored past. While very relieved to be out, Both of us were overcome with a deep sense of accomplishment & satisfaction for having completed this route with Aurora along.[paragraph break]

Having devoured our third meal from Trails End. I feel qualified to put them on equal footing with any eatery that serves the BWCAW such as Trail Center, Ely Steakhouse etc. Very good food & menu. We even ran into Mark Anderson (of Anderson Outfitters) and shared our story. He was quite impressed with Little Miss Aurora & was glad we'd had a good time. From there it was just the beginning of another long journey.......The ride home!

Oyster Lake, Agnes Lake, Nina Moose Lake

In the final analysis, we both agreed this was a very memorable trip. But, in planning this route, I should've added at least another day. At times, especially on days we moved, Aurora was a handful. As with most kids, she just wanted to get up and go. Sitting in a canoe was just too sedentary for her. And, as I mentioned in the report, this wore on Vickie.

Still, watching Aurora marvel at the various animals, birds, loon calls are priceless memories. Not to mention how she deftly made her way around camp or rode carefree at he front of the canoe, or peeked around to the back of the canoe to ensure that I was still there. I guess what I'm trying to say is, that even though there were difficulties along the way, it was worth the struggles to achieve those type of payoffs that only the wilderness could provide. To put things into perspective. Even had we driven in a car for hours, Aurora still would've fussed & carried on at times. That's just what kids do.

As I mentioned earlier we felt a real sense of accomplishment completing this route. I certainly think we spent time at 4 of the nicest campsites along the way in virtually complete solitude & the fall colors really started to show as we passed through. It would've been nice to have a little more time for exploring & fishing but, it was great to have met up with Ben and Bernice along the way. It was a tough but, very satisfying adventure. Looking forward to the next one.

Lakes Traveled:   Oyster Lake, Agnes Lake, Nina Moose Lake,