It seems spending multiple days at a campsite pushes you to open more stuff and spread out your things more. The morning is spent filling water bottles, undoing the spread of our things and leave no trace lessons. (Sorry folks who came after us, but you should have seen it when we got here, we improved the condition of the camp, but it still looks well used.

We paddle. No wind yet. Well, I paddle. Son is happy to be leaving, but the paddling is pretty weak. The Extreme fishermen felt they needed a huge head start and are 1/3 of the lake ahead of us. Nice loons and eagles sitings this morning. At the portage to Clearwater the fishermen have left some stuff. 50 yards down the portage, their canoe has been dumped already. I decided when starting the day, today no single portaging, not stretching it the way I did when we came through on the way in. With only the canoe and a small pack, without the massive climbs and at only 218 rods, this is a nice enjoyable portage. And nicely double tied hiking boots...Oh, how perspectives can change. My son and I talk the whole way through. On the way back for the packs, we are strong, and light, nearly skipping and smiling. We look at the mid-point pools in the stream beside the portage, the big flat rock areas that to us mean ¼ and ¾ of the way markers. My son has decided that I was right to force him into his shoes at the portage as they feel nice compared to wet keens.

As we head back, we run into our BWCA experienced father son team. I am sure this will be an easy portage for them. They all seem to easy portages for them, and this time he is carrying the Kevlar canoe. For the first time, I am not jealous of his Kevlar craft, only because I am done portaging canoes for the year.

Almost done with our second portage trip, we hear an odd droning, rumble. I ask my son, "do you know what that is?" He can’t place it. “It is a boat motor. It is going to be Clearwater outfitters dropping someone off to make their trip easier.” “I am guessing for $40.00 we could end our trip 90 minutes early and skip the last paddle.” My son is all for it. However I talk him down off this idea. There is very little wind still, we are in the boundary waters, let’s take our time and finish it right.

There is a family of 4 starting “the loop” in the area and have 2 big food packs, 2 big Duluth packs various smaller items and 2 Kevlar canoes, they are completely outfitted. The kids are saying, C’mon dad we can single portage this in a non-Minnesotan accent. Good luck to them on that. I had that same thought on my way in, it will wear off by their second portage.

We start paddling Clearwater and see our fisherman cohorts 1/3 of the lake ahead again. As we get through the narrows, I don’t yet see our 3rd canoe, but am confident they will catch up.

Lots of paddling, it is a really long lake. My son paddles about ¼ of the time. This is an improvement. We close some distance on the canoe in front of us. The palisades are still amazing, wrong angle with the sun for pictures though. We see our 3rd party now. Their sleek craft is making up ground as usual.

"Paddle all the way to the next point son." "Let’s do racing cadenc." Any game possible to get my son paddling. "When that red canoe disappears they will have rounded the point to the take out. Paddle!"

Behind us, brown Kevlar and synchronized paddling is catching up. 1,2,3,4,5, hup!... Argh… I explain to my son the matter of pride I am going to have when we don’t let them pass us before the point. C’mon make the point before them, 1,2,3,4,5, hup!. 2 canoes now doing racing cadence. We make the point! C’mon buddy, it is a matter of 150 yards to go, we can finish ahead of them. Arms burning we finish ahead of them, barely.

The canoe has new scrapes and scratches, tattoos of a BWCA experience. After unloading my son changes into clean underwear, socks, shoes, shirt. SOCKS! Dad, I really like SOCKS! This is so nice.

As we drive home, the talk is not of portage difficulty and shoulder pain, we are discussing BWCA plans for next year. Our 3 canoes netted a couple hundered fish... not exaggeration. Newbies no more, and hooked.

OK, this photo is not BWCA, but MN has other fun too. This was relaxing later. West Pike Lake, Clearwater Lake