Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Winchell Lake, Horseshoe Lake, Vista Lake, Misquah Lake

We were up early and packing in fog. We couldn’t have asked for better weather to paddle out of Winchell in! The lake barely had a ripple, the sky was blue and it was warm!

Fog rising on Winchell
Leaving our camp on Winchell much cleaner than we found it!
BW beauty!
We were greatful the wind wasn't blowing! Perfect weather...again!
We stopped to explore the waterfalls that come out of Tremble Lake. I would have like to walk up to the lake but time didn’t allow for that.
I’m not sure of the real name of these falls.
B1 at the falls.
Our paddle on Winchell was perfect! We arrived at the 60 rod portage to Gaskin and were met by a HUGE toad! Maybe he just looked big compared to the babies on the Cave portage.

We met a young couple who told us that all the sights on Gaskin were taken. That was okay because our plan was to camp on Horseshoe and paddle down to Misquah for the day.
Looking north into Gaskin. The portages are getting much easier!
Paddling Gaskin.
We were greeted by this big guy at the beginning of the 102 rod portage to Horseshoe.
No B3 isn’t showing off a turkey she shot…It’s a mushroom!
This scat wasn’t on the portage trail when we crossed the first time. When we went back for the canoes we found it the middle of the trail! Nice to know we weren’t alone! : )
After crossing another easy portage we were now on Horseshoe. We took the site on the right just as you head north on Horseshoe. It was well used but had critters to entertain the B’s.
B1 didn’t like this bug on her shrit!
The sad frog with only one eye and it's helper. : (
Another toad!
Finally a good loon pic.
Teach me to fly!
B1 was shocked when she fell off the log!
Mom I found firewood! A whole tree!
We headed to Vista and Misquah for the rest of the day. The 21 rod portage was a little rocky but relatively easy. Vista is a nice little lake. The campsites here were also full and people were out fishing.
B3 again caught a fish. This time it was a Walleye!
The B’s by the rapids on the 50 rod portage from Vista to Misquah. This portage was rocky but much flatter than the portages on the first leg of our trip.
On the way back to Horseshoe from Misquah I got a floor seat! I hardly had to paddle! What a treat!
We got back to camp and had a spaghetti dinner while we listened to someone north of us trying (and failing) to make a noise like a loon. B2 couldn’t resist! She walked down to the water and called back. A mans head instantly popped out from behind the trees at the camp to the north. The guy had a puzzled look on his face and that was the end of the loon calling! We were getting ready to hit the sack and I made one last trip to the latrine. As I sat on the “relief stool” a little bunny hopped over and watched me. I had not seen a rabbit in the BW before. And the way he looked at me I don’t think he’d ever seen…. a woman before!