My B's and Me on the Skipper Lizz Loop
by Kendra
Poplar Lake, Skipper Lake, Little Rush Lake, Rush Lake, Banadad Lake
The morning was cloudy and looked like we would be in for a wet day. We cleaned our belongings out of the bunkhouse and headed for the car. Under the windshield wiper was a note that read: May God Bless You on your trip. He will help you carry your pack when you can’t and He’ll start your fires when it is wet. Love Rick and Elaine P.S Drink H2O. It will get you up!
The girls like a challenge and after hearing...you will wish you weren’t there…that will be hell… and now having people pray for us… their determination to complete this trip moved up a notch! We loaded up the canoes and headed out. Myself and B1 in the sterns and the twin B’s in the bows. It was a bit windy as we headed to the 320 rod portage that would take us into Skipper. As we paddled I questioned the direction B1 was headed. Looking down at the map I called the girls back to go south more to find the 320 portage. The B’s said “Are you sure?” I was sure, it says 320 right there on the map! After all I did say the night before what a good sense of direction I have! As we paddled I realized I was heading to the MEEDS 320 not the SKIPPER 320. Oh poop! We have to head back to the north. I told the girls I was wrong and was looking at the other 320. An explosion of “We told you mom!” came flying my direction. Lessons for the day: 1.) Moms aren’t always right! 2.) Admitting it can be a brutal! 3.) And keep your map close enough to your eyes you can actually read it! Thankfully we didn’t go all the way to the Meeds portage before I noticed my mistake!
As we pulled our canoes onto shore at the Skipper portage a motor boat pulled up. A dad and his son jumped out and started to walk the portage to fish on Skipper Lake. The older gentleman (the grandpa) tied off the boat. I was the last to load my pack. As I headed toward Skipper I heard him say, “Do you mind if I carry a few things for you? He was already picking up our paddles and a small bag. When you walk a mile with an 80 year old man that has been coming to the area since he was two, you learn a lot! Pete was his name and he knew every step of that portage! Pete even offered to carry my pack! He told me when he was younger and in better shape he could cross the 320 in eighteen minutes! And I believed him! What a charming man!
We paddled through Skipper in the light rain. We were able to sneak through the rocks and down trees into Little Rush avoiding the 21 rod portage.
The Little Rush to Rush portage had one bad rocky area. The west end of the portage was Raspberry Heaven! There were millions of bushes …all full of ripe raspberries! As far as you could see in the burn area there were raspberries! We ate and ate and then picked some to put in our pancakes the next morning! Mmm!
Rush Lake was affected by the burn but still a nice lake. It rained off and on. As we paddled the girls sang… the entire length of the lake! (Many songs they learned from One Match.) They tapped on the canoe keeping the rhythm as they harmonized. I would have made them stop if there had been other people within a mile of us. But we were ALONE and loving it! I was not blessed with the voice and talent my daughters have so I’m only allowed to sing when bears come! A sure scare!
The 10 rod portage to Banadad Lake was interesting. Rocks, a stream, a bridge and mud! B’3 broke through the bridge with one leg! Watching the way she went down I could see a broken leg out of the deal! Thankfully she only got a scrape and bruise!
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