This morning we got up by 7 and packed up. This was the only summer trip that I've never gotten into the water, too cold. Still had ice in the cooler so we even packed out a couple walleye fillets for the family (something else I've never done in the BWCA). We had a long trip back to the cities. Made it out by around 10:45am. There was Mike, standing on shore, to greet us as we paddled up. Made some small talk and he asked lots of questions about our trip. Was happy to hear we had had good fishing, as others had not. He said live bait was the difference. We took a nice hot shower and paid our bill. We had rented a Wenonah Boundary Waters Kevlar. Not that fastest boat I've ever paddled, but very stable and nice for fishing and bringing lots of gear. Speed isn't as important as I grow older, safety and stability are.

Made it down the Gunflint and ate at the Angry Trout for lunch. As always, so good. A nice end to a the trip. Lots of good fishing, lots of cold weather, lots of people, but lots of solitude and time to ponder the world's mysteries. Another great trip.

Personal Gear/Menu Notes: Camp chair of some sort a must anymore with my back. Need to upgrade my sleeping pad as well. New PFD was perfect. Boundary Waters canoe was a bit of a bathtub, but worked well, stable. Really worked hard this trip on bringing less food, still had too much. Hard to plan for just 2 people. Dry Ice worked really well for this basecamp trip. Precooked sausage crumble, egg beaters, shelf stable bacon, foil pouch chicken all worked well. Coffee French Press also a must. Live bait is worth the hassle.