Our plan today was to leave through EP 14, go back to Fenske and camp before returning home. What’s the advantage to that? Well, we spent the afternoon on a day trip into Hegman Lakes but I get ahead of myself.

We took time for a fire for breakfast even though we don’t do that on a travel day. We were still off by 7:30 and the winds were light and the current of the LIS wasn’t bad. Everything went well until we got to the 65 rod portage just as a youth group with two leaders had plugged up the whole thing with their four canoes strewn across the end of the portage while they were on the way with their second trip. We had been waiting for some time when it was discovered one of the boys hadn’t made the second trip back and a pack was missing. It was maddening to me that no effort was made to clear the portage while they waited his return. I was about to say something when one of the leaders realized what they were doing and moved the canoe closest to us so we could proceed. It got a little more maddening when all them were back and I counted 10 people in four canoes on top of it all. I’m not the USFS but I do believe the leaders realized their mistake with plugging the portage entrance. When I had time later to think on it, that was their first stop/get out/move gear/ load up/ and move on portage so they were just getting organized and we were pretty nice about it all. Maybe too nice?

We got to the EP in about 3 hours and found that when we got to Fenske Lake campground we had the place to ourselves. We had lunch among a horde of bugs and headed out for Hegman Lakes. We learned we had the lakes to ourselves also and found them to be a treat to the eyes. Of course we had to find the pictographs and get some pictures but I was glad we stayed one more day and didn’t just head right home.

We got cleaned up and headed into Ely for another chance to stretch our legs, shop a little, and, yes, more pizza! We actually took time to drive around town and explore the town beyond Sheridan St. Among other things we found the old mine that sits on the north shore of Miner’s Lake just across the road from the Grand Ely Lodge. I feel like I really got a taste of what Ely is like other than just ramble up and down the main drag.